Monday, 8 April 2019
8-4-2019 GANDIA MARJAL, VALENCIA - PURPLE HERON (Ardea purpurea)
The Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea), a statuesque avian, stands with a height ranging from 70 to 94 cm and boasts a wingspan of 120 to 152 cm. Despite its grand stature, it is a slender creature, tipping the scales at a mere 0.5 to 1.35 kg. This bird is slightly smaller and more svelte than its cousin, the Grey Heron, and is adorned with darker, reddish-brown plumage.
Adult Purple Herons are distinguished by their black foreheads and crowns, with a dark stripe cascading down the back of the neck, culminating in a modest, dangling crest. Their heads and necks are a buffish chestnut, streaked with dark lines, while the mantle dons an oily brown hue. The upper parts and tail are a brownish grey, and the underparts are a mix of chestnut and black. During the breeding season, the beak of the adult brightens, and the eyes gleam with a yellow iris.
The Purple Heron is a denizen of marshes, lagoons, and lakes, often shrouded by dense vegetation. It has a penchant for freshwater habitats, particularly those with expansive reed beds of Phragmites. Coastal mangrove swamps are also within its realm, though less frequently visited.
This heron has a broad range that spans Africa, central and southern Europe, and the southern and eastern Palearctic. While the Western Palearctic populations are migratory, their African and tropical-Asian counterparts are mostly sedentary, save for occasional dispersive movements.
The Purple Heron is a creature of stealth and grace, often retreating to the sanctuary of reed beds. It exhibits a slow, deliberate flight, with its neck retracted and legs trailing behind. On land, it moves with long toes that allow it to traverse floating vegetation or even bushwalk without grasping the branches. Dawn and dusk are its preferred times for activity, with the bird often seen stalking or standing in ambush for its prey.
The heron's vocalization is a subdued "frarnk," a quieter and higher-pitched affair compared to the Grey Heron. It is generally less vocal, but similar guttural sounds may emanate from its colonies.
Purple Herons are colonial breeders, constructing bulky nests from dead reeds or sticks in close proximity to water. They lay about five bluish-green eggs, with both parents sharing incubation duties. The young emerge after approximately four weeks and take their first flight six weeks later.
A versatile predator, the Purple Heron's diet includes fish, rodents, frogs, insects, and more. It employs both stalking and ambush tactics to capture its prey, often waiting motionlessly or slowly stalking its victim.
Sunday, 7 April 2019
18-11-2017 HANNINGFIELD RESERVOIR, ESSEX - BRITISH BLUE TIT (Cyanistes caeruleus ssp. obscurus)
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The blue tit is a delicate little bird, weighing in at around 11g – half the size of a robin. Often considered our most attractive garden bird, the blue tit is extremely colourful, with a bright blue cap, white face, black stripes across the eyes, bright yellow breast and blue, green and white wings.
Caterpillars are a favourite for blue tits, but they also eat other insects, spiders, fruit and seeds. They are regular visitors to garden bird feeders, feasting on mixed bird seed, whole shelled peanuts, fat balls and sunflower hearts. Extremely acrobatic, they will often hang upside down from branches to access food. During the winter, blue tits join up with other tit species in search of food.
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Blue tits are found in deciduous and mixed woodland, hedges, gardens and parks across the UK. They are one of our most common birds, with an estimated population of around 3.4 million pairs.
Like all birds, blue tits can see ultra-violet light – the front of their head glows brightly under UV light, and this is how females are thought to choose their partners.
Blue tits start looking for a place to nest as early as January, usually beginning to build their nest by late March. They favour cosy cavities: rot holes and cracks in trees, old woodpecker nests, crevices in walls and nest boxes.
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Once a nest site is located, blue tits will begin building a nest out of moss, hair, leaves, feathers and spider webs. Unlike many other birds, blue tits will usually only raise a single brood each spring. They lay around 7–14 eggs, and won’t begin incubating until all of the eggs have been laid.
The clutch is usually laid from late April to early May, and incubation takes round 15 days. The male will bring the female food during this period. Once hatched, the chicks spend approximately three weeks in the nest before fledging.
A sure sign of the start of spring is the sight of blue tits zipping back and forth to nest boxes, beaks full of moss. Find out when, where and how long blue tits nest, when their chicks fledge, and how important it is that they time things just right.
The blue tit’s colourful feathers make this bird easy to spot. Look out for it perched on trees in woodland or foraging for a bite to eat on garden bird feeders, and listen for its high-pitched ‘tsee-tsee-tsee-chu-chu-chu’ song.
The blue tit is a common, widespread species. Its population has grown by 21% since 1970. You can lend these birds a helping hand by placing bird feeders in your garden, particularly during the winter when food is scarce.
8-11-2017 HANNINGFIELD RESERVOIR, ESSEX - BRITISH DUNNOCK (Prunella modularis ssp. occidentalis),
When seen at a distance, dunnocks appear a drab brown. Get a closer view and you will notice a grey breast and head and dark streaks on the wings. They are roughly the same size as a robin.
Not to be confused with: the house sparrow. These birds can look similar from a distance, but the easiest way to tell them apart is the beak. A dunnock’s bill is thin and pointy, while a sparrow’s is much broader and powerful looking. Sparrows also live in flocks, while dunnocks are rarely seen in more than pairs.
Dunetimes, may join foraging flocks. Dunnocks are territorial, especially during the breeding season, and maynocks are active during the day typically feeding on the ground. They are usually seen alone, but som engage in conflict with other birds that encroach upon their nests. Males sometimes share a territory and exhibit a strict dominance hierarchy; older birds tend to be the dominant males and first-year birds are usually sub-dominant. Female territorial ranges are almost always exclusive. However, sometimes, multiple males may cooperate to defend a single territory containing multiple females. The main call of dunnocks is a shrill, persistent 'tseep' along with a high trilling note, which betrays the bird's otherwise inconspicuous presence. The song is rapid, thin, and tinkling, a sweet warble that can be confused with that of the Eurasian wren but is shorter and weaker.
Dunnocks have variable mating systems. Females are often polyandrous, breeding with two or more males at once, which is quite rare among birds. Other mating systems also exist, depending on the ratio of male to females and the overlap of territories. When only one female and one male territory overlap, birds will form monogamous pairs. Sometimes, two or three adjacent female territories overlap one male territory, and so polygyny is favored, with the male monopolizing several females. Polygynandry also exists, in which two males jointly defend a territory containing several females. Polyandry, though, is the most common mating system of dunnocks found in nature. Dunnocks typically breed between March and July, however, in Russia, their breeding season occurs from May to August. These birds prefer to build their nests low in a bush or conifer. The nest is made from twigs and moss and lined with soft materials such as wool or feathers. The female lays 3 to 5 unspotted blue eggs and incubates them for about 12-13 days.
The chicks hatch partially covered with blackish down and remain in the nest for about 12 days. Broods, depending on the population, can be raised by a lone female, multiple females with the part-time help of a male, multiple females with full-time help from a male, or by multiple females and multiple males. In pairs, males and females usually invest parental care at similar rates.
Dunnocks are native to large areas of Eurasia, inhabiting much of Europe including Lebanon, northern Iran, and the Caucasus. They are partially migratory; some populations are resident while birds in northern and eastern parts of the range are migratory. Dunnocks favor habitats that include forests, woodlands, shrubs, gardens, parks, and hedgerows.
Saturday, 6 April 2019
18-11-2017 HANNINGFIELD RESERVOIR, ESSEX - EURASIAN BULLFINCH (MALE) (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)
The Eurasian bullfinch, also known simply as the bullfinch in its native range, is a robust bird with a distinctive bull-headed appearance. It is a member of the finch family, Fringillidae, and is recognized by its grey upper parts and black flight feathers. The male is particularly striking with his rich red underparts.
Adult males can be identified by their black cap and face, contrasting with their bright red underparts. Females and juveniles are more subdued, with grey-buff underparts. All ages have a white rump and wing bars that are quite noticeable in flight. The bill is short and thick, suited to their seed-eating habits.
The Eurasian bullfinch prefers mixed woodlands with a good proportion of conifers. It is also commonly found in parklands and gardens, where it can nest and forage.
This species is widespread across Europe and temperate Asia. While largely resident, northern populations may migrate southward during winter months.
Outside of breeding season, the Eurasian bullfinch is not known to form large flocks, typically seen in pairs or small family groups.
The call of the Eurasian bullfinch is a soft, melancholic whistle, often transcribed as “peeu” or “pew.” Its song, which is a mix of scratchy warbles and soft whistles, is usually only heard at close range. Remarkably, with patience, these birds can be trained to mimic specific melodies.
Nests are constructed in bushes or trees, with a preference for vegetation that is at least four meters in height and breadth. The female lays a clutch of four to seven pale blue, red-brown mottled eggs. The species is notable for its unusual spermatozoa structure and can produce multiple broods from early May to mid-July.
The Eurasian bullfinch has a diet consisting mainly of seeds and buds from fruit trees, which can sometimes lead to conflicts with orchard keepers. In autumn and early winter, they show a preference for ash and hawthorn seeds. When provided with wild bird cover, they favor kale, quinoa, and millet.
The Eurasian bullfinch is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating that it is not at immediate risk of population decline.
18-11-2017 HANNINGFIELD RESERVOIR, ESSEX - EUROPEAN ROBIN (Erithacus rubecula)
The European robin (Erithacus rubecula), known simply as the robin or robin redbreast in Great Britain and Ireland, is a small insectivorous passerine bird that belongs to the chat subfamily of the Old World flycatcher family. It is found across Europe, east to Western Siberia and south to North Africa; it is sedentary in most of its range except the far north.
It is about 12.5–14.0 cm (4.9–5.5 in) in length, the male and female are similar in colouration, with an orange breast and face lined with grey, brown upper-parts and a whitish belly.
The robin occurs in Eurasia east to Western Siberia, south to Algeria and on the Atlantic islands as far west as the Central Group of the Azores and Madeira. It is a vagrant in Iceland. In the southeast, it reaches Iran the Caucasus range. Irish and British robins are largely resident but a small minority, usually female, migrate to southern Europe during winter, a few as far as Spain. Scandinavian and Russian robins migrate to Britain and western Europe to escape the harsher winters. These migrants can be recognised by the greyer tone of the upper parts of their bodies and duller orange breast. The continental European robins that migrate during winter prefer spruce woods in northern Europe, contrasting with its preference for parks and gardens in Great Britain.
In southern Iberia, habitat segregation of resident and migrant robins occurs, with resident robins remaining in the same woodlands where they bred.
6-4-2019 PARQUE DE SERPIS, GANDIA - EUROPEAN SERIN (MALE) (Serinus serinus)
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The European serin is a small finch, measuring around 11 cm, with green-yellowish plumage and a forked tail. Males have brighter yellow heads and breasts, while females are browner and less distinctive. They are found in southern, central, and eastern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, often in coniferous woodlands, parks, and gardens, and are known for their loud, scratchy song. Their diet consists of seeds, buds, and small invertebrates.
Identification
Size: Small, about 11 cm long.
Plumage: Green-yellowish with darker vertical stripes and a lighter belly. Both sexes have an intense yellow at the front of the tail.
Male: Brighter yellow on the head and breast.
Female: Browner and less vibrant than males.
Bill: Broad and short.
Tail: Forked and notched.
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Habitat and distribution
Habitat: Coniferous woodlands, agricultural areas, parks, and gardens.
Distribution: Southern, central, and eastern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.
Migration: The northern populations are partially migratory.
Behavior and diet
Diet: Small seeds, leaf and flower buds, and small invertebrates.
Song: Known for its loud, scratchy song, often sung in the open.
Life Span: Typically 3 to 5 years, though the oldest recorded was 13 years old.
Threats
Habitat loss: Urbanization and over-maintenance of green spaces can reduce food sources.
Pesticides: Widespread use of herbicides can decrease their food supply.
Bird trapping: The trapping of birds for sale is a threat.
Population decline: Overall numbers have declined in parts of their range, partly due to a reduction in individuals from neighboring countries.
6-4-2019 PARQUE DE SERPIS, GANDIA - EURASIAN BLACKBIRD (MALE) (Turdus merula)
The Common Blackbird, Turdus merula, is a true thrush and a familiar sight in gardens and woodlands. The male is distinguished by its all-black plumage, bright yellow eye-ring, and orange-yellow bill, which darkens slightly during winter. Females and juveniles are more demure in their attire, sporting mainly dark brown feathers.
Adult males are entirely black with the exception of the yellow eye-ring and bill. Females are sooty-brown with a duller bill, and juveniles resemble females but have pale spots on their upperparts. The very young may also exhibit a speckled breast.
The Common Blackbird thrives in a variety of habitats including woodlands with dense undergrowth, gardens, parks, and hedgerows. It shows a preference for deciduous trees and areas with thick vegetation.
This species is widespread across Europe, western Asia, and North Africa. It has also been introduced to Australia and New Zealand. Its range varies from resident populations in the milder regions to partially or fully migratory populations in areas with more severe winters.
The Common Blackbird is territorial, especially during breeding season, with males displaying distinctive threat behaviors to ward off rivals. Outside of breeding season, they can be more sociable, often forming small flocks. The species is known for its adaptability to urban environments, where it may overwinter more readily than in rural settings.
The male's song is a melodious and fluted warble, often heard from elevated perches during the breeding season. The Common Blackbird also has a repertoire of calls including a sharp "seee" when agitated and a "pook-pook-pook" to signal ground predators.
Monogamous by nature, the Common Blackbird builds a neat, cup-shaped nest, often in dense shrubbery. The female lays three to five bluish-green eggs adorned with reddish-brown blotches. Both parents are involved in feeding the altricial chicks until they fledge.
The Common Blackbird can be confused with the Ring Ouzel or the Common Starling in Europe. In Asia, it has several similar-looking relatives, such as the Indian, Tibetan, and Chinese Blackbirds, which were once considered subspecies.
An omnivore, the Common Blackbird forages primarily on the ground for insects, earthworms, seeds, and berries. It is adept at pulling earthworms from the soil and foraging through leaf litter for other invertebrates.
The IUCN lists the Common Blackbird as Least Concern. It has a vast range and a large, stable population, though there have been localized declines due to changes in agricultural practices and urbanization.
Friday, 5 April 2019
18-11-2017 HANNINGFIELD RESERVOIR, ESSEX - GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER (Dendrocopos major)
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The great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) is a medium-sized woodpecker with pied black and white plumage and a red patch on the lower belly. Males and young birds also have red markings on the neck or head. This species is found across the Palearctic including parts of North Africa. Across most of its range it is resident, but in the north some will migrate if the conifer cone crop fails. Some individuals have a tendency to wander, leading to the recolonisation of Ireland in the first decade of the 21st century and to vagrancy to North America. Great spotted woodpeckers chisel into trees to find food or excavate nest holes, and also drum for contact and territorial advertisement; like other woodpeckers, they have anatomical adaptations to manage the physical stresses from the hammering action. This species is similar to the Syrian woodpecker.
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This woodpecker occurs in all types of woodlands and eats a variety of foods, being capable of extracting seeds from pine cones, insect larvae from inside trees or eggs and chicks of other birds from their nests. It breeds in holes excavated in living or dead trees, unlined apart from wood chips. The typical clutch is four to six glossy white eggs. Both parents incubate the eggs, feed the chicks, and keep the nest clean. When the young fledge they are fed by the adults for about ten days, each parent taking responsibility for feeding part of the brood.
The species is closely related to some other members of its genus. It has a number of subspecies, some of which are distinctive enough to be potential new species. It has a huge range and large population, with no widespread threats, so it is classed as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
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Breeding involves excavation of holes in living or dead trees, with both parents sharing the duties of incubation, feeding the chicks, and nest sanitation. The typical clutch consists of four to six glossy white eggs, and fledglings are fed by the adults for about ten days post-fledging.
The great spotted woodpecker is similar to the Syrian woodpecker but can be differentiated by the absence of a black cheek bar and paler red underparts in the latter.
An omnivorous feeder, this woodpecker's diet includes seeds, insect larvae, eggs, and chicks of other birds. It is adept at extracting seeds from pine cones and insect larvae from within trees.
With a large population and extensive range, the great spotted woodpecker is classified as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It faces no widespread threats and has a stable or slightly increasing population trend.
5-4-2019 SALINAS DE SANTA POLA, ALICANTE - YELLOW LEGGED GULL (Larus michahellis)
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The Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis) is a large, robust seabird with a commanding presence. Its size can be quite variable, with the smallest females being scarcely larger than a Common Gull, and the largest males approaching the heft of a Great Black-backed Gull. Adults typically exhibit a grey back, a shade lighter than that of the Lesser Black-backed Gull, and their heads are notably whiter in the autumn months. A distinctive feature is their yellow legs, which give this species its common name.
When observing the Yellow-legged Gull, look for the yellow legs that contrast with the grey back and the white head, which becomes even whiter during the autumn. The wing tips are black with limited white spots, and adults have a red spot on the bill. The eye is surrounded by a red ring. Juveniles can be identified by their paler head, rump, and underparts, dark bill and eyes, and a black band on the tail.
This gull favors a variety of coastal environments, often nesting on sea cliffs, islands, and occasionally on buildings within urban settings. It is also known to breed on trees in some regions.
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The Yellow-legged Gull has a breeding range centered around the Mediterranean Sea, extending to the Atlantic islands and coasts as far north as Brittany and west to the Azores. Its presence is also noted on the western side of the Black Sea.
The species is known for its adaptability, with many individuals remaining in the same area year-round, while others migrate to milder regions of western Europe or head south to areas such as Senegal and the Red Sea. Post-breeding dispersal can lead to increased numbers in regions like southern England from July to October.
The vocalizations of the Yellow-legged Gull are characterized by a loud, laughing call that is deeper and more nasal than that of the Herring Gull.
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Breeding typically occurs in colonies, with nests constructed on the ground or cliff ledges. The nests are mounds of vegetation, and the species is known for its vigorous defense of its eggs, usually numbering three. Incubation lasts for 27–31 days, and fledging occurs after 35–40 days.
An opportunistic forager, the Yellow-legged Gull is omnivorous, feeding on a wide range of items from rubbish tips to field prey, coastal offerings, and even other seabirds' catches. Remarkably, during periods of food scarcity, such as the lockdown in Italy in 2020, these gulls have been observed preying on larger animals like rats and rock doves.
The Yellow-legged Gull is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating that it does not face any immediate threat of extinction.
Thursday, 4 April 2019
4-4-2019 RIO SERPIS VILLALONGA, VALENCIA - LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta)
The little egret (Egretta garzetta) is a species of small heron in the family Ardeidae. It is a white bird with a slender black beak, long black legs and, in the western race, yellow feet. As an aquatic bird, it feeds in shallow water and on land, consuming a variety of small creatures. It breeds colonially, often with other species of water birds, making a platform nest of sticks in a tree, bush or reed bed. A clutch of three to five bluish-green eggs is laid and incubated by both parents for about three weeks. The young fledge at about six weeks of age.
Its breeding distribution is in wetlands in warm temperate to tropical parts of Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. A successful colonist, its range has gradually expanded north, with stable and self-sustaining populations now present in the United Kingdom.
The plumage of the Little egret is normally entirely white, although there are dark forms with largely bluish-grey plumage. In the breeding season, the adult has two long plumes on the nape that form a crest. These plumes are about 150 mm (6 in) and are pointed and very narrow. There are similar feathers on the breast, but the barbs are more widely spread. There are also several elongated scapular feathers that have long loose barbs and may be 200 mm (8 in) long. During the winter the plumage is similar but the scapulars are shorter and more normal in appearance. The bill is long and slender and it and the lores are black. There is an area of greenish-grey bare skin at the base of the lower mandible and around the eye which has a yellow iris. The legs are black and the feet yellow. Juveniles are similar to non-breeding adults but have greenish-black legs and duller yellow feet, and may have a certain proportion of greyish or brownish feathers. The subspecies nigripes differs in having yellow skin between the bill and eye, and blackish feet. During the height of courtship, the lores turn red and the feet of the yellow-footed races turn red.
Little egrets are sociable birds and are often seen in small flocks. They are diurnal birds and feed mainly in the early morning and in the late afternoon. They use a variety of methods to procure their food; they stalk their prey in shallow water, often running with raised wings or shuffling their feet to disturb small fish, or may stand still and wait to ambush prey. Little egrets also make use of opportunities provided by cormorants disturbing fish or humans attracting fish by throwing bread into the water. On land, they walk or run while chasing their prey, feed on creatures disturbed by grazing livestock and ticks on the livestock, and even scavenge occasionally. Little egrets are silent birds in general, however, at their breeding colonies, they make various croaking and bubbling calls. When disturbed, they produce a harsh alarm call.
Little egrets are monogamous. This means that males and females mate only with one partner. They nest in colonies, often with other wading birds. The nests are usually platforms of sticks built in trees or shrubs or in reed beds or bamboo groves. In some locations such as the Cape Verde Islands, these birds nest on cliffs. Pairs defend a small breeding territory, usually extending around 3 to 4 m (10 to 13 ft) from the nest. The female lays 3 to 5 eggs which are incubated by both parents for 21 to 25 days. The eggs are oval in shape and have a pale, non-glossy, blue-green shell color. Upon hatching the chicks are covered in white down feathers and are cared for by both parents. Around 3 weeks after hatching the chicks start to move around the nest and climb into the close branches. They fledge after 40 to 45 days and are able to follow the adults to learn how to feed themselves.
4-4-2019 RIO SERPIS VILLALONGA, VALENCIA - SPECKLED WOOD BUTTERFLY (Pararge aegeria)
The speckled wood (Pararge aegeria) is a butterfly found in and on the borders of woodland areas throughout much of the Palearctic realm. The species is subdivided into multiple subspecies, including Pararge aegeria aegeria, Pararge aegeria tircis, Pararge aegeria oblita, and Pararge aegeria insula. The color of this butterfly varies between subspecies. The existence of these subspecies is due to variation in morphology down a gradient corresponding to a geographic cline.
The background of the wings ranges from brown to orange, and the spots are either pale yellow, white, cream, or a tawny orange. The speckled wood feeds on a variety of grass species. The males of this species exhibit two types of mate locating behaviors: territorial defense and patrolling. The proportion of males exhibiting these two strategies changes based on ecological conditions. The monandrous female must choose which type of male can help her reproduce successfully. Her decision is heavily influenced by environmental conditions.
4-4-2019 POTRIES, VALENCIA - ARABIAN PEA (Bituminaria bituminosa)
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Bituminaria bituminosa, the Arabian pea or pitch trefoil, is a perennial Mediterranean herb species in the genus Bituminaria.
The pterocarpans bitucarpin A and B can be isolated from the aerial parts of B. bituminosa.
It has several potential uses: (i) forage crop, (ii) Phytostabilization of heavy metal contaminated or degraded soils, (iii) Synthesis of furanocoumarins (psoralen, angelicin, xanthotoxin and bergapten), compounds of broad pharmaceutical interest.
It is easily recognizable by the characteristic smell of bitumen from its leaves. This strong tar-like characteristic aroma appears to be the result of a combination of several substances such as phenolics, sulphurated compounds, sesquiterpenes and probably short-chain hydrocarbon. Total polyphenols content was < 2% and the condensed tannins was <0.8% in a dry weight basis.
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