Sunday, 5 July 2020
4-7-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - EURASIAN BLACKBIRD (MALE) (Turdus merula)
%20(Turdus%20merula)%2020.jpg)
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.
4-7-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - WHITE FACED BUSH CRICKET (Decticus albifrons)
The White-faced Bush-cricket (Decticus albifrons), also known as the Southern Wartbiter, is a large, Mediterranean insect (up to 7 cm long) often found in warm, dry, scrubby habitats. Characterized by a distinct white face patch, this species is largely carnivorous or omnivorous, feeding on other insects and plants, and is known for its loud, long,, high-pitched song.
Key Facts About the White-Faced Bush-Cricket
Appearance: They are large, robust insects often displaying vibrant green or brownish, with wings that typically extend past the abdomen.
Appearance: Their most notable feature is a white, cream, or light-colored patch on the face.
Habitat: Primarily found in the Mediterranean region in scrub, grassland, sand pits, and gardens, favoring hot, sunny, and dry conditions.
Diet: They are opportunistic feeders (omnivores), consuming small invertebrates like grasshoppers, as well as plants.
Behavior: They are not strong flyers, relying on walking and jumping to move, but they are capable of flight.
Reproduction: The male produces a long, loud, high-pitched, continuous sound similar to a sewing machine, typically during the day in warm, sunny weather.
Lifespan: They have an annual lifecycle, with nymphs appearing in spring and adults present from July through early autumn.
Interaction with Humans: They are generally harmless, but like other large Tettigoniids, they can deliver a strong,, though rarely breaking,, bite or pinch if handled.
Saturday, 4 July 2020
2-7-2020 ROSSELL, CASTELLON - PALE STONECROP (Petrosedum sediforme)
%2020.jpg)
Petrosedum sediforme, the pale stonecrop, is a perennial flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae. It is naturally distributed throughout the Mediterranean Basin, from Portugal in the west to Syria in the east. It is similar to other species of Petrosedum, but grows taller, and may be used in cooking or as an ornamental plant.
The natural range of Petrosedum sediforme extends throughout the Mediterranean Basin. It is found in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, and Mediterranean islands, as well as Turkey, Palestine, Israel, Libya, Syria, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. It typically grows in lowland areas, often near the sea on dunes or coastal cliffs, but it can also be found at higher elevations, reaching up to 1000 meters in the French Alps and 1750 meters in the Sierra Nevada. It prefers open, sunny habitats, but tolerates a wide range of climates and environmental conditions. It is commonly (but not exclusively) found in limestone.
2-7-2020 ROSSELL, CASTELLON - ROUND HEADED LEEK (Allium sphaerocephalon)
%2020.jpg)
Allium sphaerocephalon is a plant species in the Amaryllis family known as round-headed leek, round-headed garlic, ball-head onion, and other variations on these names. Drumstick allium is another common name applied to this species. Some publications use the alternate spelling Allium sphaerocephalum. It is a bulbous herbaceous perennial plant.
Allium sphaerocephalon is found in the wild across all parts of Europe except in the northern and western countries (Scotland, Ireland, Netherlands, Scandinavia, and the Baltic States). Its native range extends to northern Africa and to western Asia as far east as Iran. It is also reportedly naturalised in New York State in the United States. In England it grows wild only in the Avon Gorge so is known locally as the Bristol onion.
%2021.jpg)
The species is prized by gardeners because of its striking floral display. The spherical "head" (technically an umbel) is borne on a long scape, up to 50 cm in height, usually in July. It can contain hundreds of deep reddish purple flowers.
The specific epithet sphaerocephalon derives from ancient Greek, meaning "spherical head".
This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
2-7-2020 ROSSELL, CASTELLON - FALSE ILEX HAIRSTREAK BUTTERFLY (Satyrium esculi)
Satyrium esculi, the false ilex hairstreak, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. The species was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1804.
The false ilex hairstreak lives throughout North Africa (Morocco to Tunisia) and the Iberian Peninsula (with the exception of Galicia, where its food plants are absent). It is also found on the Balearic Islands and in southern France from the Pyrenees to the Cote d'Azur, extending into Liguria in Italy.
The False Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium esculi) is a small, brown Mediterranean butterfly found in Spain, Portugal, Southern France, and North Africa, with a wingspan of \(2.6\) to \(3.4\) cm. Active between May and August, it feeds on low-growing scrub oaks (Quercus sp.) and features a broken white line with orange spots on its hindwings. Key Facts about the False Ilex Hairstreak: Appearance: The underwings are brown with a broken white line and orange spots, while the upper wings are dark brown, with females sometimes showing additional orange patches.
Behavior: Known to fly rapidly around scrub oaks and settle frequently to nectar, often on Helichrysum flowers.Habitat: Prefers hot, dry, scrubby areas (maquis).Life Cycle: Young larvae are known to overwinter inside their eggs.Identification: Very similar to the Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium ilicis) and Sloe Hairstreak (Satyrium acaciae), but typically lacks blue spots near the anal angle of the hindwing.Distinction from Ilex: The white marginal line on the hindwing is generally weaker in S. esculi compared to S. ilicis and may not extend past sectors s3 or s4.
The larvae feed on sclerophyllous oaks of woodland and maquis: holm oak and kermes oak.
3-7-2020 ALBORAYA, VALENCIA - EURASIAN COOT (Fulica atra)
%2020.jpg)
The Eurasian coot, Fulica atra, also known as the common coot or Australian coot, is a distinctive waterbird with a slaty-black body, a glossy black head, and a striking white bill topped with a white frontal shield. This bird is a member of the Rallidae family, which includes rails and crakes. Both sexes exhibit similar plumage, making them indistinguishable in the field.
Adult Eurasian coots measure 36–38 cm in length with a wingspan of 70–80 cm. Males are slightly heavier than females, weighing around 890 g compared to the females' 750 g. The species is characterized by its white bill and frontal shield, which contrast sharply with its all-black body. Juveniles are paler with a whitish breast and lack the facial shield, which develops fully by one year of age.
%2021.jpg)
The Eurasian coot is found on freshwater lakes and ponds and has adapted well to urban environments, often seen in city parks and gardens with water bodies.
This bird has a broad range across the Old World, including Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of North Africa. It is a resident in milder regions but migrates south and west from much of Asia during winter.
The Eurasian coot is less secretive than many rails, often visible on open water or grasslands. It is territorial and aggressive during the breeding season, with both parents defending their territory. In non-breeding seasons, coots may form large flocks. They are reluctant flyers, preferring to run across water surfaces, and are known for bobbing their heads while swimming.
3-7-2020 MOROS MARJAL, VALENCIA - YELLOW HORNED POPPY (Glaucium flavum)
It grows in coastal habitats on shingle banks and beaches, but can also be found on cliff tops and in sand dunes.
It produces an orange foul smelling sap, if cut open. All parts of the plant, including the seeds, are toxic, and can cause a wide range of symptoms (if eaten), and respiratory failure, resulting in death.
Glaucine is the main alkaloid component in Glaucium flavum. Glaucine has bronchodilator and antiinflammatory effects, acting as a PDE4 inhibitor and calcium channel blocker, and is used medically as an antitussive in some countries. Glaucine may produce side effects such as sedation, fatigue, and a hallucinogenic effect characterised by colourful visual images, and as a recreational drug. For a detailed bibliography on glaucine and Glaucium flavum see: National Agricultural Library. (Glaucium flavum entry)
In the past, it was known in Hampshire, UK as 'squatmore', and the roots were used to treat bruises. Also pains in the breast, stomach and intestines.
2-7-2020 ROSSELL, CASTELLON - IBERIAN MARBLE WHITE BUTTERFLY (Melanargia lachesis)
%2020-topaz-upscale-1.4x.jpg)
Melanargia lachesis, the Iberian marbled white, is a butterfly species belonging to the family Nymphalidae.
It can be found on the Iberian Peninsula and the south of France.
The length of the forewings is 25–28 mm. Seitz- M. lachesis Hbn. (= nemausica Esp.) (38b). Lighter than galathea, even than the lightest forms of the same. The black discocellular anguliform spot of the forewing constricted where it is bent. Hindwing entirely white, apart from the interrupted submarginal band; the base very sparingly dusted, the markings of the underside however shine through in the male. In Spain, Portugal and South France. – The specimens with creamy yellow ground-colour, which are somewhat rarer than the chalky white canigulensis Obth.; from the Pyrenees.
%2021-topaz-upscale-1.4x.jpg)
The butterflies fly in one generation from June to August.They occur from the plain to about 1,600 meters above sea level. They prefer dry, flowering, natural meadows that can also be overgrown with bushes. The larvae feed on various grasses.
The Iberian Marbled White (Melanargia lachesis) is a distinctive black-and-white butterfly native to the Iberian Peninsula and southern France. Despite its common name, it is actually part of the "Brown" family (Satyrinae) rather than the true whites.
Key FactsAppearance: It features a striking chequered black and white pattern. It is distinguished from the similar Marbled White (M. galathea) by having less black at the base of its forewings and a generally whiter appearance.
%2022-topaz-upscale-1.4x.jpg)
Size: This is a relatively large butterfly, with some individuals reaching a wingspan of up to 6 cm.
Distribution: It is almost exclusively found in Spain, Portugal, and southern France as far as the Rhône valley. In northern Spain and southern France, its range overlaps with its cousin, the common Marbled White.
Habitat: It thrives in hot, dry, flowery grasslands and meadows, often on calcareous soils.Diet: Adults frequently feed on the nectar of purple flowers like knapweed, thistles, and scabious.
Life Cycle:It is univoltine, meaning it produces only one generation per year, with adults flying between June and August.Caterpillars feed on various grass species (such as Festuca and Brachypodium) and hibernate through the winter while still small.Unusually, females do not attach their eggs to plants; they drop them randomly onto the ground while flying over tall grasses.
Friday, 3 July 2020
2-7-2020 ROSSELL, CASTELLON - CORN BUNTING (Emberiza calandra)
The corn bunting (Emberiza calandra) is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae. This is a large bunting with heavily streaked buff-brown plumage. The sexes are similar but the male is slightly larger than the female. Its range extends from Western Europe and North Africa across to northwestern China.
The corn bunting was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae and retains its original binomial name of Emberiza calandra. The type locality is Sweden. The genus name Emberiza is from Old German Embritz, a bunting. The specific calandra is from Ancient Greek kalandros, the calandra lark. The corn bunting has sometimes been placed in its own monotypic genus Miliaria.
This is an unusual bunting because the plumages of the sexes are similar in appearance, though the male is approximately 20% larger than the female. This large bulky bunting is 16–19 cm long, with a conspicuously dark eye and yellowish mandibles. Males lack any showy colours, especially on the head, which is otherwise typical of genus Emberiza. Both sexes look something like larks, being streaked grey-brown above with whitish underparts. The underparts are streaked over the flanks and breast, and the streaking forms gorget around the throat. The lesser wing coverts are distinctively dark and white-tipped. The tail is plain brown.
The song of the male is a repetitive metallic sound, usually likened to jangling keys, which is given from a low bush, fence post or telephone wires.
It breeds across southern and central Europe, north Africa and Asia across to Kazakhstan. It is mainly resident, but some birds from colder regions of central Europe and Asia migrate southwards in winter.
The corn bunting is a bird of open country with trees, such as farmland and weedy wasteland. It has declined greatly in north-west Europe due to intensive agricultural practices depriving it of its food supply of weed seeds and insects, the latter especially vital when feeding the young. It has recently become extinct in Wales and Ireland, where it was previously common.
Its natural food consists mainly of seeds but also includes insects such as crickets, especially when feeding young.
Males defend territories in the breeding season and can be polygynous, with up to three females per breeding male. The population sex ratio is generally 1:1, which means some males remain unmated during a season. Males play only a small role in parental care; they are not involved in nest building or incubation, and only feed the chicks when they are over half grown.
The nest is made of grass, lined with hair or fine grass, and is usually built on the ground. Average clutch size is four, but commonly varies from three to five, occasionally six.
Tuesday, 30 June 2020
30-6-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - WALL BROWN BUTTERFLY (Lasiommata megera)
%2020.jpg)
Lasiommata megera, the wall or wall brown, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae (subfamily Satyrinae). It is widespread in the Palearctic realm with a large variety of habitats and number of generations a year.
P. megera L. [— xiphie Boisd. pt (45d). Above reddish yellow, with a black mark which traverses the distal band from the cell of the forewing to the abdominal margin of the hindwing, short black stripes crossing the disc and the cell of the forewing.
The species lives in North Africa, Europe, the Caucasus, Asia Minor, the Middle East, western Siberia, northern Tian Shan, Dzungarian Alatau, Kazakhstan and Dzungaria.
Habitats include forest edges and clearings, shrubby areas in ravines and river valleys and sparse woodlands. It is also found in mountain habitats up to 0–3,000 metres (0–9,843 ft) above sea level.
The imago flies from April to October in two or three generations depending on locality and altitude. The larva feeds on grasses in the genera Festuca, Bromus, Deschampsia, Poa, Dactylis and Brachypodium.
Monday, 29 June 2020
29-6-2020 VILLALONGA RESERVOIR, VALENCIA - WHITE FEATHERLEG DAMSELFLY (Platycnemis latipes)
As well as the diagnostic broad, 'feathery' white legs, it generally has a paler blue body to help distinguish it from the other blue damselflies. The pale chestnut wing spots are also characteristic. Immature males and females are mostly creamy white (form lactea). Females take on a very pale green colour on maturity.
This damselfly favours slow moving rivers and canals with luxuriant vegetation.
It can be seen from mid May to mid August.
The males engage in a courtship display to woo the female, raising its front white legs in front of the female as part of the act.
In Britain it is found in mainly lowland areas, up to the Midlands. It is uncommon but can become locally frequent.
29-6-2020 VILLALONGA RESERVOIR, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH (JUVENILE) (Carduelis carduelis)
%20(Carduelis%20carduelis)%2020.jpg)
The European goldfinch, or simply goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis), is a small, vibrant passerine bird belonging to the finch family. This charming avian species is adorned with a striking red face, encircled by black markings near the eyes, and a black-and-white head. The back and flanks exhibit a warm buff or chestnut brown, while the wings are black with a prominent yellow bar. The tail is black, and the rump is a contrasting white. Males and females are similar in appearance, though the male boasts a slightly more extensive red mask.
Upon closer inspection, one can discern the male goldfinch by its larger, more vivid red mask that extends just beyond the eye. The female's red face does not reach past the eye, and her shoulder feathers are brown, as opposed to the male's black. The bill is ivory-colored, long, and pointed, and the tail is forked. Juveniles can be identified by their plain heads and greyer backs, but the yellow wing stripe is a clear indicator of their species.
The European goldfinch favors open, partially wooded lowlands and is a resident in the milder western parts of its range. In colder regions, it migrates to escape the harsh weather.
%20(Carduelis%20carduelis)%2021.jpg)
Native to Europe, North Africa, and western and central Asia, the European goldfinch has also been introduced to various regions across the globe, including Australia, New Zealand, and Uruguay.
The European goldfinch is known for its sociable nature, often forming flocks in the winter. It is a frequent visitor to bird feeders, particularly in the colder months.
The goldfinch's song is a delightful, silvery twittering, while its call is a melodic tickeLIT. Its song comprises a tinkling medley of trills and twitters, always including the tri-syllabic call phrase.
The female goldfinch solely constructs the nest, which is often situated several meters above ground, camouflaged by leaves. The nest is made of mosses and lichens, lined with plant down, and secured with spider silk. Eggs are laid at daily intervals, typically resulting in a clutch of 4-6 eggs. Incubation lasts 11-13 days, with the female being fed by the male. Both parents feed the chicks, which fledge 13-18 days after hatching.
Goldfinches have a preference for small seeds, such as those from thistles and teasels, but will also consume insects when feeding young. They are particularly drawn to bird feeders offering niger seed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)