20-9-2020 CREU DE LONGA, VALENCIA - WHISKERED TERN (Chlidonias niger)

The Whiskered Tern, Chlidonias hybrida, is a member of the tern family Laridae, exhibiting a swallow-like appearance, as suggested by its genus name derived from the Ancient Greek khelidonios. This species is the largest of the marsh terns, showcasing a blend of features from both the white Sterna terns and the black tern.

Adult Whiskered Terns in summer plumage are characterized by their robust bill, measuring 29–34 mm in males and 25–27 mm in females, with a pronounced gonys. They possess a black cap and a short, forked-looking tail. The cheeks are white, and the legs and bill are a vibrant red. Juveniles display a white-flecked crown and a more uniformly blackish hindcrown, while the winter adult has a similar pattern with additional white flecking. The black ear-coverts create a C-shaped band when viewed from above. Throughout the year, the rump maintains a pale grey hue. The call of the Whiskered Tern is a distinctive "krekk."

Whiskered Terns breed in colonies on inland marshes, often in the company of black-headed gulls, which offer a degree of protection.

The Whiskered Tern has several geographical races, varying mainly in size and minor plumage details. The Eurasian Whiskered Tern (C. h. hybrida) is found in warmer parts of Europe and the Palearctic, while the African Whiskered Tern (C. h. delalandii) resides in east and south Africa, and the Australasian Whiskered Tern (C. h. javanicus) ranges from Java to Australia. The tropical forms are resident, but European and Asian birds migrate south to Africa and the Indian Subcontinent for wintering.

European and Asian Whiskered Terns are migratory, traveling south during the winter months. A tagged individual was observed in April 2021 at the Manakudi Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu, India.

The Whiskered Tern is known for its characteristic "krekk" call.

This species breeds in colonies on inland marshes, sometimes amongst black-headed gulls.

The diet of the Whiskered Tern includes small fish, amphibians, insects, and crustaceans.

The Whiskered Tern is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating that it is not at immediate risk of population decline.

20-9-2020 EL PALMAR, VALENCIA - BLACK WINGED STILT (Himantopus himantopus)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/4835-Himantopus-himantopus

20-9-2020 CREU DE LONGA, VALENCIA - PLAIN PILL WOODLOUSE (Armadillo officinalis)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/319939-Armadillo-officinalis

20-9-2020 EL PALMAR, VALENCIA - WESTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL (Motacilla flava)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/204545-Motacilla-flava

20-9-2020 CREU DE LONGA, VALENCIA - SPOTLESS STARLING (Sturnus unicolor)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/14849-Sturnus-unicolor

20-9-2020 CREU DE LONGA, VALENCIA - WHISKERED TERN (Chlidonias niger)

The Whiskered Tern, Chlidonias hybrida, is a member of the tern family Laridae, exhibiting a swallow-like appearance, as suggested by its genus name derived from the Ancient Greek khelidonios. This species is the largest of the marsh terns, showcasing a blend of features from both the white Sterna terns and the black tern.

Adult Whiskered Terns in summer plumage are characterized by their robust bill, measuring 29–34 mm in males and 25–27 mm in females, with a pronounced gonys. They possess a black cap and a short, forked-looking tail. The cheeks are white, and the legs and bill are a vibrant red. Juveniles display a white-flecked crown and a more uniformly blackish hindcrown, while the winter adult has a similar pattern with additional white flecking. The black ear-coverts create a C-shaped band when viewed from above. Throughout the year, the rump maintains a pale grey hue. The call of the Whiskered Tern is a distinctive "krekk."

Whiskered Terns breed in colonies on inland marshes, often in the company of black-headed gulls, which offer a degree of protection.

The Whiskered Tern has several geographical races, varying mainly in size and minor plumage details. The Eurasian Whiskered Tern (C. h. hybrida) is found in warmer parts of Europe and the Palearctic, while the African Whiskered Tern (C. h. delalandii) resides in east and south Africa, and the Australasian Whiskered Tern (C. h. javanicus) ranges from Java to Australia. The tropical forms are resident, but European and Asian birds migrate south to Africa and the Indian Subcontinent for wintering.

European and Asian Whiskered Terns are migratory, traveling south during the winter months. A tagged individual was observed in April 2021 at the Manakudi Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu, India.

The Whiskered Tern is known for its characteristic "krekk" call.

This species breeds in colonies on inland marshes, sometimes amongst black-headed gulls.

The diet of the Whiskered Tern includes small fish, amphibians, insects, and crustaceans.

The Whiskered Tern is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating that it is not at immediate risk of population decline.

20-9-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - MOORISH GECKO (JUVENILE) (Tarentola mauritanica)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/33602-Tarentola-mauritanica

20-9-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - HORSE CHESTNUT MOTH (Pachycnemia hippocastanaria)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/483346-Pachycnemia-hippocastanaria

20-9-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - PUG MOTH (Genus Eupithecia)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/123096-Eupithecia

31-3-2017 MIAMI, FLORIDA - WILSON'S SNIPE (Gallinago delicata)

The Wilson's snipe (Gallinago delicata) is a small, stocky wader, a member of the shorebird family Scolopacidae. It is characterized by its mottled brown plumage on top, pale underparts, and a distinctive long, straight, dark bill. Adults measure between 23–28 cm in length, with a wingspan of 39–45 cm, and weigh from 79–147 g. Their legs are short and greenish-grey, and they possess pointed wings, which aid in their agile flight.

To identify Wilson's snipe, look for the dark stripe through the eye, flanked by lighter stripes above and below. The species is differentiated from the common snipe by a narrower white trailing edge on the wings and a unique tail feather count—Wilson's snipe has eight pairs of tail feathers, as opposed to the seven typical of the common snipe.

Wilson's snipe favors marshes, bogs, tundra, and wet meadows for breeding. It is also a year-round resident along the U.S. Pacific coast.

This bird breeds across Canada and the northern United States, extending to the Chukchi Peninsula in Russia. The eastern population migrates to the southern United States, the Caribbean, and northern South America.

Wilson's snipe is known for its elusive nature, often hiding close to ground vegetation and flushing only when approached closely. It exhibits a zig-zag flight pattern to evade predators. During courtship, males perform a "winnowing" display, consisting of high, circling flights followed by shallow dives, producing a distinctive sound reminiscent of the boreal owl's call.

Nesting occurs in well-hidden ground locations. The species' breeding behavior is influenced by climate change, with birds arriving at breeding grounds earlier and departing later than in the past.

9-3-2020 THATTEKAD BIRD SANCTUARY, INDIA - BRACKET FUNGHI (Microporus Xanthopus)

16-9-2020 RACO DE OLLA, VALENCIA - GREATER FLAMINGO (Phoenicopterus roseus)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/73222-Phoenicopterus-roseus

19-9-2020 GANDIA, VALENCIA - OLD WORLD SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY (Papilio machaon)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/56529-Papilio-machaon

19-9-2020 GANDIA, VALENCIA - BLUE WINGED GRASSHOPPER (Oedipoda caerulescens)

The blue-winged grasshopper, Oedipoda caerulescens, is a grasshopper in the genus Oedipoda.

This species occurs in Europe, North Africa and Asia. It was recently rediscovered in the Maltese islands.

Oedipoda caerulescens is a medium-sized grasshopper, between 15 and 21 mm for males and between 22 and 28 mm for females. The body coloration varies greatly depending on the substrate on which the animals have developed: reddish brown, gray, yellowish, or even completely dark or bright. The forewings are crossed most often by two or three pale bands, but the most striking characteristic, very visible when the insect flies away, is the bright coloration of the hind wings, a beautiful turquoise highlighted with a black marginal stripe. Furthermore, the posterior femora have a notch on their upper surface. At rest, confusion is possible with other Oedipoda species such as O. germanica.

Oedipoda caerulescens frequents dry areas with low and open vegetation: dunes, heathlands, grasslands on sand and sunlit limestone rocks. Many stations correspond to land recently used for human activities, such as coal spoil heaps, quarries and pits, the ballast of railway tracks, etc. It is exclusively a terrestrial insect, and its cryptic coloration often matches its substrate. It presses itself to the ground and remains motionless, and jumps only at the very close approach of danger. A remarkable behavior is the "hook" landing which serves to confuse potential attackers. Thus, the grasshopper lands and swings round to face the direction it has come from. The sudden disappearance of the blue hind wings of the adult makes it difficult for predators to shift quickly enough to a different kind of search to relocate the prey. The female lays her eggs in bare, dry soil. In this species, acoustic emissions are virtually nonexistent. The diet consists mainly of grasses.

18-9-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - PUG MOTH (Genus Eupithecia)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/123096-Eupithecia

18-9-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - THIN LEGGED WOLF SPIDER (Genus Pardosa)

16-9-2020 RACO DE OLLA, VALENCIA - GREATER FLAMINGO (Phoenicopterus roseus)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/73222-Phoenicopterus-roseus

16-9-2020 L'ESTANY CULLERA, VALENCIA - MUSKOVY DUCK (Cairina moschata)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/7120-Cairina-moschata

16-9-2020 L'ESTANY CULLERA, VALENCIA - MUSKOVY DUCK (Cairina moschata)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/7120-Cairina-moschata

16-9-2020 L'ESTANY CULLERA, VALENCIA - MUSKOVY DUCK (JUVENILE) (Cairina moschata)

16-9-2020 L'ESTANY CULLERA, VALENCIA - MUSKOVY DUCK (JUVENILE)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/7120-Cairina-moschata

16-9-2020 L'ESTANY CULLERA, VALENCIA - MUSKOVY DUCK (JUVENILE) (Cairina moschata)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/7120-Cairina-moschata

8-9-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - GEOMETER MOTH (Charissa mucidaria)

Charissa mucidaria, commonly known as the coppery taupe, is a species of geometer moth in the family Geometridae. It is native to the western Palaearctic region, particularly southern Europe and North Africa. 

Here are the key facts about this species:

The moth, also called the coppery taupe, has a scientific name of Charissa mucidaria and belongs to the Geometridae family. It is typically yellow-tan to greyish-brown with a wingspan between 20–30 mm. 

Native to Southern Europe and North Africa, it is often found in rocky habitats. Adults fly from March to May and again from July to September and are active at night. The larvae, known as "inchworms," feed on plants like Sedum and Rumex. 

Synonyms for the species include Charissa lusitanica and Charissa ochracearia. The species is included in biodiversity studies.