Saturday, 7 November 2020
7-11-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - GEOMETER MOTH (Compsoptera opacaria)
Compsoptera opacaria is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found in south-western Europe, including Spain, Portugal, France[2] and Italy.
The wingspan is 34–45 mm. Adults are on wing from August to October in one generation per year.
The larvae feed on the leaves of various plants, including Genista, Thymus, Juniperus and Calluna vulgaris.
Key Facts about Compsoptera opacaria
Family: Geometridae (inchworm moths).
Distribution: Primarily southwestern Europe, including Spain, Portugal, France, and Italy.
Habitat & Status: Inhabits well-conserved environments, often serving as an indicator of a healthy ecosystem, such as in the Valencian Community.
Flight Period: One generation per year, with adults active from August to October.
Life Cycle: Eggs hibernate. Larvae are found from early spring until June.
Larval Food Plants: Larvae feed on various shrubs, including broom (Genista), thyme (Thymus), juniper (Juniperus), and heather (Calluna vulgaris).
Wingspan: 34–45 mm.
Synonyms: Historically known as *Geometra opacaria* Hübner, 1819, and sometimes referred to by synonyms like C. hubneri or C. rubra.
Friday, 6 November 2020
6-11-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - BLUE ROCK THRUSH (FEMALE) (Monticola solitarius)
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The blue rock thrush (merill) is Malta's national bird. It is 20-23cm long and has a long slim bill. It nests in rock cavities and buildings near the sea, and usually lays 3-5 eggs. It eats a wide variety of insects in addition to berries.
An omnivore, the Blue Rock Thrush eats a wide variety of insects and small reptiles in addition to berries and seeds. This is a starling-sized bird, 21–23 cm in length with a long slim bill. The summer male is unmistakable, with all blue-grey plumage apart from its darker wings.
The Blue Rock-thrush is very territorial and guards its territory also outside of the breeding season. It chases away birds that invade the territory, even birds from other species. The Blue Rock-thrush is an "old world" bird from Morocco in the west to Japan in the east.
5-11-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - CLICK BEETLE (Genus Cebrio)
Click beetles (family Elateridae) are distinct for their ability to flip themselves upright when on their backs by snapping a thorax spine into a groove, creating an audible "click" to escape predators. Over 7,000–10,000 species exist worldwide, typically measuring 12–40 mm (up to 2.5 inches) with long, slender, dark-colored bodies. Their larvae, known as wireworms, live in soil, feeding on roots and tubers.
Key Facts About Click Beetles
Unique Mechanism: When flipped on their backs, they snap their thorax, launching themselves into the air while making a clicking sound.
Physical Appearance: They have hard, elongated, and often parallel-sided bodies (brown, black, or grey). Some species feature eye-like spots on their pronotum.
Larvae (Wireworms): The larvae are hard-bodied, slender, and yellow to brown, often resembling worms with six small legs. They can spend up to four years in the larval stage.
Diet and Habitat: Adults are primarily herbivorous, feeding on pollen and nectar, while larvae (wireworms) can be significant agricultural pests that damage crop roots, seeds, and tubers.
Behavior: They are nocturnal, often attracted to light, and may enter homes at night.
Defense: In addition to jumping, they may play dead when threatened.
Wednesday, 4 November 2020
2-11-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - PETITE WAVE MOTH (Scopula minorata)
The Petite Wave moth (Scopula minorata) is a small geometer moth (15–20 mm wingspan) found across sub-Saharan Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and Southern Europe. It inhabits warm, dry lowland areas, with larvae being highly polyphagous, feeding on various plants. They are active from April to October.
Key Facts About the Petite Wave (Scopula minorata)
Appearance: Background color varies from light ocher to brown with dark, sometimes blackish, markings. They feature characteristic, often jagged, external transverse lines.
Wingspan: Small, typically 15–20 mm.
Distribution: Primarily Africa, Madagascar, the Arabian Peninsula, and Southern Europe (Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Albania, Greece, Bulgaria).
Habitat: Dry and warm lowland, particularly coastal regions.
Flight Period: Generally flies from April to October, producing several generations per year.
Larval Food Plants: Polyphagous (feeds on many plants), including Mentha (mint), Rumex (dock), Tamarix, and others.
Identification: Difficult to distinguish from Scopula lactaria without examining genitalia.
Other Notes: Occasionally found in the UK as an adventive species (imported), particularly through produce.
2-11-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - BLOODY NOSED BEETLE (Timarcha tenebricosa)
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The bloody-nosed beetle (Timarcha tenebricosa), also called blood spewer or blood-spewing beetle, is a leaf beetle native to Europe.
T. tenebricosa measures 15–20 mm in length, is blue-black in colour and is both larger and more constricted on the base of its pronotum than the visually similar T. goettingensis (the lesser bloody-nosed beetle). The body is strongly curved, and elytra smooth and finely punctuated. Its antennae are thick and well segmented, its legs have long tarsi and terminate with a double hook.
Timarcha tenebricosa is monophagous; the larvae feed exclusively on bedstraws, especially species with tender leaves (such as Galium verum and Galium mollugo). The adult beetles usually move slowly on the ground, in the grass and herbaceous plants, mainly at night.
As a defensive behaviour, they exude droplets of their bright red-orange hemolymph by breaking thin membranes in their mouth, which is foul-tasting to predators. This phenomenon of reflex bleeding exists in some other insects, such as ladybugs.
Eggs are laid in spring on bedstraw. Larvae may measure up to 20 mm and are blue-black in colour. The pupae overwinter.
The beetle can be found in southern and central Europe, and is common in Britain and Ireland.
Tuesday, 3 November 2020
Monday, 2 November 2020
2-11-2020 RACO DE OLLA, VALENCIA - COMMON REDSHANK (Tringa totanus)
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The Common Redshank, Tringa totanus, is a Eurasian wader belonging to the large family Scolopacidae. Exhibiting a striking change in plumage, they don a marbled brown color during the breeding season, which transitions to a plainer greyish-brown above and whitish below in the winter. Their legs are a vibrant red, complemented by a black-tipped red bill. In flight, they reveal a distinctive white pattern up the back and on the wings.
To identify the Common Redshank, look for the red legs and the black-tipped red bill, which are characteristic of the species. The white trailing edge on the wings is also a key feature, particularly visible during flight. In breeding plumage, they exhibit a marbled brown coloration, while in winter, they adopt a less patterned greyish-brown and whitish color scheme.
Redshanks are versatile in their choice of wetland habitats, ranging from damp meadows to saltmarshes. They are often found in high densities within these environments.
This species is a widespread breeder across temperate Eurasia and migrates to winter on coasts around the Mediterranean, the Atlantic coast of Europe, and in South Asia. They are occasionally recorded as vagrants in areas such as Micronesia.
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The Common Redshank is known for its wariness and its loud, piping call, which can serve as an alarm to other creatures in the vicinity.
Redshanks are not particular about their nesting sites, as long as the location is a wetland. They can nest at high densities and lay clutches of 3–5 eggs.
Their diet consists primarily of small invertebrates, which they forage for in their wetland habitats.
The Common Redshank's call is a distinctive, loud "teu-teu-teu," often heard as they take to the air in alarm or while in flight.
2-11-2020 RACO DE OLLA, VALENCIA - PIED AVOCET (JUVENILE) (Recurvirostra avosetta)
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The pied avocet, Recurvirostra avosetta, presents a striking silhouette with its bold black and white plumage. This large wader, belonging to the avocet and stilt family, Recurvirostridae, is adorned with a distinctive black cap and black markings on its wings and back, contrasting sharply against its otherwise white body. The species is noted for its elegant, upturned bill and elongated, bluish legs, which add to its graceful demeanor.
Adult pied avocets measure approximately 16.5–17.75 inches in length, with a wingspan stretching around 30–31.5 inches. Their long legs and upturned bills, measuring about 2.95–3.35 inches and 3–4 inches respectively, are key features for identification. Both sexes appear similar, while juveniles can be distinguished by their more greyish and sepia tones.
These birds favor shallow lakes with brackish water and exposed mudflats, which provide ideal foraging and breeding grounds.
The pied avocet breeds across temperate Europe and extends across the Palearctic to Central Asia and the Russian Far East. It is a migratory species, with most individuals wintering in Africa or southern Asia. Some, however, remain in the milder parts of their range during winter, such as southern Spain and southern England.
2-11-2020 DEVESA PLAYA, VALENCIA - LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta)
The Little Egret, Egretta garzetta, is a dainty heron adorned in pure white plumage. It is characterized by a slender black beak, long black legs, and, notably in the western race, yellow feet. This elegant bird is a sight to behold with its graceful neck and poised stance.
Adult Little Egrets measure between 55–65 cm in length with a wingspan of 88–106 cm, and weigh 350–550 g. Their plumage is predominantly white, though some may exhibit bluish-grey coloration. Breeding adults boast ornate nape plumes reaching about 150 mm, along with distinctive feathers on the breast and elongated scapulars. The bill and lores are black, with greenish-grey skin at the base of the lower mandible and around the eye, which houses a yellow iris. Legs are black with contrasting yellow feet, though juveniles may have greenish-black legs and duller feet. The subspecies E. g. nigripes is distinguished by yellow skin between the bill and eye, and blackish feet.
The Little Egret frequents a variety of wetland habitats, from the shores of lakes and rivers to marshes and coastal regions. It is often found in open environments, such as mangroves, swamps, mudflats, and sandy beaches, as well as human-altered landscapes like rice fields.
The species has a broad breeding distribution across warm temperate to tropical regions of Asia, Africa, Australia, and Europe. Northern populations are migratory, wintering in Africa and southern Asia, while others remain as permanent residents in warmer areas.
Little Egrets are social yet territorial when feeding. They exhibit a range of foraging behaviors, from active chasing to patient ambush. Their movements are often in response to the presence of other animals, which may stir up prey.
The Little Egret's vocalizations include croaking and bubbling sounds at breeding colonies and a harsh alarm call when disturbed. These calls are similar to those of the Black-crowned Night Heron and the Cattle Egret.
Breeding colonies are often mixed with other water birds. Nests are platforms of sticks located in trees, shrubs, or reed beds. Clutches typically consist of three to five bluish-green eggs, incubated by both parents for about three weeks. The young fledge at approximately six weeks old.
The Little Egret can be confused with other white egrets, particularly the Snowy Egret, which shares some of its New World range. However, the Little Egret is larger and has more varied foraging strategies.
The diet is diverse, including fish, amphibians, small reptiles, mammals, birds, crustaceans, molluscs, insects, spiders, and worms. The Little Egret employs various hunting techniques, both in water and on land, to capture its prey.
The Little Egret is classified as "Least Concern" by the IUCN. Conservation measures in the 20th century have allowed populations to recover in Europe, and the species has been expanding its range. It is now successfully colonizing new areas, including the New World.
Its breeding distribution is in wetlands in warm temperate to tropical parts of Asia, Africa, Australia, and Europe. A successful colonist, its range has gradually expanded north, with stable and self-sustaining populations now present in the United Kingdom.
In warmer locations, most birds are permanent residents; northern populations, including many European birds, migrate to Africa and southern Asia to over-winter there. The birds may also wander north in late summer after the breeding season, and their tendency to disperse may have assisted in the recent expansion of the bird's range. At one time common in Western Europe, it was hunted extensively in the 19th century to provide plumes for the decoration of hats and became locally extinct in northwestern Europe and scarce in the south. Around 1950, conservation laws were introduced in southern Europe to protect the species and their numbers began to increase. By the beginning of the 21st century the bird was breeding again in France, the Netherlands, Ireland and Britain. Its range is continuing to expand westward, and the species has begun to colonise the New World; it was first seen in Barbados in 1954 and first bred there in 1994.
Sunday, 1 November 2020
1-11-2020 GANDIA, VALENCIA - EURASIAN HOOPOE (Upupa epops)
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The Eurasian hoopoe (Upupa epops ) is the most widespread species of the genus Upupa. It is a distinctive cinnamon coloured bird with black and white wings, a tall erectile crest, a broad white band across a black tail, and a long narrow downcurved bill. Its call is a soft "oop-oop-oop". It is native to Europe, Asia and the northern half of Africa. It is migratory in the northern part of its range. It spends most of the time on the ground probing for grubs and insects. The clutch of seven to eight eggs is laid in an existing cavity. The eggs are incubated by the female and hatch asynchronously. Some ornithologists treat the African and Madagascar hoopoes as subspecies of the Eurasian hoopoe.
The Eurasian hoopoe is a cinnamon-colored bird with black and white wings, a tall erectile crest, a broad white band across a black tail, and a long narrow downcurved bill. The bird has broad and rounded wings capable of strong flight which are larger in the northern migratory subspecies. The hoopoe has a characteristic undulating flight, which is like that of a giant butterfly, caused by the wings half-closing at the end of each beat or a short sequence of beats.
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Eurasian hoopoes are widespread in Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and northern Sub-Saharan Africa. Most European and north Asian birds migrate to the tropics in winter. Those breeding in Europe usually migrate to the Sahel belt of sub-Saharan Africa. The African populations are sedentary all year. Eurasian hoopoes require bare or lightly vegetated ground on which to forage and vertical surfaces with cavities (such as trees, cliffs, or even walls, nestboxes, haystacks, and abandoned burrows) in which to nest. These requirements can be provided in habitats such as heathland, wooded steppes, savannas and grasslands, as well as forest glades.
Eurasian hoopoes are active during the day spending most of the time on the ground probing for grubs and insects. They are solitary foragers who typically feed on the ground. More rarely they will feed in the air, where their strong and rounded wings make them fast and maneuverable, in pursuit of numerous swarming insects. More commonly their foraging style is to stride over relatively open ground and periodically pause to probe the ground with the full length of their bill. The rest of the time is typically spent sunbathing by spreading out their wings and tails low against the ground and tilting their head up; they often fold their wings and preen halfway through. They also enjoy taking dust and sand baths. The typical call of these birds is a trisyllabic ‘oop-oop-oop’. Other calls include rasping croaks, when alarmed, and hisses. Females produce a wheezy note during courtship feeding by the male.
Saturday, 31 October 2020
31-10-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - PUG MOTH (Eupithecia semigraphata)
Eupithecia semigraphata is a moth in the family Geometridae. It is found from most of Europe (except the Netherlands, Ireland, Great Britain, Denmark, Fennoscandia, the Baltic region and Portugal) to the Caucasus and Armenia. It is also present on the Canary Islands and North Africa.
The wingspan is about 18–20 mm. Adults are on wing from late June to August in one generation per year.
The larvae feed on the flowers of Calamintha (including Calamintha nepeta and Calamintha sylvatica), Hypericum, Origanum and Thymus species. The species overwinters in the pupal stage.
31-10-2020 PARCO NATURALE DELLA LESSINIA, ITALY - EURASIAN NUTCRACKER (Nucifraga caryocatactes)
The spotted nutcracker, Eurasian nutcracker, or simply nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) is a passerine bird slightly larger than the Eurasian jay. It has a much larger bill and a slimmer looking head without any crest. The feathering over its body is predominantly chocolate brown with distinct white spots and streaks (absent from most of the body in southern Asian populations, which are sometimes treated as a separate species, southern nutcracker N. hemispila). The wings and upper tail are virtually black with a greenish-blue gloss.
The spotted nutcracker is one of three currently-recognized species of nutcracker. The Kashmir nutcracker (Nucifraga multipunctata) was formerly considered a subspecies of the spotted. The other member of the genus, Clark's nutcracker (N. columbiana), occurs in western North America.
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