Thursday, 25 February 2021
Wednesday, 24 February 2021
24-2-2021 ARENAL JAVEA, ALICANTE - CHICORY (Cichorium intybus)
Common chicory (Cichorium intybus) is a somewhat woody, perennial herbaceous plant of the family Asteraceae, usually with bright blue flowers, rarely white or pink. Native to Europe, it has been introduced to the Americas and Australia.
Many varieties are cultivated for salad leaves, chicons (blanched buds), or roots (var. sativum), which are baked, ground, and used as a coffee substitute and food additive. In the 21st century, inulin, an extract from chicory root, has been used in food manufacturing as a sweetener and source of dietary fiber. Chicory is also grown as a forage crop for livestock.
When flowering, chicory has a tough, grooved, and more or less hairy stem. It can grow to 1.5 metres (5 feet) tall. The leaves are stalked, lanceolate and unlobed; they range from 7.5–32 centimetres (3–12+1⁄2 inches) in length (smallest near the top) and 2–8 cm (3⁄4–3+1⁄4 in) wide. The flower heads are 3–5 cm (1+1⁄4–2 in) wide, and usually light blue or lavender; it has also rarely been described as white or pink. Of the two rows of involucral bracts, the inner is longer and erect, the outer is shorter and spreading. It flowers from March until October. The seed has small scales at the tip.
Monday, 22 February 2021
22-2-2021 MUNTANYETA DEL SANS, VALENCIA - WATER PIPIT (Anthus spinoletta)
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The water pipit (Anthus spinoletta) is a small passerine bird which breeds in the mountains of Southern Europe and the Palearctic eastwards to China. It is a short-distance migrant; many birds move to lower altitudes or wet open lowlands in winter.
The water pipit in breeding plumage has greyish-brown upperparts, weakly streaked with darker brown, and pale pink-buff underparts fading to whitish on the lower belly. The head is grey with a broad white supercilium ("eyebrow"), and the outer tail feathers are white. In winter, the head is grey-brown, the supercilium is duller, the upperparts are more streaked, and the underparts are white, streaked lightly with brown on the breast and flanks. There are only minor differences among the three subspecies, the sexes are almost identical, and young birds resemble adults. The water pipit's song is delivered from a perch or in flight, and consists of four or five blocks, each consisting of about six repetitions of a different short note.
22-2-2021 MELLA DE MALVNAR, VALENCIA - BLACK HEADED GULL (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
The black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) is a small, nimble gull with a wingspan ranging from 94 to 110 cm and a body length of 37 to 44 cm. It weighs between 190 and 400 grams. Despite its name, the adult's summer plumage features a chocolate-brown head, which can appear black from a distance. The body is pale grey, and the primary wing feathers are tipped with black. The bill and legs are a striking red. In winter, the brown head is replaced by a white one with dark spots. Juveniles are mottled with brown spots and have a black band on the tail. There is no sexual dimorphism in plumage.
This species nests in colonies on the ground in large reed beds, marshes, or islands within lakes. It is not pelagic and is seldom seen far from coasts.
The black-headed gull breeds across much of the Palearctic, including Europe and coastal eastern Canada. It is migratory, wintering further south, but some remain in the milder westernmost areas of Europe. It is also present in northeastern North America and occasionally seen as far south as Virginia and some Caribbean islands.
The Black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) is a small and one of the most abundant gulls in much of Europe and Asia, and also in eastern Canada. It displays a variety of compelling behaviors and adaptations. Some of these include removing eggshells from one's nest after hatching, begging co-ordination between siblings, differences between sexes, conspecific brood parasitism, and extra-pair paternity.
The summer adult has a chocolate-brown head (not black, although does look black from a distance), a pale grey body, black tips to the primary wing feathers, and a red bill and legs. The hood is lost in winter, leaving just two dark spots. Immature birds have a mottled pattern of brown spots over most of the body and a black band on the tail. There is no difference in plumage between the sexes. In flight, the white leading edge to the wing is a good field mark. First-year birds have a black terminal tail band, more dark areas in the wings, and, in summer, a less fully developed dark hood.
Black-headed gulls breed in much of Europe, Asia, and in coastal eastern Canada. Most of their populations are migratory and winter further south, but some birds reside in the milder westernmost areas of Europe. Some Black-headed gulls also spend the winter in northeastern North America. They breed in large reed beds or marshes, or on islands in lakes, rivers, lagoons, deltas, and estuaries. They may also occur in ponds, canals, and flood lands, nesting on the heather moors, sand dunes, or beaches. During the winter these birds are found in estuaries with sandy or muddy beaches, ploughed fields, moist grasslands, reservoirs, urban parks, farmland, and gardens.
Sunday, 21 February 2021
21-2-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - ACALYPTRATE FLY (GENUS SUILLIA)
Saturday, 20 February 2021
20-2-2021 ADOR CAMPO, VALENCIA - COMMON CHAFFINCH (FEMALE) (Fringilla coelebs)
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The Eurasian chaffinch, or simply the chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), presents a striking dichotomy in plumage between the sexes. The male is resplendent with a blue-grey cap and rust-red underparts, while the female's attire is more subdued, though both genders boast two white wing bars and white sides to their tails. The male's robust voice is a herald of spring, as he sings from exposed perches to court a mate.
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To identify the male chaffinch, look for the black forehead, blue-grey crown, and rust-red breast, which fades to a pale creamy-pink on the belly. The wings feature a white panel on the coverts and a buff-white bar on the secondaries and inner primaries. Females and juveniles are more muted with grey-brown shades above and paler below, but retain the distinctive wing markings.
Chaffinches favor wooded environments, thriving in areas where the July isotherm ranges from 12 to 30°C. They are adaptable, however, and can be found in a variety of forested landscapes across their range.
Friday, 19 February 2021
19-2-2020 DECORAH IOWA, USA - BALD EAGLE (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) LIVE CAM
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The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), a majestic bird of prey indigenous to North America, is not actually bald. Its name derives from an older meaning of "white headed," referencing the striking contrast between its chocolate-brown body and its snow-white head and tail. The adult bald eagle is unmistakable within its range, with a robust build, a heavy head, and a powerful beak. The plumage of immature eagles is a mottled brown, with the distinctive white head and tail feathers not appearing until four to five years of age.
Adult bald eagles are primarily brown with a white head and tail, and their eyes, beak, and talons are bright yellow. Females are about 25 percent larger than males. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism, with females being larger, averaging up to 5.6 kg (12 lb), compared to the males' average of 4.1 kg (9.0 lb). The beak is large, hooked, and yellow. Juveniles lack the white head and tail, featuring a brown plumage overlaid with white until they reach maturity.
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Bald eagles favor habitats near large bodies of open water with abundant fish and old-growth trees for nesting. They are found in environments ranging from the bayous of Louisiana to the Sonoran Desert and the deciduous forests of Quebec and New England.
The bald eagle's range spans most of Canada and Alaska, all of the contiguous United States, and northern Mexico. They are migratory in the northern parts of their range and resident in the southern parts.
Thursday, 18 February 2021
17-2-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - PRIMROSE JASMINE (Jasminum mesnyi)
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Primrose Jasmine (Jasminum mesnyi) is a vigorous, semi-evergreen shrub native to southern China and Vietnam. Known for its cascading, fountain-like habit and bright, semi-double yellow flowers, it serves as an excellent, low-maintenance ornamental plant for covering walls, slopes, or trellises.
Key Facts & Characteristics
Growth Habit: Acts as a sprawling shrub or climbing vine. Without support, it creates a mounding, arching fountain about 1.5 to 3 meters (5 to 10 feet) high and wide.
Flowers: Produces large, trumpet-shaped, semi-double yellow blossoms that resemble primroses. Unlike true white jasmines, they are generally non-fragrant.
Bloom Time: Blooms primarily from late winter to early spring, with sporadic flowers appearing into the summer.Foliage: Features glossy, dark green trifoliate leaves arranged oppositely along square, deep-green stems.
Wednesday, 17 February 2021
17-2-2021 SUECA, VALENCIA - YELLOW IRIS (Iris pseudacorus)
It used to grow in the ditch of the fortified city of Mdina, on the island of Malta, where water was readily available, but after the renovation of the ditch it has since vanished from the area.
In some regions (including the US and South Africa) where it is not native, it has escaped from cultivation to establish itself as an invasive aquatic plant which can create dense, monotypic stands, outcompeting other plants in the ecosystem. Where it is invasive, it is tough to remove on a large scale. Even ploughing the rhizomes is often ineffective. It has been banned in some areas but is still widely sold in others for use in gardens.
Iris pseudacorus is reported as invasive in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.
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