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4-3-2021 DEVESA PLAYA, VALENCIA - EURASIAN GREAT CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax carbo)
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The great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), a robust seabird, is cloaked in predominantly black plumage. It is a member of the cormorant family, with a widespread distribution. The species exhibits considerable size variation across its range, with males generally larger than females. Notable features include a longish tail and a distinctive yellow throat-patch. During the breeding season, adults boast white patches on their thighs and throat.
To identify the great cormorant, look for its large size, heavy build, and thick bill. It lacks a crest and its plumage does not have a green tinge, distinguishing it from the common shag. In North America, it is bulkier than the double-crested cormorant and has less yellow on the throat and bill. The white thigh patches are a key identifier.
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Great cormorants are found in a variety of aquatic environments including seas, estuaries, freshwater lakes, and rivers. They often nest in colonies close to these water bodies.
This species has a broad distribution, breeding across the Old World, Australia, and the Atlantic coast of North America. Northern populations tend to migrate southward in winter, seeking coasts rich in fish.
Great cormorants are generally silent but may emit guttural noises at breeding colonies. They are known for their wing-drying posture, often seen with wings outstretched to dry after diving.
Mostly silent, the great cormorant vocalizes with guttural sounds in the vicinity of its breeding colonies.
Great cormorants typically nest in colonies near wetlands, rivers, or sheltered inshore waters, often returning to the same site annually. Their nests are constructed from sticks and can be located in trees, on cliff ledges, or on predator-free ground. They lay clutches of three to five pale blue or green eggs, which are incubated for about 28 to 31 days.
4-3-2021 ULLAL DE BALDOVI, VALENCIA - WILD MUSTARD (Sinapis arvensis)
Wild Mustard (Sinapis arvensis) is an edible, fast-growing winter annual weed belonging to the cabbage family (Brassicaceae). Native to the Mediterranean region, it thrives in sunny, disturbed soils—like roadsides and vacant lots. Easily identified by its bright yellow, four-petaled flowers, its seeds can survive in the soil for up to 60 years.
Physical Characteristics
Height & Stems: Grows erect, reaching up to 1 to 1.5 meters. The stems are slightly hairy, sometimes with reddish patches at the branching nodes.
Leaves: Alternate leaves that are not arranged in a basal rosette. Lower leaves are lobed and toothed, while upper leaves are smaller, stalkless, and narrower.
Flowers: Bright yellow blooms with four petals grouped in dense clusters.
Seed Pods: Following the bloom, the plant produces elongated, cylinder-shaped pods (called siliques) that contain round, black-to-purple seeds.
Ecology & Agricultural Impact
Habitat: Commonly found in agricultural grainfields, pastures, waste grounds, and roadsides. It strongly prefers sunny conditions and calcareous (lime-rich) soils.
Persistence: Individual plants can produce 2,000 to 3,500 seeds, which can remain viable in the soil for over half a century.
Weed Status: Considered an invasive and harmful agricultural weed, it is notorious for hosting crop pests, nematodes, and fungi that damage cultivated vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, and canola.
Toxicity: The seeds contain glucosinolates, which can cause severe digestive illness in livestock and mammals if consumed in large quantities.
Foraging & Culinary Use
Edibility: All above-ground parts of the plant are edible. The young leaves have a hot, peppery, and distinctively mustard-like taste, and the flowers can be used as a colorful, spicy garnish.
Historical Significance: During the 18th-century European famine crises (especially in Ireland), the plant served as a survival food for many, although excessive consumption caused diarrhea.
Seeds: When crushed, the seeds can be used to make a spicy condiment, and an oil can be extracted from them for industrial machinery.
Caution: Because wild mustard can accumulate nitrates, consult authoritative urban foraging guides such as Pip Magazine or the North Carolina Extension Gardener Toolbox before consuming any wild-harvested plants.
4-3-2021 ULLAL DE BALDOVI, VALENCIA - CURSED CROWFOOT (Ranunculus sceleratus)
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Key Facts About Cursed Crowfoot
The Name Origin: The genus name Ranunculus stems from the Latin for "little frog", referencing its preferred habitat in marshes, wet ditches, and streambanks.
Toxicity: All parts of the plant contain protoanemonin. While the toxin degrades as the plant dries out, handling it fresh can result in painful dermatitis, blisters, and inflammation. If ingested, it causes burning of the mouth and severe gastrointestinal distress.
Historical Folklore: Legend states that ancient beggars used the irritating sap to induce artificial sores and rashes on their skin to provoke public pity and boost their earnings.
Appearance: It features stout, smooth, hollow stems reaching up to 2 feet tall. It produces tiny, bright yellow flowers (about \(\frac{1}{3}\) inch across) with five petals and a very distinct, elongated cylindrical seed head in the center.
Ecological Status: Despite its toxicity to livestock and humans, it holds a "Least Concern" conservation status and serves as a naturalized wetland feature throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere.
4-3-2021 CREU DE LONGA, VALENCIA - LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL (JUVENILE) (Larus fuscus)
The lesser black-backed gull (Larus fuscus) is a large gull, distinguishable by its size and the coloration of its plumage. It is smaller than the European herring gull and exhibits a range of mantle colors across its subspecies, from dark grey to jet black.
Adult lesser black-backed gulls have yellow legs and a yellow bill with a red spot. Their wings and back are either black or dark grey, depending on the subspecies. In winter, the head becomes greyer. Juveniles display scaly black-brown upperparts and a distinctive wing pattern. They can be differentiated from juvenile herring gulls by their darker, unbarred tertial feathers.
This species is found along coasts and lakes, where it breeds and feeds. It has adapted to urban environments in some cities, nesting alongside herring gulls.
The lesser black-backed gull breeds on the Atlantic coasts of Europe and is migratory, wintering from the British Isles to West Africa. It has expanded its range to North America, particularly along the east coast, where it is now present year-round in increasing numbers.
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