18-5-2016 TURIA GARDENS, VALENCIA - EURASIAN BLACKBIRD (MALE) (Turdus merula)

The Common blackbird (Turdus merula) is a species of true thrush. It is also called the Eurasian blackbird (especially in North America, to distinguish it from the unrelated New World blackbirds), or simply the blackbird where this does not lead to confusion with a similar-looking local species. This common and conspicuous species has given rise to a number of literary and cultural references, frequently related to its song.

The adult male has glossy black plumage, blackish-brown legs, a yellow eye ring, and an orange-yellow bill. The bill darkens somewhat in winter. The adult female is sooty-brown with a dull yellowish-brownish bill, a brownish-white throat, and some weak mottling on the breast. The juvenile is similar to the female but has pale spots on the upperparts, and the very young juvenile also has a speckled breast. Young birds vary in the shade of brown, with darker birds presumably males. The first-year male resembles the adult male but has a dark bill and weaker eye ring, and its folded wing is brown, rather than black like the body plumage.

Population size

162-492 Mlnlnn

Life Span

2.4-21 years

Weight

80-125

goz

g oz 

Length

23.5-29

cminch

cm inch 

Wingspan

34-38

cminch

Common blackbirds breed in Europe, North Africa, India, and southern China. Populations in the north and east migrate to winter in Egypt and the west and southeast of Asia. Depending on latitude, Common blackbirds may be resident, partially migratory, or fully migratory. These birds live in very varied habitats, including mountainous regions and big city centers, where they inhabit open forests and forest edges, woodlands, cultivated areas, gardens, and parks if the cover is dense enough for hiding.

Common blackbirds are diurnal and eat mainly on the ground, turning the leaf litter to find the invertebrates hidden below. The bird runs for a short distance and stops suddenly to turn its head sideways to detect its prey and hops while it digs the ground with its bill to attract worms. It will feed in trees and bushes on the fruits and berries that it prefers. These birds will often take sunbaths, while flattened on grass or warm ground, with their beak open and their head inclined, and wings and tails spread. Common blackbirds are territorial, strongly defending their territory, mostly in urban areas where each pair does not have much space. Females may also fight, in defense of a good nest site. While winter food is available, Common blackbirds will stay within their territory for the year, although they will occupy different areas. Migrating birds are more gregarious, flying in small flocks and eating in loose groups at the wintering grounds.

18-5-2016 ALGINET, VALENCIA - SARDINIAN WARBLER (JUVENILE) (Sylvia melanocephala)

The Sardinian warbler (Curruca melanocephala ) is a common and widespread typical warbler from the Mediterranean region. Like most Curruca species, it has distinct male and female plumages. The adult male has a grey back, whitish underparts, black head, white throat and red eyes. Plumages are somewhat variable even in the same locality, with the intensity of a reddish hue on upper- and/or underside that varies from absent to (in some subspecies) pronounced. The female is mainly brown above and buff below, with a grey head. The Sardinian warbler's song is fast and rattling, and is very characteristic of the Mediterranean areas where this bird breeds.

17-5-2016 OLIVA MARJAL - ZITTING CISTICOLA (Cisticola juncidis)

The zitting cisticola or streaked fantail warbler (Cisticola juncidis ) is a widely distributed Old World warbler whose breeding range includes southern Europe, Africa (outside the deserts and rainforest), and southern Asia down to northern Australia. A small bird found mainly in grasslands, it is best identified by its rufous rump; as well, it lacks any gold on the collar and the brownish tail is tipped with white. During the breeding season, males have a zigzagging flight display accompanied by regular "zitting" calls that have been likened to repeated snips of a scissor. They build their pouch nest suspended within a clump of grass.

The zitting cisticola is 10 to 12 cm (3.9 to 4.7 in) in length. It is brown above, heavily streaked with black markings. The underparts are whitish, and the tail is broad, white-tipped and flicked frequently, giving rise to the alternative name for the species. The adult males have less crown streaking and more back marking than the females, but there are no great difference between the sexes or the eighteen geographical races. The absence of a nuchal collar separate it from the golden-headed cisticola (Cisticola exilis ). In the non-breeding season, they tend to skulk within the grass and can be hard to spot.

This species is found mainly in grassland habitats, often near water. Most populations are resident, but some East Asian populations migrate south to warmer areas in winter. In the Himalayas, they ascend to about 1,900 m (6,200 ft) during summer but are below 1,300 m (4,300 ft) in the winter. This species is a rare vagrant to northern Europe, mostly as a spring overshoot. Its European range is generally expanding, although northern populations are especially susceptible to hard winters.

Zitting cisticolas are very small insectivorous birds, sometimes found in small groups. The breeding season is associated with the rains. Two broods a year occur in many regions. Males are generally polygynous, but some are monogamous. The male builds the initial nest structure deep in the grasses, and invites females using a special display. Females that accept the male complete the nest. The nest is made by binding living leaves into the soft fabric of felted plant-down, cobwebs, and grass. The zitting cisticola's nest is a cup shape with a canopy of tied-together leaves or grasses overhead for camouflage; 3–6 eggs are laid. The female incubates the egg. The eggs hatch after about 10 days. More than one brood may be raised. Females change their mates frequently and rarely stay within the same territory, while males are less mobile, maintaining non-overlapping song-territories which shift from day to day. Females can sometimes breed in their first year.

17-5-2016 CANAL LES FONTS OLIVA, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN SERIN (Serinus serinus)

The European serin, or simply the serin (Serinus serinus ), is the smallest European species of the family of finches (Fringillidae) and is closely related to the Atlantic canary. Its diet consists mainly of a combination of buds and seeds.

The European serin is a small short-tailed bird, 11–12 cm in length. The upper parts are dark-streaked greyish green, with a yellow rump. The yellow breast and white belly are also heavily streaked. The male has a brighter yellow face and breast, yellow wing bars and yellow tail sides. The song of this bird is a buzzing trill, very familiar in Mediterranean countries.

It breeds across southern and central Europe and North Africa. Southern and Atlantic coast populations are largely resident, but the northern breeders migrate further south in Europe for the winter. Open woodland and cultivation, often with some conifers, is favoured for breeding. It builds its nest in a shrub or tree, laying 3–5 eggs. It forms flocks outside the breeding season, sometimes mixed with other finches.

The food is mainly seeds, and, in the breeding season, insects. This small serin is an active and often conspicuous bird.

Serins are small finches with stubby bills and forked tails. Both males and females have streaky yellow brown upper parts, paler streaked under parts and lemon yellow rumps. Males have bright yellow heads with darker patches on the crown and below the eye, females and juveniles are browner in colour and less distinctive. Since the 1960s, serins have been recorded yearly in the UK in small numbers and have bred sporadically since the 1970s (in Devon, Dorset, Sussex, East Anglia and the Jersey) but no more than one or two pairs a year.

17-5-2016 CANAL LES FONTS OLIVA, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN RABBIT (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

Population size

Unknown

Life Span

9 years

Weight

1.2-2

kglbs

kg lbs 

Length

40

cminch

The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is a small mammal native to southwestern Europe and northwest Africa. It is known as an invasive species because it has been introduced to countries on all continents with the exception of Antarctica, and has caused many problems within the environment and ecosystems.

The European rabbit is smaller than the European hare and Mountain hare and lacks black ear tips, as well as having proportionately shorter legs. The fur of the European rabbit is generally greyish-brown, but this is subject to much variation. The guard hairs are banded brown and black, or grey, while the nape of the neck and scrotum are reddish. The chest patch is brown, while the rest of the underparts are white or grey. A white star shape is often present on kits' foreheads but rarely occurs in adults. The whiskers are long and black, and the feet are fully furred and buff-coloured. The tail has a white underside, which becomes prominent when escaping danger. This may act as a signal for other rabbits to run. Moulting occurs once a year, beginning in March on the face and spreading over the back. The underfur is completely replaced by October-November. The European rabbit exhibits great variation in colour, from light sandy to dark grey and completely black. Such variation depends largely on the amount of guard hairs relative to regular pelage.

17-5-2016 CAMI LES FONTS OLIVA, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN MOORHEN (Gallinula chloropus)

The common moorhen gives a wide range of gargling calls and will emit loud hisses when threatened. A midsized to large rail, it can range from 30 to 38 cm (12 to 15 in) in length and span 50 to 62 cm (20 to 24 in) across the wings. The body mass of this species can range from 192 to 500 g (6.8 to 17.6 oz).

This is a common breeding and resident bird in marsh environments, rivers, well-vegetated lakes and even in city parks. Populations in areas where the waters freeze, such as eastern Europe, will migrate to more temperate climates. In China, common moorhen populations are largely resident south of the Yangtze River, whilst northern populations migrate in the winter, therefore these populations show high genetic diversity.

This species will consume a wide variety of vegetable material and small aquatic creatures. They forage beside or in the water, sometimes walking on lilypads or upending in the water to feed. They are often secretive, but can become tame in some areas. Despite loss of habitat in parts of its range, the common moorhen remains plentiful and widespread.

The birds are territorial during breeding season, and will fight with other members of their species, as well as other water birds such as ducks, to drive them out of their territory. The nest is a basket built on the ground in dense vegetation. Laying starts in spring, between mid-March and mid-May in Northern hemisphere temperate regions. About 8 eggs are usually laid per female early in the season; a brood later in the year usually has only 5–8 or fewer eggs. Nests may be re-used by different females. Incubation lasts about three weeks. Both parents incubate and feed the young. These fledge after 40–50 days, become independent usually a few weeks thereafter, and may raise their first brood the next spring. When threatened, the young may cling to the parents' body, after which the adult birds fly away to safety, carrying their offspring with them.

17-5-2016 OLIVA MARJAL - MALLARD (JUVENILE) (Anas platyrhynchos)

A female mallard lays up to a dozen eggs in nests on the ground near water, often in a small depression or tree hole. She lines the nest with warm down plucked from her undercoat. Soon after birth, baby ducks, called ducklings, open their eyes. A little more than a day after hatching, ducklings can run, swim, and forage for food on their own. They stay in the nest for less than a month. A group of ducklings is called a brood. Outside the nest, the brood sticks close by the mother for safety, often following behind her in a neat, single-file line.

Once hatched, the ducklings will stay in the nest for at least 10 hours while they dry and get used to using their legs. Then, usually in the early morning, the female leads them to water. Bad weather may delay this, but the sooner the ducklings get to water to feed, the better their chances of survival.

Baby ducklings are ready to go within a few hours after they hatch. They can swim, waddle, feed themselves, and find food right away. Their mother will watch over them and help protect them for the next few months. After around two months, the ducklings can fly and will become independent.

Incubation and rearing take prodigious effort and sacrifice. Once the clutch is complete, the female remains on the nest for nearly 23 hours a day, with two short breaks – usually one before 9am and the other after 4pm. Every half an hour or so, day or night, she shifts position to ensure all eggs are covered. She plucks downy feathers from her breast to create an ‘incubation patch’ to keep the eggs close to her skin at a steady 37.5°C, and sits patiently for some 28 days, forever aware of danger.

Her burden doesn’t reduce when the eggs hatch. Now there are between six and 13 highly mobile ducklings to care for, each capable of running and feeding themselves within a few hours. The female quickly leads them to water; in these first fraught hours she may call 200 times a minute.

Alarm calls summon the brood to regroup, while the female may also distract potential predators with a broken-wing display. Even so, losses are high. It can be 50 more days before the young are self-sufficient, and thankfully the females can lay up to four clutches a year.

Females sometimes test the mettle of their mates by suddenly taking off and expecting the male to follow. Rivals often join these flights of one female and several males.

If you hear incessant loud quacking from a female in early spring, this might be part of a nest-site assessment. It is thought the calls serve to attract predators, which then betray their presence and allow cautious birds to abandon a ‘high risk’ nest site.

For various reasons, females don’t always lead their ducklings to the nearest pond. Indeed, they might well change ponds frequently if the mother isn’t satisfied with things. That’s why you so often see parties of ducklings ‘commuting’.

17-5-2016 MONTE CORONA - SPECKLED WOOD BUTTERFLY (Pararge aegeria)

The average wingspan of both males and females is 5.1 cm (2 in), although males tend to be slightly smaller than females. Furthermore, males possess a row of grayish-brown scent scales on their forewings that is absent in the females. Females have brighter and more distinct markings than males. The subspecies P. a. tircis is brown with pale yellow or cream spots and darker upperwing eyespots. The subspecies P. a. aegeria has a more orange background and the hindwing underside eyespots are reddish brown rather than black or dark gray. The two forms gradually intergrade into each other. Subspecies P. a. oblita is a darker brown, often approaching black with white rather than cream spots. The underside of its hindwings has a marginal pale purple band and a row of conspicuous white spots. The spots of subspecies P. a. insula are a tawny orange rather than a cream color. The underside of the forewings has patches of pale orange, and the underside of the hindwing has a purple-tinged band. Although there is considerable variation with each subspecies, identification of the different subspecies is manageable.

17-5-2016 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SIERRA NEVADA OCELLATED LIZARD (Timon nevadensis)

Formerly, Timon nevadensis had been regarded as subspecies of Timon lepidus but it has been put into species rank in 2013. Its distribution range is limited to the Sierra Nevada and the Spanish east coast, reaching the Alicante Province in the north.

This is a robust and large reptile (up to 65 cm of total head-tail length, sometimes even 80-90 cm). The head is large and very distinct from the body. Like all the saurians, it has four legs that in this species are large and well developed. The eyelids are mobile (this character in addition to its legs, distinguishes a  saurian from an ophidian). The body's colour is showy. Although the general tone can be perceived as greenish, the back is covered with yellow and black scales, as well as blue ones on the sides, generally forming ocelli (rounded spots). This ocelli profusion on the animal's body gives name to the species. The belly usually has a uniform tone: whitish, grey or yellowish. Young specimens are very striking because they exhibit a dozen rows of yellowish ocelli surrounded by a dark shade on a greyish, brown or greenish background.

16-5-2016 XATIVA, VALENCIA - SARDINIAN WARBLER (MALE) (Sylvia melanocephala)

The Sardinian warbler (Curruca melanocephala ) is a common and widespread typical warbler from the Mediterranean region. Like most Curruca species, it has distinct male and female plumages. The adult male has a grey back, whitish underparts, black head, white throat and red eyes. Plumages are somewhat variable even in the same locality, with the intensity of a reddish hue on upper- and/or underside that varies from absent to (in some subspecies) pronounced. The female is mainly brown above and buff below, with a grey head. The Sardinian warbler's song is fast and rattling, and is very characteristic of the Mediterranean areas where this bird breeds.

16-5-2016 XATIVA, VALENCIA - SARDINIAN WARBLER (JUVENILE) (Sylvia melanocephala)

The Sardinian warbler (Curruca melanocephala ) is a common and widespread typical warbler from the Mediterranean region. Like most Curruca species, it has distinct male and female plumages. The adult male has a grey back, whitish underparts, black head, white throat and red eyes. Plumages are somewhat variable even in the same locality, with the intensity of a reddish hue on upper- and/or underside that varies from absent to (in some subspecies) pronounced. The female is mainly brown above and buff below, with a grey head. The Sardinian warbler's song is fast and rattling, and is very characteristic of the Mediterranean areas where this bird breeds.

It breeds in the southernmost areas of Europe and just into Asia in Turkey and the eastern end of the Mediterranean. This small passerine bird, unlike most "warblers", is not particularly migratory, but some birds winter in north Africa, and it occurs as a vagrant well away from the breeding range, as far as Great Britain. 

16-5-2016 XATIVA, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH (Carduelis carduelis)

The Goldfinch is a colourful finch with a bright red face and yellow wing patch. It's a very sociable bird, often breeding in loose groups. It has a delightful twittering song and call. Their fine beaks allow them to extract otherwise inaccessible seeds from thistles and teasels. Increasingly, they are visiting bird tables and feeders. In winter, many UK Goldfinches migrate as far south as Spain.

The European goldfinch is illegally trafficked and can be found in countries worldwide, including the United States.

They attach their nests to tree twigs using spider silk.

Males and females look similar, but males have slightly larger red face masks that extend to their eyes.

They are frequent visitors to backyard feeders, especially those containing niger seeds.

They forage by hovering over plants and will occasionally feed upside down.

16-5-2016 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SIERRA NEVADA OCELLATED LIZARD (Timon nevadensis)

Timon nevadensis, the Sierra Nevada lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. It is endemic to Spain. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the ocellated lizard.

Formerly, Timon nevadensis had been regarded as subspecies of Timon lepidus but it has been put into species rank in 2013. Its distribution range is limited to the Sierra Nevada and the Spanish east coast, reaching the Alicante Province in the north.

This is a robust and large reptile (up to 65 cm of total head-tail length, sometimes even 80-90 cm). The head is large and very distinct from the body. Like all the saurians, it has four legs that in this species are large and well developed. The eyelids are mobile (this character in addition to its legs, distinguishes a  saurian from an ophidian). The body's colour is showy. Although the general tone can be perceived as greenish, the back is covered with yellow and black scales, as well as blue ones on the sides, generally forming ocelli (rounded spots). This ocelli profusion on the animal's body gives name to the species. The belly usually has a uniform tone: whitish, grey or yellowish. Young specimens are very striking because they exhibit a dozen rows of yellowish ocelli surrounded by a dark shade on a greyish, brown or greenish background.

This species is indifferent in terms of habitat. It uses both scrub and forest areas, as well as agricultural land. It is common in open areas, with little vegetative cover and abundant shelter availability (large loose stones, stone heaps, stone walls, tree-holes, etc ...). It can also be present in parks and gardens of towns and small cities, where it climbs trees.

The ocellated lizards are diurnal, although in summer they can have some nocturnal activity avoiding the hot central hours of the day. It hibernates during the coldest months of the year, although it is possible to observe them on the sunny days of autumn and winter. It is a lone and unsociable reptile, which only mates briefly at the copulation moment and only after a somewhat violent approach to his partner. It is very agile and fast racing, being able to climb big trees very quickly. It is very distrustful and flees as soon as it feels threatened. Its diet mainly consists of insects, although it can prey on other smaller reptiles, amphibians, chickens and bird eggs, as well as on small mammals (rodents) and their offspring. They do not waste carrion and also consume wild fruits. Unlike other lizards, ocellated lizards actively search for their prey and hunt. Its bite, if handled, can be painful due to its great mandibular power.

The lizards come into heat in spring; at this moment, the males are very territorial and aggressive with other specimens, driving them out from their territories. When a female enters a male's territory, a kind of harassment situation happens (persecution and biting) to get the female to surrender and impede its escape until she agrees to copulate. Two or three months later the female deposits between 5 and 20 eggs in a small tunnel which she has dug in the ground. In summer, small lizards hatch and become sexually mature by the third year of life, after reaching thrice the size they were when they hatched.

The Sierra Nevada Ocellated Lizard is an impressive but terribly shy Lacertid. In particular, adult specimens may have flight distances of more than 20 meters. These lizards occur in high altitude mountain areas as well as in coastal dunes and agricultural land.

16-5-2016 MONTE CORONA - COMMON NIGHTINGALE (Luscinia megarhynchos)

The nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos ) is a small passerine bird best known for its powerful and beautiful song. The song of this secretive bird has been described as one of the most beautiful sounds in nature, inspiring songs, fairy tales, opera, books, and a great deal of poetry.

The Nightingale is plain brown above except for the reddish tail and is buff to white below. The males and females are similar in appearance. The eastern subspecies and the Caucasian subspecies have paler upperparts and a stronger face pattern, including a pale supercilium.

Nightingales are migratory birds that breed in Europe, Asia, and northwest Africa, and winter in sub-Saharan Africa. They inhabit forests, open woodlands with thickets often along water bodies, and shrubland. Nightingales can also be found in suburban gardens and parks.

Nightingales are solitary birds that are active during the day. They are very shy and often hide in thick scrubs or bushes. These birds forage on the ground hopping around searching for food items in the leaf litter or glean on low branches and leaves. Sometimes they may hunt from perch and drop to catch their prey on the ground or pursue insects on the wing. Nightingales sing mainly during the night but can also be heard in the daytime. Their song is loud, with an impressive range of whistles, trills, and gurgles. Only unpaired males sing regularly at night, and nocturnal song probably serves to attract a mate. Singing at dawn, during the hour before sunrise, is assumed to be important in defending the bird's territory. Nightingales sing even more loudly in urban or near-urban environments, in order to overcome the background noise. The most characteristic feature of their song is a loud whistling crescendo. When disturbed nightingales produce a frog-like warning call.

Nightingales feed on invertebrates like flies and beetles.

Breeding occurs between April and June, during which time four to five eggs are laid. The nest is constructed with leaves as well as grass, usually at ground level. Chicks will fledge when they are around 12 days old.

Yes, nightingales arrive in the spring when they come to breed. The nightingale will start its migration back to their wintering grounds from July to September.

15-5-2016 VILLALONGA RESERVOIR - SPOTLESS STARLING (Sturnus unicolor)

The spotless starling (Sturnus unicolor ) is a passerine bird in the starling family, Sturnidae. It is closely related to the common starling (S. vulgaris ), but has a much more restricted range, confined to the Iberian Peninsula, Northwest Africa, southernmost France, and the islands of Sicily, Corsica and Sardinia. It is largely non-migratory.

The spotless starling (Sturnus unicolor ) is a passerine bird in the starling family, Sturnidae. It is closely related to the common starling (S. vulgaris ), but has a much more restricted range, confined to the Iberian Peninsula, Northwest Africa, southernmost France, and the islands of Sicily, Corsica and Sardinia. It is largely non-migratory.

15-5-2016 VILLALONGA RESERVOIR - SPECKLED WOOD BUTTERFLY (Pararge aegeria)

The speckled wood (Pararge aegeria) is a butterfly found in and on the borders of woodland areas throughout much of the Palearctic realm. The species is subdivided into multiple subspecies, including Pararge aegeria aegeria, Pararge aegeria tircis, Pararge aegeria oblita, and Pararge aegeria insula. The color of this butterfly varies between subspecies. The existence of these subspecies is due to variation in morphology down a gradient corresponding to a geographic cline. The background of the wings ranges from brown to orange, and the spots are either pale yellow, white, cream, or a tawny orange. The speckled wood feeds on a variety of grass species. The males of this species exhibit two types of mate locating behaviors: territorial defense and patrolling. The proportion of males exhibiting these two strategies changes based on ecological conditions. The monandrous female must choose which type of male can help her reproduce successfully. Her decision is heavily influenced by environmental conditions.

15-5-2016 VILLALONGA RESERVOIR - EUROPEAN MOORHEN (Gallinula chloropus)

The common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus), also known as the waterhen or swamp chicken, is a bird species in the rail family (Rallidae). It is distributed across many parts of the Old World.

The common moorhen lives around well-vegetated marshes, ponds, canals and other wetlands. The species is not found in the polar regions or many tropical rainforests. Elsewhere it is likely the most common rail species, except for the Eurasian coot in some regions.

The closely related common gallinule of the New World has been recognized as a separate species by most authorities, starting with the American Ornithologists' Union and the International Ornithological Committee in 2011.

The moorhen is a distinctive species, with predominantly black and brown plumage, with the exception of a white under-tail, white streaks on the flanks, yellow legs and a red frontal shield. The bill is red with a yellow tip. The young are browner and lack the red shield. The frontal shield of the adult has a rounded top and fairly parallel sides; the tailward margin of the red unfeathered area is a smooth waving line. In the related common gallinule (Gallinula galeata) of the Americas, the frontal shield has a fairly straight top and is less wide towards the bill, giving a marked indentation to the back margin of the red area.

15-5-2016 VILLALONGA RESERVOIR - MALLARD (JUVENILE) (Anas platyrhynchos)

Visit a wetland in the spring and it can sometimes feel as though you’re in the way – at least as far as mallards are concerned. Mallard eggs are normally laid anytime between March or July, but they’ve been known to appear much earlier, so you can expect a steady stream of fluffballs throughout the spring and summer period.

The paths seem to need temporary traffic lights to regulate the broods of scampering, fluffy ducklings crossing, one after the other, like the members of an unruly school party. Wander around the trails and ponds and you’re plunged into an atmosphere of business and self-absorption; a loud quack here, a splashing dispute there, the hurrying away of a watchful female. That’s because our most successful wild duck’s breeding season is in full swing.

Mallards can hardly resist the ponds, grassy banks, and quiet areas of scrub and woodland provided on our reserves, especially given the sympathetic management, such as the provision of piles of vegetation and pollarded willows for nests. In the early season, pairs prospect together, the male guarding as the female disappears into the greenery or a hole. Almost as soon as a site is chosen, the female begins the clutch, laying an egg a day for a week or more. Shortly afterwards, the male leaves.

Incubation and rearing take prodigious effort and sacrifice. Once the clutch is complete, the female remains on the nest for nearly 23 hours a day, with two short breaks – usually one before 9am and the other after 4pm. Every half an hour or so, day or night, she shifts position to ensure all eggs are covered. She plucks downy feathers from her breast to create an ‘incubation patch’ to keep the eggs close to her skin at a steady 37.5°C, and sits patiently for some 28 days, forever aware of danger.

Her burden doesn’t reduce when the eggs hatch. Now there are between six and 13 highly mobile ducklings to care for, each capable of running and feeding themselves within a few hours. The female quickly leads them to water; in these first fraught hours she may call 200 times a minute.

15-5-2016 VILLALONGA RESERVOIR - MALLARD (FEMALE) (Anas platyrhynchos)

The mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa. Mallards live in wetlands, eat water plants and small animals, and prefer to congregate in flocks of varying sizes. Unlike many waterfowl, mallards are considered an invasive species in some regions. It is a very adaptable species, being able to live and even thrive in urban areas. This species is the main ancestor of most breeds of domestic duck, and its naturally evolved wild gene pool has been genetically polluted by the domestic and feral mallard populations.

The magnificent mallard is one of the most recognizable bird species around the world. When flying, the bird displays a purplish-blue speculum, which is outlined in white. Males of this species are particularly colorful. Breeding males have a yellow beak, dark brown chest, black and white tail as well as bright green head and neck. They exhibit a white ring at the base of their neck. In addition, the sides of breeding males and most of their wings are gray. On the other hand, the plumage of female mallards and non-breeding males is less vivid and colorful. The overall plumage of female mallards is spotted with tan and brown patches, and the head is a lighter tan, showing dark bands near the crown and eyes. Females have orange-colored beaks, covered with dark spots. Females and non-breeding males generally look alike, though the latter have yellowish beaks.

Mallards are found across the Northern and Southern Hemispheres; in North America, their range extends from southern and central Alaska to Mexico, the Hawaiian Islands, across the Palearctic, from Iceland and southern Greenland and parts of Morocco (North Africa) in the west, Scandinavia and Britain to the north, and to Siberia, Japan, and South Korea. Also in the east, it ranges to south-eastern and south-western Australia and New Zealand in the Southern hemisphere. Mallards are strongly migratory in the northern parts of their breeding range and winter farther south. 

They live in a wide range of habitats and climates, from the Arctic tundra to subtropical regions. They can be found in both fresh- and salt-water wetlands, including parks, small ponds, rivers, lakes, and estuaries, as well as shallow inlets and open seas within sight of the coastline. Water depths of less than 0.9 m (3.0 ft) are preferred, with birds avoiding areas more than a few meters deep. They are attracted to bodies of water with aquatic vegetation.

Mallards are diurnal birds that spend most of their time feeding. They usually feed by dabbling for plant food or grazing. They are highly gregarious outside of the breeding season and form large flocks, which are known as "sordes". However, during the breeding season, both male and female mallards can become aggressive, driving off competitors to themselves or their mate by charging at them. Males typically fight more than females and attack each other by repeatedly pecking at their rival's chest, ripping out feathers and even skin on rare occasions. Females may also carry out 'inciting displays', which encourage other ducks in the flock to begin fighting. In general, mallards are noisy birds. Females have the deep ‘quack’ stereotypically associated with ducks. Males make a sound phonetically similar to that of the female, a typical ‘quack’, but it is deeper and quieter compared to that of the female. When incubating a nest, or when offspring are present, females vocalize differently, making a call that sounds like a truncated version of the usual ‘quack’. In addition, females hiss if the nest or offspring are threatened or interfered with. When taking off, the wings of a mallard produce a characteristic faint whistling noise.

Mallards have a monogamous mating system. However, they widely practice so-called “extra-pair copulation”, and paired males are known to chase females that are not their mates. Nesting starts in April, reaching its peak in May. During this period, mated pairs are seen circling in the evenings low over the habitat and looking for a suitable nesting site. When the site is chosen, the female constructs the nest on the ground, near a water body, laying 9-13 eggs, which are incubated for 26-28 days. Chicks of this species are precocial; once born, they are able to swim, being introduced to water within 12 hours after hatching. Right after mating, male mallards usually leave, gathering into male flocks for molting in early June, while the females stay with the offspring, caring for the chicks for 42-60 days. Both males and females reach reproductive maturity at 1 year of age.

15-5-2016 VILLALONGA RESERVOIR - LITTLE RINGED PLOVER (Charadrius dubius)

The little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius ) is a small plover. The genus name Charadrius is a Late Latin word for a yellowish bird mentioned in the fourth-century Vulgate. It derives from Ancient Greek kharadrios a bird found in river valleys (kharadra, "ravine"). The specific dubius is Latin for doubtful, since Sonnerat, writing in 1776, thought this bird might be just a variant of common ringed plover.

Adult little ringed plovers have a grey-brown back and wings, a white belly and a white breast with one black neckband. They have a brown cap, a white forehead, a black mask around the eyes with white above and a short dark bill. The legs are flesh-coloured and the toes are all webbed.

This species differs from the larger ringed plover in leg colour, the head pattern, and the presence of a clear yellow eye-ring.

Their breeding habitat is open gravel areas near freshwater, including gravel pits, islands and river edges across the Palearctic including northwestern Africa. They nest on the ground on stones with little or no plant growth. Both males and females take turns incubating the eggs.

They are migratory and winter in Africa. These birds forage for food on muddy areas, usually by sight. They eat insects and worms.

This attractive small wading bird is a relatively new addition to the British breeding avifauna, first recorded nesting here in 1938.

Little Ringed Plovers are summer visitors to Britain, sometimes arriving as early as mid-March. Originally associated with gravel workings in central England, they have now colonised seasonally wet areas across the post-industrial landscapes of the north-west. In Wales and Scotland, new colonists use river gravels for nesting.

Easily confused with its commoner coastal cousin, the Ringed Plover, this species prefers fresh water. It is a daintier bird, has more subtle colours and lacks a white wing-bar when seen in flight. A good close view reveals the diagnostic yellow eye-ring.