Thursday 21 March 2019
Wednesday 20 March 2019
15-11-2016 BAGAN, MYANMAR - RUSSET SPARROW (FEMALE) (Passer cinnamomeus)
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The russet sparrow (Passer cinnamomeus ), also called the cinnamon or cinnamon tree sparrow, is a passerine bird of the sparrow family Passeridae. A chunky little seed-eating bird with a thick bill, it has a body length of 14 to 15 cm (5.5–5.9 in). Its plumage is mainly warm rufous above and grey below. It exhibits sexual dimorphism, with the plumage of both sexes patterned similarly to that of the corresponding sex of house sparrow. Its vocalisations are sweet and musical chirps, which when strung together form a song.
Three subspecies are recognised, differing chiefly in the yellowness of their underparts. The subspecies rutilans and intensior breed in parts of eastern Asia, where they are usually found in light woodland, and the subspecies cinnamomeus breeds in the Himalayas, where it is usually associated with terrace cultivation. The russet sparrow is the typical sparrow of human habitations in towns where the house and Eurasian tree sparrows are absent. In the southern part of its range, the russet sparrow prefers higher altitudes, but in the north it breeds by the sea. The russet sparrow is known well enough in the Himalayas to have a distinct name in some languages, and is depicted in Japanese art.
This sparrow feeds mainly on the seeds of herbs and grains, but it also eats berries and insects, particularly during the breeding season. This diet makes it a minor pest in agricultural areas, but also a predator of insect pests. While breeding, it is not social, as its nests are dispersed. It forms flocks when not breeding, although it associates with other bird species infrequently. In some parts of its range, the russet sparrow migrates, at least to lower altitudes. Its nest is located in a tree cavity, or a hole in a cliff or building. The male chooses the nest site before finding a mate and uses the nest for courtship display. The typical clutch contains five or six whitish eggs. Both sexes incubate and feed the young.
Tuesday 19 March 2019
28-11-2016 JURONG, SINGAPORE - ROSE RINGED PARAKEET (Psittacula krameri)
The Rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri) is one of the few parrot species that have successfully adapted to living in disturbed habitats. As a popular pet species, escaped birds have colonized a number of cities around the world, including Northern and Western Europe. These parakeets are also capable of living in a variety of climates outside their native range and are able to survive low winter temperatures in Northern Europe. The species is not threatened, but its popularity as a pet and unpopularity with farmers have reduced its numbers in some parts of its native range.
The Rose-ringed parakeet is a medium-sized parrot. The adult male sports a red and black neck ring, and the hen and immature birds of both sexes either show no neck rings or display shadow-like pale to dark grey neck rings. Both sexes have a distinctive green color in the wild, and captive-bred ringnecks have multiple color mutations including blue, violet, and yellow.
Monday 18 March 2019
28-11-2016 SINGAPORE - MUSA ORNATA (Family Musaceae)
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Musa ornata, the flowering banana, is one of more than 50 species of banana in the genus Musa of the family Musaceae. Most of these species are large tropical evergreen perennials, mainly from lowland areas with high temperature and humidity. Musa ornata originated in southeast Asia, and is cultivated for its commercial and ornamental value. The fruit is attractive but tends to be inedible.
Musa ornata belongs to the Musa section Rhodochlamys. Rhodochlamys is one of the four sections into which the genus Musa is divided (the others being Australimusa, Callimusa and Eumusa, which is sometimes called Musa). As a member of Rhodochlamys, M. ornata has a basic chromosome number of 2n = 22 compared with 2n = 20 of the Australimusa and Callimusa. Plants of this section are known for their brightly colored bracts.
The true M. ornata is found in India and is a small species. From its home in India it reached Central and South America early in the 19th century where it became naturalized. M. ornata is not an especially variable plant in itself but it hybridizes freely with other species. The result is that there are a number of hybrids derived from it in the tropical regions of America.
Plants grow to a height of 5 to 10 ft (1.5 to 3.0 m). The plants have green foliage with pink tones throughout. The leaves can grow to be 6 ft (1.8 m) long, 14 inches (360 mm) wide and can be used for tropical cut flower arrangements. It produces pink flowers and small, dark pink or crimson fruit. The fruit type is a banana that is seeded and inedible.
Musa ornata has a yellow-orange inflorescence whose male and female flowers both tend to be 3-5 per bract in a single row, varying up to about 7 per cluster. The anthers of the male flowers are purple while the female style is green.
Musa ornata is native to south-east Asia and commonly found in Bangladesh, Burma, and India. This species is widely distributed throughout tropical regions but it is often misnamed. The plant is relatively tolerant and was found in Mauritius (off the coast of Madagascar) before 1805 and must have begun to travel several years before it was botanically described in 1824 on Indian banana plantations. Numerous parts of Mexico have also naturalized the plant, although the seedlings are often offered commercially under a different name (Musa violacea).
28-11-2016 JURONG, SINGAPORE - VITELLINE MASKED WEAVER (Ploceus vitellinus)
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The vitelline masked weaver (Ploceus vitellinus) is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae. It is found in western, central and eastern Africa.
A fairly small weaver with a chunky bill. Always shows a red eye and a dark bill. Breeding male is distinctive, with bright yellow overall plumage, a black mask, and a variable chestnut wash on the breast and crown. Females, non-breeding males, and juveniles are much duller, but show streaking on the back and pale underparts. Found in a variety of savanna habitats, often in flocks. Breeding male is similar to several other weavers, but can be separated by the chestnut rather than black crown and the red eye. Plumages other than the breeding male’s can be hard to separate from other weavers, but can be cautiously identified by the reddish eye and overall size and shape. Vocalizations are typical of weavers: “chek” notes and a sizzling “radio static” song.
Sunday 17 March 2019
17-3-2019 PEGO MARJAL, ALICANTE - SEVEN SPOTTED LADYBIRD (Coccinella septempunctata)
Coccinella septempunctata, the seven-spot ladybird (or, in North America, seven-spotted ladybug or "C-7", is a carnivorous beetle native to the Old World and is the most common ladybird in Europe. The beetle is also found in North America, Central and Eastern Asia and regions with a temperate climate. Its elytra are of a red colour, but each punctuated with three black spots, with one further spot being spread over the junction of the two, making a total of seven spots, from which the species derives both its common and scientific names (from the Latin septem = "seven" and punctus = "spot").
Although C. septempunctata larvae and adults mainly eat aphids, they also feed on Thysanoptera, Aleyrodidae, on the larvae of Psyllidae and Cicadellidae, and on eggs and larvae of some beetles and butterflies. They breed one or two generations per year. Adults overwinter in ground litter in parks, gardens and forest edges and under tree bark and rocks.
C. septempunctata has a broad ecological range, generally living wherever there are aphids for it to eat. This includes, amongst other biotopes, meadows, fields, Pontic–Caspian steppe, parkland, gardens, Western European broadleaf forests and mixed forests.
In the United Kingdom, there are fears that the seven-spot ladybird is being outcompeted for food by the harlequin ladybird.
Saturday 16 March 2019
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