BIRDWALKERMONDAY

Saturday, 15 April 2023

15-4-2023 RIO SERPIS, GANDIA - SPECKLED WOOD BUTTERFLY (Pararge aegeria)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/52592-Pararge-aegeria

15-4-2023 RIO SERPIS, GANDIA - GREY HERON (Ardea cinerea)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/4954-Ardea-cinerea

Generally quite common and conspicuous in wetland habitats from marshes and tidal flats to small ponds, ditches, and wet fields; nests colonially in tall trees. Mainly seen as singles or in small groups, standing quietly in or at the edge of water, less often hunting in fields. Plumage mostly gray overall, with paler neck; adult has white crown, black eyebrows, and black shoulder patch. Like other herons and egrets, flies with neck pulled in to form a bulge.

15-4-2023 RIO SERPIS, GANDIA - EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE (Streptopelia decaocto)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/2969-Streptopelia-decaocto

15-4-2023 RIO SERPIS, GANDIA - EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH (Carduelis carduelis)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/9398-Carduelis-carduelis

Beautiful little finch with a sharp pink bil, cherry-red face, and brilliant black-and-yellow flashes in the wings. Western birds (Europe east to far western Central Asia) have a black-and-white cowl; eastern birds (rest of Central Asia) lack this cowl, and are grayer overall, with more white on the wing. Juvenile (seen in late summer and autumn) has a plain head but is told easily by bold wing pattern. Uses a wide array of wooded and open habitats, from forests and gardens to steppe grasslands and meadows; often feeds on seeding thistles. Forms flocks in autumn and winter, gathering at food sources. Can be inconspicuous, but often detected by pleasant bubbling and twittering calls and song.

15-4-2023 RIO SERPIS, GANDIA - IBERIAN GREEN FROG (Pelophylax perezi)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/66331-Pelophylax-perezi

15-4-2023 RIO SERPIS, GANDIA - YELLOW LEGGED GULL (Larus michahellis)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/59202-Larus-michahellis

The breeding range is centred on the Mediterranean Sea. In North Africa, it is common in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia and increasing in places. Recent breeding has occurred in Libya and Egypt. In the Middle East, a few breed in IsraelPalestine and Syria with larger numbers in Cyprus and Turkey. In Europe, there are colonies all along the Mediterranean coast, and also on the Atlantic islands and coasts north to Brittany and west to the Azores. It also breeds on the western side of the Black Sea; here it overlaps with the Caspian gull but there is a difference in habitat, with the yellow-legged gull preferring sea cliffs and the Caspian gull flatter shores. In recent decades birds have spread north into central and western Europe. One to four pairs have attempted to breed in southern England since 1995 (sometimes hybrid pairs with lesser black-backed gulls), though colonisation has been very slow.

Many birds remain in the same area all year round, but others migrate to spend the winter in mild areas of western Europe or head south as far as Senegal, Gambia and the Red Sea. There is also extensive northward post-breeding dispersal in the late summer, with numbers in southern England high from July to October.

Friday, 14 April 2023

12-4-2023 MONTECORONA, VALENCIA - GEOMETER MOTH (Genus Dyscia)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/325560-Dyscia

12-4-2023 MARJAL DE MOROS, VALENCIA - MEDITERRANEAN SPOTTED CHAFER (Oxythyrea funesta)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/68328-Oxythyrea-funesta

Oxythyrea funesta is a phytophagous beetle species belonging to the family Cetoniidae, subfamily Cetoniinae.

Common name “White spotted rose beetle”.

This beetle is present in most of Europe, in the eastern Palearctic realm, and in the Near East.

Larvae are up to 30 mm long, they feed on plant roots and can remain until next spring in the soil.

The adults appear early in the spring, they grow up to 8–12 millimetres (0.31–0.47 in) and can mostly be encountered from May through July. They are considered an insect pest that do not just feed on pollen, but rode the floral organs, especially damaging light in color buds and flowers.

Their colour is black, more or less bronzed. Most of the specimens show six white spots in two longitudinal rows on the pronotum and many others on the elytra. They are completely covered with white pubescence (easily visible in profile). Older specimens usually have no hairs, as they are rubbed off with time.

14-4-2023 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - PHOENIX FLY ( Dorycera graminum)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/466525-Dorycera-graminum

Dorycera graminum is a species of picture-winged fly in the genus Dorycera of the family Ulidiidae found in Croatia, Corsica, the United Kingdom, Austria, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, and Spain.

13-4-2023 CANAL LES FONTS OLIVA, VALENCIA - GLOSSY IBIS (JUVENILE) (Plegadis falcinellus)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/3756-Plegadis-falcinellus

13-4-2023 CANAL LES FONTS OLIVA, VALENCIA - LITTLE EGRET

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/4943-Egretta-garzetta

13-4-2023 CANAL LES FONTS OLIVA, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN MOORHEN (Gallinula chloropus)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/201282-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 rainforest. Elsewhere it is likely the most common rail species, except for the Eurasian Coot in some regions.

Thursday, 13 April 2023

13-4-2023 CANAL LES FONTS OLIVA, VALENCIA - EURASIAN BLACKBIRD (MALE) (Turdus merula)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/12716-Turdus-merula

12-4-2023 MARJAL DE MOROS, VALENCIA - NORTHERN SHOVELER (MALE) (Spatula clypeata)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/558438-Spatula-clypeata

12-4-2023 MARJAL DE MOROS, VALENCIA - WHITE HEADED DUCK (MALE) (Oxyura leucocephala)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/7081-Oxyura-leucocephala

12-4-2023 MARJAL DE MOROS, VALENCIA - BLACK WINGED STILT (Himantopus himantopus)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/4835-Himantopus-himantopus

13-4-2023 CANAL LES FONTS OLIVA, VALENCIA - GARDEN NASTURTIUM (Tropaeolum majus)

Tropaeolum majus, the garden nasturtium, nasturtium, Indian cress or monk's cress, is a species of flowering plant in the family Tropaeolaceae, originating in the Andes from Bolivia north to Colombia. An easily-grown annual or short-lived perennial with disc-shaped leaves and brilliant yellow, orange or red flowers, it is of cultivated, probably hybrid origin. It is not closely related to the genus Nasturtium (which includes watercress).

Wednesday, 12 April 2023

12-4-2023 MARJAL DE MOROS, VALENCIA - GLOSSY IBIS (Plegadis falcinellus)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/3756-Plegadis-falcinellus

12-4-2023 MARJAL DE MOROS, VALENCIA - YELLOW HORNED POPPY (Glaucium flavum)

Glaucium flavum, the yellow horned poppy, yellow hornpoppy or sea poppy, is a summer flowering plant in the family Papaveraceae. It is native to Europe, Northern Africa, Macaronesia and temperate zones in Western Asia. The plant grows on the seashore and is never found inland. All parts of the plant, including the seeds, are toxic. It is classed as a noxious weed in some areas of North America, where it is an introduced species. It is grown in gardens as a short-lived perennial but usually grown as a biennial.

It has thick, leathery deeply segmented, wavy, bluish-grey leaves, which are coated in a layer of water-retaining wax. The sepal, petals and stamen have a similar structure and form to the red poppy (Papaver rhoeas), except the sepals are not hairy. It grows up to 30–90 cm (1–3 ft) tall,[4] on branched, grey stems. It blooms in summer,[5] between June and October. It has bright yellow or orange flowers,[5] that are 7.5 cm (3 in) across. Later it produces a very long, upright, thin, distinctive horn shaped capsule, which is 15–30 cm (6–12 in) long. It is divided into two chambers, which split open to reveal the seeds.

12-4-2023 MARJAL DE MOROS, VALENCIA - PAINTED LADY BUTTERFLY (Vanessa cardui)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/48548-Vanessa-cardui

12-4-2023 MARJAL DE MOROS, VALENCIA - COLLARED PRATINCOLE (Glareola pratincola)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/4604-Glareola-pratincola

12-4-2023 MARJAL DE MOROS, VALENCIA - 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.