28-2-2019 GANDIA, VALENCIA - WESTERN CATTLE EGRET (Bubulcus ibis ssp. ibis)

The Western Cattle-Egret is a gregarious, white, upland ardeid (Ardeidae), easily recognized by its foraging association with grazing animals and its exaggerated, head-pumping strut. It differs from the Eastern Cattle-Egret (Ardea coromanda) in having less buff-orange breeding plumage in the head and neck regions.

Small, compact white heron with relatively short yellow bill. More frequently seen in dry habitats than other egrets. In breeding season, look for pale salmon color on head and breast and brighter bill. Leg color varies from reddish or yellow during the breeding season to black during the nonbreeding season. Juveniles have dark bill. Always note relatively short, thick neck and short legs compared with other egrets. Often gathers in flocks, frequently following cattle or tractors in fields.

The Western Cattle-Egret is a gregarious, white, upland heron ( Ardeidae ), easily recognized by its foraging association with grazing animals and its exaggerated head-waving. It is distinguished from the Eastern Cattle-Egret (Ardea coromanda) due to having less buffy-orange breeding plumage on the head and neck regions. Its preference for grasslands, lawns, pastures, and grazing animals is quite distinct from that of other herons and egrets, which usually feed in or beside water and not in close association with livestock. In Britain and Europe, it is also known as the buffalo heron, referring to the color of its breeding plumes; but in many languages, it is simply called the cow crane, cow heron, or cowbird, or named after the wild grazing animal with which it is usually associated, e.g., elephant bird, rhinoceros egret, or hippopotamus egret. 

The Western Cattle-Egret's Arabic name, Abu Qerdan, means "father of ticks" and refers to the abundance of ticks on Egyptian herons. Other names that include the word "tick," such as "tickbird," refer to the mistaken belief that they pick attached ticks off grazing animals; instead, most of their prey are insects disturbed by grazing animals. Derivation of the scientific name:Bubulcus(the previous genus) from Latin "belonging to cattle" andibisfrom the Greek in reference to its slightly curved beak like that of the ibis.

28-2-2019 GANDIA, VALENCIA - COMMON MALLOW (Malva sylvestris)

28-2-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - MOTHER OF THOUSANDS (Bryophyllum delagoense)

27-2-2019 RACO DE OLLA, VALENCIA - SHORT HORNED GRASSHOPPER (Tropidopola cylindrica)

28-2-2019 GANDIA, VALENCIA - EURASIAN BLACKBIRD (MALE) (Turdus merula)

28-2-2019 GANDIA, VALENCIA - WHITE WAGTAIL (Motacilla alba)

The white wagtail (Motacilla alba) is a small passerine bird in the family Motacillidae, which also includes pipits and longclaws. The species breeds in the Palearctic zone in most of Europe and Asia and parts of North Africa; it also has a toehold in western Alaska as a scarce breeder. It is resident in the mildest parts of its range, but otherwise migrates to Africa. In total, there are between 9 and 11 subspecies of M. alba; in Ireland and Great Britain, the black-backed subspecies known as the pied wagtail (M. a. yarrellii) predominates.

The white wagtail is an insectivorous bird of open country, often near habitation and water. It prefers bare areas for feeding, where it can see and pursue its prey. In urban areas, it has adapted to foraging on paved areas such as car parks. It nests in crevices in stone walls and similar natural and human-made structures. 

28-2-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN ROBIN (Erithacus rubecula)

The European robin (Erithacus rubecula), known simply as the robin or robin redbreast in Great Britain and Ireland, is a small insectivorous passerine bird, a member of the chat subfamily of the Old World flycatcher family. It is a plucky little bird, with a length of about 12.5–14.0 cm and a weight of 16–22 g. Both sexes are similarly adorned with an orange breast and face, lined with grey, brown upper-parts, and a whitish belly.

Adult robins can be identified by their orange breast and face, bordered by a bluish-grey on the sides of the neck and chest. The upperparts are brownish, or olive-tinged in British birds, and the belly is whitish. The bill and eyes are black. Juvenile robins are distinguishable by their spotted brown and white plumage, with patches of orange gradually appearing as they mature.

The European robin is a bird of diverse habitats, found in woodlands, gardens, and parks across its range. It is particularly associated with areas where the soil is dug or disturbed, allowing it easy access This bird has a wide distribution across Europe, extending east to Western Siberia and south to North Africa. It is sedentary in most of its range except the far north, where it is migratory.

27-1-2019 XERACO, VALENCIA - HOUSE SPARROW (MALE) (Passer domesticus)

27-1-2019 RACO DE OLLA, VALENCIA - BLACK REDSTART (MALE) (Phoenicurus ochruros)

26-2-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - HAIRY ROSE BEETLE (Tropinota squalida)

26-2-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - PINE PROCESSIONARY CATERPILLAR (Thaumetopoea pityocampa)

The pine processionary (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) is a moth of the subfamily Thaumetopoeinae in the family Notodontidae, known for the irritating hairs of its caterpillars, their processions, and the economic damage they cause in coniferous forests. The species was first described scientifically by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775, though it was known to the ancients, with remedies described by Theophrastus, Dioscorides and Pliny the Elder. Its processionary behaviour was described in 1916 by the French entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre. It is one of the most destructive species to pines and cedars in Central Asia, North Africa and southern Europe.

The species is notable for the behaviour of its caterpillars, which overwinter in tent-like nests high in pine trees, and which proceed through the woods in nose-to-tail columns, protected from predators by their severely irritating hairs.

The species is one of the few insects where the larva develops in winter in temperate zones. Global warming is causing the species to affect forests progressively further north. The urticating hairs of the caterpillar larvae cause harmful (and in some cases allergic) reactions, in humans and other mammals.

The French entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre conducted a famous study on the pine processionary caterpillar where a group of them followed head-to-tail in a circle around the rim of a flower pot; they continued marching in the circle for a week. He described the experiment in his 1916 book The Life of the Caterpillar. The study has been cited innumerable times by inspirational and religious speakers who view it as a metaphor for blindly following a leader or for confusing activity with accomplishment. Fabre considered his caterpillars to be mindless automatons, trapped because they were pre-programmed to blindly follow trails, in this case the endless one that they had laid down around the circular pot rim. Fabre's caterpillars may have been physically trapped on the narrow rim of the pot, but circular trails established by young caterpillars do continue to circle for as long as 12 hours even when free on a flat surface.

The adult is a stout furry moth which holds its wings like a tent over the body, in the manner of the eggar moths (Lasiocampidae). The adult is larger than the oak processionary, Thaumetopoea processionea, has a crescent marking on the wings (unlike the pale eggar moth; the oak processionary has an indistinct marking), and is found in coniferous rather than broad-leaved forests. The caterpillars are readily recognised by their processionary habit and their presence (with large silken nests and signs of defoliation) in coniferous woods. They are orange-brown and hairy with blue bands.

The species is native to the southern Mediterranean area, North Africa, the Middle East, and southern Europe. It has been spreading northwards since the 1990s, assisted by climate change and by commercial activities including planting of host trees and transportation, and has reached Brittany, forests to the north of Paris, and Strasbourg in northern France.

Though most individuals of the species only live one year, some in high altitudes or more northern areas may survive for over two years. Each female lays an "enormous number" of eggs near the tops of pine trees. After hatching, the larvae eat pine needles while progressing through five stages of development (instars). To survive through the winter, the caterpillars construct a nest of silk threads, making them one of the few species of temperate zone insects where the larvae develop in winter. Around the beginning of April, the caterpillars leave the nests in the procession for which the species is known. They burrow underground, pupate, and emerge between mid May and August.

The eggs are laid in cylindrical bodies ranging from 4 to 5 centimetres (1.6 to 2.0 in) in length. The eggs are covered with scales which come from the female and mimic pine shoots.

The larva is a major forest pest, living communally in large "tents", usually in pine trees but occasionally in cedar or larch, marching out at night in single file (hence the common name) to feed on the needles. There are often several such tents in a single tree. When they are ready to pupate, the larvae march in their usual fashion to the ground, where they disperse to pupate singly on or just below the surface.

25-2-2019 LES FOIES BARX, VALENCIA - COMMON THYME (Thymus vulgaris)

Thymus vulgaris (common thyme, German thyme, garden thyme or just thyme) is a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to southern Europe from the western Mediterranean to southern Italy. Growing to 15–30 cm (6–12 in) tall by 40 cm (16 in) wide, it is a bushy, woody-based evergreen subshrub with small, highly aromatic, grey-green leaves and clusters of purple or pink flowers in early summer.

It is useful in the garden as groundcover, where it can be short-lived, but is easily propagated from cuttings. It is also the main source of thyme as an ingredient in cooking and as a herbal medicine. It is slightly spicier than oregano and sweeter than sage.

The Latin specific epithet vulgaris means “common” in the sense of “widespread”.

Numerous cultivars and hybrids have been developed for ornamental purposes. Nomenclature can be very confusing. French, German and English varieties vary by leaf shape and colour and essential oils. The many cultivars include 'Argenteus' (silver thyme).

The cultivar 'Silver Queen', with white-margined leaves, has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

25-2-2019 LES FOIES BARX, VALENCIA - SHRUBBY GLOBULARIA (Globularia alypum)

Globularia alypum, the Alypo globe daisy or shrubby globularia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae, with a Mediterranean distribution. A shrub that is often co-dominant in the calcareous shrublands in which it occurs, it is a purgative.

25-2-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - BLAIR'S MOCHA MOTH (Cyclophora puppillaria)

Cyclophora puppillaria, or Blair's mocha, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1799. It can be found in Europe and from North Africa up to the Caucasus area.

The wingspan is 28–36 mm in the first generation; the second and any subsequent generations are on average much smaller often only 19 mm. Front and hindwings have almost the same colour. This is however very variable and ranges usually from reddish brown to reddish yellow and light brown. Some specimens are sand coloured, brown or orange. Also, the pattern is very variable. The inner and outer cross lines, as well as the median band can be very well developed, but also almost completely missing. 

The interior cross line, but especially the outer cross line is often replaced by a row of dots. The discal spots on the front and rear wings can be large, small or completely absent. In specimens with large discal spots, these are often with white pupils. The front wing margin stains present on the hindwings, but mostly absent. The basal half of the costa is often dark. Where the inner and outer cross line reach the costal of the forewings, noticeable spots are usually developed. The fringes usually have the colour of the wings. The subspecies lilacinipes of Madeira has a dark fringe.

The moths fly from June to October depending on the location.

The larvae feed on oak.

25-2-2019 LES FOIES BARX, VALENCIA - SPANISH FESTOON BUTTERFLY (Zerynthia rumina)

24-2-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SEED BUG (Spilostethus furculus)

Spilostethus furcula is a seed bug (Lygaeidae family) from Africa, spreading in the Mediterranean, feeding on Solanaceae (like tomatoes), known for its distinct black & grey markings, oval shape (9-11mm), and red nymphs, often noted as an introduced species in Europe, appearing in Spain, Italy, Greece, France, Malta, extending its range. 

Identification & Biology

Appearance: Adults are oval, greyish-black with a unique black central triangular mark on the back (exocorio), dark wings, 9-11 mm long.

Nymphs: Start dark red, becoming darker with age, with distinct patterns.

Diet: Feeds on plants in the nightshade family (Solanaceae), including cultivated tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum). 

Distribution & Movement

Origin: Afrotropical (African) species, but now widely found in the Mediterranean Region.

Range: Includes North Africa (Algeria, Morocco), Middle East, and recently recorded across Southern Europe (Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Greece, Malta).

Spread: Appears to be actively expanding its range within the Mediterranean, possibly via accidental import. 

Significance

Pest Potential: Feeds on cultivated plants like tomatoes, making it a potential agricultural pest as it spreads.

Research Interest: Noteworthy for its expanding European presence, with recent records in Greece, Italy, and the Balearic Islands. 

24-2-2019 PALMA DE GANDIA, VALENCIA - OCEAN BLUE MORNING GLORY (Ipomoea indica)

Ipomoea indica is a species of flowering plant in the family Convolvulaceae, known by several common names, including blue morning glory, oceanblue morning glory, koali awa, and blue dawn flower. It bears heart-shaped or three-lobed leaves and purple or blue funnel-shaped flowers 6–8 cm (2–3 in) in diameter, from spring to autumn. The flowers produced by the plant are hermaphroditic. This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

The plant is grown as an ornamental for its attractive flowers, but is considered invasive in many regions of the world, being specifically listed on New Zealand's Biosecurity Act 1993.

The Latin specific epithet indica means from India, or the East Indies or China. In this case, the name likely refers to the West Indies, as I. indica is native to the New World.

Ipomoea indica is a vigorous, long-lived, tender, perennial plant, a vine which is native to tropical, subtropical and warm temperate habitats throughout the world. It blooms all year long. They can most commonly be found in disturbed forests, forest edges, secondary woodland, suburban gullies, and along roadsides and waterways. The plant climbs well over other plants, walls and slopes as growing on the bottom. Its climbing habit allows it to compete with trees and shrubs successfully. It is a twisting, occasionally lying, herbaceous plant which is more or less densely hairy on the axial parts with backward-looking trichomes. The stems can grow 3 to 6 centimetres (1.2 to 2.4 in) long and sometimes have roots at the nodes.

The crown is funnel-shaped, 5 to 8 centimetres (2.0 to 3.1 in) long, glabrous, bright blue or bluish purple, with age they become reddish purple or red. The centre of the crown is a little paler.

I. indica is a long-lived plant that can live up to 25 years.

24-2-2019 PALMA DE GANDIA, VALENCIA - SOFT STORK'S BILL (Erodium malacoides)

Erodium malacoides is a species of flowering plant in the geranium family known by the common names mallow-leaved stork's bill, Mediterranean stork's bill, and soft stork's-bill. It is an annual or biennial herb which is native to the Mediterranean region in southern Europe (north to 49°N in western France), northern Africa, and southwest Asia. It can be found locally elsewhere is an introduced species.

The young plant grows a number of rugose green leaves, radially outward flat against the ground. The stems reach 10–60 cm in height, with more leaves on long, hairy petioles, with glandular hairs. It bears small flowers in umbels of 3–7 together; they are 10–16 mm diameter, with fuzzy, soft spine-tipped sepals and five purplish petals 5-9 mm long with rounded (not notched) apices. The fruit is green with a glandular body about 5 mm long, with a long, pointed style 18–35 mm long. It grows in dry, sunny habitats. In the south of its range in Malta, it flowers from January to June, while further north in western France, from June to August.

24-2-2019 VILLALONGA RESERVOIR, VALENCIA - SILVER WATTLE (Acacia retinodes)

Acacia retinodes is an evergreen shrub that is native to South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. Short racemes of yellow flowers are produced periodically throughout the year. Some common names are retinodes water wattle, swamp wattle, wirilda, ever-blooming wattle and silver wattle.

The tree typically grows to a height of 6 to 10 m (20 to 33 ft) and is able to form suckers. It has furrowed bark with a rough texture that is dark brown to black in colour. It has glabrous branchlets that are sometimes pendulous or angular or flattened at extremities. Like most species of Acacia it has phyllodes rather than true leaves. The green to grey-green, glabrous and variable phyllodes are quite crowded on stems and have a narrowly oblanceolate to linear shape. The phyllodes are 5 to 16 cm (2.0 to 6.3 in) in length and 3 to 16 mm (0.12 to 0.63 in) wide with one main nerve per face. It mostly blooms in summer between December and February.

The species was first formally described by the botanist Diederich Franz Leonhard von Schlechtendal in 1847 as part of the work Sudaustralische Pflanzen. II. Bestimmung und Beschreibung der von Dr Behr in Sudaustralien gesammelten Pflanzen as published in the journal Linnaea: ein Journal für die Botanik in ihrem ganzen Umfange, oder Beiträge zur Pflanzenkunde. It was reclassified as Racosperma retinodes by Leslie Pedley in 2003 then transferred back to genus Acacia in 2007.

In South Australia it is native to the Mount Lofty Ranges from around Mount Clare to Mount Bryan extending down the Fleurieu Peninsula to around Delamere and Normanville in the south and is regarded as a weed further to the southeast. It is commonly situated on low ranges and hills as a part of Eucalyptus woodland communities.

It is used for environmental management and for ornamental purposes. It produces good quantities of gum and its bark is good for tanning. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. In temperate regions it requires a frost-free sheltered spot with full sun. Indigenous Australians ate the gum, after softening it in water, to relieve chest pains.

The plant is grown as a house plant in temperate climates, where it is resistant to most diseases and pests. It can be grown in almost any well-drained potting soil, but requires ample light and water from spring to summer. Watering should be reduced in the fall and winter. Repotting is generally necessary at the start of each growth season. The plant is usually propagated from seed, but can be propagated from cuttings, though these may take several months to root.

22-2-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA -MEDITERRANEAN SPOTTED CHAFER (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.

22-2-2019 MARXUQUERA, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN SERIN (MALE) (Serinus serinus)

The European serin, or simply the serin (Serinus serinus), is a diminutive member of the finch family, Fringillidae. This sprightly bird is the smallest within its family, closely related to the Atlantic canary. It is characterized by its short tail and a length that spans a mere 11 to 12 centimeters. The serin's plumage is a tapestry of nature's palette, with upper parts dappled in dark-streaked greyish green and a conspicuous yellow rump. The underparts are a canvas of yellow breast and white belly, both adorned with heavy streaks.

When attempting to identify the European serin, look for the male's radiant yellow face and breast, which stand out against the greenish backdrop of its feathers. The male also boasts yellow wing bars and yellow tail sides, which can be quite helpful in distinguishing it from similar species. Both sexes share a buzzing trill of a song that resonates through their Mediterranean habitats.

The European serin is partial to open woodland and cultivated areas, often with a sprinkling of conifers. These environments provide the perfect backdrop for breeding and foraging.

21-2-2019 ALBUFERIA, VALENCIA - SQUACCO HERON (Ardeola ralloides)

Mid-sized wader (approx 47 cm or 18.5 in). Pink or orange brown upperparts, head and breast. Whitish underparts. Crest like a mane of brown feathers on the head. Bluish bill with a black tip. Long and orange legs. White wings and tail. Outside the breeding season, all the plumage is more brown and shows clearer longitudinal stretch marks.

Its principal habitat is near water or wetlands.

Species are linked to freshwater wetlands with dense marsh vegetation on the border, such as lagoons, channels or ends of reservoirs. It prefers shallow water.

It is a Summer visitor to Spain. It migrates in the winter. This heron breeds from April onwards. Colonial or lonely. It makes one annual laying of 4 to 6 eggs. Nest on platforms at a certain height of the water between the border of vegetation of the wetland. Squacco herons feed on small fish, larvae and adults of amphibians or insects. 

Like other herons, to go unnoticed it adopts the posture of the stake, that consists of keeping the neck vertical, the bill pointing to the sky, and being completely still. In this way, and helped by its plumage, the Squacco Heron is confused with the environment and marsh vegetation. It is usually very quiet, but at dusk the hunger seems to make this wader lose its discretion because it emits cries that announce that the search for food begins.

10-10-2016 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - GEOMETER MOTH (Family Geometridae)

The geometer moths are moths belonging to the family Geometridae of the insect order Lepidoptera, the moths and butterflies. Their scientific name derives from the Ancient Greek geo γεω (derivative form of γῆ or γαῖα "the earth"), and metron μέτρον "measure" in reference to the way their larvae, or inchworms, appear to measure the earth as they move along in a looping fashion. Geometridae is a very large family, containing around 23,000 described species; over 1400 species from six subfamilies are indigenous to North America alone. A well-known member is the peppered moth, Biston betularia, which has been the subject of numerous studies in population genetics. Several other geometer moths are notorious pests.

10-10-2016 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SHIELD BACKED KATYDID (Thyreonotus corsicus)

Thyreonotus corsicus is a species belonging to the family Tettigoniidae subfamily Tettigoniinae. It is found in the western Mediterranean from the Iberian Peninsula over the south of France to the southwestern Alps. Isolated populations are found in Corsica and Sardinia.

Size 29 mm

Habitat is Grasslands, bushes, above vegetation, up to 1,800 metres above sea level

Its diet is omnivorous and it is considered important for the control of the processionary moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa.

We can see it between July and November.

Distribution in the Western Mediterranean.

10-11-2015 MONTE CORONA - SOUTHERN FIELD CRICKET (Gryllus bimaculatus)

Gryllus bimaculatus is a species of cricket in the subfamily Gryllinae. Most commonly known as the two-spotted cricket, it has also been called the "African" or "Mediterranean field cricket", although its recorded distribution also includes much of Asia, including China and Indochina through to Borneo. It can be discriminated from other Gryllus species by the two dot-like marks on the base of its wings.

The species is popular for use as a food source for insectivorous animals like spiders and reptiles kept as pets or in zoos. They are easy to raise and do not require prolonged exposure to cold in order to complete their life cycle.

In the wild, male crickets do not tolerate one another and will fight until there is a winner. The loser usually retreats without serious injury. The fighting method involves opening the mandibles as wide as possible, gripping the opponent's mandibles and pushing with the hind legs.

Male crickets of this species produce several distinctive chirps, though each sound is made by rubbing the two outer wings together. Loud and steady chirps made throughout the night are to attract females and to warn off other males. Loud fast-frequency chirps are emitted when males encounter one another and are preparing to fight. They are intended to frighten off the rival male. There are two other chirp patterns that can be observed in their mating behaviors. A soft clipping sound, 'calling' song, is made when a female is known to be nearby but in a certain distance, and more rigorous sound, 'courtship' song, is made when a female is close enough to mate (mounting on the male's back). These two songs can be easily distinguished by human ears based on its chirp patterns and frequency components.

Whether cricket song pattern (e.g. frequency spectrum) reflect song-emitter's body size is controversial. A recent study failed to detect body-size effect on both calling and courtship songs of G. bimaculatus.

28-10-2016 BEIJING, CHINA - ORIENTAL MAGPIE (Pica serica)

The Oriental magpie (Pica serica ) is a species of magpie found from south-eastern Russia and Myanmar to eastern China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan and northern Indochina. It is also a common symbol of the Korean identity, and has been adopted as the "official bird" of numerous South Korean cities, counties and provinces. Other names for the Oriental magpie include Korean magpie and Asian magpie.

Compared to the Eurasian magpie, it is somewhat stockier, with a proportionally shorter tail and longer wings. The back, tail, and particularly the remiges show strong purplish-blue iridescence with few if any green hues. They are the largest magpies. They have a rump plumage that is mostly black, with but a few and often hidden traces of the white band which connects the white shoulder patches in their relatives.The Oriental magpie has the same call as the Eurasian magpie, albeit much softer.

In Korea, the magpie (까치, "kkachi") is celebrated as "a bird of great good fortune, of sturdy spirit and a provider of prosperity and development". In the same vein of bringing fortune and luck, Korean children were also taught that when you lose a tooth, to throw it on the roof singing a song for the magpie; 까치야 까치야 헌이 줄게. The bird will hear your song and bring you a new tooth.

Similarly, in China, magpies are seen as an omen of good fortune. This is reflected in the Chinese word for magpie, simplified Chinese: 喜鹊; traditional Chinese: 喜鵲; pinyin: xǐquè, in which the first character means "happiness". It was the official ‘bird of joy’ for the Manchu dynasty.

In Japan, it is found in all the main islands except Shikoku. It is called Kasasagi 鵲, the same name as is used for the Eurasian magpie (Pica pica ).

18-2-2019 JAVEA PORT, ALICANTE - GREY LEAVED CISTUS (Cistus albidus)

18-2-2019 JAVEA PORT, ALICANTE - ALMOND BLOSSOM (Prunus dulcis)

The almond (Prunus amygdalus, syn. Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A.Webb, nom. illeg. non Prunus dulcis Rouchy) is a species of tree from the genus Prunus. Along with the peach, it is classified in the subgenus Amygdalus, distinguished from the other subgenera by corrugations on the shell (endocarp) surrounding the seed.

The fruit of the almond is a drupe, consisting of an outer hull and a hard shell with the seed, which is not a true nut. Shelling almonds refers to removing the shell to reveal the seed. Almonds are sold shelled or unshelled. Blanched almonds are shelled almonds that have been treated with hot water to soften the seedcoat, which is then removed to reveal the white embryo. Once almonds are cleaned and processed, they can be stored for around a year if kept refrigerated; at higher temperatures they will become rancid more quickly. Almonds are used in many cuisines, often featuring prominently in desserts, such as marzipan.

18-2-2019 JAVEA PORT, ALICANTE - FALSE SOW THISTLE (Reichardia tingitana)

Reichardia tingitana is a species of plant in the family Asteraceae that is distributed primarily throughout Mediterranean and West Asia. It is known by the common name false sowthistle.

The leaves have an alternate arrangement and are entire with serrated margins. No stipule is present on the petiole.

An annual plant, its flowering period is from March to May. Like most angiosperms, its flowers are hermaphroditic. The petals are of a yellow color.

As a glycophyte, it is accustomed to growing in saline soils. Arid deserts and shrub-steppes are its most common habitats. It also grows well in sandy depressions in the Middle East.

In France, it is a naturalized species. Another country it has been introduced to is Australia, where it is commonly recognized as a minor weed. There its main habitats are urban sites, coastal dunes and alluvial plains.

It has been recorded in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and eastern Saudi Arabia. Common names for it in Arabia are huzan, mureer, and murar. Uses in folk medicine have been recorded in the Middle East, its leaves being used to treat ailments such as constipation, colic and inflamed eyes.