26-11-2015 SINGAPORE - JAVAN MYNA (Acridotheres javanicus)

The Javan myna (Acridotheres javanicus), also known as the white-vented myna, is a species of myna. It is a member of the starling family. It is native to Bali and Java. It has been introduced to other Asian countries, and as far away as Puerto Rico.

The Javan myna is sometimes included in the great myna (Acridotheres grandis) or the jungle myna (A. fuscus). The International Ornithologists' Union recommends not using the name "white-vented myna" to avoid confusion with the Pale-bellied Myna A. cinereus.

The Javan myna is mainly black. The wings are brownish-black, and the primaries have white bases, displayed in flight as a striking white wing bar, along with a white tail bar. The undertail-coverts are white. There is a short crest on the forehead. Its beak, legs and feet are yellow. The eyes are lemon-yellow. The immature is browner. Its length is 21–23 cm (8.3–9.1 in). Its weight is about 100 g (3.5 oz).

The Javan myna is native to Bali and Java, and has been introduced to southeastern Thailand, southern Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, the Lesser Sundas, Taiwan, Puerto Rico, Japan and Nepal. It is found in cities and cultivated areas.

The Javan myna is omnivorous and eats seeds, fruit, nectar, insects and human waste. It is often found in large groups. Its voice is similar to that of the common myna. It builds its nest in holes. The eggs are bluish-glaucous. Javan mynas are bold and not very afraid of humans. Javan mynas are kept in cages in Malaysia and Indonesia. The birds scavenge in groups, minimum two but usually three or more, with all except one feeding and one usually at a vantage point keeping a look out. If the bird that is keeping watch sees anything that might pose a threat, it alarms the group members with a high pitch tweet and they all flee the area swiftly. If one of them is separated, they would tend to tweet to attract other mynas of their kind to come over.

6-10-2016 CATARROJA, VALENCIA - LONG SKIMMER DRAGONFLY (ORTHETRUM TRINACRIA)

Orthetrum trinacria, the Long Skimmer, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is found in Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ethiopia, France (Corsica), Gambia, Ghana, Italy (Sicily and Sardinia), Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and possibly Burundi. It was recently recorded in the Maltese Islands in 2003 and was recorded breeding on the island of Gozo in 2004. Its natural habitats are rivers, shrub-dominated wetlands, swamps, freshwater lakes, intermittent freshwater lakes, freshwater marshes, and intermittent freshwater marshes. Also breeding in Southern Spain (Murcia and Malaga Provinces) and the Canary Islands.

6-10-2016 TANCAT DE PIPA, VALENCIA - GREY HERON (Ardea cinerea)

The Grey heron (Ardea cinerea) is a large long-legged wading bird of the heron native to Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It lives in wetland areas and feeds on various aquatic creatures which it catches after standing stationary beside or in the water.

The plumage of the Grey heron is largely ashy-grey above, and greyish-white below with some black on the flanks. Adults have a head and neck white with a broad black supercilium that terminates in the slender, dangling crest, and bluish-black streaks on the front of the neck. The scapular feathers are elongated and the feathers at the base of the neck are also somewhat elongated. Immature birds lack the dark stripe on the head and are generally duller in appearance than adults, with a grey head and neck, and a small, dark grey crest. The pinkish-yellow beak is long, straight, and powerful, and is brighter in color in breeding adults. The iris is yellow and the legs are brown and very long.

6-10-2016 TANCAT DE PIPA, VALENCIA - GREATER FLAMINGO (Phoenicopterus roseus)

The greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) is the most widespread and largest species of the flamingo family. Common in the Old World, they are found in Northern (coastal) and Sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian Subcontinent (south of the Himalayas), the Middle East, the Levant, the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, and the Mediterranean countries of Southern Europe.

The greater flamingo is the largest living species of flamingo, averaging 110–150 cm (43–59 in) tall and weighing 2–4 kg (4.4–8.8 lb). The largest male flamingos have been recorded to be up to 187 cm (74 in) tall and to weigh 4.5 kg (9.9 lb).

Most of the plumage is pinkish-white, but the wing coverts are red and the primary and secondary flight feathers are black. The bill is pink with a restricted black tip, and the legs are entirely pink. The call is a goose-like honking.

Chicks are covered in gray fluffy down. Subadult flamingos are paler with dark legs. Adults feeding chicks also become paler, but retain the bright pink legs. The coloration comes from the carotenoid pigments in the organisms that live in their feeding grounds. Secretions of the uropygial gland also contain carotenoids. During the breeding season, greater flamingos increase the frequency of their spreading uropygial secretions over their feathers and thereby enhance their color. This cosmetic use of uropygial secretions has been described as applying "make-up".

6-10-2016 TANCAT DE PIPA, VALENCIA - GREAT CRESTED GREBE (Podiceps cristatus)

The Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) is an aquatic diving bird noted for its elaborate mating display. It is the largest member of the grebe family found in the Old World, with some larger species residing in the Americas. These birds are excellent swimmers and divers and pursue their fish prey underwater.

Great crested grebes are found across Europe and Asia, parts of southern and eastern Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. These birds are resident in the milder west of their range but migrate from the colder regions. Populations in Africa, Australia, and New Zealand are mainly sedentary. Great crested grebes breed in vegetated areas of freshwater lakes, small pools, slow-flowing rivers, artificial water bodies, swamps, bays, estuaries, and lagoons. Wintering habitats include freshwater lakes, reservoirs, and sheltered coastal inshore waters such as brackish estuaries, and tidal lagoons.

6-10-2016 CATAROJA, VALENCIA - LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta)

Population size

660,000-3.1Mln

Life Span

up to 22 years

Weight

350-550

goz

g oz 

Length

55-65

cminch

cm inch 

Wingspan

88-106

cminch

The Little egret (Egretta garzetta) is small elegant heron in the family Ardeidae. As an aquatic bird, it feeds in shallow water and on land, consuming a variety of small creatures. At one time common in Western Europe, the Little heron was hunted extensively in the 19th century to provide plumes for the decoration of hats and became locally extinct in Northwestern Europe and scarce in the south. Around 1950, conservation laws were introduced in southern Europe to protect the species and their numbers began to increase.

1-10-2016 CHELMSFORD, ESSEX - MUTE SWAN (JUVENILE) (Cygnus olor)

The Mute swan (Cygnus olor) is known as an integral feature of urban parks as well as most of the waterways in our regions. But originally this beautiful white bird was a wild animal, not always with compatible behavior and habits for life in city parks. It is also amongst the heaviest of the world's flying birds.

The plumage of Mute swans is white, while the legs are dark grey. The beak is bright orange, with black around the nostrils and a black nail. Males are larger than females and have a larger knob on their bills. Young birds (cygnets) are not the bright white of mature adults, and their bill is dull greyish-black, not orange, for the first year. The down may range from pure white to grey to buff, with grey/buff the most common. The cygnets grow quickly, reaching a size close to their adult size in approximately 3 months after hatching. Cygnets typically retain their grey feathers until they are at least one year old, with the down on their wings having been replaced by flight feathers earlier that year. All Mute swans are white at maturity, though the feathers (particularly on the head and neck) are often stained orange-brown by iron and tannins in the water.

Population size

500,000

Life Span

19-40 years

Top speed

80

km/hmph

km/h mph 

Weight

6.5-13

kglbs

kg lbs 

Length

140-160

cminch

cm inch 

Wingspan

3

mft

m ft 

Mute swans breed in north-central Europe, the British Isles, and north-central Asia. They are partially migratory throughout northern latitudes in Europe and Asia, as far south as North Africa and the Mediterranean. Mute swans prefer well-sheltered bays, lakes, ponds, and open marshes.

Mute swans are usually very territorial with just a single pair on smaller lakes, though in a few locations where a large area of suitable feeding habitat is found, they can be colonial. Non-mated juveniles up to 3-4 years old commonly form larger flocks, which can total several hundred birds, often at regular traditional sites. Once the adult birds are mated they seek out their own territories and often live close to ducks and gulls. Mute swans feed during the daytime, by dabbling on the water surface and upending. While swimming they hold their neck with a graceful curve, the bill pointing downward. Mute swans are not very vocal but they do make a variety of sounds, often described as "grunting, hoarse whistling, and snorting noises." During a courtship display, they utter a rhythmic song. Mute swans usually hiss at competitors or intruders trying to enter their territory. The most familiar sound of these birds is the vibrant throbbing of the wings in flight which is unique to the species and can be heard from a range of 1 to 2 km (0.6 to 1 mi), indicating its value as a contact sound between birds in flight. Cygnets are especially vocal and communicate through a variety of whistling and chirping sounds when content, as well as a harsh squawking noise when distressed or lost. Mute swans can be very aggressive in defense of their nests and are highly protective of their mate and offspring. Most defensive acts begin with a loud hiss and, if this is not sufficient to drive off the predator or intruder, are followed by a physical attack. Swans attack by striking at the threat with bony spurs in their wings, accompanied by biting with their large bill.

Mute swans are serially monogamous and remain together for at least one season. Males may, however, have four mates, and even "divorce" to have another female. Mute swans nest on large mounds that they build with waterside vegetation in shallow water on islands in the middle or at the very edge of a lake. They often reuse the same nest each year, restoring or rebuilding it as needed. Male and female swans share the care of the nest. The breeding starts in March or early April. Nest building is done by both parents, with the male bringing the nest material to the female. Females lay 5 to 12 eggs, and incubation lasts around 36-38 days, which is done mainly by the female while her mate defends the territory. The cygnets hatch over a period of 26 hours and both parents look after the young. The female broods the cygnets and they often ride on their mother's back from the age of 10 days. Two months after hatching the young are fully feathered. They stay with their parents until the following spring and breeding season. At 3 years of age, they become reproductively mature and start to breed.

1-10-2016 CHELMSFORD, ESSEX - MUTE SWAN (Cygnus olor)

Population size

500,000

Life Span

19-40 years

Top speed

80

km/hmph

km/h mph 

Weight

6.5-13

kglbs

kg lbs 

Length

140-160

cminch

cm inch 

Wingspan

3

mft

The Mute swan (Cygnus olor) is known as an integral feature of urban parks as well as most of the waterways in our regions. But originally this beautiful white bird was a wild animal, not always with compatible behavior and habits for life in city parks. It is also amongst the heaviest of the world's flying birds.

The plumage of Mute swans is white, while the legs are dark grey. The beak is bright orange, with black around the nostrils and a black nail. Males are larger than females and have a larger knob on their bills. Young birds (cygnets) are not the bright white of mature adults, and their bill is dull greyish-black, not orange, for the first year. The down may range from pure white to grey to buff, with grey/buff the most common. The cygnets grow quickly, reaching a size close to their adult size in approximately 3 months after hatching. Cygnets typically retain their grey feathers until they are at least one year old, with the down on their wings having been replaced by flight feathers earlier that year. All Mute swans are white at maturity, though the feathers (particularly on the head and neck) are often stained orange-brown by iron and tannins in the water.

1-10-2016 CHELMSFORD, ESSEX - MALLARD (MALE) (Anas platyrhynchos)

The mallard (/ˈmælɑːrd, ˈmælərd/) or wild duck (Anas platyrhynchos) is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa. It has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, the Falkland Islands, and South Africa. This duck belongs to the subfamily Anatinae of the waterfowl family Anatidae. Males have green heads, while the females (hens or ducks) have mainly brown-speckled plumage. Both sexes have an area of white-bordered black or iridescent purple or blue feathers called a speculum on their wings; males especially tend to have blue speculum feathers. The mallard is 50–65 cm (20–26 in) long, of which the body makes up around two-thirds the length. The wingspan is 81–98 cm (32–39 in) and the bill is 4.4 to 6.1 cm (1.7 to 2.4 in) long. It is often slightly heavier than most other dabbling ducks, weighing 0.7–1.6 kg (1.5–3.5 lb). Mallards live in wetlands, eat water plants and small animals, and are social animals preferring to congregate in groups or flocks of varying sizes.

The female lays 8 to 13 creamy white to greenish-buff spotless eggs, on alternate days. Incubation takes 27 to 28 days and fledging takes 50 to 60 days. The ducklings are precocial and fully capable of swimming as soon as they hatch.

1-10-2016 CHELMSFORD, ESSEX - MALLARD (FEMALE) (Anas platyrhynchos)

The female is only brown and white. She is smaller than the male and has straight tail feathers. Body Length: 20-28 inches. Wing tip to wing tip: 30-40 inches.

Females and juveniles are mottled brown with orange-and-brown bills. Both sexes have a white-bordered, blue “speculum” patch in the wing. Mallards are “dabbling ducks”—they feed in the water by tipping forward and grazing on underwater plants. They almost never dive.

Unlike some waterfowl, like Mute Swans, which stay together year in and year out, Mallards only hook up for a single season. For them it’s one and done. Each fall Mallards get together in large flocks and begin the process of selecting a new mate for the following spring. They perform an assortment of wild courtship displays until pairs are formed. Once paired off the new couple has their own mating rituals, and one of these is called the “inciting” display. Here the female follows the male around, no matter where he goes.

1-10-2016 CHELMSFORD, ESSEX - GREY WAGTAIL (Motacilla cinerea)

Population size

6.9-19.8 Mlnlnn

Life Span

8 years

Weight

15-23

goz

g oz 

Length

18-19

cminch

cm inch 

Wingspan

25-27

cminch

Grey wagtails (Motacilla cinerea) are slender ground-feeding insectivorous birds of open country. They are always associated with running water when breeding, although they may use man-made structures near streams for the nest. Outside the breeding season, these birds may also be seen around lakes, coasts, and other watery habitats. Like other wagtails, they frequently wag their tail and fly low with undulations and they have a sharp call that is often given in flight.

The Grey wagtail has a narrow white supercilium and a broken eye ring. The upperparts are grey and the yellow vent contrasting with whitish underparts makes it distinctive. The breeding male has a black throat that is edged by whitish moustachial stripes. They forage singly or in pairs on meadows or on shallow water marshes. They also use rocks in water and will often perch on trees. They have a clear sharp call note and the song consists of trills.