3-2-2021 CREU DE LONGA, VALENCIA - WHITE WAGTAIL (Motacilla alba)

Motacilla alba yarrellii, commonly known as the pied wagtail or Yarrell's wagtail, is a small black, white, and grey passerine bird. It is a well-known subspecies of the white wagtail (Motacilla alba) that primarily breeds in Great Britain and Ireland.

The pied wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii) is a small, active black-and-white bird measuring about 18 cm long and weighing 17–25g. Famous for constantly pumping its long tail up and down, it is a common, year-round resident across Ireland and Britain, frequently found dashing across lawns, car parks, and urban areas.

Physical Traits

Appearance: Features a striking black back, a black crown and bib, contrasting white cheeks, and a bright white belly. Females often have a slightly greyer back than males.

Tail: Possesses a long, narrow black-and-white tail that is constantly pumped or "wagged" up and down.

Size: Measures about 16 to 19 cm in length with a wingspan of 25 to 30 cm, weighing roughly 17 to 28 grams.

Habitat and Behavior

Diet: Primarily feeds on insects, including flies, beetles, and caterpillars, running swiftly across open ground to catch prey.

Urban Adaptation: Highly comfortable around humans, frequently seen darting across lawns, paved carparks, and suburban rooftops.

Nesting: Builds nests in natural and artificial crevices, such as stone walls, rock faces, and building cavities. 

3-2-2021 CREU DE LONGA, ALBUFERA - EUROPEAN STONECHAT (MALE) (Saxicola rubicola)

The stonechat is 11.5–13 cm (4.5–5.1 in) long and weighs 13–17 g (0.46–0.60 oz), slightly smaller than the European robin. Both sexes have distinctively short wings, shorter than those of the more migratory whinchat and Siberian stonechat. The summer male has black upperparts, a black head, an orange throat and breast, and a white belly and vent. 

It also has a white half-collar on the sides of its neck, a small white scapular patch on the wings, and a very small white patch on the rump often streaked with black. The female has brown upperparts and head, and no white neck patches, rump or belly, these areas being streaked dark brown on paler brown, the only white being the scapular patch on the wings and even this often being buffy-white.

3-2-2021 CREU DE LONGA, ALBUFERA - BLACK HEADED GULL (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/144510-Chroicocephalus-ridibundus

 

3-2-2021 MARJAL DE INTERRIORES, ALBUFERA - GREY HERON

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

 

3-2-2021 MARJAL DE INTERRIORES, ALBUFERA - WESTERN MARSH HARRIER (Circus aeruginosus)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/5173-Circus-aeruginosus

 

2-2-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - RUNNING CRAB SPIDER (Family Philodromidae)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/47868-Philodromidae

29-1-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - WAVE MOTH (Idaea eugeniata)

Idaea eugeniata is a moth in the family Geometridae. It is found in Italy, France, Andorra, Spain, Portugal and North Africa.

The wingspan is 21–22 mm for males and 24–25 mm for females.

The larvae are polyphagous and have been recorded feeding on various herbaceous plants.[2]

Subspecies

Idaea eugeniata eugeniata.

Idaea eugeniata algeriaca (Culot, 1917).

27-1-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - GREAT TIT (Parus major)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/203153-Parus-major

 

29-1-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - RED CROSSBILL (MALE) (Loxia curvirostra)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/10411-Loxia-curvirostra

 

28-1-2021 CATARROJA, VALENCIA - COMMON CHAFFINCH (FEMALE) (Fringilla coelebs)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/10070-Fringilla-coelebs

 

28-1-2021 EL PALMAR, VALENCIA - WHITE WAGTAIL (Motacilla alba)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/13695-Motacilla-alba

 

28-1-2021 EL PALMAR, VALENCIA - EURASIAN KESTREL (Falco tinnunculus)

The Common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) is a bird of prey species that belongs to the falcon family Falconidae. This species occurs over a large range and in Britain, where no other kestrel species commonly occurs, it is generally just called "kestrel".

Common kestrels are small compared with other raptors, but larger than most songbirds. They are mainly light chestnut brown in color with blackish spots on the upperside and buff with narrow blackish streaks on the underside; the remiges are also blackish. The males have fewer black spots and streaks and their cap and tail are blue-grey. The tail is brown with black bars in females and has a black tip with a narrow white rim in both sexes. All Common kestrels have a prominent black malar stripe like their closest relatives. The cere, feet, and a narrow ring around the eye are bright yellow; the toenails, bill, and iris are dark. Juveniles look like adult females, but the underside streaks are wider; the yellow of their bare parts is paler.

Common kestrels are found in Europe, Asia, and Africa. These birds are sedentary but in the cold parts of their range, they migrate south in winter. Common kestrels live in open habitats such as tundra, taiga, grassland, shrubland, marshland, fields, and heaths. They can also be found in forested areas and readily adapt to human settlement, as long as sufficient swathes of vegetation are available. They also occur in wetlands, moorlands, arid savanna, and from the sea to the lower mountain range.

Common kestrels are usually seen alone but sometimes may travel in small flocks and nest in loose colonies. These birds hunt by day hovering about 10-20 m (35-65 ft) above the ground, searching for prey, either by flying into the wind or by soaring using ridge lift. Like most birds of prey, Common kestrels have keen eyesight enabling them to spot small prey from a distance. Once prey is sighted, the bird makes a short, steep dive toward the target. They often hunt along the sides of roads and motorways. Another favorite (but less conspicuous) hunting technique is to perch a bit above the ground cover, surveying the area. When the bird spots prey animals moving by, it will pounce on them. They also prowl a patch of hunting ground in a ground-hugging flight, ambushing prey as they happen across it. Common kestrels communicate with each other using various calls. When alarmed they utter 'kii-kii-kiikii' and in flight, the birds produce a 'kik-kik' call.

27-1-2021 RIO SERPIS, VILLALONGA - LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta)

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

 

25-1-2021 MUNTANYETA DEL SANS, VALENCIA - GLOSSY IBIS (Plegadis falcinellus)

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

23-1-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SARDINIAN WARBLER (FEMALE) (Sylvia melanocephala)

The Sardinian warbler, Curruca melanocephala, presents itself as a charming and distinctive bird of the Mediterranean. The males are adorned with a sleek grey back and pristine whitish underparts, crowned with a striking black head, a pure white throat, and captivating red eyes. The females, on the other hand, exhibit a more subdued palette, with brown upperparts and buff underparts, complemented by a subtle grey head.

When attempting to identify the Sardinian warbler, look for the male's black head and red eyes, which contrast with the white throat and grey back. Females can be recognized by their brown and buff coloration with a greyish head. The variability in plumage, including the presence or absence of a reddish hue, can be a helpful clue in distinguishing between subspecies.

20-1-2021 LAGUNA DE SAMERUC, VALENCIA - WESTERN CATTLE EGRET (Bubulcus ibis ssp. ibis)

The western cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) is a species of heron (family Ardeidae) found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. Most taxonomic authorities lump this species and the eastern cattle egret together (called the cattle egret), but some (including the International Ornithologists' Union) separate them. Despite the similarities in plumage to the egrets of the genus Egretta, it is more closely related to the herons of Ardea. Originally native to parts of Asia, Africa and Europe, it has undergone a rapid expansion in its distribution and successfully colonised much of the rest of the world in the last century.

It is a white bird adorned with buff plumes in the breeding season. It nests in colonies, usually near bodies of water and often with other wading birds. The nest is a platform of sticks in trees or shrubs. Western cattle egrets exploit drier and open habitats more than other heron species. Their feeding habitats include seasonally inundated grasslands, pastures, farmlands, wetlands and rice paddies. They often accompany cattle or other large mammals, catching insect and small vertebrate prey disturbed by these animals. Some populations of the cattle egret are migratory and others show post-breeding dispersal.

20-1-2021 MARJAL DE INTERIORES, ALBUFERA - EUROPEAN ROBIN (Erithacus rubecula)

The European robin (Erithacus rubecula) is a small insectivorous passerine bird. The term robin is also applied to some birds in other families with red or orange breasts. These include the American robin (Turdus migratorius ), a thrush, and the Australasian robins of the family Petroicidae.

The male and female European robins are similar in coloration, with an orange breast and face lined with grey, brown upperparts, and a whitish belly. The bill and eyes are black. Juveniles are spotted brown and white in coloration, with patches of orange gradually appearing.

European robins occur in Eurasia east to Western Siberia, south to Algeria, and on the Atlantic islands as far west as the Central Group of the Azores and Madeira. Irish and British robins are largely resident but a small minority, usually female, migrate to southern Europe during winter, a few as far as Spain. Scandinavian and Russian robins migrate to Britain and western Europe to escape the harsher winters. European robins prefer spruce woods in northern Europe, contrasting with their preference for parks and gardens in Ireland and Great Britain. These may also be found in grasslands, shrubby vegetation, hedgerows with some tall trees, orchards, and farmlands.

European robins are active during the day, however, they may also hunt insects on moonlit nights or near artificial light at night. These are generally solitary and territorial birds, and males are noted for their highly aggressive territorial behavior. They will fiercely attack other males and competitors that stray into their territories and may even attack other small birds without apparent provocation. European robins communicate using a variety of calls, including a ticking note that usually indicates anxiety or mild alarm. During the breeding season, robins produce a fluting, warbling song. Both the male and female sing during the winter, when they hold separate territories; the song then sounds more plaintive than the summer version. The female typically moves a short distance from the summer nesting territory to a nearby area that is more suitable for winter feeding. The male keeps the same territory throughout the year. During the breeding season, males usually initiate their morning song an hour before civil sunrise and usually terminate their daily singing around thirty minutes after sunset. They may also sing at night, especially in urban areas that are artificially lit during the night.

20-1-2021 EL PALMAR, ALBUFERA - BLUETHROAT (MALE) (Luscinia svecica)

The bluethroat (Luscinia svecica) is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. It, and similar small European species, are often called chats.

It is a migratory insectivorous species breeding in wet birch wood or bushy swamp in Europe and across the Palearctic with a foothold in western Alaska. It nests in tussocks or low in dense bushes. It winters in the Iberian Peninsular, the northern half of Africa, and in southern Asia (among others including the Indian subcontinent).

The bluethroat bird is similar in size to the European robin at 13–14 cm. It is plain brown above except for the distinctive black tail with red side patches. It has a strong white supercilium. Despite the distinctive appearance of the males, recent genetic studies show only limited variation between the forms, and confirm that this is a single species. Moults begins in July after breeding and are completed in 40–45 days, before the birds migrate.

The male has a varied and very imitative song. Its call is a typical chat chack noise.

Females of all subspecies usually have just a blackish crescent on an otherwise cream throat and breast. Newly fledged juveniles are freckled and spotted dark brown above.

The genus name Luscinia is Latin for the common nightingale. The specific epithet svecica is from Neo-Latin Suecicus meaning "Swedish". The colours of the male's breast were thought to evoke the Swedish flag, the yellow in the flag being more orange hued. 

20-1-2021 MARJAL DE INTERIORES, ALBUFERA - NORTHERN LAPWING (Vanellus vanellus)

The Northern Lapwing, known scientifically as Vanellus vanellus, is a distinctive bird with a notable crest on its head. It measures 28–33 cm in length, with a wingspan of 67–87 cm and a body mass ranging from 128–330 g. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism; males have a pronounced crest and a stark black crown, throat, and breast, which contrasts sharply with their white face. Females and juveniles have shorter crests and less defined head markings, but their overall plumage is similar to that of the males, with a black and white coloration and a greenish tint on the back.

When identifying the Northern Lapwing, look for its rounded wings, short legs, and the characteristic crest that adorns its head. The male's long crest and contrasting black and white facial patterns are particularly striking during the breeding season. In flight, the species can be recognized by its slow wingbeats and the rounded shape of its wings.

The Northern Lapwing is a ground-nesting bird that favors open landscapes such as cultivated fields, grasslands, and wetlands. It is adaptable and can be found in a variety of temperate environments across Eurosiberia.

This bird is a widespread resident throughout temperate regions of Eurosiberia. It is highly migratory, wintering in regions as far south as North Africa and parts of Asia. Western European populations are more sedentary, while vagrants have been known to appear in North America following storms.

The Northern Lapwing is known for its acrobatic display flights, accompanied by a cacophony of calls during the breeding season. It migrates predominantly during the day, often in large flocks. The species is fiercely protective of its nest and young, boldly confronting any potential threats. In winter, it gathers in massive flocks on open land, and it is known to feed nocturnally when the moon is bright.

The Northern Lapwing is quite vocal, especially in the breeding season. Its contact call is a loud "pee-wit," which is also the origin of one of its common names. Males perform a display flight while emitting a wheezy "pee-wit, wit wit, eeze wit," and they may also produce squeaking or mewing sounds.

Breeding takes place on the ground in a simple scrape. The species typically lays 3–4 eggs, which are zealously defended against all intruders. The Northern Lapwing's breeding strategy includes feigning injury to distract predators from its nest.

Its diet consists primarily of insects and other small invertebrates. The Northern Lapwing often feeds in mixed flocks with Golden Plovers and Black-headed Gulls, the latter of which may steal food but also offer some protection against predators.

The Northern Lapwing is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Its populations have declined due to intensive agricultural practices, habitat loss, and predation. Conservation efforts include habitat restoration and management to support this species' recovery.

20-1-2021 MARJAL DE INTERIORES, ALBUFERA - EURASIAN KESTREL (Falco tinnunculus)

The common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It is also known as the European kestrel, Eurasian kestrel, or Old World kestrel. In the United Kingdom, where no other kestrel species commonly occurs, it is generally just called "kestrel".

This species occurs over a large range. It is widespread in Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well as occasionally reaching the east coast of North America. It has colonized a few oceanic islands, but vagrant individuals are generally rare; in the whole of Micronesia for example, the species was only recorded twice each on Guam and Saipan in the Marianas.

19-1-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - GREAT TIT (Parus major)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/203153-Parus-major

 

19-1-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - BLACK REDSTART (FEMALE) (Phoenicurus ochruros)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/13000-Phoenicurus-ochruros

 

19-1-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - COMMON CHAFFINCH (FEMALE) (Fringilla coelebs)

The Eurasian chaffinch, or simply the chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), presents a striking dichotomy in plumage between the sexes. The male is resplendent with a blue-grey cap and rust-red underparts, while the female's attire is more subdued, though both genders boast two white wing bars and white sides to their tails. The male's robust voice is a herald of spring, as he sings from exposed perches to court a mate.

To identify the male chaffinch, look for the black forehead, blue-grey crown, and rust-red breast, which fades to a pale creamy-pink on the belly. The wings feature a white panel on the coverts and a buff-white bar on the secondaries and inner primaries. Females and juveniles are more muted with grey-brown shades above and paler below, but retain the distinctive wing markings.

Chaffinches favor wooded environments, thriving in areas where the July isotherm ranges from 12 to 30°C. They are adaptable, however, and can be found in a variety of forested landscapes across their range.

18-1-2021 AURA DE MARJAL GANDIA, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN STONECHAT (FEMALE) (Saxicola rubicola)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/201192-Saxicola-rubicola

 

18-1-2021 AURA DE MARJAL GANDIA, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH (Carduelis carduelis)

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