BIRDWALKERMONDAY WILDLIFE BLOG

This Blog contains Wildlife, Plants and Bird Photos from Walks, Safaris, Birding Trips and Vacations. Most of the pictures have been taken with my Nikon P900 and P950X cameras. Just click on any image for a larger picture. On the right column under the Blog Archive are the entries by date. Below that under Animal categories all the diffent species of Animals, Birds, Insects and Plants contained in the website are listed. Clicking on any entry will show all the entries for that species.

Wednesday, 10 February 2021

9-2-2021 GANDIA MARJAL, VALENCIA - WHITE WAGTAIL (Motacilla alba)

The White Wagtail (Motacilla alba) is a small, elegant passerine bird, a member of the family Motacillidae, which includes pipits and longclaws. This slender bird measures between 16.5 to 19 cm in length, with East Asian subspecies reaching up to 21 cm. It is characterized by its long, constantly wagging tail, a behavior that has become synonymous with the genus. Weighing an average of 25 g, the White Wagtail can live up to 12 years in the wild.

Adult White Wagtails exhibit a distinctive plumage with a combination of grey, black, and white. The bird's upper parts are generally grey, with a white face, belly, and breast. Males during the breeding season may show a darker back, and the species is known for its sharp, brisk call and more melodious song during courtship.

The White Wagtail is commonly found in open country, often in close proximity to human habitation and water sources. It shows a preference for bare areas which facilitate the sighting and pursuit of prey. This bird has adapted well to urban environments, utilizing paved areas such as parking lots for foraging.

Monday, 8 February 2021

8-2-2021 AURA DE GANDIA, VALENCIA - EURASIAN HOOPOE (Upupa epops)

The Eurasian hoopoe, with its scientific name Upupa epops, is a bird of unmistakable appearance. It boasts a warm cinnamon plumage, contrasted by striking black and white wings, and a prominent black-tipped, fan-like crest which it can raise and lower. Its tail features a broad white band across a black background. The hoopoe's long, narrow bill curves downwards, adept for probing the soil, and is black with a fawn base.

When identifying the Eurasian hoopoe, look for its unique silhouette, characterized by its long, tapering bill and erectile crest. In flight, its broad and rounded wings display a bold black and white pattern, and its undulating flight is reminiscent of a large butterfly. The hoopoe's size ranges from 25 to 32 cm in length, with a wingspan of 44 to 48 cm, and it weighs between 46 and 89 grams.

8-2-2021 AURA DE GANDIA, VALENCIA - IBERIAN KNAPWEED (Centaurea pullata)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/82650-Centaurea-pullata

8-2-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SEED BUG (Spilostethus pandurus)

Spilostethus pandurus is a species of "seed bugs" belonging to the family Lygaeidae, subfamily Lygaeinae.

The species was described in 1763 by Scopoli in his "Entomologica carniolica" with locus typicus from the area around Ljubljana. Scopoli does not mention the etymology of the species name but may have named it for the Panduri infantry unit of the Habsburg monarchy.

This species can be found in the Euro-mediterranean-Turaniaan Region, with a more southern distribution than Spilostethus saxatilis.

It is present in Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Israel, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Lebanon, in the Afrotropical realm. and in the southern Asia to India and China.

Spilostethus pandurus can reach a length of 13–15 millimetres (0.51–0.59 in). Body shows a red-black coloration with a white spot in the center of the membrane.

Two wavy, broad, black, longitudinal stripes run from the front to the rear edge of the pronotum. Scutellum is black, sometimes with a small red spot at the end.

The nymphs are bright red, with black markings.

These bugs have two dorsolateral prothoracic glands capable of secreting substances repugnant to predators.

These polyphagous bugs feed on flowers and seeds of many plants. They preferentially feed on the plants of the family Apocynaceae. In Europe, they are present on various toxic plants such as jimsonweed (Datura stramonium) and oleander (Nerium oleander).

They can cause serious damage to the crops of Sesamum indicum (Pedaliaceae) and to Calotropis gigantea and Calotropis procera (Apocynaceae).

It can also attack sorghum crops (Sorghum bicolor), Eleusine coracana, Pennisetum americanum, Phaseolus mungo, Arachis hypogaea, Lycopersicon esculentum, tobacco, sunflowers etc.

8-2-2021 AURA DE GANDIA, VALENCIA - YELLOW LEGGED GULL (Larus michahellis)

The Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis) is a large, robust seabird with a commanding presence. Its size can be quite variable, with the smallest females being scarcely larger than a Common Gull, and the largest males approaching the heft of a Great Black-backed Gull. Adults typically exhibit a grey back, a shade lighter than that of the Lesser Black-backed Gull, and their heads are notably whiter in the autumn months. A distinctive feature is their yellow legs, which give this species its common name.

When observing the Yellow-legged Gull, look for the yellow legs that contrast with the grey back and the white head, which becomes even whiter during the autumn. The wing tips are black with limited white spots, and adults have a red spot on the bill. The eye is surrounded by a red ring. Juveniles can be identified by their paler head, rump, and underparts, dark bill and eyes, and a black band on the tail.

Sunday, 7 February 2021

6-2-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SEED BUG (Spilostethus pandurus)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/362835-Lygaeus-equestris

6-2-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - GARDEN SNAIL (Cornu aspersum)

Cornu aspersum (syn. Helix aspersa, Cryptomphalus aspersus), known by the common name garden snail, is a species of land snail in the family Helicidae, which includes some of the most familiar land snails. Of all terrestrial molluscs, this species may be the most widely known.[citation needed] It was classified under the name Helix aspersa for over two centuries, but the prevailing classification now places it in the genus Cornu.

The garden snail is relished as a food item in some areas, but it is also widely regarded as a pest in gardens and in agriculture, especially in regions where it has been introduced accidentally, and where snails are not usually considered to be a menu item.

Cornu aspersum in warm regions commonly emerges in moist weather in winter.

The adult bears a hard, thin calcareous shell 25–40 millimetres (1–1+5⁄8 in) in diameter and 25–35 millimetres (1–1+3⁄8 in) high, with four or five whorls. The shell is variable in coloring and shade of color, but generally it has a reticulated pattern of dark brown, brownish-golden, or chestnut with yellow stripes, flecks, or streaks (characteristically interrupted brown colour bands). The aperture is large and characteristically oblique, its margin in adults is whitish and reflected.

The body is soft and slimy, brownish-grey, and able to be retracted entirely into the shell, which the animal does when inactive or threatened. When injured or badly irritated the snail produces a defensive froth of mucus that might repel some enemies or overwhelm aggressive small ants and the like. It has no operculum; during dry or cold weather it seals the aperture of the shell with a thin membrane of dried mucus; the term for such a membrane is epiphragm. The epiphragm helps the snail retain moisture and protects it from small predators such as some ants.

The snail's quiescent periods during heat and drought are known as aestivation; its quiescence during winter is known as overwintering. When overwintering, Cornu aspersum avoids the formation of ice in its tissues by altering the osmotic components of its blood (or haemolymph); this permits it to survive temperatures as low as −5 °C (23 °F).[5] During aestivation, the mantle collar has the ability to change its permeability to water.[6] The snail also has an osmoregulatory mechanism that prevents excessive absorption of water during hibernation. These mechanisms allow Cornu aspersum to avoid either fatal desiccation or hydration during months of either kind of quiescence.

During times of activity the snail's head and "foot" emerge. The head bears four tentacles; the upper two are larger and bear eye-like light sensors, and the lower two are tactile and olfactory sense organs. The snail extends the tentacles by internal pressure of body fluids, and retracts all four tentacles into the head by invagination when threatened or otherwise retreating into its shell. The mouth is located beneath the tentacles, and contains a chitinous radula with which the snail scrapes and manipulates food particles.

6-2-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - MOUSE SPIDER (Scotophaeus blackwalli)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/206295-Scotophaeus-blackwalli

7-2-2021 LAGUNA DE SAMERUC, 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.

It is the national bird of Latvia and has featured on the stamps of several countries. It is listed as being 'of least concern' by IUCN.

This species breeds throughout Eurasia up to latitudes 75°N, only being absent in the Arctic from areas where the July isotherm is less than 4 °C. It also breeds in the mountains of Morocco and western Alaska. It occupies a wide range of habitats, but is absent from deserts. White wagtails are residents in the milder parts of its range such as western Europe and the Mediterranean, but migratory in much of the rest of its range. Northern European breeders winter around the Mediterranean and in tropical and subtropical Africa, and Asiatic birds move to the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia. Birds from the North American population also winter in tropical Asia.

7-2-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - HAIRY ROSE BEETLE (Tropinota squalida)

Tropinota squalida is a species of beetle belonging to the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Cetoniinae.

These beetles are mainly found in France, Italy, Greece, Portugal, former Yugoslavia, Spain, in the Near East and in North Africa.

Larvae feed on roots, while the adults can be encountered from May through July feeding on flowers. They are 10–15 millimetres (0.39–0.59 in) long.

Subspecies

Tropinota squalida canariensis Lindberg, 1950

Tropinota squalida squalida (Scopoli, 1783)

Tropinota squalida pilosa Brullé, 1832

Head, scutellum and elytra are dark-brown, with a thick and long tawny hair on elytra and abdomen. Elytra show two series of white spots on the sides of the central hull. Scutellun is rounded and hairy, but glabrous in the posterior. The fifth humeral slot is bifurcated.

7-2-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - HOOK-TIP MOTH (Watsonalla uncinula)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/325640-Watsonalla-uncinula

Friday, 5 February 2021

3-2-2021 CREU DE LONGA, VALENCIA - AUDOUIN'S GULL (Ichthyaetus audouinii)

Audouin's gull (Ichthyaetus audouinii ) is a large gull restricted to the Mediterranean and the western coast of Saharan Africa and the Iberian Peninsula. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ikhthus, "fish", and aetos, "eagle", and the specific audouinii and the English name are after the French naturalist Jean Victoire Audouin.

It breeds on small islands colonially or alone, laying 2–3 eggs on a ground nest. As is the case with many gulls, it has traditionally been placed in the genus Larus.

In the late 1960s, this was one of the world's rarest gulls, with a population of only 1,000 pairs. It has established new colonies, but remains rare with a population of about 10,000 pairs.

This species, unlike many large gulls, rarely scavenges, but is a specialist fish eater, and is therefore strictly coastal and pelagic. This bird will feed at night, often well out to sea, but also slowly patrols close into beaches, occasionally dangling its legs to increase drag.

The adult basically resembles a small European herring gull, the most noticeable differences being the short stubby red bill and "string of pearls" white wing primary tips, rather than the large "mirrors" of some other species. The legs are grey-green. It takes four years to reach adult plumage.

This species shows little tendency to wander from its breeding areas, but there were single records in the Netherlands and England in May 2003, and one spent from December 2016 to April 2017 in Trinidad.

The Audouin's gull is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.

Audouin's Gull is undergoing a rapid population reduction following the collapse of the largest breeding colony after several years of very low reproductive output. A reduction in food from fisheries discards coupled with high colony predation is thought to have driven the declines. Despite some of these birds relocating and forming new colonies, overall a rapid decline is believed to have started around 2010. Prior to this populations were increasing, and current population size is estimated to be only around 15% lower than that three generations previously. It is unclear whether the present rate of reduction will persist over the next three generations. As such, the species is assessed as Vulnerable, under criterion A4b.

Thursday, 4 February 2021

3-2-2021 MONTANYETA DEL SANTS, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN STONECHAT (MALE) (Saxicola rubicola)

The European stonechat, Saxicola rubicola, is a small, charming passerine bird, once thought to be a member of the thrush family but now placed within the Old World flycatcher family, Muscicapidae. This species exhibits a striking sexual dimorphism, with males donning a black plumage with vibrant orange throats and females wearing a more subdued brown.

Males in their summer plumage are unmistakable with their black heads, orange throats, and white bellies. They also sport a distinctive white half-collar and small white patches on the wings and rump. Females, on the other hand, are predominantly brown with less pronounced white wing patches. Both sexes have notably short wings, which are shorter than those of their migratory relatives.

The European stonechat favors heathlands, coastal dunes, and open grasslands dotted with shrubs, brambles, and heather. These habitats provide the perfect backdrop for their active foraging and breeding behaviors.

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

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

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.

Wednesday, 3 February 2021

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.