9-5-2021 MONTAVERNER, VALENCIA - CORN BUNTING (Emberiza calandra)

The corn bunting (Emberiza calandra) is a robust passerine bird, a member of the bunting family Emberizidae. It is distinguished by its heavily streaked buff-brown plumage. Both sexes are similar in appearance, though the male is slightly larger than the female. This bird is often likened to larks due to its streaked appearance and shares the same open habitat preference.

When observing the corn bunting, look for a large bunting with a dark eye and yellowish mandibles. The bird's lack of showy colors, particularly on the head, sets it apart from other Emberiza species. The underparts are streaked across the flanks and breast, with the streaking forming a gorget around the throat. Notably, the lesser wing coverts are dark with white tips, and the tail is a plain brown.

The corn bunting is typically found in open country with trees, such as farmland and weedy wasteland. It prefers areas where it can forage for seeds and insects on the ground.

9-5-2021 MONTAVERNER, VALENCIA - BLACK WINGED STILT (Himantopus himantopus)

The Black-winged Stilt has a wide range, extending across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Some populations migrate to coastal regions in winter, while others in milder climates may remain resident or engage in short-range movements.

Black-winged Stilts are often seen foraging in shallow waters, gracefully picking insects and crustaceans from the surface. They are known to nest in small groups, sometimes alongside avocets, and exhibit a variety of courtship behaviors, including intricate displays and duets.

The flight call of the Black-winged Stilt is a sharp and clear kleek, typically heard during its aerial maneuvers.

9-5-2021 MONTAVERNER, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN GREENFINCH (Chloris chloris)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/145360-Chloris-chloris

 

8-5-2021 CUMBRE DEL SOL, ALICANTE - PINK (Dianthus broteri)

PINK (Dianthus broteri), widely known as Brotero’s Pink, is an evergreen perennial native to the coastal and rocky mountainous regions of the Iberian Peninsula. It is celebrated for its delicate petals with fringed edges and its sweet, clove-like fragrance, easily thriving in sunny, well-draining garden environments.

A quick overview of the essential facts and features of Dianthus broteri:

Plant ProfileFamily: Carnation family (Caryophyllaceae).

Habit: A small, compact evergreen perennial with narrow, grass-like, blue-green foliage.

Native Range: Endemic to Spain and Portugal.

Flowers & Blooming

Bloom Time: Late spring through early summer, often reblooming if deadheaded (spent flowers are removed).

Appearance: Delicate, relatively large flowers ranging from pale to dark pink, distinguished by heavily fringed or jagged (pinking) margins.

Scent: Known for a distinct, sweet, and spicy aroma reminiscent of cloves.

7-5-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SHEETWEB AND DWARF WEAVER SPIDER (Frontinellina frutetorum)

Frontinellina frutetorum is a species of sheet weaver found in Europe, West and Central Asia and North Africa.

This species has a reddish-brown front section (prosoma) and a black, oval rear section (opisthosoma) marked with white or yellow stripes. Its legs are reddish-yellow with dark bands at the joints. The female's abdomen is notably swollen and square-shaped from the side. Males are 5–6 mm long, and females are slightly larger at 5.5–6 mm.

The species exhibits a vast Palearctic distribution.It is present in Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Georgia, Germany, Greece (including Crete), France (including Corsica), Hungary, Israel, Italy (including Sardinia and Sicily), Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia (Central, Eastern, and Southern Russia), Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain (including the Balearic Islands), Switzerland, Tunisia, entire Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

7-5-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SPOTTED RED RESIN BEE (Rhodanthidium sticticum)

The Spotted Red Resin Bee (Rhodanthidium sticticum) is a solitary, Mediterranean bee recognizable by its striking black-and-red markings. Active during spring, these bees are unique for nesting and sheltering inside empty snail shells, using sand and plant resin to seal their brood chambers.

Key Biological Facts

Appearance & Size: They belong to the Megachilidae family and feature a tough outer layer (integument) with bold red-orange and black bands.

Habitat & Range: These bees thrive in the scrublands, grasslands, and mountainous regions of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal), southern France, and North Africa.

 Snail Shell Nests: Females lay 1–2 eggs in empty snail shells (such as Otala punctata), provision them with pollen and nectar, and seal the entrance with a mortar of sand and resin. The shell is then hidden under brush with the opening facing downward.

Shared Shelter: Aside from nesting, they use snail shells as communal overnight or bad-weather refuges, sometimes sharing space with different bee species.

Territorial Males: Males are highly territorial. They defend patches of a few square meters, aggressively chasing off rival males and other bee species to secure mating opportunities.

Foraging Habits: Though opportunistic, they show a distinct preference for melittophilic flowers, especially those of the snapdragon genus (Antirrhinum).

7-5-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - PLANTAIN FAMILY (Antirrhinum controversum)

Maximum size 150 cm

Habitat consists of Walls, rocks, rock fissures, landings, roadsides , on limestone substrates between 100 and 1500 meters of altitude.

It blooms between February and October

It has an Iberian Distribution

It is included in the Red List of the Vascular Flora of Andalusia

Its Category LC (Least concern).

4-5-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - GREAT TIT (Parus major)

The great tit (Parus major) is a small passerine bird, easily recognized by its black head and neck, striking white cheeks, olive upperparts, and vibrant yellow underparts. This bird is the most widespread species in the genus Parus, found across Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and parts of North Africa.

Males are characterized by their bright plumage, with a black bib that extends down the belly, bordered by a lemon-yellow breast. Females and juveniles are similar but have duller coloration. The black line down the belly is also narrower and sometimes broken in these birds.

Great tits favor a variety of woodland habitats, including deciduous and mixed forests, forest edges, and even urban parks and gardens. They are also found in riverine woodlands and, in some regions, boreal taiga.

5-5-2021 CATARROJA, VALENCIA - CABBAGE WHITE BUTTERFLY (Pieris rapae)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/55626-Pieris-rapae

 

5-5-2021 CATARROJA, VALENCIA - WHITE WALL ROCKET (Diplotaxis erucoides)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/181891-Diplotaxis-erucoides

 

5-5-2021 CATARROJA, VALENCIA - COTTON THISTLE (Genus Onopordum)

Cotton thistles (Genus Onopordum) are a group of striking, vigorous biennial plants within the daisy family (Asteraceae). Known for their dramatic architectural presence, these plants are covered in a dense layer of white, web-like hairs that give them a distinctive silvery, cottony look.

The most famous member of the genus is Onopordum acanthium (commonly known as the Cotton Thistle or Scotch Thistle). Despite its common name, it is a non-native archaeophyte in the British Isles, and while often associated with Scottish heraldry, Scotland's true national emblem is historically linked to Cirsium vulgare (the spear thistle).

Key Characteristics

• Impressive Stature: These towering plants can reach heights between 1.5 to 3 meters. They grow a thick, rigid stem featuring broad, spiny vertical wings running along its entire length.

• Silvery Foliage: The alternate, deeply lobed leaves are armed with sharp prickles. They start as a low rosette in their first year before shooting upward in the second.

• Globe Flowers: During mid-to-late summer (July to September), they produce large, spherical flower heads (2 to 6 cm wide) filled with brilliant dark pink to lavender florets, surrounded by heavily armed, sharp bracts.

• Ecological Value: They serve as an exceptional pollinator resource for bees and insects. Later in the season, their oil-rich seeds provide a crucial food source for birds like goldfinches.

5-5-2021 EL SALER, 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.

 These birds are resident, but populations from the more northerly parts of Europe migrate southwards; some remain in Central and Southern Europe, and others travel on to Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Grey herons can be found anywhere with suitable watery habitats that can supply their food. Although most common in the lowlands, they also occur in mountain tarns, lakes, reservoirs, large and small rivers, marshes, ponds, ditches, flooded areas, coastal lagoons, estuaries, and seashore. They sometimes forage away from water in the pasture, and can even be found in desert areas, hunting for beetles and lizards.

5-5-2021 TANCAT DE BURRIEL, VALENCIA - GLOSSY IBIS (Plegadis falcinellus)

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

 

5-5-2021 TANCAT DE BURRIEL, VALENCIA - GREATER FLAMINGO (Phoenicopterus roseus)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/73222-Phoenicopterus-roseus

 

5-5-2021 CATARROJA, VALENCIA - PAINTED LADY BUTTERFLY (Vanessa cardui)

Vanessa cardui is the most widespread of all butterfly species. It is commonly called the painted lady, or formerly in North America the cosmopolitan.

V. cardui occurs in any temperate zone, including mountains in the tropics. The species is resident only in warmer areas, but migrates in spring, and sometimes again in autumn. It migrates from North Africa and the Mediterranean to Britain and Europe in May and June, occasionally reaching Iceland, and from the Red Sea basin, via Israel and Cyprus, to Turkey in March and April. The occasional autumn migration made by V. cardui is likely for the inspection of resource changes; it consists of a round trip from Europe to Africa.

For decades, naturalists have debated whether the offspring of these immigrants ever make a southwards return migration. Research suggests that British painted ladies do undertake an autumn migration, making 14,500 km (9,000 mi) round trip from tropical Africa to the Arctic Circle in a series of steps by up to six successive generations. 

The Radar Entomology Unit at Rothamsted Research provided evidence that autumn migrations take place at high altitude, which explains why these migrations are seldom witnessed. In recent years, thanks to the activity of The Worldwide Painted Lady Migration citizen science project, led by the Barcelona-based Institute of Evolutionary Biology (Catalan: Institut de Biologia Evolutiva), the huge range of migration has begun to be revealed. For example, some butterflies migrated from Iceland to the Sahara desert, and even further south.

5-5-2021 BONAIRE, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN BEE-EATER (Merops apiaster)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/2191-Merops-apiaster

 

4-5-2021 MARXUQUERA, VALENCIA - BARN SWALLOW (Hirundo rustica)

The barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) is a migratory passerine bird, recognized as the most widespread species of swallow in the world. It is a distinctive bird with blue upperparts and a long, deeply forked tail, known for its graceful flight and agile maneuvers. The adult male of the nominate subspecies is 17–19 cm in length, including elongated outer tail feathers, and has a wingspan of 32–34.5 cm. It is adorned with a rufous forehead, chin, and throat, which are set apart from the off-white underparts by a broad dark blue breast band. The outer tail feathers are elongated, contributing to the iconic "swallow tail."

The barn swallow can be identified by its steel blue upperparts, a rufous face, and a dark blue breast band that separates the rufous from the off-white underparts. The deeply forked tail is a key characteristic, with a line of white spots across the upper tail's outer end. Females resemble males but have shorter tail streamers and less glossy blue coloring. Juveniles are browner with paler rufous faces and whiter underparts, lacking the adult's long tail streamers.

The barn swallow favors open country with low vegetation, such as pastures, meadows, and farmland, often near water. It avoids heavily wooded or steep areas and densely built-up locations. The species typically nests in man-made structures like barns and stables, or under bridges and wharves.

This bird has a vast global range, breeding across the Northern Hemisphere and wintering in much of the Southern Hemisphere. Its distribution spans Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

4-5-2021 ADOR CAMPO, VALENCIA - COMMON NIGHTINGALE (Luscinia megarhynchos)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/13079-Luscinia-megarhynchos

The nightingale is the national bird of Ukraine. One legend tells how nightingales once only lived in India, when one nightingale visited Ukraine. Hearing sad songs from the people, the nightingale sang its song to cheer them up. The people responded with happy songs, and since then, nightingales have visited Ukraine every spring to hear Ukrainian songs. National poet Taras Shevchenko observed that "even the memory of the nightingale's song makes man happy."
 

26-11-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - EURASIAN GREAT CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax carbo)

The great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), known as the black shag or kawau in New Zealand, formerly also known as the great black cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere, the black cormorant in Australia, and the large cormorant in India, is a widespread member of the cormorant family of seabirds. The genus name is Latinised Ancient Greek, from φαλακρός (phalakros, "bald") and κόραξ (korax, "raven"), and carbo is Latin for "charcoal".

It breeds in much of the Old World, Australia, and the Atlantic coast of North America.

This is a very common and widespread bird species. It feeds on the sea, in estuaries, and on freshwater lakes and rivers. Northern birds migrate south and winter along any coast that is well-supplied with fish.

In Serbia, the cormorant lives in Vojvodina. However, after 1945 many artificial lakes were formed in Serbia; some of them became potential habitats for cormorants. Currently, on the Lake Ćelije, formed in 1980, there is a resident colony of cormorants, who nest there and are present throughout the year, except January–February 1985 and February 2012 when the lake surface was completely frozen.

The type subspecies, P. c. carbo, is found mainly in Atlantic waters and nearby inland areas: on western European coasts and east across the Palearctic to Siberia and to North Africa, the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland; and on the eastern seaboard of North America. The subspecies P. c. novaehollandiae is found in Australian waters.

3-5-2021 LAS MARINAS, DENIA - COMMON HOUSE MARTIN (Delichon urbicum)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/64705-Delichon-urbicum

 

1-4-2015 ELEPHANTA ISLAND, MUMBAI - BONNET MACAQUE (JUVENILE) (Macaca radiata)

The bonnet macaque (Macaca radiata), also known as zati, is a species of macaque endemic to southern India. Its distribution is limited by the Indian Ocean on three sides and the Godavari and Tapti Rivers, along with its related competitor the rhesus macaque in the north. Land use changes in the last few decades have resulted in changes in its distribution boundaries with the rhesus macaque, raising concern for its status in the wild.

The bonnet macaque is diurnal, arboreal, and terrestrial. Males have a head-body length of 51.5–60 cm (20.3–23.6 in) with a 51–69 cm (20–27 in) tail while females are 34.5–52.5 cm (13.6–20.7 in) with a 48–63.5 cm (18.9–25.0 in) tail. Males weigh 5.4–11.6 kg (12–26 lb) and females 2.9–5.5 kg (6.4–12.1 lb).[7] It can live up to 35 years in captivity.

The bonnet macaque feeds on fruits, nuts, seeds, flowers, invertebrates, and cereals. In southern India, this macaque exists as commensal to humans, feeding on food given by humans and raiding crops and houses.

Bonnet macaques attain reproductive maturity when they are three to four years old. The majority of births take place from February to April, before the arrival of the monsoon. Bonnet monkeys are polygynandrous. The gestation period lasts 24 weeks and a single infant is the normal result of a pregnancy. The young will breast feed for six to seven months and begin assisted feedings of solid food from their mother thereafter. Other members of the troop, especially related females, will express interest in the infant in its first months of life.

The bonnet macaque has a very wide range of gestures and behaviors, which can be easily differentiated. Lip-smacking is one of the most common affiliative behaviors, where one individual may open and close its mouth in rapid succession, with its tongue between its teeth and its lips pressing against each other, giving an audible sound. A grimace is the most common gesture of fear or submission that a subordinate shows to a dominant individual during aggressive encounters. It consists of pulling back its upper lip, showing its upper teeth. It also has distinct alarm calls for predators such as pythons and leopards. 

1-4-2015 MUMBAI, INDIA - HOUSE CROW (Corvus splendens)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/8031-Corvus-splendens

The house crow (Corvus splendens), also known as the Indian, greynecked, Ceylon or Colombo crow, is a common bird of the crow family that is of Asian origin but now found in many parts of the world, where they arrived assisted by shipping. It is between the jackdaw and the carrion crow in size (40 cm (16 in) in length) but is slimmer than either. The forehead, crown, throat and upper breast are a richly glossed black, whilst the neck and breast are a lighter grey-brown in colour. The wings, tail and legs are black. There are regional variations in the thickness of the bill and the depth of colour in areas of the plumage.

2-5-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - FRUIT AND FLOWER CHAFER (Valgus hemipterus)

The fruit and flower chafer (Valgus hemipterus) is a small scarab beetle measuring 6–10 mm long. Recognizable by its short, flat wing covers and mottled dark markings, the female features a distinct spine-like tail. Active by day, it feeds on flower pollen and nectar.

Physical Traits

Size: Small body, 6 to 10 millimeters in length.

Wings: Short elytra (wing covers) that leave part of the abdomen exposed.

Gender differences: Females are darker and have a long, spine-like rear end (pygidium).

Behavior and Diet

Activity: Day-flying insects seen mostly in spring (April to June).Food: Adults eat nectar and pollen from plants like hawthorn and umbellifers.Lifecycle: Females lay eggs in dead wood, where the larvae grow.

30-4-2021 MARXUQUERA, VALENCIA - BARN SWALLOW (Hirundo rustica)

The barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) is a migratory passerine bird, recognized as the most widespread species of swallow in the world. It is a distinctive bird with blue upperparts and a long, deeply forked tail, known for its graceful flight and agile maneuvers. The adult male of the nominate subspecies is 17–19 cm in length, including elongated outer tail feathers, and has a wingspan of 32–34.5 cm. It is adorned with a rufous forehead, chin, and throat, which are set apart from the off-white underparts by a broad dark blue breast band. The outer tail feathers are elongated, contributing to the iconic "swallow tail."

The barn swallow can be identified by its steel blue upperparts, a rufous face, and a dark blue breast band that separates the rufous from the off-white underparts. The deeply forked tail is a key characteristic, with a line of white spots across the upper tail's outer end. Females resemble males but have shorter tail streamers and less glossy blue coloring. Juveniles are browner with paler rufous faces and whiter underparts, lacking the adult's long tail streamers.

30-4-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - BLUE ROCK THRUSH (MALE) (Monticola solitarius)

The blue rock thrush (Monticola solitarius ) is a species of chat. This thrush-like Old World flycatcher was formerly placed in the family Turdidae. It breeds in southern Europe, northwest Africa, and from Central Asia to northern China and Malaysia. The blue rock thrush is the official national bird of Malta and was shown on the Lm 1 coins that were part of the country's former currency.

The blue rock thrush is a starling-sized bird, 21–23 cm (8.3–9.1 in) in length with a long slim bill. The breeding male of the nominate subspecies is unmistakable, with all blue-grey plumage apart from its darker wings. Females and immatures are much less striking, with dark brown upperparts, and paler brown scaly underparts. The male of the subspecies M. s. philippensis has rufous-chestnut plumage from the mid-breast down to the undertail. Both sexes lack the reddish outer tail feathers of rock thrush.

The male blue rock thrush sings a clear, melodious call that is similar to, but louder than the call of the rock thrush.