Wednesday, 9 June 2021
Tuesday, 8 June 2021
Monday, 7 June 2021
6-6-2021 POTRIES, VALENCIA - WHITE FEATHERLEG DAMSELFLY (Platycnemis latipes)
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Platycnemis pennipes is about 32 millimetres (1.3 in) long. Mature adults differ from most other blue damselflies in having expanded white edges to the tibiae, paired black markings down most of the abdomen, broad pale brown double antehumeral stripes, wider head and a pale brown pterostigmata.
The male has a blue abdomen that is often pale and usually has a greenish thorax. The female is a very pale yellow-green colour with black markings.
This species favours unshaded slow-flowing sections of muddy rivers with abundant floating vegetation. it has been recorded in tidal rivers and the larvae seem well able to tolerate brackish water. It also occurs in muddy streams but is rare in lakes or ponds of any sort. In north-west Europe, it is mostly confined to flowing waters.
Mating is preceded by the male displaying his white legs in a fluttering display flight in front of females. Elongated eggs are laid whilst in tandem, into emergent stems and especially the underside of floating leaves. The larvae live amongst bottom debris and emerge after two years.
After emerging, adults tend to congregate in the shelter of tall vegetation, although some immatures wander away from water and have been found five kilometres away from the nearest breeding site.
6-6-2021 POTRIES, VALENCIA - YELLOW HORNED POPPY (Glaucium flavum)
It is native to temperate regions of North Africa, Europe and parts of Western Asia.
It is found in North Africa, within Macaronesia, Canary Islands, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia and Morocco. Within Western Asia it is found in the Caucasus, Georgia, Cyprus, Egypt (in the Sinai), Lebanon, Syria and Turkey. In eastern Europe, it is found within Ukraine. In middle Europe, it is in Belgium, Germany, Netherlands and Slovakia. In northern Europe, in Denmark, Ireland, Norway, Sweden and United Kingdom. In south-eastern Europe, within Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, Sicily and Malta, North Macedonia, Romania, and Slovenia. Also in southwestern Europe, it is found in France, Portugal and Spain.
6-6-2021 POTRIES, VALENCIA - SMALL PINCERTAIL DRAGONFLY (Onychogomphus forcipatus)
Onychogomphus forcipatus, the small pincertail, green-eyed hooktail, or green-eyed hook-tailed dragonfly, is a species of dragonfly belonging to the family Gomphidae.
This quite common and widespread dragonfly is present in most of Europe, in North Africa (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia), and in West/Central Asia (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan).
These dragonflies usually inhabit clean rivers with a little faster running water and gravel or sandy banks. Occasionally they are also present at large lakes.
The adults of Onychogomphus forcipatus grow up to 6 centimetres (2.4 in) long, with a wingspan of 5.5–7.5 centimetres (2.2–3.0 in). The eyes of these medium-sized dragonflies are widely separated and grey-to-green. The two black lines on the side of the thorax are relatively narrow and touch the midline. It has a yellow line on the vertex and two cells above the anal triangle. The abdomen in males is fitted with three hooks of large size (anal appendages). Cercoids may be dark and have a subterminal tooth. The base of the hindwing is angled in males and rounded in females.
Adults can be encountered close to running water and lakes from June through September. In Southern Europe, the emergence period typically begins in April. In Cyprus, the flight season of the subspecies O. f. albotibialis is from late March to October. This subspecies is classified as a Near-threatened species. After the mating the females lay about 500 eggs into the water. Larvae dig and live buried in the bottom. Their life cycle from egg to imago lasts about 3–5 years.
6-6-2021 POTRIES, VALENCIA - WALL BROWN BUTTERFLY (Lasiommata megera)
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Lasiommata megera, the wall or wall brown, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae (subfamily Satyrinae). It is widespread in the Palearctic realm with a large variety of habitats and number of generations a year.
P. megera L. [— xiphie Boisd. pt (45d). Above reddish yellow, with a black mark which traverses the distal band from the cell of the forewing to the abdominal margin of the hindwing, short black stripes crossing the disc and the cell of the forewing.
The species lives in North Africa, Europe, the Caucasus, Asia Minor, the Middle East, western Siberia, northern Tian Shan, Dzungarian Alatau, Kazakhstan and Dzungaria.
Habitats include forest edges and clearings, shrubby areas in ravines and river valleys and sparse woodlands. It is also found in mountain habitats up to 0–3,000 metres (0–9,843 ft) above sea level.
The imago flies from April to October in two or three generations depending on locality and altitude. The larva feeds on grasses in the genera Festuca, Bromus, Deschampsia, Poa, Dactylis and Brachypodium.
Sunday, 6 June 2021
6-6-2021 LA FONT EN CARROS, VALENCIA - CIRL BUNTING (Emberiza cirlus)
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The cirl bunting, Emberiza cirlus, is a passerine bird of modest size, akin to the familiar yellowhammer. It measures approximately 15.5 cm in length, with a wingspan ranging from 22 to 25.5 cm. The species is characterized by a robust bill, well-suited for seed consumption.
Males are distinguished by their vivid yellow heads, contrasted by a black crown, eyestripe, and throat. A greenish breast band adorns their yellow underparts, while their backs are cloaked in heavy brown streaks. Females, however, bear a closer resemblance to the yellowhammer, with streaked grey-brown rumps and chestnut shoulders.
Cirl buntings thrive in open areas with a smattering of scrub or trees, showing a particular fondness for sun-drenched slopes.
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This bird is native to southern Europe, the Mediterranean islands, and north Africa. It is a year-round resident in these regions, eschewing migration during the winter months. Notably, a population was introduced to New Zealand's South Island in the 19th century, where it persists.
Cirl buntings are sedentary creatures, often venturing a mere 250 meters from their nests to forage in the summer, and up to 2 kilometers in winter in search of stubble.
The male's song is a monotonous, rattling trill, reminiscent of the Arctic warbler or the terminal rattle of the lesser whitethroat.
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