21-5-2023 SEPILOK, BORNEO - TRUE CRICKET (Nisitrus vittatus)

 

21-5-2023 SEPILOK, BORNEO - COMMON PARASOL DRAGONFLY (Neurothemis fluctuans)

The Red Grasshawk, also known as Common Parasol, and Grasshawk dragonfly, (Neurothemis fluctuans) is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is widespread in many Asian countries.

The males have a dark coloration on their wings and clear wing tips.

The Red Grasshawk dragonfly, displaying the incredible patterns and lines on its delicate reddish wings.

The Red Grasshawk (Neurothemis fluctuans), also known as Common Parasol and Grasshawk dragonfly, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is occurs widely over Far East Asia from eastern India to Indochina. The adult male has brownish red wings with almost transparent tips, which is typical of males of several Neurothemis species. Females and the juvenile male are light brown with clear wings.

 

28-6-2023 ALCOY, ALICANTE - SPOTTED FLYCATCHER (Muscicapa striata)

 A widespread summer visitor from May to September.

Slightly larger than a Robin and a rather non-descript species. Ages and sexes appear largely the same. The head, back, wings and tail are dark grey, while the the undersides are whiteish with extensive grey streaking. Juveniles have some white centers to the feathers on the wing and back. When perched, has a distinctive long-tailed and large-headed shape.

The call is a quiet and unobtrusive “zee”. The song is similarly unremarkable and rather infrequently heard.

Insects caught in flight. Usually perches on an exposed branch in a woodland clearing, darting out to catch any passing insects.

Spotted Flycatchers are a widespread breeding bird in broadleaf woodlands, well-vegetated hedgerows, parks and gardens. Will use nestboxes.

Spotted Flycatchers winter in central and southern Africa.

2-7-2023 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SPINY TOAD (JUVENILE) (Bufo spinosus)

The spiny toad, spiny common toad, or giant toad (Bufo spinosus) is a species of toad native to the Iberian Peninsula, southern France, extreme northeastern Italy, and North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia). There is an isolated population in Jersey in the Channel Islands. For much of the 20th century, it was considered either a synonym or a subspecies of common toad Bufo bufo, but it is now classified as a separate species.

These toads feed on a number of invertebrates from earthworms to insects and woodlice.

4-7-2023 RAFELCOFER, VALENCIA - LITTLE OWL (Athene noctua)

The little owl (Athene noctua), also known as the owl of Athena or owl of Minerva, is a bird that inhabits much of the temperate and warmer parts of Europe, the Palearctic east to Korea, and North Africa. It was introduced into Britain at the end of the 19th century and into the South Island of New Zealand in the early 20th century.

This owl is a member of the typical or true owl family Strigidae, which contains most species of owl, the other grouping being the barn owls, Tytonidae. It is a small, cryptically coloured, mainly nocturnal species and is found in a range of habitats including farmland, woodland fringes, steppes and semi-deserts. It feeds on insects, earthworms, other invertebrates and small vertebrates. Males hold territories which they defend against intruders. This owl is a cavity nester and a clutch of about four eggs is laid in spring. The female does the incubation and the male brings food to the nest, first for the female and later for the newly hatched young. As the chicks grow, both parents hunt and bring them food, and the chicks leave the nest at about seven weeks of age.

Being a common species with a wide range and large total population, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as "least concern".

The little owl is widespread across Europe, Asia and North Africa. Its range in Eurasia extends from the Iberian Peninsula and Denmark eastwards to China and southwards to the Himalayas. In Africa it is present from Mauritania to Egypt, the Red Sea and Arabia. It was introduced to the United Kingdom] in the 19th century, and has spread across much of England and the whole of Wales. It was introduced to Otago in New Zealand by the local acclimatisation society in 1906, and to Canterbury a little later, and is now widespread in the eastern and northern South Island; it is partially protected under Schedule 2 of New Zealand's Wildlife Act 1953, whereas most introduced birds explicitly have no protection or are game birds.

Little owls often nest in hollow tree trunks (Strumpshaw Fen RSPB reserve, Norfolk)

This is a sedentary species that is found in open countryside in a great range of habitats. These include agricultural land with hedgerows and trees, orchards, woodland verges, parks and gardens, as well as steppes and stony semi-deserts. It is also present in treeless areas such as dunes, and in the vicinity of ruins, quarries and rocky outcrops. It sometimes ventures into villages and suburbs. In the United Kingdom it is chiefly a bird of the lowlands, and usually occurs below 500 m (1,600 ft). In continental Europe and Asia it may be found at much higher elevations; one individual was recorded from 3,600 m (12,000 ft) in Tibet.

This owl becomes more vocal at night as the breeding season approaches in late spring. The nesting location varies with habitat, nests being found in holes in trees, in cliffs, quarries, walls, old buildings, river banks and rabbit burrows. A clutch of 3 to 5 eggs is laid (occasionally 2 to 8). The eggs are broadly elliptical, white and without gloss; they measure about 35.5 by 29.5 mm (1.40 by 1.16 in). They are incubated by the female who sometimes starts sitting after the first egg is laid. While she is incubating the eggs, the male brings food for her. The eggs hatch after 28 or 29 days. At first the chicks are brooded by the female and the male brings in food which she distributes to them. Later, both parents are involved in hunting and feeding them. The young leave the nest at about 7 weeks, and can fly a week or two later. Usually there is a single brood but when food is abundant, there may be two. The energy reserves that little owl chicks are able to build up when in the nest influences their post-fledgling survival, with birds in good physical condition having a much higher chance of survival than those in poor condition. When the young disperse, they seldom travel more than about 20 km (12 mi). Pairs of birds often remain together all year round and the bond may last until one partner dies.
 

21-5-2023 SEPILOK, BORNEO - HIBISCUS ROSA SINENSIS X SCHIZOPETALUS (Hibiscus × archeri)

Hibiscus × archeri is a hybrid of plants with 5722 observations.

 Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, known colloquially as Chinese hibiscus, China rose, Hawaiian hibiscus, rose mallow and shoeblack plant, is a species of tropical hibiscus, a flowering plant in the Hibisceae tribe of the family Malvaceae. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in the tropics and subtropics, but its native range is Vanuatu.

21-5-2023 SEPILOK, BORNEO - BROWN THROATED SUNBIRD (FEMALE) (Anthreptes malacensis)

The brown-throated sunbird (Anthreptes malacensis), also known as the plain-throated sunbird, is a species of bird in the family Nectariniidae. It is found in a wide range of semi-open habitats in south-east Asia, ranging from Myanmar to the Lesser Sundas and west Philippines. The grey-throated sunbird found in the remaining part of the Philippines is often considered a subspecies of the brown-throated sunbird, but the two differ consistently in measurements and plumage, and there is no evidence of intergradation between them.

21-5-2023 SEPILOK, BORNEO - CRIMSON SUNBIRD (Aethopyga siparaja)

The crimson sunbird (Aethopyga siparaja) is a species of bird in the sunbird family which feed largely on nectar. They may also take insects, especially when feeding their young. Flight is fast and direct on their short wings. Most species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perch to feed. It has also been unofficially announced as Singapore’s national bird by the Nature Society Singapore.

The crimson sunbird is a resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from India, through Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar to Indonesia and Brunei. Two or three eggs are laid in a suspended nest in a tree. This species occurs in forest and cultivated areas.

Crimson sunbirds are tiny, only 11 cm long. They have medium-length thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations to their nectar feeding. The adult male has a crimson breast and maroon back. The rump is yellow and the belly is olive. The female has an olive-green back, yellowish breast and white tips to the outer tail feathers.

21-5-2023 SEPILOK, BORNEO - BROWN PANSY BUTTERFLY (Junonia hedonia)

Junonia hedonia, the brown pansy, chocolate pansy, brown soldier or chocolate argus, is a butterfly found in Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and Australia. 

21-5-2023 SEPILOK, BORNEO - BLUE PANSY BUTTERFLY (Junonia orithya)

Junonia orithya is a nymphalid butterfly with many subspecies occurring from Africa, through southern and south-eastern Asia, Cambodia and in Australia. In India, its common English name is the blue pansy, but in southern Africa it is known as the eyed pansy as the name blue pansy refers to Junonia oenone. In Australia, this butterfly is known as the blue argus, but this name also is used for the Aricia anteros in Europe.

The Blue Pansy has been declared as the state butterfly of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir in India.

 

21-5-2023 SEPILOK, BORNEO - COMMANDER BUTTERFLY (Moduza procris)

Moduza procris, the commander, sometimes included in the genus Limenitis, is a medium-sized, strikingly coloured brush-footed butterfly found in South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is notable for the mode of concealment employed by its caterpillar and the cryptic camouflage of its pupa. 

21-5-2023 SEPILOK, BORNEO - MALABAR MELESTONE (Melastoma malabathricum)

 Melastoma malabathricum, known also as Malabar melastome, Indian rhododendron, Singapore rhododendron, planter's rhododendron and senduduk, is a flowering plant in the family Melastomataceae. Despite its common names, it does not have any connection to actual rhododendrons, and belongs to the Rosids clade as opposed to the Asterids clade. This plant is native to Indomalaya, Japan and Australia, and is usually found at elevations between 100 m and 2,800 m in grassland and sparse forest habitats. It has been used as a medicinal plant in certain parts of the world, but has been declared a noxious weed in the United States. M. malabathricum is a known hyperaccumulator of aluminium, and as such can be used for phytoremediation.

21-5-2023 SEPILOK, BORNEO - TAWNY BUSH BROWN BUTTERFLY (Mycalesis anapita)

Mycalesis anapita, the tawny bush-brown, is a species of Satyrinae butterfly described by Frederic Moore in 1858. It is found in southern Burma, southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo.

Underside orange brown. The edges of the forewing and hindwing display rusty-brown lines with about 11 eyespots along the wing margins. The upperside from the apex to the tornus displays deep orange brown with black forewing border.

22-5-2023 SEPILOK, BORNEO - LESSER GREEN LEAFBIRD (Chloropsis cyanopogon)

The lesser green leafbird (Chloropsis cyanopogon) is a species of bird in the family Chloropseidae. It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.

21-5-2023 SEPILOK, BORNEO - ASIAN GLOSSY STARLING (Aplonis panayensis)

The Asian glossy starling (Aplonis panayensis) is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is found in Bangladesh, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan (introduced) and Thailand. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical mangrove forest. There is also a huge number of this species inhabiting towns and cities, where they take refuge in abandoned buildings and trees. They often move in large groups and are considered one of the noisiest species of birds. In the Philippines, it is known as kulansiyang, galansiyang, or kuling-dagat.

Fierce-looking, large songbird with a thick, decurved bill. Adult dark with greenish gloss in good light. Juvenile dark gray-brown above with a heavily streaked white belly. Most have ruby-red eyes, but birds in the central and southern Nicobar Islands have pale irises. Prefers urban and suburban areas; a common sight in cities, towns, parks, and farmland areas. Frequently seen perching on telephone wires, fence posts, and buildings, often in very large, noisy flocks. Native to Southeast and South Asia; introduced to Taiwan, where fairly common.

21-5-2023 SEPILOK, BORNEO - Heliconia × nickeriensis

Heliconia × nickeriensis is a hybrid of plants with 98 observations

 

21-5-2023 SEPILOK, BORNEO - CREPE GINGER (Hellenia speciosa)

Cheilocostus speciosus, or crêpe ginger, is a species of flowering plant in the family Costaceae. Some botanists have now revived the synonym Hellenia speciosa for this species.

It is native to southeast Asia and surrounding regions, from India to China to Queensland, It is especially common on the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is also reportedly naturalized in Puerto Rico, Mauritius, Réunion, Fiji, Hawaii, Costa Rica, Belize, Melanesia, Micronesia, and the West Indies. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental.

 

9-6-2023 MANDAI BIRD PARADISE, SINGAPORE - MAGPIE GOOSE (Anseranas semipalmata)

Magpie geese are unmistakable birds with their black and white plumage and yellowish legs. The feet are only partially webbed, and the magpie goose feeds on vegetable matter in the water, as well as on land. Males are larger than females. Unlike true geese, their molt is gradual, so no flightless periods result. Their voice is a loud honking. 

9-6-2023 MANDAI BIRD PARADISE, SINGAPORE - NICOBAR PIGEON (Caloenas nicobarica)

The Nicobar pigeon or Nicobar dove (Caloenas nicobarica, Car: ma-kūö-kö) is a bird found on small islands and in coastal regions from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India, east through the Malay Archipelago, to the Solomons and Palau. It is the only living member of the genus Caloenas alongside the extinct spotted green pigeon, and is the closest living relative of the extinct dodo and Rodrigues solitaire. 

21-5-2023 SEPILOK, BORNEO - BLUE TRUMPET VINE (Thunbergia laurifolia)

Thunbergia laurifolia leaves are opposite, heart-shaped with serrated leaf margin and taper to a pointed tip. This species is very similar in appearance to T. grandiflora, but has longer, thinner leaves and its young stems and leaves are hairless.

The flowers are not scented and borne on pendulous inflorescences. The hermaphrodite flower is trumpet-shaped with a short broad tube, white outside and yellowish inside. The corolla is pale blue in colour with 5–7 petals, one larger than the others. Plants flower almost continuously throughout the year with flowers opening early in the morning and aborting in the evening of the same day. Carpenter bees are frequent visitors, creeping into the flowers for pollen and nectar while black ants are present probably as nectar scavengers. The plant develops a very tuberous root system.

 

9-6-2023 MANDAI BIRD PARADISE, SINGAPORE - JANDAYA PARAKEET (Aratinga jandaya)

The jandaya parakeet or jenday conure (Aratinga jandaya) is a small Neotropical parrot with green wings and tail, reddish-orange body, yellow head and neck, orange cheeks, and black bill, native to wooded habitats in northeastern Brazil. It is a member of the Aratinga solstitialis complex of parakeets very closely related to, and possibly subspecies of the sun parakeet.

The bird has a wide range, but is locally rare in the wild; they are common in aviculture, where they are known as "jenday conures".

The jandaya parakeet is a small, long-tailed parakeet with the reddish-orange body, green wings, vent and tail, yellow head, neck, and shoulders, orange cheeks, black bill, whitish periophthalmic ring, and dark eyes. The ends of the tail feathers are tinged in blue. It measures 30 cm (12 in) in length and weighs 125–140 gm.

The jandaya parakeet has a very loud, shrill call.

It has an extremely large range in northeastern Brazil in the states of Piaui, Maranhao, Tocantins, and Ceara, and portions of Goiás and Pará. It is found in lowland deciduous woodland and palm groves.

In the wild, it has a predilection for various fruits including mango and cashew apples, as well as palm nuts, and an unfortunate attraction to plants cultivated by humans (rice, maize, members of the family Annonaceae, etc.). Things that are toxic to jandaya parakeets include chocolate, caffeine, and a chemical often found in avocados.

Jandaya parakeets nest in tree hollows, typically choosing a location at least 15 m (50 feet) from the ground. In captivity, the hen lays three to six eggs, which she then incubates for roughly 26 days. The young are fed by both parents, and fledge after two months.

9-6-2023 MANDAI BIRD PARADISE, SINGAPORE - TOCO TOUCAN (Ramphastos toco)

The toco toucan (Ramphastos toco), also known as the common toucan or giant toucan, is the largest and probably the best known species in the toucan family. It is found in semi-open habitats throughout a large part of central and eastern South America. It is a common attraction in zoos.

The toco toucan eats fruit using its bill to pluck them from trees, but also insects, frogs, small reptiles, small birds and their eggs and nestlings. The long bill is useful for reaching things that otherwise would be out-of-reach. It is typically seen in pairs or small groups. In flight it alternates between a burst of rapid flaps with the relatively short, rounded wings, and gliding. Nesting is seasonal, but timing differs between regions. The nest is typically placed high in a tree and consists of a cavity, at least part of which is excavated by the parent birds themselves. It has also been recorded nesting in holes in earth-banks and terrestrial termite-nests. Their reproduction cycle is annual. The female usually lays two to four eggs a few days after mating. The eggs are incubated by both sexes and hatch after 17–18 days. These birds are very protective of themselves and their chicks.

9-6-2023 MANDAI BIRD PARADISE, SINGAPORE - GOLDEN PARAKEET (Guaruba guarouba)

The golden parakeet or golden conure (Guaruba guarouba), or the Queen of Bavaria conure is a medium-sized golden-yellow Neotropical parrot native to the Amazon Basin of interior northern Brazil. It is the only species placed in the genus Guaruba.

Its plumage is mostly bright yellow, hence its common name, but it also possesses green remiges. It lives in the drier, upland rainforests in Amazonian Brazil, and is threatened by deforestation and flooding, and also by the now-illegal trapping of wild individuals for the pet trade. It is listed on CITES appendix I

The golden parakeet is 34–36 cm (13–14 in) long and mainly yellow with green in the outer wings and with an all-yellow tail. It has a large horn-colored (gray) beak, pale-pink bare eye rings, brown irises, and pink legs. Males and females have identical external appearance. Juveniles are duller and have less yellow and more green plumage than the adults. The juvenile's head and neck are mostly green, the back is green and yellow, the upper side of tail is mostly green, the breast is greenish, the eye rings are pale-gray, and the legs are brown.

Its range is estimated to be limited to about 174,000 km2. between the Tocantins, lower Xingu, and Tapajós Rivers in the Amazon Basin south of the Amazon River in the state of Pará, northern Brazil. Additional records occur from adjacent northern Maranhão. The birds in a 1986 study used two different habitats during the year; during the nonbreeding season, which coincided with the dry season, they occupied the tall forest. During the breeding season, they left the tall forest and entered open areas on the edge of the forest such as fields used in agriculture. 

9-6-2023 MANDAI BIRD PARADISE, SINGAPORE - GREEN OROPENDOLA (Psarocolius viridis)

The green oropendola (Psarocolius viridis) is a species of bird in the family Icteridae. It is found in wooded habitats in the Amazon basin and Guianas of South America, and is generally common. Uniquely among the oropendolas, the green oropendola has a pale bill with an orange tip. Male oropendola weigh around 400 grams, while females are in the 200 gram range. This is a common species and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its status as being of "least concern".

The male green oropendola grows to a length of about 43 cm (17 in) and the female about 37 cm (14.6 in). The head, breast and back are pale olive green, the wings are greyish-green, and the rump and underparts are chestnut. The central feathers of the tail are black and the outer ones yellow. The beak has an orange tip, and its base and the adjoining areas of skin are yellowish. The irises are pale blue and there is an inconspicuous crest on the back of the head.

P. viridis has a very wide distribution in the tropical rainforests of South America. Its range includes Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana, Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru.

9-6-2023 MANDAI BIRD PARADISE, SINGAPORE - BLACK NAPED FRUIT DOVE (Ptilinopus melanospilus)

The black-naped fruit dove (Ptilinopus melanospilus), also known as the black-headed fruit dove, is a medium-sized, up to 24 cm (9.4 in) long, green fruit dove with yellowish bill and iris. The male has a pale grey head with a black nape, yellow throat, and golden yellow and pink undertail coverts. The plumage of the female and the young is entirely green.

The black-naped fruit dove is distributed in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. In Indonesia, it is found in Java, Lesser Sunda Islands and Sulawesi, where it inhabits the lowland and hill forests. The diet consists mainly of various fruits, figs and berries. The female usually lays one single white egg.