19-3-2025 WATER GARDENS SIGIRIYA, SRI LANKA - PEACOCK PANSY BUTTERFLY (Junonia almana)

Junonia almana, the peacock pansy, is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in Cambodia and South Asia. It exists in two distinct adult forms, which differ chiefly in the patterns on the underside of the wings; the dry-season form has few markings, while the wet-season form has additional eyespots and lines. It is listed as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List.

The adult butterfly has a wingspan of 54–62 mm (2.1–2.4 in), and exhibits seasonal polyphenism.

J. almana is found in India, Sri Lanka and South East Asia, and eastwards to China and Japan.

18-3-2025 WATER GARDENS LODGE SIGIRIYA, SRI LANKA - GRAY HEADED FISH EAGLE (Haliaeetus ichthyaetus)

The grey-headed fish eagle (Icthyophaga ichthyaetus) is a fish-eating bird of prey from Southeast Asia. It is a large stocky raptor with adults having dark brown upper body, grey head and lighter underbelly and white legs. Juveniles are paler with darker streaking. It is often confused with the lesser fish eagle (Icthyophaga humilis) and the Pallas's fish eagle. The lesser fish eagle is similar in plumage but smaller and the Pallas's fish eagle shares the same habitat and feeding behaviour but is larger with longer wings and darker underparts. Is often called tank eagle in Sri Lanka due to its fondness for irrigation tanks.

Adults display a grey-brown back with a pale grey head and pale iris. The breast and neck are brown, while the wings are dark brown with blacker primaries. Juveniles are paler with brown heads and necks, greyer on the sides of the throat, and exhibit buff supercilia and whitish streaks. Their tails are marbled black and white with a broader dark subterminal band and a white tip.

Inhabiting lowland forests up to 1,500 meters above sea level, the Grey-headed Fish Eagle is found near water bodies such as rivers, lakes, lagoons, reservoirs, marshes, swamps, and coastal lagoons and estuaries. It is also known to frequent irrigation tanks in Sri Lanka.

This eagle's range extends from India and Southeast Asia to Malaysia, Western Indonesia, and the Philippines. It is generally uncommon, with varying local presence across its distribution.

A sedentary and often solitary bird, the Grey-headed Fish Eagle spends much time perched on bare branches overlooking water, swooping down occasionally to catch fish. Its flight appears heavy, with sharp wing-beats, and it rarely soars, likely due to its habitat.

Its vocal repertoire includes a gurgling "awh-awhr" and "chee-warr," an "ooo-wok," a nasally "uh-wuk," and a loud, high-pitched scream. These calls are typically emitted from a perch or in flight, becoming more vocal during the breeding season.

Breeding seasons vary across its range, with nests built high in trees near water. The clutch size ranges from 2 to 4 eggs, but typically only 2 white eggs are laid. Both parents share incubation and chick-rearing duties.

Specializing in piscivory, the Grey-headed Fish Eagle preys on live fish and scavenges for dead ones. It may also consume reptiles, birds, and small mammals. It hunts from perches or by quartering over water, using its recurved talons to snatch fish.

Listed as Near-Threatened, the Grey-headed Fish Eagle faces threats from habitat loss, deforestation, over-fishing, and pollution. Its population is estimated between 10,000–100,000 mature individuals, with a declining trend.

17-3-2025 ISHQ COLOMBO, 3 STRIPED PALM SQUIRREL (Funambulus palmarum)

 The Indian palm squirrel or three-striped palm squirrel (Funambulus palmarum) is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae found naturally in India (south of the Vindhyas) and Sri Lanka. In the late 19th century, the palm squirrel was introduced to Madagascar, Réunion, Mayotte, Comoro Islands, Mauritius, and Seychelles. The closely related five-striped palm squirrel, F. pennantii, is found in northern India, and its range partly overlaps with this species.

The palm squirrel is about the size of a large chipmunk, with a bushy tail slightly shorter than its body. The back is a grizzled, grey-brown colour with three conspicuous white stripes which run from head to tail. The two outer stripes run from the forelegs to the hind legs only. It has a creamy-white belly and a tail covered with interspersed, long, black and white hair. The ears are small and triangular. Juvenile squirrels have significantly lighter coloration, which gets progressively darker as they age. Albinism is rare, but exists in this species.

The Indian palm squirrel exhibits a variety of reproductive behaviors; some display cyclical periodicity activity while others show continuous reproductive activity.[3] The gestation period is 34 days; breeding takes place in grass nests during the autumn. Litters of two or three are common, and average 2.75. The young are weaned after about 10 weeks and are sexually mature at 9 months. The adult weight is 100 grams. Little is known about their longevity, but one specimen lived 5.5 years in captivity.

The Indian palm squirrel is a solitary animal, spending a majority of its life without interaction with others their own species, with the exception of mating and child rearing. While nuts and fruits make up a majority of its diet, the Indian palm squirrel will also eat insects, other smaller mammals, and reptiles. They are fairly vocal, with a cry that sounds like "chip chip chip" when danger is present. They are opportunists in urban areas, and can be easily tamed and trained to accept food from humans. Naturally active, their activity reaches levels of frenzy during the mating season. They tend to be very protective of their food sources, often guarding and defending them from birds and other squirrels.

Unlike some other species of squirrel, the Indian palm squirrel does not hibernate.

17-3-2025 ISHQ COLOMBO, SRI LANKA - ROSE RINGED PARAKEET (Psittacula krameri)T

The Rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri) is one of the few parrot species that have successfully adapted to living in disturbed habitats. As a popular pet species, escaped birds have colonized a number of cities around the world, including Northern and Western Europe. These parakeets are also capable of living in a variety of climates outside their native range and are able to survive low winter temperatures in Northern Europe. The species is not threatened, but its popularity as a pet and unpopularity with farmers have reduced its numbers in some parts of its native range.

The Rose-ringed parakeet is a medium-sized parrot. The adult male sports a red and black neck ring, and the hen and immature birds of both sexes either show no neck rings or display shadow-like pale to dark grey neck rings. Both sexes have a distinctive green color in the wild, and captive-bred ringnecks have multiple color mutations including blue, violet, and yellow.

 

 

Rose-ringed parakeets are social birds. They are active during the day spending their time, foraging, flying about, and resting in the shades of tree canopy during midday hours. They often gather in flocks that fly several miles to forage in farmlands and orchards. Rose-ringed parakeets are very noisy and have an unmistakable squawking call.

Rose-ringed parakeets are herbivores and usually feed on buds, fruits, vegetables, nuts, berries, and seeds. In India, they eat cereal grains, and during winter also pigeon peas. In Egypt during the spring, they feed on mulberry, and in summer they feed on dates and eat from sunflower and corn fields.

Rose-ringed parakeets are serially monogamous; they do not have life mates and often breed with another partner during the following breeding season. In northwest India, Rose-ringed parakeets form pairs from September to December. During this cold season, they select and defend nest sites, thus avoiding competition for sites with other birds. The female lays 1 to 7 eggs and incubates them alone for about 3 weeks. The chick hatch altricial meaning they are helpless and depend on their parents for feeding and protection. The young fledge at 7 weeks of age and become independent when they are 2 years old. Reproductive maturity is usually reached at the age of 3 years.   

17-3-2025 ISHQ COLOMBO, SRI LANKA - MEXICAN PLUMERIA (Plumeria rubra)

Plumeria rubra is a deciduous plant species belonging to the genus Plumeria. Originally native to Mexico, Central America, Colombia and Venezuela, it has been widely cultivated in subtropical and tropical climates worldwide and is a popular garden and park plant, as well as being used in temples and cemeteries. It grows as a spreading tree to 7–8 m (23–26 ft) high and wide, and is flushed with fragrant flowers of shades of pink, white and yellow over the summer and autumn.

Its common names include frangipani, red paucipan, red-jasmine, red frangipani, common frangipani, temple tree, calachuchi, or simply plumeria. Despite its common name, the species is not a "true jasmine" and not of the genus Jasminum.

The common name "frangipani" comes from the Italian Frangipani family, a sixteenth-century marquess of which invented a plumeria-scented perfume. The genus name honors Charles Plumier, who was a French monk of the Franciscan order, and a botanist.

In its native range in Mexico the common name is cacaloxochitl or cacaloxuchitl. The name comes from Nahuatl and means "crow's flower". It is also commonly known in Mexico as Flor de Mayo. P. rubra was declared the national flower of Nicaragua in 1971, where it is known as sacuanjoche In Spanish, frangipanis are also referred to as alhelí, alhelí cimarrón, and suche.

P. rubra entered Southeast Asia via the Manila galleons from Mexico to the Philippines in the 1560s. It retained the Nahuatl-derived name in the Philippine languages where it is known as kalachuchi (also spelled kalatsutsi), or calachuchi in Philippine English.The Nahuatl name is also partly preserved in the Ternate common name tsjutsju, derived from the Philippine name. In other parts of Indonesia and Malaysia, it acquired different names like cempaka or chempaka derived from the resemblance of its fragrance to the champaca tree. It also acquired the name bunga kamboja (literally "flower of Cambodia") in Malay, referencing its foreign origin. Though it is not native to Cambodia nor is there evidence that it spread from Cambodia. Due to its associations with graveyards and death, it is also known as bunga kuburan, literally "grave flower".

In the Pacific Islands where it was introduced in the late 19th century, P. rubra is known as melia in Hawaii, and tipani in the Cook Islands.

Elsewhere, it is known as champa (or a derivative thereof) in India and Pakistan. It is known by many names in Brazil, including jasmim-de-caiena, jasmim-do-pará, and jasmim-manga.[9] In Portuguese, it is also known as flor-de-Santo-Antônio. In Cambodia it is given the names châmpéi krahâ:m (also romanised as krahom, meaning 'red'), or châmpéi slük sruëch, while the French term for the species is frangipanier à fleurs rouges. In Sri Lanka, it is known as araliya in Sinhalese. In Myanmar, it is referred to as mawk-sam-ka, mawk-sam-pailong, and sonpabataing. In China, it has the common name ji dan hua, and in the United States, it is referred to as nosegay.

17-3-2025 COLOMBO, SRI LANKA - HOUSE CROW (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.

House crows feed largely on refuse around human habitations, small reptiles and mammals, and other animals such as insects and other small invertebrates, eggs, nestlings, grain and fruits. House crows have also been observed swooping down from the air and snatching baby squirrels. Most food is taken from the ground, but also from trees as opportunity arises. They are highly opportunistic birds and given their omnivorous diet, they can survive on nearly anything that is edible. These birds can be seen near marketplaces and garbage dumps, foraging for scraps. They have also been observed to eat sand after feeding on carcasses.

17-3-2025 COLOMBO, SRI LANKA - SPOT BILLED PELICAN (Pelecanus philippensis)

The spot-billed pelican (Pelecanus philippensis) or gray pelican is a member of the pelican family. It breeds in southern Asia from southern Iran across India east to Indonesia. It is a bird of large inland and coastal waters, especially large lakes. At a distance they are difficult to differentiate from other pelicans in the region although it is smaller but at close range the spots on the upper mandible, the lack of bright colours and the greyer plumage are distinctive. In some areas these birds nest in large colonies close to human habitations.

They are very silent although at their nests they can make hisses, grunts or snap their bills. Some early descriptions of nesting colonies have claimed them to be distinctive in their silence but most have noted colonies as noisy.

Like most other pelicans, it catches fish in its huge bill pouch while swimming at the surface. Unlike the great white pelican it does not form large feeding flocks and is usually found to fish singly or in small flocks. Groups may however sometimes line up and drive fish towards the shallows. When flying to their roosts or feeding areas, small groups fly in formation with steady flapping. During the hot part of the day, they often soar on thermals. They may forage at night to some extent.

The birds nest in colonies and the nest is a thick platform of twigs placed on a low tree. The breeding season varies from October to May. In Tamil Nadu, the breeding season follows the onset of the northeast monsoon. The courtship display of the males involves a distention of the pouch with swinging motions of the head up and down followed by sideways swings followed by the head being held back over the back. Bill claps may also be produced during the head swaying movements. The nests are usually built alongside other colonial waterbirds, particularly painted storks. Three to four chalky white eggs is the usual clutch. The eggs become dirty with age. Eggs hatch in about 30–33 days. The young stay in or near the nest from three to five months. In captivity the young are able to breed after two years. Like other pelicans, they cool themselves using gular fluttering and panting.

17-3-2025 COLOMBO, SRI LANKA - GRANITE GHOST DRAGONFLY (Psittacula krameri)

Bradinopyga geminata is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae known commonly as the granite ghost. It is native to India, Sri Lanka and Thailand, where it is a common and widespread species.

It is a medium sized dragonfly with brown-capped grey eyes. Its thorax is cinereous, marbled and peppered with black in a very irregular manner. Wings are transparent with dual color pterostigma, black at centre and pure white at distal and proximal ends. Abdomen is coloured very similarly to thorax; black marbled with yellow, but with a more definite plan. Segments 3 to 8 have pale basal annules interrupted on dorsum, and formed by two elongate parallel spots. There is a triangular apical sub-dorsal spot and a pale mid-dorsal spot. Anal appendages are creamy-white. Female is similar to the male.

Taking advantage of its cryptic coloration, it always rests flat on slab rock or cement-plastered walls, where it almost invisible. Adults occupy habitat near water bodies, such as pools, irrigation channels, wells, and containers with standing water. It breeds in rainy hollows in the rocks or in wells and small cemented tanks.

The species has been studied as a predator of the disease-carrying yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti). The larvae of the dragonfly consume the larvae of the mosquito in the standing-water habitat types that both occupy.

13-3-2025 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - BEETLE (Mycterus curculioides)

Mycterus curculioides is a species of beetles belonging to the family Mycteridae.

These beetles are present in British Isles, Italy, Greece, Hungary, Portugal, Spain, Southern Russia and in North Africa.

They are dark grey, have thoracic and golden grey elytral pubescence and the head has an extended rostrum. They can be distinguished from Mycterus tibialis and Mycterus umbellatarum by their narrower and longer rostrum. The adults grow up to 7–9 millimetres (0.28–0.35 in) long.

13-3-2025 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SARDINIAN WARBLER (MALE) (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.

This typical warbler favors open landscapes and cultivated areas, where it can find bushes suitable for nesting. Its preference for such environments makes it a familiar sight in the Mediterranean countryside.

The Sardinian warbler is a resident of the southernmost regions of Europe, extending its range into Asia in Turkey and the eastern Mediterranean. While not extensively migratory, some individuals do venture to North Africa for the winter, and the species has been known to appear as a vagrant as far as Great Britain.

17-4-2018 CHOBE RIVER, BOTSWANA - MAINLAND AFRICAN DARTER (Anhinga rufa ssp. rufa)

The African darter (Anhinga rufa ), sometimes called the snakebird, is a water bird of sub-Saharan Africa and Iraq.

The male is mainly glossy black with white streaking, but females and immature birds are browner. The African darter differs in appearance from the American darter most recognisably by its thin white lateral neck stripe against a rufous background colour. The pointed bill should prevent confusion with cormorants.

It is an 80 cm (31 in) long cormorant-like fish-eating species with a very long neck, like other anhingas.

The African darter is found throughout sub-Saharan Africa wherever large bodies of water occur; overall the species remains widespread and common.

The only non-African subspecies, the Levant darter (Anhinga rufa chantrei ), occurred at Lake Amik (Amik Gölü) in south-central Turkey, in Hula valley lake and marshes in northern Israel and in the Mesopotamian Marshes of the lower Euphrat and Tigris rivers in southern Iraq. The Turkish population disappeared during the 1930s and the Israeli population during Hula drainage in the 1950s. In spite of 110 birds being counted in Khuzestan in 1990 alone, the subspecies was feared extinct as a result of oil spillages in southern Iraq during the Gulf War and the drainage of the Mesopotamian Marshes that followed it. However, a small but threatened population was documented in the Hawizeh Marshes in 2007, along with other waters birds like little grebe, pygmy cormorant, marbled teal and sacred ibis. The drainage of the marshes was interrupted and reversed after the Iraq War.

This species builds a stick nest in a tree and lays 3–6 eggs. It often nests with herons, egrets and cormorants.

It often swims with only the neck above water, hence the common name snakebird. This, too, is a habit shared with the other anhingas.

Unlike many other waterbirds the feathers of the African darter do not contain any oil and are therefore not waterproof. Because of this, the bird is less positively buoyant and its diving capabilities are enhanced. After diving for fish, the feathers can become waterlogged. In order to be able to fly and maintain heat insulation, it needs to dry its feathers. Thus the African darter is often seen sitting along the waterside spreading its wings and drying its feathers in the wind and the sun along with cormorants which may share its habitat.

11-3-2025 GANDIA RIO SERPIS, VALENCIA - BLACK REDSTART (FEMALE) (Phoenicurus ochruros)

The Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) is a small, charismatic passerine bird, exhibiting a blend of dark and vibrant plumage. Males are distinguished by their dark grey to black upperparts and breast, with a striking orange-red rump and tail. Females and juveniles are more subdued in color, with grey to grey-brown feathers and the same vivid tail coloration that is the hallmark of the species.

Adult males are easily identified by their dark upperparts and black breast, contrasting with the orange-red lower rump and tail. The belly and undertail may vary from blackish-grey to orange-red, depending on the subspecies. Females and juveniles are less conspicuous, with overall greyer tones and a distinctive orange-red rump and tail. The presence of pale fringes on the secondaries forms a whitish wing panel in some subspecies.

The Black Redstart has adapted remarkably to urban environments, often found nesting in crevices or holes within buildings. Originally a dweller of stony mountainous regions, it now thrives in industrial areas with similar structural features.

11-3-2025 GANDIA MARJAL, VALENCIA - WESTERN CATTLE EGRET (MALE) (Bubulcus 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.

The adult cattle egret has few predators, but birds or mammals may raid its nests, and chicks may be lost to starvation, calcium deficiency or disturbance from other large birds. This species maintains a special relationship with cattle, which extends to other large grazing mammals; wider human farming is believed to be a major cause of their suddenly expanded range. The cattle egret removes ticks and flies from cattle and consumes them. This benefits both species, but it has been implicated in the spread of tick-borne animal diseases.

The cattle egret has undergone one of the most rapid and wide reaching natural expansions of any bird species. It was originally native to parts of Southern Spain and Portugal, tropical and subtropical Africa and humid tropical and western Asia. In the end of the 19th century it began expanding its range into southern Africa, first breeding in the Cape Province in 1908. Cattle egrets were first sighted in the Americas on the boundary of Guiana and Suriname in 1877, having apparently flown across the Atlantic Ocean. It was not until the 1930s that the species is thought to have become established in that area.

10-3-2025 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - EASTERN BLACK TABBY MOTH (Diplopseustis perieresalis)

Diplopseustis perieresalis is a species of moth in the family Crambidae. It is widespread in the Oriental region, Australia and New Zealand, but was introduced to the Western Palaearctic realm, where it quickly expanded its range, and where it is now found in Great Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal and the Canary Islands. In the Afrotropics, a single female specimen has been collected in 1904 in Sudan.

The wingspan is about 15 mm.

The larvae very likely feed on some part of the New Zealand endemic sedge makura (Carex secta), based on observations in Central Otago. 

Britain's first record of this moth was in 2001 on Tresco, Isles of Scilly, and the second was in Exeter in 2007. There have been records from southern Europe, and in particular the Canaries, but the species originates from the far east and Australia.

22-4-2018 OKAVANGO DELTA, BOTSWANA - BATELEUR EAGLE (JUVENILE) (Terathopius ecaudatus)

  

Adult Bateleurs are unmistakable with their black and chestnut plumage, grey wing patches, and bright red cere and feet. In flight, they exhibit elongated, narrow wings that appear pinched at the bases and pointed at the tips. The juvenile's longer tail and uniform brown coloration distinguish it from adults.

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Bateleurs favor open savanna habitats with some trees and dry woodlands across Sub-Saharan Africa. They require leafy trees for nesting and are often found near watercourses.

This species is widespread throughout Sub-Saharan Africa and marginally into Arabia. It is more common in protected areas and has experienced significant declines in certain regions.

Bateleurs are highly aerial, spending much time soaring with a distinctive rocking motion. They are solitary but may form loose congregations at rich feeding areas. They are sensitive to disturbance, especially at the nest, and can become unusually tame in captivity.

This species is widespread throughout Sub-Saharan Africa and marginally into Arabia. It is more common in protected areas and has experienced significant declines in certain regions.

Bateleurs are highly aerial, spending much time soaring with a distinctive rocking motion. They are solitary but may form loose congregations at rich feeding areas. They are sensitive to disturbance, especially at the nest, and can become unusually tame in captivity.

10-3-2025 DAIMUS PLAYA, VALENCIA - BLACK REDSTART (FEMALE) (Phoenicurus ochruros)

The Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) is a small, charismatic passerine bird, exhibiting a blend of dark and vibrant plumage. Males are distinguished by their dark grey to black upperparts and breast, with a striking orange-red rump and tail. Females and juveniles are more subdued in color, with grey to grey-brown feathers and the same vivid tail coloration that is the hallmark of the species.

Adult males are easily identified by their dark upperparts and black breast, contrasting with the orange-red lower rump and tail. The belly and undertail may vary from blackish-grey to orange-red, depending on the subspecies. Females and juveniles are less conspicuous, with overall greyer tones and a distinctive orange-red rump and tail. The presence of pale fringes on the secondaries forms a whitish wing panel in some subspecies.

The Black Redstart has adapted remarkably to urban environments, often found nesting in crevices or holes within buildings. Originally a dweller of stony mountainous regions, it now thrives in industrial areas with similar structural features.

10-3-2025 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - STEALTHY GROUND SPIDER (Setaphis carmeli)

Ground spiders comprise Gnaphosidae, the seventh largest spider family with over 2,000 described species in over 100 genera distributed worldwide. There are 105 species known to central Europe, and common genera include Gnaphosa, Drassodes, Micaria, Cesonia, Zelotes and many others. They are closely related to Clubionidae. At present, no ground spiders are known to be seriously venomous to humans.

Generally, ground spiders are characterized by having barrel-shaped anterior spinnerets that are one spinneret diameter apart. The main exception to this rule is found in the ant-mimicking genus Micaria. Another characteristic is an indentation in the endites (paired mouthparts anterior and lateral to the labium, or lip). All ground spiders lack a prey-capture web and generally run prey down on the surface. They hunt at night and spend the day in a silken retreat. The genitalia are diverse and are a good model for studying the evolution of genitalia because of their peculiar copulatory mechanism. The thick-walled egg sacs are guarded by the mother until the spiderlings hatch.

Ground spiders hunt by active foraging, chasing down and subduing individual prey items. They are adapted to hunting large and potentially dangerous prey, including other spiders, which they subdue by using their silk. When hunting, ground spiders produce thick, gluey silk from their enlarged spinnerets and attempt to use it to entangle their prey in swathing attacks, often applying their webbing to their prey's legs and mouths. By immobilizing potential prey in this manner, ground spiders can subdue proportionally large creatures while reducing risk of injury to themselves from their prey's attempts to fight back.

10-3-2025 DAIMUS PLAYA, VALENCIA - AUDOUIN'S GULL (Ichthyaetus audouinii)

The Audouin's gull, Ichthyaetus audouinii, presents itself as a large gull species, predominantly inhabiting the Mediterranean, the western coast of Saharan Africa, and the Iberian Peninsula. Its name pays homage to the French naturalist Jean Victoire Audouin. Resembling a small European herring gull, the adult Audouin's gull is distinguished by its short, stubby red bill and the unique "string of pearls" white wing primary tips. The legs of this bird are a subtle grey-green, and it takes a full four years for the gull to don its adult plumage.

When observing the Audouin's gull, one should note the red bill and the distinctive pattern of white spots along the wingtips, which contrast with the larger "mirrors" seen in other gull species. These features are key to distinguishing it from its relatives.

This gull favors coastal and pelagic environments, strictly adhering to regions where it can pursue its specialized diet.

The Audouin's gull is found in the Mediterranean, along the western Saharan African coast, and on the Iberian Peninsula. It breeds on small islands, either colonially or in solitude.

Once considered one of the world's rarest gulls, the Audouin's gull has established new colonies but remains a rare sight with a population of around 10,000 pairs. This bird is not known to wander far from its breeding grounds, though occasional records exist of it appearing as far afield as the Netherlands, England, and even Trinidad.

Unlike many of its kin, the Audouin's gull does not scavenge but is a specialist fish eater. It feeds at night, often far out to sea, and also patrols beaches, occasionally dipping its legs into the water to create drag, aiding in its hunting technique.

The Audouin's gull breeds on small islands, laying 2-3 eggs in a ground nest. It has been known to breed both in colonies and as solitary pairs.

The Audouin's gull is currently classified as Vulnerable according to the IUCN Red List. It is also one of the species protected under the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA).

10-3-2025 DAIMUS, VALENCIA - KNAPWEED (Centaurea seridis)

Centaurea seridis is a species of Centaurea found in the Eastern Mediterranean.

It is native to Albania, Algeria, Baleares, France, Italy, Morocco, Sicilia, and Spain. It has been introduced into Madeira. 

It has been registered as an invasive species in Portugal.

10-3-2025 DAIMUS, VALENCIA - SNAKE MILLIPEDE (Ommatoiulus rutilans)

Ommatoiulus rutilans (C. L. Koch, 1847) Common name “Millipede”

Length 1.5 to 38mm.

Average lifespan 7 years

Widespread in Spain and into the mid, east and south of Europe.

Millipedes have an Omnivore diet, (both plant and animal matter are eaten) mainly feeding on detritus (decaying plant matter).

Diplopods (known scientifically as the class Diplopoda) are a class of myriads commonly known as “millipedes” (Latin name for a thousand feet) although the maximum number of legs on a millipede recorded does not exceed 750, ( The 750 record goes to the species named “Illacme plenipes”) most millipedes have less than 200.

Although millipedes are sometimes mistaken for their relatives, the centipede. Centipedes belong to a different class. Millipedes differ from them, mainly, in that almost all segments of the trunk have two pairs of legs, while centipedes have only one pair per segment.

Millipedes, are vulnerable to many kinds of predators. It does have a defence mechanism, by curling up rapidly into a spiral and also releasing a pungent smelling liquid. This deters many animals, so as to let the millipede go.

Millipedes are important recyclers because they return chemicals to the soil, for plants to use again. But for the gardener millipedes are mainly regarded as a pest.

The female usually lays her eggs concealed on the ground, in amongst or under decaying decomposing leaves and wood. The larvae will moult eight to twelve times before becoming adult. They will live under stones, rocks, fallen leaves and in crevasses of decaying wood. They can live in damp and arid areas, but cannot survive the dry atmosphere found inside many buildings.

9-3-2025 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - DOUBLE STRIPED PUG MOTH (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata)

The double-striped pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata) is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is a widespread and common species, being found throughout the Palearctic region, including the Near East and North Africa.

This is a variable species but always easy to recognize due to the two prominent dark fascia across each forewing which give the species its common name. The forewing ground colour ranges from light to dark reddish brown. The crosslines are distinct. The inner margin of the pale white sub-marginal line bears black marks. The hindwings are pale grey with darker fringes, darker lines and a small black discal spot. There is a dark band across the basal segments of the abdomen. The wingspan is 15–19 mm.

The caterpillars reach a length of up to 17 millimeters and have a very variable basic colouration. It ranges from whitish to yellowish green, brown, red to purple. On the back there is a pale band marked with a series of dark diamonds or triangles. The drawing resembles a rear-facing trident, is sometimes crow-foot-like and can occasionally be only weakly formed. The head is yellowish brown.

Two, sometimes three, broods are produced each year and the adults are on the wing in April and May (sometimes earlier), July and August, and sometimes later in the autumn. Later broods are more heavily marked. It flies at night and is attracted to light and flowers, both of its food plants and others.

The larva feeds on the flowers of a huge range of plants (see list below) and has also been known to feed on the larvae of other lepidoptera. The species overwinters as a pupa.

9-3-2025 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - ANT EATING THERIDIID SPIDER (Euryopis episinoides)

 Prosoma black or yellow-brown, margin sometimes dark. Posterior eye row strongly recurved, equal distance between the eyes. Legs yellowish brown to dark grey, sometimes appearing annulated due to dark markings. Opisthosoma brownish to shiny black with indistinct pattern

Body length male: 2.0-2.8 mm

Body length female: 2.5-3.5 mm

Additional information

In garrigue, dunes, fallowlands, littoral saline areas, meadows and alder wood.

8-3-2025 RIO SERPIS GANDIA, VALENCIA - EURASIAN BLACKBIRD (MALE) (Turdus merula)

The Common Blackbird, Turdus merula, is a true thrush and a familiar sight in gardens and woodlands. The male is distinguished by its all-black plumage, bright yellow eye-ring, and orange-yellow bill, which darkens slightly during winter. Females and juveniles are more demure in their attire, sporting mainly dark brown feathers.

Adult males are entirely black with the exception of the yellow eye-ring and bill. Females are sooty-brown with a duller bill, and juveniles resemble females but have pale spots on their upperparts. The very young may also exhibit a speckled breast.

The Common Blackbird thrives in a variety of habitats including woodlands with dense undergrowth, gardens, parks, and hedgerows. It shows a preference for deciduous trees and areas with thick vegetation.

This species is widespread across Europe, western Asia, and North Africa. It has also been introduced to Australia and New Zealand. Its range varies from resident populations in the milder regions to partially or fully migratory populations in areas with more severe winters.

The Common Blackbird is territorial, especially during breeding season, with males displaying distinctive threat behaviors to ward off rivals. Outside of breeding season, they can be more sociable, often forming small flocks. The species is known for its adaptability to urban environments, where it may overwinter more readily than in rural settings.

The male's song is a melodious and fluted warble, often heard from elevated perches during the breeding season. The Common Blackbird also has a repertoire of calls including a sharp "seee" when agitated and a "pook-pook-pook" to signal ground predators.

8-3-2025 RIO SERPIS GANDIA, VALENCIA - LAURESTINE (Viburnum tinus)

Viburnum tinus, the laurustinus, laurustine or laurestine, is a species of flowering plant in the family Adoxaceae, native to the Mediterranean area of Europe and North Africa. Laurus signifies the leaves' similarities to bay laurel.

It is a shrub (rarely a small tree) reaching 2–7 m (7–23 ft) tall and 3 m (10 ft) broad,[1] with a dense, rounded crown. The leaves are evergreen, persisting 2–3 years, ovate to elliptic, borne in opposite pairs, 4–10 cm long and 2–4 cm broad, fine hairs persisting on the underside, with an entire margin.

The flowers are small, white or light pink, produced from reddish-pink buds in dense cymes 5–10 cm diameter in the winter. The fragrant flowers (some consider the fragrance offensive, especially after rain when it is very strong) are bisexual (monoecious — having both male and female parts on one plant) and pentamerous. The flowering period is in winter, or from October to June in the northern hemisphere. The five petals are tubular, with rounded, corolla lobes, pink in the bud but later white. There is only one whorl with five stamens. Pollination is by insects. The fruit is a dark blue-black drupe 5–7 mm long. A 2020 study of the fruit's metallic blue hue revealed microscopic globules of fat to be the cause, an example of structural color,[2] which is unusual in plants.

The leaves have domatia where predatory and microbivorous mites can be housed.

It is native to the Mediterranean region, Viburnum tinus prefers shady, moist areas. It is most commonly found in the western Mediterranean due to a shorter drought season and is one of the dominant species of Mediterranean sclerophyllous shrubland. It has also been introduced to Australia, Pakistan, California, Oregon and Tajikistan.

26-2-2025 CREU DE LONGA, ALBUFERA - GLOSSY IBIS (Plegadis falcinellus)

The Glossy Ibis, Plegadis falcinellus, is a wading bird of the family Threskiornithidae, known for its striking, sickle-shaped bill. This mid-sized ibis measures 48–66 cm in length, with a wingspan of 80–105 cm. Breeding adults boast reddish-brown bodies and iridescent bottle-green wings, while non-breeders and juveniles display a more subdued coloration. The species is characterized by a brownish bill, dark facial skin with blue-gray to cobalt blue borders, and red-brown legs. In flight, the ibis extends its neck and exhibits a graceful V formation.

When identifying the Glossy Ibis, look for its unique glossy feathers and the distinct shape of its bill. The bird's flight pattern is also a telltale sign, as it flies with its neck outstretched, unlike herons. Listen for its various croaks and grunts, particularly the hoarse grrrr sound during the breeding season.

The Glossy Ibis favors freshwater or brackish wetlands with tall, dense emergent vegetation such as reeds, papyrus, or rushes, and low trees or bushes. It can also be found in lagoons, floodplains, wet meadows, swamps, reservoirs, sewage ponds, rice paddies, and irrigated farmland. Coastal habitats like estuaries and salt marshes are less common for this species.

This ibis is the most widespread of its kind, breeding in warm regions across Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas. It is migratory, with European birds wintering in Africa and North American birds migrating southward. The species has been expanding its range, with increasing numbers in Europe and successful breeding in Britain as of 2022.

The Glossy Ibis is known for its nomadic tendencies and dispersal movements post-breeding. Northern populations are migratory, traversing vast distances such as the Sahara Desert. The species nests in mixed colonies and forms large flocks during migration and winter. It often roosts communally with other species, sometimes in trees far from feeding areas.

The Glossy Ibis is relatively quiet, but it does produce a range of vocalizations, including croaks and grunts. A distinctive hoarse grrrr can be heard during the breeding season.

Nesting occurs above water on platforms of twigs and vegetation, with both parents incubating the 3 to 4 eggs laid. Chicks leave the nest after about a week but are fed by parents for another 6 to 7 weeks, fledging around 28 days old.

The ibis's diet is seasonal and opportunistic, feeding on a variety of prey such as insects, annelids, molluscs, crustaceans, and occasionally fish, amphibians, lizards, small snakes, and nestling birds.

The Glossy Ibis is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN. However, it faces threats from habitat degradation and loss due to drainage, salinity changes, groundwater extraction, and invasive plant species. It is protected under the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA).