15-6-2016 RACO DE OLLA, VALENCIA - PIED AVOCET (Recurvirostra avosetta)

Pied Avocet, scientifically known as Recurvirostra avosetta, is a unique bird species belonging to the Recurvirostridae family including avocets and stilts, some of the most fascinating waders for birding enthusiasts. These distinctive birds can be found across the Old World in a variety of climates and environments, including coastal areas, wetlands, and salt pans. An ideal spot to observe these birds would be in shallow water, where they often forage for food. The easiest way to identify Pied Avocets in the field is by their remarkable and unique upturned bills.

Pied Avocets are one of several species that appear on the emblem of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) in the United Kingdom, where they symbolize nature conservation. Like all living things, they play a crucial role in the natural ecosystem. As wading birds, they help control insect populations and contribute to the overall health of wetland habitats. Like many other bird species, their presence can serve as an indicator of the quality of the environment.

Pied Avocets are medium-sized birds with an average length of 40-45 cm / 16-18 inches and a wingspan of 77-80 cm / 30-31 inches. They typically weigh around 240-315 g / 8.5-11 oz. These birds boast a distinct appearance that sets them apart from other waders.

As mentioned before, it is easiest to identify Pied Avocet by their long, thin, and upturned bills, which they use for sweeping through the water to catch small aquatic prey. Their black-and-white plumage provides a stark contrast, while the long, blue-grey legs further enhance their unique appearance. During the breeding season, these birds showcase an even more vibrant look making them particularly attractive to potential mates.

There are subtle differences between male and female Pied Avocets. Males tend to have slightly longer bills and legs, while females have more curved bills. However, these differences can be challenging to notice in the field, as both sexes share the same striking plumage.

15-6-2016 RACO DE OLLA, VALENCIA - GREATER FLAMINGO (Phoenicopterus roseus)

The Greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) is the most widespread and largest species of the flamingo family. It was described by Peter Simon Pallas in 1811. The Greater flamingo was previously thought to be the same species as the American flamingo, but because of coloring differences of its head, neck, body, and bill, the two flamingos are now most commonly considered separate species.

Greater flamingos have an attractive coloration and appearance. Their feathers are pinkish/white, the wing coverts are red and the primary and secondary flight feathers are black. They have long pink bills with a black tip, yellow eyes and long pink legs. The male is bigger than the female, and juveniles have a gray-brown coloration, with some pink on their underparts, tail and wings, with the legs and beak being mainly brown.

The Greater flamingo inhabits Africa, the Middle East, southern Europe, and the Indian subcontinent. They occur in relatively shallow water bodies, such as saline lagoons, salt pans, large alkaline or saline lakes, and estuaries. Breeding takes place on sandbanks, mudflats, sandy or rocky islands, or open beaches.

12-6-2016 POTRIES, VALENCIA - RED EARED SLIDER TERRAPIN (Trachemys scripta ssp. elegans)

The red-eared slider or red-eared terrapin (Trachemys scripta elegans) is a subspecies of the pond slider (Trachemys scripta), a semiaquatic turtle belonging to the family Emydidae. It is the most popular pet turtle in the United States, is also popular as a pet across the rest of the world, and is the most invasive turtle. It is the most commonly traded turtle in the world.

The red-eared slider is native from the Midwestern United States to northern Mexico, but has become established in other places because of pet releases, and has become invasive in many areas where it outcompetes native species. The red-eared slider is included in the list of the world's 100 most invasive species.

Red-eared sliders are popular pets around the world.

The red-eared slider gets its name from the small, red stripe around its ears, or where its ears would be, and from its ability to slide quickly off rocks and logs into the water. This species was previously known as Troost's turtle in honor of an American herpetologist Gerard Troost. Trachemys scripta troostii is now the scientific name for another subspecies, the Cumberland slider.

13-6-2016 CASA DE CULTURA, GANDIA - EURASIAN BLACKBIRD (FEMALE) (Turdus merula)

The Common blackbird (Turdus merula) is a species of true thrush. It is also called the Eurasian blackbird (especially in North America, to distinguish it from the unrelated New World blackbirds), or simply the blackbird where this does not lead to confusion with a similar-looking local species. This common and conspicuous species has given rise to a number of literary and cultural references, frequently related to its song.

The adult male has glossy black plumage, blackish-brown legs, a yellow eye ring, and an orange-yellow bill. The bill darkens somewhat in winter. The adult female is sooty-brown with a dull yellowish-brownish bill, a brownish-white throat, and some weak mottling on the breast. The juvenile is similar to the female but has pale spots on the upperparts, and the very young juvenile also has a speckled breast. Young birds vary in the shade of brown, with darker birds presumably males. The first-year male resembles the adult male but has a dark bill and weaker eye ring, and its folded wing is brown, rather than black like the body plumage.

13-6-2016 VILLALONGA RESERVOIR - WHITE WAGTAIL (Motacilla alba)

The white wagtail (Motacilla alba) is a small passerine bird in the family Motacillidae, which also includes pipits and longclaws. The species breeds in much of Europe and the Asian Palearctic and parts of North Africa. It has a toehold in Alaska as a scarce breeder. It is resident in the mildest parts of its range, but otherwise migrates to Africa. In Ireland and Great Britain, the darker subspecies, the pied wagtail or water wagtail (M. a. yarrellii) predominates; this is also called in Ireland willie wagtail, not to be confused with the Australian species Rhipidura leucophrys which bears the same common name. In total, there are between 9 and 11 subspecies of M. alba.

The white wagtail is an insectivorous bird of open country, often near habitation and water. It prefers bare areas for feeding, where it can see and pursue its prey. In urban areas it has adapted to foraging on paved areas such as car parks. It nests in crevices in stone walls and similar natural and human-made structures.

It is the national bird of Latvia and has featured on the stamps of several countries. Though it is 'of least concern', there are several threats against it, like being kept as pets and being used as food.

13-6-2016 VILLALONGA RESERVOIR - LITTLE RINGED PLOVER (Charadrius dubius)

The Little Ringed Plover is a small plover with a distinctive black and white head pattern, similar to the Ringed Plover. It has a black beak and pale (not orange) legs. Close views reveal a distinctive yellow eye-ring. In flight, it shows a plain brown wing without the white wing stripe that Ringed Plover has. It first bred in the UK in 1938 and is now a year-round resident of a large part of England and Wales – thanks to man-made habitats such as gravel pits. It's listed as a Schedule 1 species under The Wildlife and Countryside Act.

This attractive small wading bird is a relatively new addition to the British breeding avifauna, first recorded nesting here in 1938.

Little Ringed Plovers are summer visitors to Britain, sometimes arriving as early as mid-March. Originally associated with gravel workings in central England, they have now colonised seasonally wet areas across the post-industrial landscapes of the north-west. In Wales and Scotland, new colonists use river gravels for nesting.

Easily confused with its commoner coastal cousin, the Ringed Plover, this species prefers fresh water. It is a daintier bird, has more subtle colours and lacks a white wing-bar when seen in flight. A good close view reveals the diagnostic yellow eye-ring.

13-6-2016 VILLALONGA RESERVOIR - EPAULET SKIMMER DRAGONFLY (Orthetrum chrysostigma)

Both sexes are among the more easily recognised Orthetrum species, due to the single diagonal stripe on the sides of the thorax.

Fully pruinose males, however, are hard to identify and are best told by the distinctive shape of the secondary genitalia.

Most similar to the closely related Two-striped Skimmer (Orthetrum caffrum), but that species has a darker, browner thorax with two, pale diagonal stripes on the sides.

Makes use of a wide range of freshwater habitats, including Rivers, streams, lakes, pans, dams and water-holes. Favours sites that are fairly open with exposed rocks, sand or gravel. Most common along rivers in the savanna regions.

Often perches on the ground, but also on rocks and exposed stems and twigs. Hunts from a perch with a rapid, darting flight. Frequently returns to the same perch. Both sexes can be found in the same area.

Common and widespread. Listed as of Least Concern in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The Epaulet Skimmer is fairly resistant towards habitat damage and is often common at man-made and degraded sites.

Very widespread and occurs virtually throughout Africa, including North Africa. It also occurs in parts of Southern Europe and the Middle East. In South Africa it occurs virtually throughout, but is scarce in the dry central regions.

8-6-2016 CULLA, VALENCIA - RUFOUS TAILED ROCK THRUSH (FEMALE)

The common rock thrush (Monticola saxatilis), also known as rufous-tailed rock thrush or simply rock thrush, is a chat belonging to the family Muscicapidae. It was formerly placed in the family Turdidae. The scientific name is from Latin. Monticola is from mons, montis "mountain", and colere, "to dwell", and saxatilis means "rock-frequenting", from saxum, "stone" .

It breeds in southern Europe across Central Asia to northern China. This species is strongly migratory, all populations wintering in Africa south of the Sahara. It is an uncommon visitor to northern Europe. Its range has contracted somewhat at the periphery in recent decades due to habitat destruction. For example, in the early 20th century it bred in the Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska (Poland) where none occur today, but it is not considered globally endangered.

This is a medium-sized but stocky thrush 17–20 cm in length. The summer male is unmistakable, with a blue-grey head, orange underparts and outer tail feathers, dark brown wings and white back. Females and immatures are much less striking, with dark brown scaly upperparts, and paler brown scaly underparts. The outer tail feathers are reddish, like the male.

This species breeds in open dry hilly areas, usually above 1500 m. It nests in rock cavities, laying 4–5 eggs. It is omnivorous, eating a wide range of insects, berries and small reptiles. The male common rock thrush has a clear and tuneful song.

Medium to small bird (about 19 cm or 7.5 in) with a characteristic colour. Males with blue-grey plumage on head and back. Orange breast and underparts. White spot on the rump. Orange wings and axilar region with darker ending. Orange tail. More discreet females, with orange tail but brown and speckled rest of the body.*

Rupicolous species linked to mountain areas of medium and high altitude, from a thousand meters (3,280 ft), with rocks and low scrubland with interspersed grassland. It requires the absence of trees.

Summer species, present in Malaga only during the breeding season, which starts in April. The Rock-Thrush can make two annual layings of 4 to 5 eggs. Nest on the ground or among rocks. Strict insectivore, specialized in beetles, grasshoppers, butterflies and caterpillars. It complements its diet in autumn with fleshy fruits.

12-6-2016 POTTRIES, VALENCIA - BARN SWALLOW (Hirundo rustica)

The Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) is the most widespread species of swallow in the world. In fact, it has the largest natural distribution of any of the world's passerines, ranging over 251 million square kilometers globally. In Anglophone Europe it is just called the swallow; in northern Europe, it is the only common species called a "swallow" rather than a "martin".

The Barn swallow is a distinctive songbird with blue upperparts and a long, deeply forked tail. There is a line of white spots across the outer end of the upper tail. The female is similar in appearance to the male, but the tail streamers are shorter, the blue of the upperparts and breast band is less glossy, and the underparts paler. The juvenile is browner and has a paler rufous face and whiter underparts. It also lacks the long tail streamers of the adult.

Barn swallows are found in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. These birds are long-distance migrants and their wintering grounds cover much of the Southern Hemisphere as far south as central Argentina, the Cape Province of South Africa, and northern Australia. 

The preferred habitat of Barn swallows is open country with low vegetation, such as pasture, meadows, and farmland, preferably with nearby water. These birds avoid heavily wooded or precipitous areas and densely built-up locations. On their wintering grounds, Barn swallows avoid only dense forests and deserts. They are most common in open, low vegetation habitats, such as savanna and ranch land, and in Venezuela, South Africa, and Trinidad and Tobago the birds are particularly attracted to burnt or harvested sugarcane fields and the waste from the cane.

Barn swallows are gregarious birds and in the absence of suitable roost sites, they sometimes roost on wires where they are more exposed to predators. Individual birds tend to return to the same wintering locality each year and congregate from a large area to roost in reed beds. These roosts can be extremely large and are thought to be a protection from predators. Barn swallows typically feed by day in open areas 7-8 m (23-26 ft) above shallow water or the ground often following animals, humans, or farm machinery to catch disturbed insects; they may also pick prey items from the water surface, walls, and plants. During the breeding, season Barn swallows hunt in pairs, but otherwise form often large flocks. These birds are usually fairly quiet on the wintering grounds. At other times they communicate with constant twittering and chattering. The song of the male Barn swallow is a cheerful warble, often ending with 'su-seer'. Other calls include 'witt' or 'witt-witt' and a loud 'splee-plink' when excited (or trying to chase intruders away from the nest). The alarm calls include a sharp 'siflitt' for predators like cats and a 'flitt-flitt' for birds of prey like the hobby.

9-6-2016 ALDEAROQUETA, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH (Carduelis carduelis)

European goldfinches are monogamous and form long-lasting pair bonds. Their breeding season occurs in spring and starts in March with courtship displays. The male perches close to the female and stretches his wings while swaying from side to side, showing the bright yellow patches of the wings. The nest is built entirely by the female and is generally completed within a week. The male accompanies the female but does not contribute. The nest is neat and compact and is generally located several meters above the ground, hidden by leaves in the twigs at the end of a swaying branch. It is constructed of mosses and lichens and lined with plant down such as that from thistles. It is attached to the twigs of the tree with spider silk. A deep cup prevents the loss of eggs in windy weather. Beginning within a couple of days after the completion of the nest, the female lays a clutch of 4-6 eggs, which are whitish with reddish-brown speckles. The eggs are incubated for 11-13 days by the female, who is fed by the male. The chicks are altricial; they are born blind and naked and are fed by both parents. Initially, they receive a mixture of seeds and insects, but as they grow the proportion of insect material decreases. For the first 7-9 days, the young are brooded by the female. The nestlings fledge 13-18 days after hatching but parents continue to feed them for a further 7-9 days.

9-6-2016 ALDEA ROQUETA, VALENCIA - EURASIAN GOLDEN ORIOLE (Oriolus oriolus)

The Eurasian golden oriole (Oriolus oriolus) is the only member of the Old World oriole family of passerine birds breeding in Northern Hemisphere temperate regions. The name "oriole" was first used in the 18th century and is an adaptation of the scientific Latin genus name, which is derived from the Classical Latin "aureolus" meaning golden. Various forms of "oriole" have existed in Romance languages since the 12th and 13th centuries. Albertus Magnus used the Latin form oriolus in about 1250 and erroneously stated that it was onomatopoeic because of the golden oriole's song. In medieval England, its name, derived from the song, was the woodwele.

Males of this species are golden yellow in color with black wings that have yellow-tipped coverts. Females are almost greenish with a yellowish-white belly. Despite the bright colors of males it's quite difficult to spot these birds in the yellow and green leaves of the canopy due to their secretive habits.

opulation size

17.4-32 Mln

Life Span

10 years

Top speed

42

km/hmph

km/h mph 

Weight

65-67

goz

g oz 

Length

24-25

cminch

cm inch 

Wingspan

44-47

cminch

cm inch 

Golden orioles breed from western Europe and Scandinavia east to China. They winter in central and southern Africa. These birds live in various habitats. In Western Europe they prefer open broadleaf forests and plantations, copses, riverine forests, orchards, and large gardens; in Eastern Europe, they may inhabit the more continuous forest as well as mixed or coniferous forests. They generally avoid treeless habitats but may forage there. In their wintering habitat, Golden orioles are found in semi-arid to humid woodland, tall forests, riverine forest, woodland/savanna mosaic, and savanna.

Golden orioles are diurnal birds but generally migrate during the night; however, in the spring migration, they may travel during the day. They are usually seen alone, in pairs, or small groups. Golden orioles forage on the ground and in tree canopies using their bills to pick insects out of crevices. These birds communicate with the help of various calls. Their alarm call is a screech like a jay, but the song is a beautiful fluting weela-wee-ooo or or-iii-ole, unmistakable once heard. Breeding pairs often sing in duets when females answer to the males' song with a short skweeeeer.

9-6-2016 ALDEA ROQUETA, VALENCIA - EURASIAN GOLDEN ORIOLE (Oriolus oriolus)

The Eurasian golden oriole (Oriolus oriolus) is the only member of the Old World oriole family of passerine birds breeding in Northern Hemisphere temperate regions. The name "oriole" was first used in the 18th century and is an adaptation of the scientific Latin genus name, which is derived from the Classical Latin "aureolus" meaning golden. Various forms of "oriole" have existed in Romance languages since the 12th and 13th centuries. Albertus Magnus used the Latin form oriolus in about 1250 and erroneously stated that it was onomatopoeic because of the golden oriole's song. In medieval England, its name, derived from the song, was the woodwele.

Population size

17.4-32 Mln

Life Span

10 years

Top speed

42

km/hmph

km/h mph 

Weight

65-67

goz

g oz 

Length

24-25

cminch

cm inch 

Wingspan

44-47

cminch

cm inch 

9-6-2016 ALDEAROQUETA, VALENCIA - EURASIAN BLACKBIRD (MALE) (Turdus merula)

The Common blackbird (Turdus merula) is a species of true thrush. It is also called the Eurasian blackbird (especially in North America, to distinguish it from the unrelated New World blackbirds), or simply the blackbird where this does not lead to confusion with a similar-looking local species. This common and conspicuous species has given rise to a number of literary and cultural references, frequently related to its song.

The adult male has glossy black plumage, blackish-brown legs, a yellow eye ring, and an orange-yellow bill. The bill darkens somewhat in winter. The adult female is sooty-brown with a dull yellowish-brownish bill, a brownish-white throat, and some weak mottling on the breast. The juvenile is similar to the female but has pale spots on the upperparts, and the very young juvenile also has a speckled breast. Young birds vary in the shade of brown, with darker birds presumably males. The first-year male resembles the adult male but has a dark bill and weaker eye ring, and its folded wing is brown, rather than black like the body plumage.

9-6-2016 ALDEAROQUETA, VALENCIA - BLACK REDSTART (FEMALE) (Phoenicurus ochruros)

The Black redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) is a small passerine bird in the genus Phoenicurus. Like its relatives, it was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family (Turdidae), but is now known to be an Old World flycatcher (Muscicapidae).

The adult male of this species is overall dark grey to black on the upperparts and with a black breast; the lower rump and tail are orange-red, with the two central tail feathers dark red-brown. The belly and undertail are either blackish-grey (western subspecies) or orange-red (eastern subspecies); the wings are blackish-grey with pale fringes on the secondaries forming a whitish panel (western subspecies) or all blackish (eastern subspecies). The female is grey (western subspecies) to grey-brown (eastern subspecies) overall except for the orange-red lower rump and tail, greyer than the common redstart; at any age, the grey axillaries and underwing coverts are also distinctive. There are two distinct forms in first calendar year males at least in western subspecies, with the first ('carei') being similar to females and the second ('paradoxus') approaching adult males but lacking the whitish wing panel that does only develop during post-breeding molt of wing feathers in the second calendar year. This second form is much rarer than the first.

9-6-2016 ALDEAROQUETA, VALENCIA - EURASIAN REED WARBLER (Acrocephalus scirpaceus)

The Eurasian reed warbler, or just reed warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus ), is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It breeds across Europe into the temperate western Palaearctic. It is migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa.

This is a medium-sized warbler, 13 cm (5.1 in) in length with a wing-span of 17–21 cm (6.7–8.3 in). The adult has an unstreaked brown back and buff underparts. The forehead is flattened, and the bill is strong and pointed. The sexes are identical, as with most warblers, but young birds are richer buff below. The Eurasian reed warbler looks similar to the great reed warbler, but the great reed warbler is larger in size and has a stronger supercilium.

The song is a slow, chattering jit-jit-jit with typically acrocephaline whistles and mimicry added.

9-6-2016 CULLA, VALENCIA - SCARCE SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY (Iphiclides podalirius)

Iphiclides feisthamelii, the southern scarce swallowtail, southern swallowtail or Iberian scarce swallowtail, is a butterfly found in Italy, Slovenia, southern France, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of I. podalirius.

The larva feeds on Prunus amygdalus (almond), P. persica (peach), P. insititia (a kind of plum), P. longipes, Pyrus communis (common pear), Malus domesticus (apple) and Crataegus oxyacantha.

This species is often considered merely a subspecies of the scarce swallowtail, though recent authors are increasingly counting it a separate species. Its distribution is restricted to the Iberian peninsula south of the Pyrenees. It is very similar to the scarce swallowtail but usually a more papery white, with noticeably more kite-shaped wings and a more distinct yellow line along the costa of the forewing. Another useful but not 100% diagnostic feature is the third bar from the wing base on the forewing, which is typically blunt on the vein, not tapered to a point.

Iberian scarce swallowtails may be seen very early in the year. The first pictures on this page were taken in February in Málaga, where the species was hilltopping along with many other butterflies. They fly throughout the year in two or three broods, hibernating as pupae.

After many years being considered a subspecies of the scarce swallowtail I. podalirius this taxon can now be accepted as a full species.

Identification & Similar species: Compared to the scarce swallowtail I. podalirius, this species has a white/ grey-white rather than yellowish ground colour, but sometimes with faint yellow in the female. Markings are also darker, at least in the spring brood. The differences are subtle...

Genetalia are reportedly slightly different and there is some differentiation in mitochondrial DNA.

Distribution & Flight: North Africa, Spain and southwest France. There may be overlap with the scarce swallowtail I. podalirius in some areas particularly as these are mobile butterflies. Flies from March or April to the end of summer in multiple broods.

Habitat & Behaviour: Diverse habitats: scrub, meadows, parks, gardens, coasts to mountains.