2-8-2017 CENTRAL PARK, BUDAPEST - BATELEUR EAGLE (Terathopius ecaudatus)

The Bateleur (Terathopius ecaudatus) is a medium-sized eagle known for its striking appearance and unique flight characteristics. It is the sole member of the genus Terathopius and is closely related to snake eagles. Adults are predominantly black with chestnut on the mantle, rump, and tail, and have distinctive red facial skin and feet. Juveniles are drab brown with paler scaling. The species is characterized by a very large head, small bill, large feet, short legs, long wings, and an exceptionally short tail, which is even shorter in adults.

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.

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.

Bateleurs are generally silent but may emit a loud, raucous "schaaaa-aw" when excited or during courtship. They also produce resonant barking calls and softer calls near the nest.

Bateleurs build small but sturdy stick nests in large trees and lay a single egg. They may take up to 7 to 8 years to reach full maturity. The species is known for its elaborate courtship displays.

Juvenile Bateleurs could be confused with brown snake eagles due to their similar size and proportions, but the latter have yellow eyes and longer legs.

Bateleurs have a generalist diet that includes carrion and a wide range of live prey, such as mammals, birds, and reptiles. They forage from flight, often descending in tight spirals to investigate potential food.

The Bateleur is classified as Endangered by the IUCN due to pronounced population declines caused by habitat destruction, pesticide usage, and persecution. The species is mostly confined to protected areas today.

Bateleur is French for 'tightrope-walker'. This name was probably chosen because of its distinctive aerial acrobatics.

A very distinctive, short-tailed eagle. Young birds are uniformly dark brown, and adults are mostly black with a bright red face and legs. Sexes differ, especially in flight, and can be told by the width of the black band on the back edge of the white underwing: narrow in females, broad in males. It flies low when foraging, with wings raised above the body and rocking from left to right in an unstable-looking fashion. Bateleurs hunt small animals and eat carrion, and they are often among the first raptors to arrive at a carcass.

30-7-2017 CENTRAL PARK, BUDAPEST - HEWITSON'S LONGWING BUTTERFLY (Heliconius hewitsoni)

Heliconius hewitsoni is a species of brush-footed butterfly in the genus Heliconius.

This butterfly has black wings with two white stripes on the forewing. The undersides of the wings are similar but also contain small red patches close to the body. The caterpillar is yellow and green and consumes Passifloraceae. It pupates in groups in a chrysalis that is pale yellow to pale brown and covered in black veins and spines.

Heliconius hewitsoni can be found on the Pacific Slope of western Panama and Costa Rica. It is found in forests, usually in the canopy.

30-7-2017 CENTRAL PARK, BUDAPEST - BANDED ORANGE HELICONIAN BUTTERFLY (Dryadula phaetusa)

Dryadula is a monotypic genus of the butterfly family Nymphalidae. Its single species, Dryadula phaetusa, known as the banded orange heliconian, banded orange, or orange tiger, is native from Brazil to central Mexico, and in summer can be found rarely as far north as central Florida. Its wingspan ranges from 86 to 89 mm, and it is colored a bright orange with thick black stripes in males and a duller orange with fuzzier black stripes in females.

It feeds primarily on the nectar of flowers and on bird droppings; its caterpillar feeds on passion vines including Passiflora tetrastylis. It is generally found in lowland tropical fields and valleys.

This species is unpalatable to birds and belongs to the "orange" Müllerian mimicry complex.

Prior to their mating season, males of this species congregate by the hundreds on patches of moist soil that contain mineral salts, a behavior known as mud-puddling. When they cannot find such deposits, the insects visit various animals to drink salty secretions from their skin and nostrils.

The genus Dryadula Michner, 1942, is monotypic; the type species is Papilio phaetusa Linnaeus, 1758 (Syst. Nat. 10 ed., 1: 478). The type locality, given as "Indiis", is supposed to refer to the West Indies or northern South America.

30-7-2017 CENTRAL PARK, BUDAPEST - CHOCOLATE PANSY BUTTERFLY (Junonia hedonia ssp. ida)

Junonia iphita, the chocolate pansy or chocolate soldier, is a butterfly found in Asia.

The wingspan is about 5–6 cm (2.0–2.4 in) and the female can be told apart from the male by white markings on the oblique line on the underside of the hindwing. The wavy lines on the underside of the wings vary from wet- to dry-season forms.

Individuals maintain a territory and are usually found close to the ground level and often bask in the sun.

Upperside of both sexes brown of varying depths of colour. Forewing: cell with one pair of subbasal and one pair of apical transverse sinuous fasciae, the outermost defining the discocellulars; a short, broad, dark, oblique fascia beyond to vein 4, its inner margin diffuse, its outer sinuous but sharply defined; below vein 4 a sinuous, transverse, more faint fascia, followed by a discal blackish fascia, very broad and diffuse, below costa, bordered by a row of faint ocelli, and a postdiscal and a subterminal similar fascia following the outline of the termen. Hindwing with a slender blackish loop near apex of cellular area; a broad inwardly diffuse, outwardly well-defined short discal fascia in continuation of the one on the forewing; a series of postdiscal somewhat ochraceous ocelli with black pupils minutely centred with white; postdiscal and subterminal broad lines as on the forewing.

Underside brown, with very broad darker brown transverse fasciae, the interspaces between the markings irrorated (sprinkled) with purplish silvery scales. Forewing with two sinuous fasciae on basal half succeeded by a discal fascia, very broad at the costal margin and decreasing in width to the dorsum, bearing on its outer border a row of obscure ocelli. This is succeeded by a zigzag dark line, and sinuous subterminal and terminal lines; apex and tornal area suffused with purplish silvery. Hindwing: two irregular, very broad, dark brown, curved short fasciae near base; a straight, transverse, prominent, narrow ochreous-brown discal band defined outwardly by a black line; a transverse postdiscal dark brown fascia, widest in the middle and bearing outwardly a curved row of ochreous-brown white-centred ocelli, followed by a zigzag dark line in continuation of the one on the forewing; a subterminal somewhat diffuse dark fascia and a terminal dark line. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen dark brown.

 

The eggs are often laid on the ground or on dry twigs near the host plants rather than on them. On hatching the larvae find their way to the host plants.

The Larva are "Cylindrical, slightly pubescent and armed with nine longitudinal rows of many-branched spines, except on the head which is clothed with short bristles. ... Colour dark dull brown." 

The pupa "is regular, with three or five dorsal rows of small tubercular points, hung perpendicularly. ... Colour smoky brown."

30-7-2017 CENTRAL PARK, BUDAPEST - MALLARD (FEMALE)

The mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa. Mallards live in wetlands, eat water plants and small animals, and prefer to congregate in flocks of varying sizes. Unlike many waterfowl, mallards are considered an invasive species in some regions. It is a very adaptable species, being able to live and even thrive in urban areas. This species is the main ancestor of most breeds of domestic duck, and its naturally evolved wild gene pool has been genetically polluted by the domestic and feral mallard populations.

The magnificent mallard is one of the most recognizable bird species around the world. When flying, the bird displays a purplish-blue speculum, which is outlined in white. Males of this species are particularly colorful. Breeding males have a yellow beak, dark brown chest, black and white tail as well as bright green head and neck. They exhibit a white ring at the base of their neck. In addition, the sides of breeding males and most of their wings are gray. On the other hand, the plumage of female mallards and non-breeding males is less vivid and colorful. The overall plumage of female mallards is spotted with tan and brown patches, and the head is a lighter tan, showing dark bands near the crown and eyes. Females have orange-colored beaks, covered with dark spots. Females and non-breeding males generally look alike, though the latter have yellowish beaks.

Mallards are found across the Northern and Southern Hemispheres; in North America, their range extends from southern and central Alaska to Mexico, the Hawaiian Islands, across the Palearctic, from Iceland and southern Greenland and parts of Morocco (North Africa) in the west, Scandinavia and Britain to the north, and to Siberia, Japan, and South Korea. Also in the east, it ranges to south-eastern and south-western Australia and New Zealand in the Southern hemisphere. Mallards are strongly migratory in the northern parts of their breeding range and winter farther south. They live in a wide range of habitats and climates, from the Arctic tundra to subtropical regions. They can be found in both fresh- and salt-water wetlands, including parks, small ponds, rivers, lakes, and estuaries, as well as shallow inlets and open seas within sight of the coastline. Water depths of less than 0.9 m (3.0 ft) are preferred, with birds avoiding areas more than a few meters deep. They are attracted to bodies of water with aquatic vegetation.

Mallards are diurnal birds that spend most of their time feeding. They usually feed by dabbling for plant food or grazing. They are highly gregarious outside of the breeding season and form large flocks, which are known as "sordes". However, during the breeding season, both male and female mallards can become aggressive, driving off competitors to themselves or their mate by charging at them. Males typically fight more than females and attack each other by repeatedly pecking at their rival's chest, ripping out feathers and even skin on rare occasions. Females may also carry out 'inciting displays', which encourage other ducks in the flock to begin fighting. In general, mallards are noisy birds. Females have the deep ‘quack’ stereotypically associated with ducks. Males make a sound phonetically similar to that of the female, a typical ‘quack’, but it is deeper and quieter compared to that of the female. When incubating a nest, or when offspring are present, females vocalize differently, making a call that sounds like a truncated version of the usual ‘quack’. In addition, females hiss if the nest or offspring are threatened or interfered with. When taking off, the wings of a mallard produce a characteristic faint whistling noise.

30-7-2017 CENTRAL PARK, BUDAPEST - GREY JUNGLE FOWL (Gallus sonneratii)

The Grey Junglefowl, also known as Sonnerat's Junglefowl, is a striking bird with a notable presence in the Indian wilderness. The male of the species boasts a black cape adorned with ochre spots, and its body plumage is a fine pattern set against a grey background. The elongated neck feathers, ending in a small, hard, yellowish plate, are particularly distinctive and have been utilized in the creation of high-grade artificial flies for fishing. The male also features red wattles and combs, though less pronounced than those of the Red Junglefowl, and sports red legs with spurs. The central tail feathers are long and sickle-shaped. During the summer, males may exhibit an eclipse plumage, shedding their colorful neck feathers. In contrast, the female is more subdued in coloration, with black and white streaking on the underparts and yellow legs.

To identify the Grey Junglefowl, look for the male's unique neck feathers and the pattern of ochre spots on the black cape. The female can be recognized by her streaked underparts and yellow legs. Both sexes have a grey ground color, but the male's plumage is more vibrant.

The Grey Junglefowl is typically found in the thickets of the forest floor and open scrub areas. It is a bird that thrives in the dense undergrowth of India's forests.

Endemic to India, the Grey Junglefowl is primarily located in the peninsular region but extends into Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and southern Rajasthan. Its range is largely non-overlapping with that of the Red Junglefowl, except for a region of overlap in the Aravalli range.

The Grey Junglefowl is known for its loud and distinctive calls, which can be heard in the early mornings and at dusk. The male's call is a clear "Ku-kayak-kyuk-kyuk," and unlike the Red Junglefowl, it does not flap its wings before calling. Breeding occurs from February to May, with the female laying 4 to 7 pale creamy eggs in a scrape. The eggs hatch after about 21 days. Although primarily ground-dwelling, these birds will take to the trees to evade predators or to roost. They forage in small groups, feeding on grains, bamboo seeds, berries, insects, and termites.

The male Grey Junglefowl's call is a distinctive "Ku-kayak-kyuk-kyuk," a sound that resonates through the forests at dawn and dusk.

Breeding season for the Grey Junglefowl spans from February to May. The female lays a clutch of 4 to 7 pale creamy eggs, which incubate for approximately 21 days.

The Grey Junglefowl may be confused with the Red Junglefowl, but can be distinguished by the male's unique neck feathers and the absence of wing-flapping before its call.

The diet of the Grey Junglefowl includes grains, bamboo seeds, berries, insects, and termites. They forage on the ground in small groups, often scratching at the soil to uncover food.

The Grey Junglefowl is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating that it is not at immediate risk of widespread decline.

30-7-2017 CENTRAL PARK, BUDAPEST - TIGER LONGWING BUTTERFLY (Heliconius hecale)

Heliconius hecale, the tiger longwing, Hecale longwing, golden longwing or golden heliconian, is a heliconiid butterfly that occurs from Mexico to the Peruvian Amazon. Hecale, was an old woman who gave shelter to Theseus on his way to capture the Marathonian Bull.

Tiger longwings (Heliconius hecale), can be found in Central America and further south in the Amazon. They are part of the most important tropical butterfly group for the study of diversity and genetics.

There are around 40 species in the Heliconius group, and they all have long wings with a variety of simple, striking patterns, often with a black background.

Longwings copy the patterns of more poisonous butterflies © That_Bee, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0  

Each wing pattern has been tweaked by evolution to help the creature survive. Many of the longwings copy the patterns of related butterflies.

All the species thrive in the same range of environments and geographical areas. And the tiger longwings protect themselves from predators by mimicking the patterns of other, poisonous species very closely.

This mimicry changes depending on geographical area, but the tiger longwings are known to copy the ithomiine butterfly (Tithorea tarricina). Another black and orange species, it carries alkaloids in its body that make it distasteful to predators.

Birds end up avoiding both species because they are unable to spot the differences between them.

Vivid orange and black, tiger longwings are masterful copycats, using their bright colours to survive.

30-7-2017 CENTRAL PARK, BUDAPEST - GREY HERON (Ardea cinerea)

The grey heron (Ardea cinerea) is a long-legged wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia, and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more northern parts migrate southwards in autumn. A bird of wetland areas, it can be seen around lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes and on the sea coast. It feeds mostly on aquatic creatures which it catches after standing stationary beside or in the water, or stalking its prey through the shallows.

Standing up to 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) tall, adults weigh from 1 to 2 kg (2 to 4 lb). They have a white head and neck with a broad black stripe that extends from the eye to the black crest. The body and wings are grey above and the underparts are greyish-white, with some black on the flanks. The long, sharply pointed beak is pinkish-yellow and the legs are brown.

The birds breed colonially in spring in heronries, usually building their nests high in trees. A clutch of usually three to five bluish-green eggs is laid. Both birds incubate the eggs for around 25 days, and then both feed the chicks, which fledge when 7-8 weeks old. Many juveniles do not survive their first winter, but if they do, they can expect to live for about 5 years.

In Ancient Egypt, the deity Bennu was depicted as a heron in New Kingdom artwork. In Ancient Rome, the heron was a bird of divination. Roast heron was once a specially prized dish; when George Neville became Archbishop of York in 1465, 400 herons were served to the guests.

30-7-2017 CENTRAL PARK, BUDAPEST - EURASIAN GREAT CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax carbo)

The Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) is a widespread member of the cormorant family of seabirds. Many fishermen see in the Great cormorant a competitor for fish. Because of this, it was hunted nearly to extinction in the past but luckily due to conservation efforts, its numbers increased.

The Great cormorant is a large black bird, but there is a wide variation in size in the species' wide range. Males are typically larger and heavier than females. It has a longish tail and yellow throat patch. Adults have white patches on the thighs and on the throat in the breeding season. In European waters, the Great cormorant can be distinguished from the Common shag by its larger size, heavier build, thicker bill, lack of a crest, and plumage without any green tinge. In eastern North America, it is similarly larger and bulkier than the Double-crested cormorant, and the latter species has more yellow on the throat and bill and lack the white thigh patches frequently seen on great cormorants.

Great cormorants occur throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, and northeastern coastal North America. They may be both resident and migratory. Throughout the year in some areas, large groups remain within the breeding range. Greta cormorants frequent open marine environments and inland waters. They inhabit sandy or rocky sheltered coasts and estuaries and are rarely seen any distance from the coast. This species breeds on cliffs and inshore islands, among boulders and man-made structures. Birds that nest inland will breed on trees, bushes, and reedbeds, and even on bare ground.

Great cormorants are active during the day and are social birds, usually leaving roosts to forage early in the morning and returning within an hour. Little time each day is spent foraging, although parents with young tend to forage for longer. Much of the day is spent resting and preening near foraging areas or at roosts. Great cormorants generally are not aggressive towards one another, apart from at nest sites, where they exhibit territorial behavior. There may be dominance hierarchies. Outside of the breeding season, they usually gather in mixed-age, mixed-sex groups.

Great cormorants are monogamous, with pairs sometimes reuniting in subsequent years. The male chooses the nest site, displaying to attract the female by waving his wings up and down and flashing his white rump patch. He will also swing his head from side to side while holding his tail erect and calling loudly. The female responds by swinging her head slightly and “purring”. This species breeds at any time, depending on food resources. Breeding takes place in colonies of as many as 2,000 pairs, although colonies of a smaller size are typical. Colonies are often located close to other species, like darters, herons, and spoonbills. The parents build their nest with reeds, sticks, and seaweeds on a cliff, in a tree, or in a bush, according to the region. Often a nest is reused. 2 to 6 eggs are laid, with an average of 3-4. The parents share the incubation for 27 to 31 days. The altricial chicks hatch at intervals and fledge at about 50 days old. They remain with their parents for 50 or more days, relying on them for food. The young start to breed between 2 and 4 years old, typically when 3 years old.

The great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), a robust seabird, is cloaked in predominantly black plumage. It is a member of the cormorant family, with a widespread distribution. The species exhibits considerable size variation across its range, with males generally larger than females. Notable features include a longish tail and a distinctive yellow throat-patch. During the breeding season, adults boast white patches on their thighs and throat.

To identify the great cormorant, look for its large size, heavy build, and thick bill. It lacks a crest and its plumage does not have a green tinge, distinguishing it from the common shag. In North America, it is bulkier than the double-crested cormorant and has less yellow on the throat and bill. The white thigh patches are a key identifier.

Great cormorants are found in a variety of aquatic environments including seas, estuaries, freshwater lakes, and rivers. They often nest in colonies close to these water bodies.

This species has a broad distribution, breeding across the Old World, Australia, and the Atlantic coast of North America. Northern populations tend to migrate southward in winter, seeking coasts rich in fish.

Great cormorants are generally silent but may emit guttural noises at breeding colonies. They are known for their wing-drying posture, often seen with wings outstretched to dry after diving.

Mostly silent, the great cormorant vocalizes with guttural sounds in the vicinity of its breeding colonies.

Great cormorants typically nest in colonies near wetlands, rivers, or sheltered inshore waters, often returning to the same site annually. Their nests are constructed from sticks and can be located in trees, on cliff ledges, or on predator-free ground. They lay clutches of three to five pale blue or green eggs, which are incubated for about 28 to 31 days.

These birds are piscivorous, diving to catch fish such as wrasses, sand smelt, flathead, and common soles. They exhibit seasonal dietary shifts, preferring larger fish in colder temperatures. Their foraging efficiency is influenced by the size of the prey rather than the quantity.

30-7-2017 CENTRAL PARK, BUDAPEST - ATLAS MOTH (Attacus atlas)

Attacus atlas, the Atlas moth, is a large saturniid moth endemic to the forests of Asia. The species was described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.

The Atlas moth is one of the largest lepidopterans, with a wingspan measuring up to 24 cm (9.4 in) and a wing surface area of about 160 cm2 (≈25 in2). It is only surpassed in wingspan by the white witch (Thysania agrippina) and Attacus caesar, and in wing surface area by the Hercules moth (Coscinocera hercules). As in most silk moths, females are noticeably larger and heavier than males, while males have broader antennae.

Atlas moths are named after Atlas, the Titan of Greek mythology (due to their size). In Hong Kong, the Cantonese means "snake's head moth", referring to the prominent extension of the forewing that resembles the head of a snake.

Their habitat is primarily dry tropical forests, secondary forests, and shrublands across South Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia, including Borneo.

In India, Atlas moths are cultivated for their silk in a non-commercial capacity. Unlike silk produced by the related domestic silkmoth (Bombyx mori), Atlas moth silk is secreted as broken strands and is therefore less desirable. This brown, wool-like silk, known as fagara, is thought to have greater durability. Atlas moth cocoons are sometimes used as small pocket change purses in Taiwan. There is ongoing research as to whether the silk of the Atlas moth can be used as a substitute for common silks. The quality of the heavier cocoons, less restrictive rearing conditions and competent properties of the fibers, makes the silk produced by the Atlas moth a potential alternative for common silks. A study concluded that the silk fibers of the atlas moth had about an 80% higher density of cells and growth compared to the silk fibers of the silk moth.

The Japanese subspecies A. a. ryukyuensis, native to Yonaguni in the Yaeyama Islands.

30-7-2017 CENTRAL PARK, BUDAPEST - LAUGHING KOOKABURRA (Dacelo novaeguineae)

The Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) is a robust member of the kingfisher family, known for its iconic laughter-like call. It has a white or cream-colored head adorned with a dark brown eye-stripe, while its upperparts are predominantly dark brown with a distinctive mottled light-blue patch on the wing coverts. The underparts are cream-white, and the tail is barred with rufous and black. Both male and female exhibit similar plumage.

This largest kingfisher species can be identified by its hefty bill, prominent brown eyes, and the unique pattern of its plumage. The male and female are similar in appearance, though the female is generally larger. The heavy bill is black on top and bone-colored on the bottom, and the bird has a dark eye-stripe that sets it apart from the blue-winged kookaburra.

The Laughing Kookaburra is found in a variety of habitats including dry eucalypt forests, woodlands, city parks, and gardens. It requires tree holes for nesting and is often seen in areas where the understory is open or grassy.

Native to eastern mainland Australia, the species has been introduced to parts of New Zealand, Tasmania, and Western Australia. It occupies territories throughout the year and is considered sedentary.

Laughing Kookaburras live in family groups, defending their territories with their laughter-like calls. They are monogamous, often retaining the same partner for life, and may be accompanied by offspring from previous years who assist in territory defense and raising young.

The bird's call is a distinctive laugh, used to establish territory and often performed in chorus at dawn and dusk. The call is a complex production, with the bird capable of producing two frequencies at once. It is a learned behavior, with young birds taught by the breeding pair.

The species breeds in unlined tree holes or in excavated holes in arboreal termite nests. The usual clutch consists of three white eggs, incubated by both parents and helpers. The youngest chick may be killed by older siblings in times of food scarcity.

The Laughing Kookaburra can be distinguished from the blue-winged kookaburra by its darker eye and eye-stripe, shorter bill, and the smaller and less vibrant blue areas on its wing and rump.

A predator of small animals, it waits on a branch and pounces on prey such as lizards, insects, worms, snakes, and mice. It is also known to snatch goldfish from garden ponds.

The IUCN classifies the Laughing Kookaburra as a species of least concern due to its large range and population, with no widespread threats identified. However, there has been a noted decline in sightings in recent years, warranting further observation.

30-7-2017 CENTRAL PARK, BUDAPEST - HOUSE SPARROW (FEMALE) (Passer domesticus)

The house sparrow (Passer domesticus) is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. It is a small bird that has a typical length of 16 cm (6.3 in) and a mass of 24–39.5 g (0.85–1.39 oz). Females and young birds are coloured pale brown and grey, and males have brighter black, white, and brown markings. One of about 25 species in the genus Passer, the house sparrow is native to most of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin, and a large part of Asia. Its intentional or accidental introductions to many regions, including parts of Australasia, Africa, and the Americas, make it the most widely distributed wild bird.

The house sparrow is strongly associated with human habitation, and can live in urban or rural settings. Though found in widely varied habitats and climates, it typically avoids extensive woodlands, grasslands, polar regions, and hot, dry deserts far away from human development. For sustenance, the house sparrow routinely feeds at home and public bird feeding stations, but naturally feeds on the seeds of grains, flowering plants and weeds. However, it is an opportunistic, omnivorous eater, and commonly catches insects, their larvae, caterpillars, invertebrates and many other natural foods.

30-7-2017 CENTRAL PARK, BUDAPEST - HOUSE SPARROW (MALE) (Passer domesticus)

The house sparrow (Passer domesticus) is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. It is a small bird that has a typical length of 16 cm (6.3 in) and a mass of 24–39.5 g (0.85–1.39 oz). Females and young birds are coloured pale brown and grey, and males have brighter black, white, and brown markings. One of about 25 species in the genus Passer, the house sparrow is native to most of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin, and a large part of Asia. Its intentional or accidental introductions to many regions, including parts of Australasia, Africa, and the Americas, make it the most widely distributed wild bird.

The house sparrow is strongly associated with human habitation, and can live in urban or rural settings. Though found in widely varied habitats and climates, it typically avoids extensive woodlands, grasslands, polar regions, and hot, dry deserts far away from human development. For sustenance, the house sparrow routinely feeds at home and public bird feeding stations, but naturally feeds on the seeds of grains, flowering plants and weeds. However, it is an opportunistic, omnivorous eater, and commonly catches insects, their larvae, caterpillars, invertebrates and many other natural foods.

28-7-2017 VILLALONGA RESERVOIR, VALENCIA - GREY HERON (Ardea cinerea)

Grey Herons are unmistakeable – tall, with long legs, a long beak and grey, black and white feathering. They can stand with their neck stretched out, looking for food, or hunched down with their neck bent over their chest.

They eat lots of fish, but also small birds such as ducklings, small mammals like voles and amphibians. After harvesting, grey herons can sometimes be seen in fields, looking for rodents.

For its elegant appearance and slow and calm flight herons awaken curiosity and intrigue in many people. One of the most curious things about these birds is their ability to remain quiet for hours perched on one leg. They can remain this way and with the neck shrunk, only showing the head and the bill between the wings, a lot of time if they are not bothered.

Grey Herons are opportunistic predators that primarily feed on fish, amphibians, and small mammals. They use their sharp bills to spear or grab prey, often swallowing it whole.

These adaptable birds also consume insects, crustaceans, and occasionally small birds, showcasing their versatile feeding habits.

28-7-2017 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - CROSS ORBWEAVER SPIDER (Araneus diadematus)

The spider species Araneus diadematus is commonly called the European garden spider, cross orbweaver, diadem spider, orangie, cross spider, and crowned orb weaver. It is sometimes called the pumpkin spider, although this name is also used for a different species, Araneus marmoreus. It is an orb-weaver spider found in Europe, where it is native, and North America, where it was introduced.

A. diadematus has a holarctic distribution throughout Europe and across North America, from southern Canada to Mexico, and from British Columbia to Newfoundland.

Individual spiders' colourings can range from extremely light yellow to very dark grey, but all A. diadematus spiders have mottled white markings across the dorsal abdomen, with four or more segments forming a cross. The markings are formed in cells filled with guanine, which is a byproduct of protein metabolism.

Adult females range in length from 6.5 to 20 mm (0.26 to 0.79 in), while males range from 5.5 to 13 mm (0.22 to 0.51 in). Occasionally, the female will eat the male directly after mating. 

The legs of orb-weaver spiders are specialized for spinning orb webs. The webs are built by the larger females, which hang head down in the center of the web or remain hidden in nearby foliage, with one claw hooked to a signal line connected to the main orb, waiting for a disturbance to signal the arrival of prey. Prey is then quickly wrapped in silk and bitten, and the prey may hang on the web to be stored for later consumption. The initial bite serves to paralyze the prey and minimize the danger of the spider herself being stung or bitten, and the enzymes thus injected serve to begin liquefaction of the prey's internal structures.

Alongside the use of the web to capture other prey, the spiders are also cannibals and prey on each other, but this only happens just before, during, or just after sexual activity. They attack based on their size, sexual experience, and hunger levels.

A. diadematus is a reclusive creature and only bites humans if cornered or otherwise provoked. It responds to a disturbance by vibrating rapidly in its web until it becomes a blur, a reaction that is assumed to confuse potential predators.

29-6-2016 RACO DE OLLA, VALENCIA - SANDWICH TERN (Thalasseus sandvicensis)

The Sandwich tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis ) is a tern in the family Laridae. It is very closely related to the lesser crested tern (T. bengalensis ), Chinese crested tern (T. bernsteini ), Cabot's tern (T. acuflavidus ), and elegant tern (T. elegans ) and has been known to interbreed with the lesser crested. It breeds in the Palearctic from Europe to the Caspian Sea wintering to South Africa, India and Sri Lanka.

The Sandwich tern is a medium-large tern with grey upperparts, white underparts, a yellow-tipped black bill and a shaggy black crest which becomes less extensive in winter with a white crown. Young birds bear grey and brown scalloped plumage on their backs and wings. It is a vocal bird. It nests in a ground scrape and lays one to three eggs.

Like all Thalasseus terns, the Sandwich tern feeds by plunge diving for fish, usually in marine environments, and the offering of fish by the male to the female is part of the courtship display.

29-5-2016 VILLALONGA RESERVOIR, VALENCIA - COMMON KINGFISHER (FEMALE) (Alcedo atthis)

The Common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) is a small kingfisher widely distributed across Eurasia and North Africa. It is amongst the most colorful birds but despite its extraordinary colors, sometimes the Common kingfisher is difficult to see when it is in a dappled shade, and its colors are also not very obvious in flight. Furthermore, due to its shy nature, the Common kingfisher often remains hidden from a human's eye.

The Common kingfisher has the typical short-tailed, dumpy-bodied, large-headed, and long-billed shape. The adult male of the western European subspecies, A. a. ispida has green-blue upperparts with pale azure-blue back and rump, a rufous patch by the bill base, and a rufous ear patch. It has a green-blue neck stripe, white neck blaze and throat, rufous underparts, and a black bill with some red at the base. The legs and feet are bright red. The female is identical in appearance to the male except that her lower mandible is orange-red with a black tip. The juvenile is similar to the adult but with duller and greener upperparts and paler underparts. Its bill is black, and the legs are also initially black. Feathers are moulted gradually between July and November with the main flight feathers taking 90-100 days to moult and regrow. Some that moult late may suspend their moult during cold winter weather.

The Common kingfisher occurs throughout Europe and in Asia as far to the east as Japan, and south of the Sahara in Africa. Common kingfishers live year-round in the south, while northern populations fly south in winter away from the freezing water. In temperate regions, these birds inhabit clear, slow-flowing streams and rivers, and lakes with well-vegetated banks. They frequent scrubs and bushes with overhanging branches close to shallow open water in which they hunt. In winter Common kingfishers are more coastal, often feeding in estuaries or harbors and along rocky seashores. Tropical populations are found near slow-flowing rivers, in mangrove creeks, and swamps.

1-4-2016 PEGO MARSHES, ALICANTE - AUDOUIN'S GULL (Ichthyaetus audouinii)

Audouin's gull (Ichthyaetus audouinii ) is a large gull restricted to the Mediterranean and the western coast of Saharan Africa and the Iberian Peninsula. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ikhthus, "fish", and aetos, "eagle", and the specific audouinii and the English name are after the French naturalist Jean Victoire Audouin.

It breeds on small islands colonially or alone, laying 2–3 eggs on a ground nest. As is the case with many gulls, it has traditionally been placed in the genus Larus.

In the late 1960s, this was one of the world's rarest gulls, with a population of only 1,000 pairs. It has established new colonies, but remains rare with a population of about 10,000 pairs.

This species, unlike many large gulls, rarely scavenges, but is a specialist fish eater, and is therefore strictly coastal and pelagic. This bird will feed at night, often well out to sea, but also slowly patrols close into beaches, occasionally dangling its legs to increase drag.

The adult basically resembles a small European herring gull, the most noticeable differences being the short stubby red bill and "string of pearls" white wing primary tips, rather than the large "mirrors" of some other species. The legs are grey-green. It takes four years to reach adult plumage.

This species shows little tendency to wander from its breeding areas, but there were single records in the Netherlands and England in May 2003, and one spent from December 2016 to April 2017 in Trinidad.

The Audouin's gull is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.