25-11-2016 NYAUNG OAK MONASTERY, MYANMAR - COMMON WANDERER BUTTERFLY (Pareronia hippia)

Pareronia hippia, the common wanderer[1] or Indian wanderer,[2] is a medium-sized butterfly of the family Pieridae, that is, the yellows and whites. It is found in India. Some authors consider this as a subspecies of Pareronia valeria.

Wings pale blue with wide black margin and black venation that can be quite wide. Thorax and abdomen pale blue with a distinct black streak running longitudinally. Underside of the wings pale blue or pale brown, with black-brown venation that may fade close to the edges.

Scientific Name : Pareronia hippia

Family : Pieridae

Order : Lepidoptera

Class : Insecta

Phylum : Arthropoda

Habitat : All types of wildlife habitat.

25-11-2016 NYAUNG OAK MONASTERY, MYANMAR - GREEN MARSH HAWK DRAGONFLY (Orthetrum sabina)

Orthetrum sabina, the slender skimmer or green marsh hawk, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is widespread, being found from south-eastern Europe and North Africa to Japan and south to Australia and Micronesia.

It is a medium-sized dragonfly with a wingspan of 60-85mm. Adults are greyish to greenish yellow with black and pale markings and green eyes. Its abdomen is greenish-yellow, marked with black.[8] It is very similar to Orthetrum serapia in appearance, with both species appearing in northern Australia. Pale markings on segment four of the abdomen do not extend into the posterior section when viewed from above on Orthetrum sabina. Females are similar to males in shape, colour and size; differing only in sexual characteristics. 

This dragonfly perches motionless on shrubs and dry twigs for long periods. It preys voraciously on smaller butterflies and dragonflies.

The Slender skimmer typically preys on other arthropods and does not directly affect plants.

It is a medium-sized dragonfly with a wingspan of 60-85mm. Adults are grayish to greenish yellow with black and pale markings and green eyes. Its abdomen is greenish-yellow, marked with black. It is very similar to ''Orthetrum serapia'' in appearance, with both species appearing in northern Australia.

Pale markings on segment four of the abdomen do not extend into the posterior section when viewed from above on ''Orthetrum sabina''. Females are similar to males in shape, color and size; differing only in sexual characteristics. This dragonfly perches motionless on shrubs and dry twigs for long periods. It voraciously preys on smaller butterflies and dragonflies.

25-11-2016 NYAUNG OAK MONASTERY, MYANMAR - SCARLET SKIMMER DRAGONFLY (MALE) (Crocothemis servilia)

The scarlet skimmer or ruddy marsh skimmer, Crocothemis servilia, is a species of dragonfly of the family Libellulidae, native to east and southeast Asia and introduced to Jamaica, Florida, and Hawaii.

It is a medium sized blood-red dragonfly with a thin black line along the mid-dorsal abdomen. Its eyes are blood-red above, purple laterally. Thorax is bright ferruginous, often blood-red on dorsum. Abdomen is blood-red, with a narrow black mid-dorsal carina. Anal appendages are blood-red. Female is similar to the male; but with olivaceous-brown thorax and abdomen. The black mid-dorsal carina is rather broad.

It breeds in ponds, ditches, marshes, open swamps and rice fields.

In this species, the redness is entire, extending from the ‘face’ and eyes to the anal appendages. Even the veins of the wings, close to the bases, are red. The bases of the hind wings have amber patches. The pterostigmata are ochreous. A black stripe runs down the centre of the ‘back’, along the top of the abdomen. Females and young males are straw-yellow versions of the males. The red is replaced everywhere by yellow. The wing patches are visible as a network of golden yellow veins. Crocothemis servilia  is more commonly known as Red Hot Chili Pepper, Ruddy Marsh Skimmer and Oriental Scarlet. 

Scarlet skimmer (Crocothemis servilia) is also known as the ruddy marsh skimmer.

This is a species of dragonfly of the family Libellulidae. It is native to east and southeast Asia and introduced to Jamaica, Florida and Hawaii. It is medium sized with males being red and females nare more brown. They breed in ponds, ditches, marshes, open swamps and rice fields.

25-11-2016 NYAUNG OAK MONASTERY, MYANMAR - SCARLET SKIMMER DRAGONFLY (FEMALE) (Crocothemis servilia)

The scarlet skimmer or ruddy marsh skimmer, Crocothemis servilia, is a species of dragonfly of the family Libellulidae, native to east and southeast Asia and introduced to Jamaica, Florida, and Hawaii.

It is a medium sized blood-red dragonfly with a thin black line along the mid-dorsal abdomen. Its eyes are blood-red above, purple laterally. Thorax is bright ferruginous, often blood-red on dorsum. Abdomen is blood-red, with a narrow black mid-dorsal carina. Anal appendages are blood-red. Female is similar to the male; but with olivaceous-brown thorax and abdomen. The black mid-dorsal carina is rather broad.

While in its aquatic naiad phase, scarlet skimmer preys on various small aquatic organisms. As an adult, it captures mosquitoes, flies, and other insects mid-air using its agile flight. This voracious diet is driven by the need to sustain its energy-intensive flying and mating activities.

It breeds in ponds, ditches, marshes, open swamps and rice fields.

14-2-2018 RIO GIRONA ORBA, ALICANTE - COMMON CHIFFCHAFF (Phylloscopus collybita)

The Common Chiffchaff, Phylloscopus collybita, is a diminutive and sprightly leaf warbler known for its distinctive, onomatopoeic song. This small, migratory passerine is characterized by its greenish-brown upperparts and off-white underparts, with a weight ranging from 6 to 8 grams and a length of 10-12 centimeters.

In the field, look for the Common Chiffchaff's short whitish supercilium, fine dark bill, and dark legs. Its primary projection is short, and the plumage may appear duller and browner as it wears. Juveniles are browner above with yellow-white underparts, but they soon acquire brighter plumage after their first moult.

The Common Chiffchaff breeds in open woodlands with a mix of taller trees and ground cover across northern and temperate Europe, Asia, and parts of north Africa. It prefers woodland with trees at least 5 meters high and an undergrowth of grasses and nettles.

This species has a vast breeding range, extending from Europe to eastern Siberia and northward to about 70 N. It winters in southern and western Europe, southern Asia, and north Africa. The Common Chiffchaff is one of the earliest spring migrants to return to its breeding grounds and one of the last to depart in autumn.

The male Common Chiffchaff is fiercely territorial during the breeding season, defending its core territory against rivals. It exhibits a fearless nature, even attacking predators that threaten its nest. Outside the breeding season, these birds may form small flocks with other warblers.

The song is a cheerful "chiff-chaff," which heralds the arrival of spring. Calls include a "hweet" sound, less disyllabic than the calls of closely related warblers. The song is a key distinguishing feature from similar species, such as the Iberian Chiffchaff.

The female constructs a domed nest on or near the ground, lined with feathers. Clutches typically consist of 2-7 cream-colored eggs, which hatch after 13-14 days. The female assumes most of the responsibility for brooding and feeding the chicks, with the male playing a minimal role.

14-2-2018 RIO GIRONA ORBA, ALICANTE - GREYLAG GOOSE (Anser anser)

The Greylag Goose (Anser anser) is a large and robust member of the waterfowl family Anatidae, easily recognized by its mottled and barred grey and white plumage. It boasts an orange beak, pink legs, and a sizeable stature, measuring between 74 and 91 centimeters in length and weighing an average of 3.3 kilograms. This species is the progenitor of most domestic goose breeds and exhibits a wide distribution across Europe and Asia.

Adult Greylag Geese have a rotund body, a thick and long neck, and a large head and bill. Their legs and feet are pink, and their bill is orange or pink with a white or brown nail. The wingspan ranges from 147 to 180 centimeters. Males are typically larger than females, and the eastern subspecies rubirostris is larger than the nominate subspecies. The plumage is greyish brown with a darker head and paler underparts, with black spotting that varies among individuals. Juveniles can be identified by their lack of black speckling and greyish legs.

Greylag Geese breed in a variety of wetland habitats, including moorlands, marshes, lakes, and coastal islands. They prefer areas with dense vegetation for cover. In winter, they occupy semi-aquatic habitats such as estuaries, marshes, flooded fields, and agricultural lands.

The Greylag Goose has a Palearctic distribution, with the western subspecies breeding from Iceland to central Europe and the eastern subspecies from Romania to northeastern China. Northern populations often migrate southwards to spend the winter in warmer regions, while many populations are resident year-round.

Greylag Geese are known for their lifelong monogamous pair bonds. They are gregarious and form flocks, which provides safety in numbers. Family groups stay together, migrating southwards in autumn and separating the following year. They are herbivorous, feeding mainly on grasses, and can cause damage to agricultural crops.

The call of the Greylag Goose is a loud cackling, similar to that of domestic geese. They use various calls for different situations and can recognize individual geese by voice. Flocks produce a sound reminiscent of baying hounds.

Greylag Geese mate for life and nest on the ground among vegetation. They lay a clutch of three to five eggs, which the female incubates. Both parents defend and rear the young, who are precocial and leave the nest shortly after hatching.

The diet consists mainly of grasses, but also includes grains, tubers, and occasionally small aquatic animals. They have adapted to feed on agricultural crops, which has led to conflicts with farmers.

The Greylag Goose is currently listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, indicating a stable and widespread population. However, some local populations may face threats from habitat loss and conflicts with agriculture.

14-2-2018 RIO GIRONA ORBA, ALICANTE - MUSKOVY DUCK (Cairina moschata)

The Muscovy duck, Cairina moschata, is a robust bird native to the Americas. Males are substantially larger than females, with the former reaching lengths of about 76 cm and weighing up to 7 kg, while the latter grow to roughly half that size. The plumage is predominantly black and white, with males displaying iridescent and glossy back feathers, and females appearing more subdued. The amount of white on the neck and head varies, as does the bill color, ranging from yellow to pink to black, or a combination thereof. Both sexes possess distinctive pink or red wattles around the bill, with the male's being larger and more vivid.

Muscovy ducks can be identified by their large size, long claws on their feet, and a broad, flat tail. The males, or drakes, have a more pronounced appearance with caruncles at the base of the bill and a low erectile crest of feathers. Ducklings are mostly yellow with buff-brown markings on the tail and wings, and they lack the adult's wattles for a period after hatching.

These ducks are typically found in forested swamps, lakes, streams, and nearby grasslands. They are known to roost in trees at night.

Originally from the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and Mexico down to Argentina and Uruguay, feral populations have established themselves in New Zealand, Australia, Central and Eastern Europe, and parts of North America, including Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, and the Big Island of Hawaii.

Muscovy ducks are non-migratory and can be aggressive, with males often engaging in fights over food, territory, or mates. They are adaptable to cooler climates and can thrive in temperatures as low as −12 °C.

The drake emits a low breathy call, while the hen produces a quiet trilling coo.

Muscovy ducks do not form stable pairs and can breed up to three times a year. The hen lays 8-16 white eggs, usually in a tree hole or hollow, which are incubated for 35 days.

Their diet consists of plant material, small fish, amphibians, reptiles, crustaceans, insects, millipedes, and worms. They forage by grazing or dabbling in shallow water.

The Muscovy duck is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, with a wide distribution and established feral populations.

25-11-2016 INLE LAKE, MYANMAR - STRIATED SWALLOW (Cecropis striolata)

The striated swallow (Cecropis striolata ) is a species of swallow found in open, often hilly, areas with clearings and cultivation across Southeast Asia to northeastern India and Taiwan.

The striated swallow was formerly sometimes considered a subspecies of the red-rumped swallow.

The striated swallow is 19 cm long with a deeply forked tail. It has blue upperparts other than a reddish collar (sometimes absent) and streaked chestnut rump. The face and underparts are white with heavy dark streaking. The wings are brown. The sexes are alike but juveniles are duller and browner, with a paler rump and shorter outer tail feathers.

There are four races:

C. s. striolata breeds in Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia.

C. s. mayri breeds from northeastern India to northwestern Myanmar and northeastern Bangladesh. It has broader streaks than nominate striolata.

C. s. stanfordi breeds from northeastern Myanmar to northern Thailand. It has broad streaks.

C. s. vernayi breeds locally in western Thailand. It is more rufous below than the nominate race, and is only faintly streaked on the rump.

This species, particularly subspecies mayri, is very similar to the red-rumped swallow of the race japonicus, but is larger, more heavily streaked, and has a less distinct neck collar.

The striated swallow feeds low over the ground or at cliff faces on flying insects. It has a slow buoyant flight compared to the barn swallow. It will feed with other swallow species.

The striated swallow breeds from April to July alone or semi-colonially with scattered nests. The nest is a retort or bottle-shaped structure, made from mud pellets and lined with dried grasses and feathers. The clutch is usually four, sometimes five, white eggs. Both sexes build the nest, and share incubation and the care of the young.

Nests are constructed in natural caves, but very often in artificial sites on bridges, in culverts and on buildings.

24-11-2016 INLE LAKE, MYANMAR - SCARLET SKIMMER DRAGONFLY (FEMALE) (Crocothemis servilia)

The scarlet skimmer or ruddy marsh skimmer, Crocothemis servilia, is a species of dragonfly of the family Libellulidae, native to east and southeast Asia and introduced to Jamaica, Florida, and Hawaii.

There are two known subspecies; Crocothemis servilia servilia (Drury, 1773) and Crocothemis servilia mariannae Kiauta, 1983. C. s. mariannae lacks the mid-dorsal black stripe.

It is a medium sized blood-red dragonfly with a thin black line along the mid-dorsal abdomen. Its eyes are blood-red above, purple laterally. Thorax is bright ferruginous, often blood-red on dorsum. Abdomen is blood-red, with a narrow black mid-dorsal carina. Anal appendages are blood-red. Female is similar to the male; but with olivaceous-brown thorax and abdomen. The black mid-dorsal carina is rather broad.

It breeds in ponds, ditches, marshes, open swamps and rice fields.

24-11-2016 INLE LAKE, MYANMAR - COMMON MYNA (Acridotheres tristis)

The Common myna (Acridotheres tristis) is a tropical bird with a strong territorial instinct, which has adapted extremely well to urban environments. The range of the Common myna is increasing at such a rapid rate that in 2000 the IUCN Species Survival Commission declared it one of the world's most invasive species and one of only three birds listed among "100 of the World's Worst Invasive Species" that pose a threat to biodiversity, agriculture, and human interests.

Common mynas can be recognized by their brown body, black hooded head, and the bare yellow patch behind the eye. Their bill and legs are bright yellow. There is a white patch on the outer primaries and the wing lining on the underside is white. The male and female look similar and are usually seen in pairs.

Common mynas are native to Asia with their home range spanning from Iran, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka; as well as Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Myanmar, to Malaysia, Singapore, peninsular Thailand, Indo-China, Japan (both mainland Japan and the Ryukyu Islands) and China. These birds are typically found in a wide range of habitats with access to water; they inhabit open woodland, mangroves, grasslands, farmlands, orchards, and urban areas.

25-11-2016 INLE LAKE, MYANMAR - PHEASANT TAILED JACANA (Hydrophasianus chirurgus)

This jacana breeds on floating vegetation during the rainy season. In southern India, it breeds in the monsoon season, June–September. It is polyandrous; one female may lay up to ten clutches in a single season that are raised by different males. Female court males with flight displays around the males and with calling. The female builds a nest on floating vegetation made of leaves and stalks of plants with a depression in the centre. A single clutch consists of four glossy black-marked dark-olive-brown eggs (occasionally an egg in a clutch may be an odd pale sea-green in colour which are laid in the mornings at 24 hour intervals. 

When an egg is removed at the one- or two-egg stage, the nest is torn down and a new one built, whereas a removal at the three-egg stage does not result in replacement. Once the clutch of four is laid, the male begins incubation and the female leaves to court a different male.

In a study in Thailand it was found that it took a female 17 to 21 days to lay the next clutch. A study in China found females taking 9–12 days and laying nearly 7 to 10 clutches in a season.[18] Males may move or drag eggs around by holding them between the bill and breast or between the wings and body. They may also push and float the eggs over water and onto nearby vegetation platforms when disturbed. Nests may be moved to distances of about 15 metres.  Males near the nest may perform broken-wing and rodent-run displays to distract predators. The eggs are incubated for 26 to 28 days. During the first few days of incubation, the female defends the nest, chasing other waterbirds that may approach too close by flying at them.

In close territorial combat they lock bills and strike simultaneously with both wings. Males actively forage in the morning and afternoon and tend to sit at the nest during the hottest part of the day. The downy nidifugous chicks freeze when threatened or when the male indicates alarm and may lie partly submerged with just the bill out of water.

In close territorial combat they lock bills and strike simultaneously with both wings. Males actively forage in the morning and afternoon and tend to sit at the nest during the hottest part of the day. The downy nidifugous chicks freeze when threatened or when the male indicates alarm and may lie partly submerged with just the bill out of water.

Eggs may be preyed on by pond herons, while chicks may bet taken by birds of prey such as black-winged kites. The trematode parasite Renicola philippinensis was described from the kidney of a pheasant-tailed jacana in the New York Zoological Garden while Cycloceolum brasilianum was recorded in India. The bird louse species Rallicola sulcatus has been described from this species; it looks very similar to Rallicola indicus from the bronze-winged jacana. Another bird louse known from the species is Pseudomenopon pilosum.

24-11-2016 INLE LAKE, MYANMAR - SIAMESE BLUE CRESTED LIZARD (Calotes goetzi)

Calotes goetzi is a species of agamid lizard. It is found in China, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand as well as introduced in Singapore.

The Cambodian blue crested agama (alternatively known as the Siamese blue crested lizard) is one of three new species in the genus Calotes described in the process of resolving the lineage of Calotes mystaceus. Previously considered to be the same species, a new study identifed four physically and genetically distinct species - C. goetzi, C geissleri, C mystaceus and C vindumbarbatus - which span Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and India, with the original species now thought to exist only in the Irrawaddy delta region of southern coastal Myanmar.

The holotype for the Cambodian blue crested agama was found near the Angkor era archaeological site Kbal Spean, within the Phnom Kulen National Park in Siem Reap province of Cambodia. The dominant males of the species are bright blue, and both males and females have three to fve prominent dark brown spots along their back. This species is named after Dr Stephan Goetz in recognition of his contribution to species conservation in Cambodia.

The genus Calotes has 25 species native to Asia but some also have been introduced to Africa and the Americas. Given 25 species, four new species descriptions are very signifcant for the region. Found in dipterocarp lowland and secondary forests, C. goetzi is a strong climber and can easily climb to 10 metres high on a tree. It can also be found in agricultural landscapes, including coconut, banana and durian plantations, and feeds primarily on insects. Something unique for this particular species is that older individuals will change colour as a defence mechanism – particularly males, which are territorial and aggressive, especially when they are guarding a clutch of eggs.

“We came across the new species at our conservation centre in Cambodia, the Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity, when we recognized that the colouration was diferent to other similar lizards,” said Dr Philipp Wagner, lead author on the discovery. “We checked images from other countries and realized that what we had been considering a species was in fact a species complex, including this one new individual from Cambodia. It was a great feeling to discover this beautifully coloured new species in a place where we are actively doing conservation; now I love seeing ‘my own’ species running around when I visit the centre.”

24-11-2016 INLE LAKE, MYANMAR - TAWNY COSTER BUTTERFLY (Acraea terpsicore)

Acraea terpsicore, the tawny coster, is a small, 53–64 millimetres (2.1–2.5 in), leathery-winged butterfly common in grassland and scrub habitats. It belongs to the Nymphalidae or brush-footed butterfly family. It has a weak fluttery flight. It is avoided by most insect predators. This species and the yellow coster (Acraea issoria) are the only two Indian representatives of the predominantly African tribe Acraeini. It is found in India, Sri Lanka, Maldives to Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Singapore, and recently Australia.

This species does not fly high, but seems to keep within 3 m of the ground and tends to rest on vegetation in the regions of a meter off the ground. Acraea terpsicore can be seen in abundance wherever its larval food plant (Passiflora species) is found. The adult tends to avoid dense undergrowth and shady areas, instead keeping to open spaces in all types of vegetation.

The adult flies slowly with weak seemingly unsteady wing beats. It is one of the boldest butterflies, protected as it is from predators by a nauseous chemical. When attacked it plays dead and exudes a noxious yellowish fluid from glands in the joints of the legs. Like all butterflies protected in this manner, Acraea terpsicore has a tough exoskeleton which enables the adult to survive a few pecks of a bird or even the bites of a lizard. Once left alone the adult immediately takes off and resumes its uncaring flight.

When feeding on flowers, this butterfly is unhurried, often spending a long time sitting on the same flower. When sitting it either spreads its wings or closes them over its back the hindwings covering the forewings to a large extent. Sometimes the butterfly will not sit, but rest gently on the flower while feeding, while doing this, to maintain balance, it beats only its forewings while keeping the hindwings completely steady.

24-11-2016 INLE LAKE, MYANMAR - WHITE WAGTAIL (Motacilla alba)

The White wagtail is a slender bird with the characteristic long, constantly wagging tail of its genus. There are a number of other subspecies, some of which may have arisen because of partial geographical isolation, such as the resident British and Irish form, the pied wagtail M. a. yarrellii, which now also breeds in adjacent areas of the neighbouring European mainland. The Pied wagtail exchanges the grey colour of the nominate form with black (or very dark grey in females), but is otherwise identical in its behaviour. Other subspecies, the validity of some of which is questionable, differ in the colour of the wings, back, and head, or other features. Some races show sexual dimorphism during the breeding season. As many as six subspecies may be present in the wintering ground in India or Southeast Asia and here they can be difficult to distinguish.

White wagtails breed throughout Eurasia, only being absent in the Arctic. They also breed in the mountains of Morocco and western Alaska. These birds are residents in the milder parts of their range such as western Europe and the Mediterranean, but migratory in much of the rest of their range. Northern European breeders winter around the Mediterranean and in tropical and subtropical Africa, and Asiatic birds move to the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia. Birds from the North American population also winter in tropical Asia. White wagtails occupy a wide range of habitats but are absent from deserts. They inhabit grasslands, seashores, rocky shorelines, sand beaches, tidepools, rivers, lakeshores, farmland, gardens, and parks. They are also often found in towns and villages.

24-11-2016 INLE LAKE, MYANMAR - SCARLET SKIMMER DRAGONFLY (MALE) (Crocothemis servilia)

The scarlet skimmer or ruddy marsh skimmer, Crocothemis servilia, is a species of dragonfly of the family Libellulidae, native to east and southeast Asia and introduced to Jamaica, Florida, and Hawaii.

There are two known subspecies; Crocothemis servilia servilia (Drury, 1773) and Crocothemis servilia mariannae Kiauta, 1983. C. s. mariannae lacks the mid-dorsal black stripe.

It is a medium sized blood-red dragonfly with a thin black line along the mid-dorsal abdomen. Its eyes are blood-red above, purple laterally. Thorax is bright ferruginous, often blood-red on dorsum. Abdomen is blood-red, with a narrow black mid-dorsal carina. Anal appendages are blood-red. Female is similar to the male; but with olivaceous-brown thorax and abdomen. The black mid-dorsal carina is rather broad.

It breeds in ponds, ditches, marshes, open swamps and rice fields.

23-11-2016 INLE LAKE, MYANMAR - HAIRY WATER LILY (Nymphaea pubescens)

Nymphaea pubescens, the hairy water lily or pink water-lily, is a species of water lily.

White and pink Nymphaea pubescens blooming in a pond.

This plant is common in shallow lakes and ponds throughout temperate and tropical Asia: Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Yunnan, Taiwan, Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia.[citation needed] It is the national flower of Bangladesh.

It is also found in northeastern Australia and Papua New Guinea.

The hairy water lily is found both as a cultivated plant as well as in the wild. 

The hairy water lily is also commercialized as an aquarium plant. The underwater leaves of this species have a handsome appearance that is appreciated by aquarists who often remove the floating leaves to keep it as a fully subaquatic plant.

The flowers are quite large, about 15 cm in diameter when fully open. They tend to close during the daytime and open wide at night. Their color varies from white to pink, mauve or purple depending from the variety or hybrid.

23-11-2016 INLE LAKE, MYANMAR - BLACK DRONGO (Dicrurus macrocercus)

Black drongos become active very early at dawn and roost later than many other birds. They feed mainly on insects such as grasshoppers, cicadas, termites, wasps, bees, ants, moths, beetles and dragonflies. They sometimes fly close to tree branches, attempting to disturb any insects that may be present. They congregate in fields being ploughed, picking up exposed caterpillars and beetle grubs. As many as 35 birds have been seen at such congregations. They are also attracted to fires in scrub and grasslands habitats where insects are disturbed. They appear to avoid flies. They associate with common mynas, cattle egrets and other birds that share a similar diet and habitat. Drongos benefit from this association and are more successful in their foraging. There is only partial overlap in the insect prey sought by mynas and drongos although in rare instances the drongos may rob prey from mynas. It is said that they imitate the call of the shikra so as to put mynas to flight and then to steal prey. Similar behaviour, using false alarm calls, has been noted in the fork-tailed drongo. There are some cases of the black drongo preying on small birds, reptiles, or maybe even bats. It has been suggested that they may feed on birds more intensively on migration. An individual on a migratory stop-over island in Korea caught several birds one after the other, killing them by striking at the back of the head and neck and feeding selectively on parts, especially the brain. They have also been on occasion seen feeding on fish. Flowers of trees such as Erythrina and Bombax may be visited for water and nectar] and they are sometimes known to feed on grains. They are only rarely known to take larger arthropods such as scorpions and centipedes. They feed on milkweed butterflies that are often avoided by other predators and are known to feed late in the evening or night, often on insects attracted to artificial lights.

23-11-2016 INLE LAKE, MYANMAR - ASIAN OPENBILL STORK (Anastomus oscitans)

The Asian openbill or Asian openbill stork (Anastomus oscitans) is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. This distinctive stork is found mainly in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is greyish or white with glossy black wings and tail and the adults have a gap between the arched upper mandible and recurved lower mandible. Young birds are born without this gap which is thought to be an adaptation that aids in the handling of snails, their main prey. Although resident within their range, they make long distance movements in response to weather and food availability.

25-11-2016 INLE LAKE, MYANMAR - LITTLE CORMORANT (Microcarbo niger)

The little cormorant (Microcarbo niger ) is a member of the cormorant family of seabirds. Slightly smaller than the Indian cormorant it lacks a peaked head and has a shorter beak. It is widely distributed across the Indian Subcontinent and extends east to Java, where it is sometimes called the Javanese cormorant. It forages singly or sometimes in loose groups in lowland freshwater bodies, including small ponds, large lakes, streams and sometimes coastal estuaries. Like other cormorants, it is often found perched on a waterside rock with its wings spread out after coming out of the water. The entire body is black in the breeding season but the plumage is brownish, and the throat has a small whitish patch in the non-breeding season. These birds breed gregariously in trees, often joining other waterbirds at heronries.

12-2-2018 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SPANISH LONGHORN BEETLE (Vesperus fuentei)

Vesperus fuentei Pic, 1905  is a species endemic to the Iberian Peninsula whose distribution covers a wide area from the Mediterranean to the center, reaching the provinces of Zamora and Cáceres to the west and the province of Cádiz to the south; it extends along the Iberian System as well as the Ebro Valley to La Rioja (GONZÁLEZ PEÑA et al., 2007). In Aragon, it was previously known only from the province of Teruel (GONZÁLEZ PEÑA, 2002), and from the towns of Teruel, Albarracín, and Rubielos de Mora. Its biology is similar to that of the other species in the genus. Its larvae are root-forming and have been recorded in the roots of Salsola vermiculata L. (LÓPEZ-COLÓN, 1993) and in grass roots (VIVES, 1984), both authors acknowledging the species' polyphagy.

Males fly after sunset in search of females, who lack functional wings and can only move on the ground. They remain at the base of the plants near which they will lay their eggs. They are less visible and therefore rarer to observe (VIVES, 2000).

Its phenology ranges from May to August (VIVES, 2000). In our experience, it exhibits summer behavior, with most captures and observations concentrated during the month of August.

27-10-2016 BEIJING, CHINA - MANDARIN DUCK (MALE) (Aix galericulata)

The mandarin, widely regarded as the world's most beautiful duck, is a native of China and Japan.

The drake mandarin's stunning plumage has long made it an artist's favourite, and it is widely depicted in oriental art.

The first mandarins were imported to Britain in the mid-18th century, but it wasn't until the 1930s that escapes from wildfowl collections started breeding here.

The first birds to escape did so from Alfred Ezra's collection at Foxwarren Park, near Cobham in Surrey, and this area remains one of the strongholds of mandarins in England.

Mandarins favour small wooded ponds and avoid lakes or large bodies of open water.

They are extremely manoeuvrable fliers, able to fly through trees with remarkable agility.

They frequently perch in trees, while the female invariably chooses a hole or cavity in a tree trunk in which to lay her eggs.

Lack of natural nest sites and competition from jackdaws and squirrels limits population expansion, but they will readily adopt suitable nest boxes.

After hatching, the ducklings jump to the ground: their fluffy down and lightweight ensures that injuries are unusual.

Once the mother has gathered her brood, she leads them straight to water.

It was long believed that the British population - now close to 8,000 birds - was of international importance, but previously undiscovered populations have been discovered in China, so this duck is far more numerous than was once thought.

In their native China mandarins have long been regarded as symbols of fidelity and pairs were given to brides on their wedding day.

In fact mandarins, like most ducks, only pair for the season, and new pairs will form again in the autumn.

The drake mandarin's display is highly ritualised, and includes raising the crest and the orange sails, and ritualised drinking and preening behind the sail.

The so-called sail is an elongated tertial feather.

In eclipse (summer) plumage the drake moults and looks almost identical to the duck, only his bright red beak indicating his sex.

China historically exported hundreds of thousands of mandarins, but the export trade was banned in 1975.

The mandarin is a member of the genus, which has only one other member, the closely related North American wood duck. Though the drakes are very different, the plumage of the females is very similar.

Despite the closeness of the relationship with the wood duck, no hybrids have ever been recorded. This is because the mandarin has a chromosome aberrance that makes it impossible for it to produce hybrids with other ducks.

The mandarin is one of the few introduced species in Britain that has not created any environmental problems, mainly because it uses a habitat not favoured by our native wildfowl.

Female mandarins don't quack, but they do make a series of clucking calls that are invariably uttered when they see danger, such as a hunting fox.

7-11-2016 BANGKOK, THAILAND - ZEBRA DOVE (Geopelia striata)

The zebra dove (Geopelia striata ), also known as the barred ground dove, or barred dove, is a species of bird of the dove family, Columbidae, native to Southeast Asia. They are small birds with a long tail, predominantly brownish-grey in colour with black-and-white barring. The species is known for its pleasant, soft, staccato cooing calls.

The birds are small and slender with a long, narrow tail. The upperparts are brownish-grey with black-and-white barring. The underparts are pinkish with black bars on the sides of the neck, breast and belly. The face is blue-grey with bare blue skin around the eyes. There are white tips to the tail feathers. Juveniles are duller and paler than the adults. They can also have brown feathers. Zebra doves are 20–23 centimetres in length with a wingspan of 24–26 cm.

Their call is a series of soft, staccato cooing notes. In Thailand and Indonesia, the birds are popular as pets because of their calls and cooing competitions are held to find the bird with the best voice. In Indonesia this bird is called perkutut. In the Philippines they are known as batobatong katigbe ("pebbled katigbe") and kurokutok ; in Malaysia this bird is called merbuk, onomatopoeic to their calls. They are also known as tukmo in Filipino, a name also given to the spotted dove (Spilopelia chinensis ) and other wild doves.

12-2-2018 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN ROBIN (Erithacus rubecula)

The European robin (Erithacus rubecula), known simply as the robin or robin redbreast in Great Britain and Ireland, is a small insectivorous passerine bird that belongs to the chat subfamily of the Old World flycatcher family. It is found across Europe, east to Western Siberia and south to North Africa; it is sedentary in most of its range except the far north.

It is about 12.5–14.0 cm (4.9–5.5 in) in length; the male and female are similar in colouration, with an orange breast and face lined with grey, brown upper-parts and a whitish belly.

The robin occurs in Eurasia east to Western Siberia, south to Algeria and on the Atlantic islands as far west as the Central Group of the Azores and Madeira. It is a vagrant in Iceland. In the southeast, it reaches Iran the Caucasus range. Irish and British robins are largely resident but a small minority, usually female, migrate to southern Europe during winter, a few as far as Spain. Scandinavian and Russian robins migrate to Britain and western Europe to escape the harsher winters. These migrants can be recognised by the greyer tone of the upper parts of their bodies and duller orange breast. The continental European robins that migrate during winter prefer spruce woods in northern Europe, contrasting with its preference for parks and gardens in Great Britain.