21-6-2023 MUNTANYETA DEL SANS, VALENCIA - BLACK WINGED STILT (Himantopus himantopus)

The black-winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus) is a widely distributed very long-legged wader in the avocet and stilt family (Recurvirostridae). The scientific name H. himantopus is sometimes applied to a single, almost cosmopolitan species. Alternatively, it is restricted to the form that is widespread in Europe, Asia and Africa, which equals the nominate group of Himantopus himantopus sensu lato (whereas the black-necked, H. mexicanus, and white-backed stilt, H. melanurus, both inhabit the Americas, and the pied stilt, H. leucocephalus, inhabit southeast Asia to Australia and New Zealand). Most sources today accept 1–4 species. The scientific name Himantopus comes from the Greek meaning "strap foot" or "thong foot".

The breeding habitat of all these stilts is marshes, shallow lakes and ponds. Some populations are migratory and move to the ocean coasts in winter; those in warmer regions are generally resident or short-range vagrants. In Europe, the black-winged stilt is a regular spring overshoot vagrant north of its normal range, occasionally remaining to breed in northern European countries. Pairs successfully bred in Britain in 1987, and after a 27-year hiatus there were two instances of successful breeding in Southern England in 2014. 13 young were fledged in southern England in 2017. Four chicks were successfully fledged in northern England in 2022; this is believed to be the most northerly breeding success for the black-winged stilt.

These birds pick up their food from sand or water. They eat mainly insects and crustaceans.

The nest site is a bare spot on the ground near water. These birds often nest in small groups, sometimes with avocets.

These birds are communal nesters and may breed in loose colonies. They have been known to breed as far north as Britain, with recent successful breeding events recorded in Southern and Northern England.

Their diet consists mainly of insects and crustaceans, which they deftly pick from the water's surface or from wet sand.

2-6-2023 BALI BIRD PARK, BALI - AUSTRALIAN PELICAN (Pelecanus conspicillatus)

The Australian pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus) is a large waterbird in the family Pelecanidae, widespread on the inland and coastal waters of Australia and New Guinea, also in Fiji, parts of Indonesia and as a vagrant in New Zealand. It is a predominantly white bird with black wings and a pink bill. It has been recorded as having the longest bill of any living bird. It mainly eats fish, but will also consume birds and scavenge for scraps if the opportunity arises.

This species can occur in large expanses of mainland Australia and Tasmania. Australian pelicans occur primarily in large expanses of open water without dense aquatic vegetation. The habitats that can support them include large lakes, reservoirs, billabongs and rivers, as well as estuaries, swamps, temporarily flooded areas in arid zones, drainage channels in farmland, salt evaporation ponds and coastal lagoons. The surrounding environment is unimportant: it can be forest, grassland, desert, estuarine mudflats, an ornamental city park, or industrial wasteland, provided only that there is open water able to support a sufficient supply of food. However, they do seem to prefer areas where disturbance is relatively low while breeding. They may also roost on mudflats, sandbars, beaches, reefs, jetties and pilings.

 

2-6-2023 BALI BIRD PARK, BALI - BUFFY FISH OWL (Ketupa ketupu)

The buffy fish owl (Ketupa ketupu), also known as the Malay fish owl, is a fish owl in the family Strigidae. It is native to Southeast Asia and lives foremost in tropical forests and wetlands. Due to its wide distribution and assumed stable population, it is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2004.

2-6-2023 BALI BIRD PARK, BALI - BARN OWL (Tyto alba)

The barn owl (Tyto alba) is the most widely distributed species of owl in the world and one of the most widespread of all species of birds, being found almost everywhere except for the polar and desert regions, Asia north of the Himalayas, most of Indonesia, and some Pacific Islands. It is also known as the common barn owl, to distinguish it from the other species in its family, Tytonidae, which forms one of the two main lineages of living owls, the other being the typical owls (Strigidae).

There are at least three major lineages of barn owl: the western barn owl of Europe, western Asia, and Africa; the eastern barn owl of southeastern Asia and Australasia; and the American barn owl of the Americas. Some taxonomic authorities classify barn owls differently, recognising up to five separate species; and further research needs to be done to resolve the disparate taxonomies. There is considerable variation of size and colour among the approximately 28 subspecies, but most are between 33 and 39 cm (13 and 15 in) in length, with wingspans ranging from 80 to 95 cm (31 to 37 in). The plumage on the head and back is a mottled shade of grey or brown; that on the underparts varies from white to brown and is sometimes speckled with dark markings. The face is characteristically heart-shaped and is white in most subspecies. This owl does not hoot, but utters an eerie, drawn-out screech.

2-6-2023 BALI BIRD PARK, BALI - GREEN PEAFOWL (Pavo muticus)

The green peafowl or Indonesian peafowl (Pavo muticus) is a peafowl species native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia and Indochina. It is the national bird of Myanmar. Formerly common throughout Southeast Asia, only a few isolated populations survive within Cambodia (mainly in the northern and eastern provinces) and adjacent areas of Vietnam. It has been listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2009, primarily due to widespread deforestation, agriculture and loss of suitable habitat, severely fragmenting the species' populations and contributing to an overall decline in numbers. Due to their natural beauty, they are still sometimes targeted by the pet trade, feather collectors, and even by hunters for meat. They are a much-desired bird for private and home aviculturists, despite their rather high-maintenance care requirements (when compared to the more common and hardy Indian blue peafowl).

2-6-2023 BALI BIRD PARK, BALI - TANIMBAR CORELLA (Cacatua goffiniana)

The Tanimbar corella (Cacatua goffiniana), also known as Goffin's cockatoo, is a species of cockatoo endemic to forests of Yamdena, Larat and Selaru, all islands in the Tanimbar Islands archipelago in Indonesia. It has been introduced to the Kai Islands, Indonesia, Puerto Rico and Singapore. This species was only formally described in 2004, after it was discovered that the previous formal descriptions pertained to individuals of a different cockatoo species, the Ducorps' or Solomons cockatoo (Cacatua ducorpsii). Tanimbar corellas are the smallest of the white cockatoos. It is classified as Near Threatened due to deforestation and bird trade. It breeds well in captivity and there is a large avicultural population.

Due to ongoing habitat loss on Tanimbar, limited range and illegal hunting, the Tanimbar corella is evaluated as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix I of CITES. In the 1970s, Japanese loggers ravaged the islands. Many of the dazed, disoriented birds were captured for the pet trade. Although many died from stress during shipment, there may be a small silver lining behind this ecological disaster, because many Tanimbar corellas have reproduced in captive breeding programs. As such, there are now more Tanimbar corellas in captivity than in the wild.

 

2-6-2023 BALI BIRD PARK, BALI - BLUE AND YELLOW MACAW (Ara ararauna)

The blue-and-yellow macaw (Ara ararauna), also known as the blue-and-gold macaw, is a large South American parrot with a mostly blue dorsum, light yellow/orange venter, and gradient hues of green on top of its head. It is a member of the large group of neotropical parrots known as macaws. It inhabits forest (especially varzea, but also in open sections of terra firme or unflooded forest), woodland and savannah of tropical South America. They are popular in aviculture because of their striking color, ability to talk, ready availability in the marketplace, and close bonding to humans.

 

2-6-2023 BALI BIRD PARK, BALI - YELLOW CRESTED COCKATOO (Cacatua sulphurea)

The yellow-crested cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea) also known as the lesser sulphur-crested cockatoo, is a medium-sized (about 34-cm-long) cockatoo with white plumage, bluish-white bare orbital skin, grey feet, a black bill, and a retractile yellow or orange crest. The sexes are similar.

The yellow-crested cockatoo is found in wooded and cultivated areas of East Timor and Indonesia's islands of Sulawesi and the Lesser Sundas. It is easily confused with the larger and more common sulphur-crested cockatoo, which has a more easterly distribution and can be distinguished by the lack of pale yellow coloring on its cheeks (although some sulphur-cresteds develop yellowish patches). Also, the yellow-crested cockatoo's crest is a brighter color, closer to orange. The citron-crested cockatoo, which is a subspecies of the yellow-crested cockatoo, is similar, but its crest is clearly orange.

The yellow-crested cockatoo's diet consists mainly of seeds, buds, fruits, nuts, and herbaceous plants.

7-6-2023 UBUD, BALI - BROAD HANDED CARPENTER BEE (Xylocopa latipes)

Xylocopa latipes, the tropical carpenter bee, is a species of carpenter bee widely dispersed throughout Southeast Asia. As its name suggests, this bee inhabits forests in warm tropical climates and constructs nests by burrowing into wood. It often makes long deep tunnels in wooden rafters, fallen trees, telephone poles and the like, but is not found in living trees.

It was first scientifically described by the English entomologist, Dru Drury in 1773, and is a member of the group of solitary bees (Family Apidae).

The tropical carpenter bee is a very large, robust, solitary bee. It is shiny, fully black in colour with fuscous metallic blue-green or purple wings in sunlight. The tropical carpenter bee is probably the largest Xylocopa known and among the largest bees of the world (though it is not the world's largest, that title belongs to another Southeast Asian bee, the Indonesian Megachile pluto). It has a loud and distinctive, low-pitched buzzing that can be heard as it flies between flowers or perches. In Urban areas, these bees can become attached to certain perches, returning to them day after day, even after several generations.

7-6-2023 UBUD, BALI - EURASIAN TREE SPARROW (MALE) (Passer montanus)

The Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus) is a passerine bird in the sparrow family with a rich chestnut crown and nape, and a black patch on each pure white cheek. The sexes are similarly plumaged, and young birds are a duller version of the adult. This sparrow breeds over most of temperate Eurasia and Southeast Asia, where it is known as the tree sparrow, and it has been introduced elsewhere including the United States, where it is known as the Eurasian tree sparrow or German sparrow to differentiate it from the native unrelated American tree sparrow. Although several subspecies are recognised, the appearance of this bird varies little across its extensive range.

The Eurasian tree sparrow's untidy nest is built in a natural cavity, a hole in a building or the disused nest of a European magpie or white stork. The typical clutch is five or six eggs which hatch in under two weeks. This sparrow feeds mainly on seeds, but invertebrates are also consumed, particularly during the breeding season. As with other small birds, infection by parasites and diseases, and predation by birds of prey take their toll, and the typical life span is about two years.

The Eurasian tree sparrow is widespread in the towns and cities of eastern Asia, but in Europe it is a bird of lightly wooded open countryside, with the house sparrow breeding in the more urban areas. The Eurasian tree sparrow's extensive range and large population ensure that it is not endangered globally, but there have been large declines in western European populations, in part due to changes in farming practices involving increased use of herbicides and loss of winter stubble fields. In eastern Asia and western Australia, this species is sometimes viewed as a pest, although it is also widely celebrated in oriental art. 

7-6-2023 UBUD, BALI - GRASS CROSS SPIDER (Argiope catenulata)

Argiope catenulata, also known as the grass cross spider, is a species of orb-weaver spiders (family Araneidae) ranging from India to the Philippines and Papua New Guinea, and also found in Australia in 2019. Like other species of the same genus, it builds a web with a zig-zag stabilimentum.

Argiope catenulata is a colorful spider. The female's cephalothorax is yellow with black eye margins. Its abdomen is oblong with a black and silvery-whitish yellow dorsal pattern. Brown patches of irregular shapes are present from the median of the opisthosoma (abdomen) to the posterior side. The legs are black with thin white rings.

The male is smaller than the female. It has a brownish red to yellowish brown cephalothorax with black eye margins. Its abdomen is yellowish with a dorsal pattern as in the female. The legs are yellowish brown.

7-6-2023 UBUD, BALI - TWO STRIPED WATER MONITOR (Varanus salvator ssp. bivittatus)

The water monitor Varanus salvator is a large lizard native to South and Southeast Asia. They range from Sri Lanka and coastal northeast India to Indochina, the Malay Peninsula, and various islands of Indonesia, living in areas close to water. The Asian water monitor are among the largest lizards in the world.

 

7-6-2023 UBUD, BALI - COMMON PALMFLY BUTTERFLY (Elymnias hypermnestra)

Elymnias hypermnestra, the common palmfly, is a species of satyrine butterfly found in South and Southeast Asia.

Description

As in some other species in the genus Elymnias, the common palmfly has a precostal cell in the hindwings and a tuft of androconial scales on the dorsal discal cell of the hindwings. Some populations of this butterfly species are sexually dimorphic: males and females do not look alike. In sexually dimorphic populations, males have black upperside forewings with small blue patches and mimic Euploea species, while the females mimic butterfly species of the genus Danaus.

7-6-2023 UBUD, BALI - YELLOW GRASS DART BUTTERFLY (Taractrocera archias)

 Taractrocera archias is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in mainland south-eastern Asia (Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia), Java and Lesser Sunda Islands (east to Timor and Kisar).

7-6-2023 UBUD, BALI - CUBAN BUTTERCUP (Turnera subulata)

Turnera subulata is a species of flowering plant in the passionflower family known by the common names white buttercup, sulphur alder, politician's flower, dark-eyed turnera, and white alder. Despite its names, it is not related to the buttercups or the alders. It is native to Central and South America, from Panama south to Brazil. It is well known in many other places as an introduced species, such as Malaysia, Indonesia, several other Pacific Islands, the Caribbean, and Florida in the United States. It is commonly cultivated as a garden flower.

7-6-2023 UBUD, BALI - BANDED SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY (Papilio demolion)

Papilio demolion, the banded swallowtail, is a species of swallowtail butterfly belonging to the family Papilionidae.

This species is present in Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. These butterflies mainly inhabit nature reserves, wastelands, mangrove areas and offshore islands.

Adults can be found from January to October. Females lay their eggs in a long string. Eggs hatch in about 3–4 days.

21-6-2023 ULLAL DE BALDOVI, VALENCIA - LARGE MARSH HORSEFLY (Tabanus autumnalis)

Tabanus autumnalis, the large marsh horsefly, is a medium-sized species of biting horse-fly. It is somewhat scarce compared to T. bromius and T. bovinus. This species shows slightly more of a preference for coastal marsh than some of the other European Tabanus, sometime even found in saltmashes. Wing length is 13–16 mm and about 16–22 mm in body length.

 

5-6-2023 UBUD, BALI - PAPER WASP (Polistes tenebricosus)

Polistes tenebricosus is a species of insects with 459 observations

 

5-6-2023 UBUD, BALI - SILENT SLANT FACED GRASSHOPPER ( Genus Phlaeoba)

 Phlaeoba is a genus of grasshoppers in the family Acrididae and subfamily Acridinae. The recorded distribution of species includes: India, China, Indo-China and Malesia.

5-6-2023 UBUD, BALI - JAVAN POND HERON (Ardeola speciosa)

The Javan pond heron (Ardeola speciosa) is a wading bird of the heron family, found in shallow fresh and salt-water wetlands in Southeast Asia. Its diet comprises insects, fish, and crabs.

The Javan pond heron is typically 45 cm long with white wings, a yellow bill with a black tip, yellow eyes and legs. Its overall colour is orange, slaty and white during mating season, and brown and flecked with white out of the mating season. The non-breeding plumage is similar to that of the Chinese and Indian pond herons and is virtually indistinguishable in the field. It breeds from June to September. It is migratory.

Widespread throughout its large range, the Javan pond heron is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

 

5-6-2023 UBUD, BALI - COMMON SAILOR BUTTERFLY (Neptis hylas)

Neptis hylas, the common sailor, is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in the Indian subcontinent and southeast Asia. It has a characteristic stiff gliding flight achieved by short and shallow wingbeats just above the horizontal

Throughout continental India; Sri Lanka; Assam; Nepal; Myanmar (Tenasserim), extending to China and Indomalaya.

5-6-2023 UBUD, BALI - SLENDER SKIMMER 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 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. 

5-6-2023 UBUD, BALI - MALAYAN EGGFLY BUTTERFLY (Hypolimnas anomala)

 Hypolimnas anomala, commonly known as the Malayan eggfly or crow eggfly, is a species of eggfly.

5-6-2023 UBUD, BALI - THREE SPOTTED GRASS YELLOW BUTTERFLY (Eurema blanda)

 Eurema blanda, the three-spot grass yellow, is a small butterfly of the family Pieridae which is found in Sri Lanka, India and southeast Asia.

Egg

Pale yellowish oval-shaped eggs are laid under or upper the leaves and hatch after about three days.

Larva

They are light green in color in first instar and they become bright green color in the last instar.

Pupa

After 20 days from the hatching , the larva become pupa. Pupae are light green in color and , they become butterflies and emerged from the chrysails after a week.

4-6-2023 UBUD, BALI - WHITE FRANGIPANI TREE (Plumeria obtusa)

Plumeria obtusa, the Singapore graveyard flower, is a species of the genus Plumeria (Apocynaceae). It is native to the Neotropics, but widely cultivated for its ornamental and fragrant flowers around the world, where suitably warm climate exists. 

4-6-2023 UBUD, BALI - YELLOW VENTED BULBUL (Pycnonotus goiavier)

They are fond of berries and small fruits, especially figs and cinnamon tree fruits. They sip nectar, nibble on young shoots, and snack on insects. They forage in bushes and trees for berries and insects, and may even catch swarming insects on the wing. Known to feed on fruit of Melastoma malabathricum and seeds of Dillenia suffruticosa. Common throughout Singapore. 

4-6-2023 UBUD, BALI - DAY WATER LILY (Nymphaea nouchali)

Nymphaea nouchali, often known by its synonym Nymphaea stellata, or by common names blue lotus, star lotus, red water lily, dwarf aquarium lily, blue water lily, blue star water lily or manel flower, is a water lily of genus Nymphaea. It is native to southern and eastern parts of Asia, and is the national flower of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. In Sanskrit, it is utpala. This species is usually considered to include the blue Egyptian lotus N. nouchali var. caerulea. In the past, taxonomic confusion has occurred, with the name Nymphaea nouchali incorrectly applied to Nymphaea pubescens.

4-6-2023 UBUD, BALI - COMMON JAY BUTTERFLY (Graphium doson)

Graphium doson, the common jay, is a black, tropical papilionid (swallowtail) butterfly with pale blue semi-transparent central wing bands that are formed by large spots. There is a marginal series of smaller spots. The underside of wings is brown with markings similar to upperside but whitish in colour. The sexes look alike. The species was first described by father and son entomologists Cajetan and Rudolf Felder.

It is widespread and common throughout Southeast Asia, including lower elevations in Sri Lanka and southern India, Eastern Ghats, Satpuras, Bengal, Assam and Bangladesh, and the Himalayan foothills. The species is however scarce in southern Honshū, Japan.

 

4-6-2023 UBUD, BALI - PHILIPPINE GROUND ORCHID (Spathoglottis plicata)

Spathoglottis plicata, commonly known as the Philippine ground orchid, or large purple orchid is an evergreen, terrestrial plant with crowded pseudobulbs, three or four large, pleated leaves and up to forty resupinate, pink to purple flowers. It is found from tropical and subtropical Asia to Australia and the western Pacific including Tonga and Samoa.

 

4-6-2023 UBUD, BALI - RED PERCHER DRAGONFLY (Neurothemis ramburii)