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Wednesday, 5 July 2023

27-5-2023 TABIN RESERVE, BORNEO - YELLOW BELLIED FLOWERPECKER (Prionochilus xanthopygius)


The yellow-rumped flowerpecker (Prionochilus xanthopygius) is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae. It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia on the island of Borneo, to which it is endemic. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. 

22-5-2023 SUKAU RIVER LODGE, BORNEO - PACIFIC SWALLOW (Hirundo tahitica)

The Pacific swallow (Hirundo tahitica) is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. It breeds in tropical southern Asia and the islands of the south Pacific. It is resident apart from some local seasonal movements. This bird is associated with coasts, but is increasingly spreading to forested uplands. The hill swallow and the welcome swallow were formerly considered conspecific.



17-5-2023 PORING HOT SPRINGS, BORNEO - CRESTED JAY (Platylophus galericulatus)


The crested jayshrike or crested shrikejay (Platylophus galericulatus), formerly known as the crested jay (despite not being a true jay) is a species of bird found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand. It is the only member of the genus Platylophus and the family Platylophidae.

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest of the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, and Borneo. It is threatened by habitat loss.
 

23-5-2023 SUKAU RIVER LODGE, BORNEO - DARK TIPPED FOREST SKIMMER DRAGONFLY (Cratilla metallica)


Cratilla metallica is a widespread and common forest species, occurring in secondary and disturbed forest habitats as well as primary ones.




23-5-2023 SUKAU RIVER LODGE, BORNEO - WHITES BUTTERFLY (Genus Phrissura)

Phrissura is a genus of butterflies in the family Pieridae. The genus is monotypic containing the single species Phrissura aegis.

24-5-2023 SUKAU RIVER LODGE, BORNEO - TAWNY BUSH BROWN BUTTERFLY (Mycalesis anapita)


Mycalesis anapita, the tawny bush-brown, is a species of Satyrinae butterfly described by Frederic Moore in 1858. It is found in southern Burma, southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo.

Underside orange brown. The edges of the forewing and hindwing display rusty-brown lines with about 11 eyespots along the wing margins. The upperside from the apex to the tornus displays deep orange brown with black forewing border.



5-7-2023 EL HONDO, ALICANTE - ORBWEAVER SPIDER (Larinioides ixobolus)


Occurrence: Larinioides ixobolus is common mostly on fences and buildings. It is a locally abundant species, it can form colonies. Description: Its flattened abdomen is gray to russet with distinct borders of folium. Adult females can grow to about 15 mm.

17-5- 2023 PORING HOT SPRINGS, BORNEO - MUGIMAKI FLYCATCHER (Ficedula mugimaki)


The mugimaki flycatcher (Ficedula mugimaki) is a small passerine bird of eastern Asia belonging to the genus Ficedula in the Old World flycatcher family, Muscicapidae. The name "mugimaki" comes from Japanese and means "wheat-sower". The bird is also known as the robin flycatcher.

The mugimaki flycatcher is 13 to 13.5 centimetres long. It has a rattling call and often flicks its wings and tail. The adult male has blackish upperparts with a short white supercilium behind the eye, a white wing-patch, white edges to the tertials and white at the base of the outer tail-feathers. The breast and throat are orange-red while the belly and undertail-coverts are white. The female is grey-brown above with a pale orange-brown breast and throat. She lacks white in the tail, has one or two pale wingbars rather than a white wing-patch and has a supercilium that is either faint or absent entirely. Young males are similar to the female but have a brighter orange breast, white in the tail and a more obvious supercilium.

27-5-2023 TABIN RESERVE, BORNEO - ASIAN FAIRY BLUEBIRD (Irena puella)


The Asian fairy-bluebird (Irena puella) is a medium-sized, arboreal passerine bird. This fairy-bluebird is found in forests across tropical southern Asia, Indochina and the Greater Sundas. Two or three eggs are laid in a small cup nest in a tree. It was described by British ornithologist John Latham in 1790. The only other member of the genus and family is the Philippine fairy-bluebird, I. cyanogastra, which replaces the Asian fairy-bluebird in most of the Philippines. Both species are considered as sacred to the Tagalog people as they are perceived as tigmamanukan omens.

The adult Asian fairy bluebird is about 24 to 27 centimetres (9.4 to 10.6 in). The male has glossy, iridescent blue upperparts, and black underparts and flight feathers. The female and first year male are entirely dull blue-green.

The Asian fairy bluebird eats fruits, nectar and some insects. Its call is a liquid two note glue-it.

5-7-2023 EL PINET, ALICANTE - SLENDER BILLED GULL (Chroicocephalus genei)


The slender-billed gull (Chroicocephalus genei) is a mid-sized gull which breeds very locally around the Mediterranean and the north of the western Indian Ocean (e.g. Pakistan) on islands and coastal lagoons. Most of the population is somewhat migratory, wintering further south to as far as North Africa and India. A few birds have wandered to western Europe. A vagrant individual was reportedly seen on Antigua, April 24, 1976 (AOU, 2000).

The genus name Chroicocephalus is from Ancient Greek khroizo, "to colour", and kephale, "head". The specific genei commemorates Italian naturalist Giuseppe Gené.

1-7-2023 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - WAVE MOTH (Idaea subsaturata)

Idaea subsaturata is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found in the coastal regions of the Iberian Peninsula (from southern Portugal to the eastern Pyrenees), northern Spain and in small populations near Madrid and in northern Portugal. It is also found in isolated populations in France (Depts. Vendée, Deux-Sèvres, Lot, Aveyron, Lozère, Gard, Herault, Aude, Pyrenées Orientales and Var). It is also found in North Africa, from North-eastern Morocco and northern Algeria up to Tunisia and western Libya.

The wingspan is 14–15 mm. The moth flies in up to three generations. In low areas it flies from May to October, in mountainous areas from July to August.

The larvae feed on various herbaceous plants, including Taraxacum officinale, Lactuca sativa, Polygonum aviculare.

15-5-2023 PORING HOT SPRINGS, BORNEO - BORNEAN TREEPIE (Dendrocitta cinerascens)


 It is fairly common in most mountain ranges in the northern and central parts of Borneo. It mainly occurs between 300 and 2,800 metres above sea-level, being most common in valleys and foothills at the lower end of that range. It inhabits forest, forest edge, bamboo thickets and scrubland and is sometimes seen in cultivated areas. It forages in the tree canopy, alone or in small groups, searching for small fruit, seeds and large insects such as beetles and cockroaches. It can become tame, visiting villages to feed on scraps.

Little is known about its breeding habits. The nest is shallow, built of fine twigs and placed in a low tree. The eggs are greenish-white with brown markings concentrated in a ring at the wider end.

15-5-2023 PORING HOT SPRINGS, BORNEO - LITTLE CUCKOO DOVE (Macropygia ruficeps)


The little cuckoo-dove (Macropygia ruficeps) is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is a reddish brown pigeon, and is found in Brunei, China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. It is rated as a species of least concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Endangered Species.

Tuesday, 4 July 2023

22-5-2023 SUKAU RIVER LODGE, BORNEO - GRENADIER DRAGONFLY (FEMALE) (Agrionoptera insignis)


Agrionoptera insignis is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is native to much of eastern Asia and Oceania, occurring as far north as Japan and as far south as Australia. It is common in most of its range. The circumscription of the species is not entirely clear, so if the species is redescribed, its status may change. Common names include grenadier.

The male of this species is generally 37 to 41 millimeters long, the hindwing about 28 to 30 millimeters long. The thorax is metallic green with yellow mottling. The eyes are brown and yellow. The abdomen is mostly red with a black tip. The abdomen of the female is duller in color.

This species lives in swampy areas, including disturbed habitat.

22-5-2023 SUKAU RIVER LODGE, BORNEO - SILVERED LEAF MONKEY (Trachypithecus cristatus)


The silvery lutung (Trachypithecus cristatus), also known as the silvered leaf monkey or the silvery langur, is an Old World monkey. It is arboreal, living in coastal, mangrove, and riverine forests in Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo.

The silvery lutung is found across Borneo and Sumatra, as well as in parts of the south-western Malay peninsula, the Natuna Islands, and other nearby islands. It inhabits mangrove swamps and nearby forest regions, and generally avoids travelling far from coasts or rivers.


22-5-2023 SEPILOK, BORNEO - GREY PANSY BUTTERFLY (Junonia atlites)


 The Grey Pansy is the rarest of the four Pansies found in Singapore. Often seen in bright sunlight, gliding over open grassy patches and flowering bushes, the species can be found in localised areas within the nature reserves. It is more often encountered on Pulau Ubin than on mainland Singapore. Where it occurs, usually single specimens are observed.

This species is susceptible to seasonal variation in Malaysia, where they occur in wet- and dry-season forms.

21-5-2023 SEPILOK, BORNEO - PLANTAIN SQUIRREL (Callosciurus notatus)


The plantain squirrel, oriental squirrel or tricoloured squirrel (Callosciurus notatus) is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand in a wide range of habitats: forests, mangroves, parks, gardens, and agricultural areas. Fruit farmers consider them to be pests.

Its body is about 20–30 cm (8–12 in) long with a similar-sized tail. It is greyish/brown with a chestnut belly and a black and white stripe on the side. It is very quick and agile in trees, able to jump a few metres between trees, and rarely wanders on the ground.

21-5-2023 SEPILOK, BORNEO - GREAT EGGFLY BUTTERFLY (Hypolimnas bolina)

Hypolimnas bolina, the great eggfly, common eggfly, varied eggfly or in New Zealand the blue moon butterfly is a species of nymphalid butterfly found from Madagascar to Asia and Australia.

H. bolina is found in Madagascar in the west, through to South and Southeast Asia, Cambodia, the South Pacific islands (French Polynesia, Tonga, Tuvalu, Samoa and Vanuatu), and occurs in parts of Australia as far south as Victoria during summer and autumn, Japan, and New Zealand. Appearances in New Zealand appear to be linked with favourable winds during April–June migratory periods in Australia, with the butterfly being recorded in 1956, 1971 and 1995. No populations have established locally in New Zealand.

H. bolina is a generally common butterfly across most tropical and sub-tropical habitat types, including wet/dry woodland (such as tropical savanna), rainforest and shrubland. It is a common visitor to suburban back yards and other areas of human disturbance. In the Australian tropics, H. bolina is particularly common along tracks, streambeds, and the corridors formed between remnant gallery forest and cultivated sugar cane fields. Both sexes are invariably found in association with one or more larval hostplant species, especially disturbance species such as Synedrella nodiflora, Sida rhombifolia, and Commelina cyanea.

 

22-5-2023 SEPILOK, BORNEO - SCARLET BACKED FLOWERPECKER (Dicaeum cruentatum) (MALE)


The scarlet-backed flowerpecker (Dicaeum cruentatum) is a species of passerine bird in the flowerpecker family Dicaeidae. Sexually dimorphic, the male has navy blue upperparts with a bright red streak down its back from its crown to its tail coverts, while the female and juvenile are predominantly olive green. It is found in subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and occasionally gardens in a number of countries throughout South and East Asia.

21-5-2023 SEPILOK, BORNEO - COLLARED KINGFISHER (Todiramphus chloris)

The collared kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris) is a medium-sized kingfisher belonging to the subfamily Halcyoninae, the tree kingfishers. It is also known as the white-collared kingfisher, black-masked kingfisher or mangrove kingfisher. It has a wide range extending from the Red Sea across southern Asia to Polynesia. A number of subspecies and subspecies groups have been split from this species including the Pacific kingfisher, the islet kingfisher, the Torresian kingfisher, the Mariana kingfisher, and the Melanesian kingfisher

21-5-2023 SEPILOK, BORNEO - ORIENTAL BLUE DASHER DRAGONFLY (Brachydiplax chalybea)

Brachydiplax chalybea is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is known by the common names yellow-patched lieutenant, rufous-backed marsh hawk, and blue dasher. It is native to much of eastern Asia, from India to Japan to Indonesia.

This species is found in many types of wet habitat, including brackish and disturbed waters. The males are seen more often, due to their territorial behavior. Females oviposit by "flicking" an egg mass out of the water into rocks and vegetation nearby.

21-5-2023 SEPILOK, BORNEO - TRUE CRICKET (Nisitrus vittatus)


 

21-5-2023 SEPILOK, BORNEO - COMMON PARASOL DRAGONFLY (Neurothemis fluctuans)

The Red Grasshawk, also known as Common Parasol, and Grasshawk dragonfly, (Neurothemis fluctuans) is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is widespread in many Asian countries.


The males have a dark coloration on their wings and clear wing tips.

The Red Grasshawk dragonfly, displaying the incredible patterns and lines on its delicate reddish wings.

The Red Grasshawk (Neurothemis fluctuans), also known as Common Parasol and Grasshawk dragonfly, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is occurs widely over Far East Asia from eastern India to Indochina. The adult male has brownish red wings with almost transparent tips, which is typical of males of several Neurothemis species. Females and the juvenile male are light brown with clear wings.
 

28-6-2023 ALCOY, ALICANTE - SPOTTED FLYCATCHER (Muscicapa striata)


 A widespread summer visitor from May to September.

Slightly larger than a Robin and a rather non-descript species. Ages and sexes appear largely the same. The head, back, wings and tail are dark grey, while the the undersides are whiteish with extensive grey streaking. Juveniles have some white centers to the feathers on the wing and back. When perched, has a distinctive long-tailed and large-headed shape.

The call is a quiet and unobtrusive “zee”. The song is similarly unremarkable and rather infrequently heard.

Insects caught in flight. Usually perches on an exposed branch in a woodland clearing, darting out to catch any passing insects.

Spotted Flycatchers are a widespread breeding bird in broadleaf woodlands, well-vegetated hedgerows, parks and gardens. Will use nestboxes.

Spotted Flycatchers winter in central and southern Africa.

2-7-2023 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SPINY TOAD (JUVENILE) (Bufo spinosus)


The spiny toad, spiny common toad, or giant toad (Bufo spinosus) is a species of toad native to the Iberian Peninsula, southern France, extreme northeastern Italy, and North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia). There is an isolated population in Jersey in the Channel Islands. For much of the 20th century, it was considered either a synonym or a subspecies of common toad Bufo bufo, but it is now classified as a separate species.

These toads feed on a number of invertebrates from earthworms to insects and woodlice.

4-7-2023 RAFELCOFER, VALENCIA - LITTLE OWL (Athene noctua)


The little owl (Athene noctua), also known as the owl of Athena or owl of Minerva, is a bird that inhabits much of the temperate and warmer parts of Europe, the Palearctic east to Korea, and North Africa. It was introduced into Britain at the end of the 19th century and into the South Island of New Zealand in the early 20th century.

This owl is a member of the typical or true owl family Strigidae, which contains most species of owl, the other grouping being the barn owls, Tytonidae. It is a small, cryptically coloured, mainly nocturnal species and is found in a range of habitats including farmland, woodland fringes, steppes and semi-deserts. It feeds on insects, earthworms, other invertebrates and small vertebrates. Males hold territories which they defend against intruders. This owl is a cavity nester and a clutch of about four eggs is laid in spring. The female does the incubation and the male brings food to the nest, first for the female and later for the newly hatched young. As the chicks grow, both parents hunt and bring them food, and the chicks leave the nest at about seven weeks of age.

Being a common species with a wide range and large total population, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as "least concern".


The little owl is widespread across Europe, Asia and North Africa. Its range in Eurasia extends from the Iberian Peninsula and Denmark eastwards to China and southwards to the Himalayas. In Africa it is present from Mauritania to Egypt, the Red Sea and Arabia. It was introduced to the United Kingdom] in the 19th century, and has spread across much of England and the whole of Wales. It was introduced to Otago in New Zealand by the local acclimatisation society in 1906, and to Canterbury a little later, and is now widespread in the eastern and northern South Island; it is partially protected under Schedule 2 of New Zealand's Wildlife Act 1953, whereas most introduced birds explicitly have no protection or are game birds.

Little owls often nest in hollow tree trunks (Strumpshaw Fen RSPB reserve, Norfolk)
This is a sedentary species that is found in open countryside in a great range of habitats. These include agricultural land with hedgerows and trees, orchards, woodland verges, parks and gardens, as well as steppes and stony semi-deserts. It is also present in treeless areas such as dunes, and in the vicinity of ruins, quarries and rocky outcrops. It sometimes ventures into villages and suburbs. In the United Kingdom it is chiefly a bird of the lowlands, and usually occurs below 500 m (1,600 ft). In continental Europe and Asia it may be found at much higher elevations; one individual was recorded from 3,600 m (12,000 ft) in Tibet.


This owl becomes more vocal at night as the breeding season approaches in late spring. The nesting location varies with habitat, nests being found in holes in trees, in cliffs, quarries, walls, old buildings, river banks and rabbit burrows. A clutch of 3 to 5 eggs is laid (occasionally 2 to 8). The eggs are broadly elliptical, white and without gloss; they measure about 35.5 by 29.5 mm (1.40 by 1.16 in). They are incubated by the female who sometimes starts sitting after the first egg is laid. While she is incubating the eggs, the male brings food for her. The eggs hatch after 28 or 29 days. At first the chicks are brooded by the female and the male brings in food which she distributes to them. Later, both parents are involved in hunting and feeding them. The young leave the nest at about 7 weeks, and can fly a week or two later. Usually there is a single brood but when food is abundant, there may be two. The energy reserves that little owl chicks are able to build up when in the nest influences their post-fledgling survival, with birds in good physical condition having a much higher chance of survival than those in poor condition. When the young disperse, they seldom travel more than about 20 km (12 mi). Pairs of birds often remain together all year round and the bond may last until one partner dies.
 

21-5-2023 SEPILOK, BORNEO - HIBISCUS ROSA SINENSIS X SCHIZOPETALUS (Hibiscus × archeri)


Hibiscus × archeri is a hybrid of plants with 5722 observations.


 Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, known colloquially as Chinese hibiscus, China rose, Hawaiian hibiscus, rose mallow and shoeblack plant, is a species of tropical hibiscus, a flowering plant in the Hibisceae tribe of the family Malvaceae. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in the tropics and subtropics, but its native range is Vanuatu.

21-5-2023 SEPILOK, BORNEO - BROWN THROATED SUNBIRD (FEMALE) (Anthreptes malacensis)

The brown-throated sunbird (Anthreptes malacensis), also known as the plain-throated sunbird, is a species of bird in the family Nectariniidae. It is found in a wide range of semi-open habitats in south-east Asia, ranging from Myanmar to the Lesser Sundas and west Philippines. The grey-throated sunbird found in the remaining part of the Philippines is often considered a subspecies of the brown-throated sunbird, but the two differ consistently in measurements and plumage, and there is no evidence of intergradation between them.

21-5-2023 SEPILOK, BORNEO - CRIMSON SUNBIRD (Aethopyga siparaja)

The crimson sunbird (Aethopyga siparaja) is a species of bird in the sunbird family which feed largely on nectar. They may also take insects, especially when feeding their young. Flight is fast and direct on their short wings. Most species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perch to feed. It has also been unofficially announced as Singapore’s national bird by the Nature Society Singapore.


The crimson sunbird is a resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from India, through Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar to Indonesia and Brunei. Two or three eggs are laid in a suspended nest in a tree. This species occurs in forest and cultivated areas.

Crimson sunbirds are tiny, only 11 cm long. They have medium-length thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations to their nectar feeding. The adult male has a crimson breast and maroon back. The rump is yellow and the belly is olive. The female has an olive-green back, yellowish breast and white tips to the outer tail feathers.



21-5-2023 SEPILOK, BORNEO - BROWN PANSY BUTTERFLY (Junonia hedonia)


Junonia hedonia, the brown pansy, chocolate pansy, brown soldier or chocolate argus, is a butterfly found in Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and Australia.