8-10-2024 BLENNERVILLE, IRELAND - GREY HERON (Ardea cinerea)

The Grey heron (Ardea cinerea) is a large long-legged wading bird of the heron native to Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It lives in wetland areas and feeds on various aquatic creatures which it catches after standing stationary beside or in the water.

Population size

790,000-3.7Mln

Life Span

15-20 years

Top speed

64

km/hmph

km/h mph 

Weight

1-2

kglbs

kg lbs 

Height

84-102

cminch

cm inch 

Length

84-102

cminch

cm inch 

The plumage of the Grey heron is largely ashy-grey above, and greyish-white below with some black on the flanks. Adults have a head and neck white with a broad black supercilium that terminates in the slender, dangling crest, and bluish-black streaks on the front of the neck. The scapular feathers are elongated and the feathers at the base of the neck are also somewhat elongated. Immature birds lack the dark stripe on the head and are generally duller in appearance than adults, with a grey head and neck, and a small, dark grey crest. The pinkish-yellow beak is long, straight, and powerful, and is brighter in color in breeding adults. The iris is yellow and the legs are brown and very long.

Grey herons occur in most parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Over much of their range, these birds are resident, but populations from the more northerly parts of Europe migrate southwards; some remain in Central and Southern Europe, and others travel on to Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Grey herons can be found anywhere with suitable watery habitats that can supply their food. Although most common in the lowlands, they also occur in mountain tarns, lakes, reservoirs, large and small rivers, marshes, ponds, ditches, flooded areas, coastal lagoons, estuaries, and seashore. They sometimes forage away from water in the pasture, and can even be found in desert areas, hunting for beetles and lizards.

Grey herons are social birds; they may feed alone or in groups and at night they roost in trees or on cliffs and tend to be gregarious. During the breeding season, they nest in big colonies. Grey herons usually hunt around dawn and dusk but they may also be active at other times of the day. They often perch in trees, but spend much time on the ground, striding about or standing still for long periods with an upright stance, often on a single leg. The main call of Grey herons is a loud croaking "fraaank", but a variety of guttural and raucous noises is heard at the breeding colony. A loud, harsh "schaah" is used by the male in driving other birds from the vicinity of the nest, and a soft "gogogo" expresses anxiety, as when a predator is nearby or a human walks past the colony. The chicks utter loud chattering or ticking noises.

6-10-2024 LOUGHILL, IRELAND - FIRETHORN (Pyracantha coccinea)

Pyracantha coccinea, the scarlet firethorn is the European species of firethorn or red firethorn that has been cultivated in gardens since the late 16th century. The tree has small white flowers. It produces small, bright red berries. Its leaves are slightly toothed and grow opposite to one another. The fruit is bitter and astringent, making it inedible when raw. The fruit can be cooked to make jellies, jams, sauces and marmalade. It ranges from southern Europe to western Asia. It has been introduced to North America and cultivated there as an ornamental plant since the 18th century.

In England, since the late 18th century, it has been used to cover unsightly walls.

Cultivars

Pyracantha coccinea 'Kasan'.

Pyracantha coccinea 'Lalandei'. About 1874, M. Lalande, a nurseryman in Angers, France, selected from seedlings of P. coccinea an improved form, more freely berrying than the type. A sport has produced a yellow-berried form. These, and further selections, have largely ousted the ordinary form from nursery stock.

Pyracantha coccinea 'Sparkler'.

8-10-2024 ADARE, LIMERICK - COMMON INKCAP (Coprinopsis atramentaria)

Coprinopsis atramentaria, commonly known as the common ink cap, tippler's bane, or inky cap, is an edible (although poisonous when combined with alcohol) mushroom found in Europe and North America. Previously known as Coprinus atramentarius, it is the second best known ink cap and previous member of the genus Coprinus after C. comatus. It is a widespread and common fungus found throughout the northern hemisphere. Clumps of mushrooms arise after rain from spring to autumn, commonly in urban and disturbed habitats such as vacant lots and lawns, as well as grassy areas. The grey-brown cap is initially bell-shaped before opening, after which it flattens and disintegrates. The flesh is thin and the taste mild. It can be eaten, but due to the presence of coprine within the mushroom, it is poisonous when consumed with alcohol, as it heightens the body's sensitivity to ethanol in a similar manner to the anti-alcoholism drug disulfiram.

7-10-2024 RIVER SHANNON, LIMERICK - MUTE SWAN (Cygnus olor)

The Mute swan (Cygnus olor) is known as an integral feature of urban parks as well as most of the waterways in our regions. But originally this beautiful white bird was a wild animal, not always with compatible behavior and habits for life in city parks. It is also amongst the heaviest of the world's flying birds.

Population size

500,000

Life Span

19-40 years

Top speed

80

km/hmph

km/h mph 

Weight

6.5-13

kglbs

kg lbs 

Length

140-160

cminch

cm inch 

Wingspan

3

mft

m ft 

The plumage of Mute swans is white, while the legs are dark grey. The beak is bright orange, with black around the nostrils and a black nail. Males are larger than females and have a larger knob on their bills. Young birds (cygnets) are not the bright white of mature adults, and their bill is dull greyish-black, not orange, for the first year. 

The down may range from pure white to grey to buff, with grey/buff the most common. The cygnets grow quickly, reaching a size close to their adult size in approximately 3 months after hatching. Cygnets typically retain their grey feathers until they are at least one year old, with the down on their wings having been replaced by flight feathers earlier that year. All Mute swans are white at maturity, though the feathers (particularly on the head and neck) are often stained orange-brown by iron and tannins in the water.

6-10-2024 LOUGHILL, IRELAND - 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.

European robins occur 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. 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. European robins prefer spruce woods in northern Europe, contrasting with their preference for parks and gardens in Ireland and Great Britain. These may also be found in grasslands, shrubby vegetation, hedgerows with some tall trees, orchards, and farmlands.

6-10-2024 TARBERT ISLAND, IRELAND - EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER (Haematopus ostralegus)

The Eurasian oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) also known as the common pied oystercatcher, or (in Europe) just oystercatcher, is a wader in the oystercatcher bird family Haematopodidae. It has striking black and white plumage, a long straight orange-red bill, red eyes and relatively short dull pink legs. The sexes are similar in appearance but the bill of the female is longer than that of the male.

It is the most widespread of the oystercatchers, with three races breeding in western Europe, central Eurosiberia, Kamchatka, China, and the western coast of Korea. No other oystercatcher occurs within this area.

The Eurasian oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) is a wading bird with striking black and white plumage. It is a noisy plover-like bird, and despite its name, oysters do not form a large part of its diet. The bird still lives up to its name, as few if any other wading birds are capable of opening oysters.

Eurasian oystercatchers have black and white plumage, pink legs, and a strong broad red bill used for smashing or prising open mollusks. The sexes are similar in plumage but the female has a longer bill than the male. This oystercatcher is unmistakable in flight, with white patches on the wings and tail, otherwise black upperparts, and white underparts. Young birds are more brown, have a white neck collar, and a duller bill.

Eurasian oystercatchers breed in western Europe, central Eurosiberia, Kamchatka, China, and the western coast of Korea. No other oystercatcher occurs within this area. Eurasian oystercatchers are migratory over most of their range. They can be found on coastal saltmarshes, beaches, and dunes, along the shores of lakes, or rivers. They can also occur on agricultural grass and fields not far from water.

6-10-2024 TARBERT ISLAND, IRELAND - EURASIAN CURLEW (Numenius arquata)

The Eurasian curlew or common curlew (Numenius arquata) is a very large wader in the family Scolopacidae. It is one of the most widespread of the curlews, breeding across temperate Europe and Asia. In Europe, this species is often referred to just as the "curlew", and in Scotland known as the "whaup" in Scots.

The curlew exists as a migratory species over most of its range, wintering in Africa, southern Europe and south Asia. Occasionally a vagrant individual reaches places far from its normal range, such as Nova Scotia and the Marianas. It is present all year in the milder climates of Ireland and the United Kingdom and its adjacent European coasts. The Eurasian curlew is the largest wader in its range, at 50–60 cm (20–24 in) in length, with an 89–106 cm (35–42 in) wingspan and a body weight of 410–1,360 g (0.90–3.00 lb). It is mainly greyish brown, with a white back, greyish-blue legs and a very long curved bill. Males and females look identical, but the bill is longest in the adult female. It is generally not possible to recognize the sex of a single Eurasian curlew, or even several ones, as there is much variation; telling male and female of a mated pair apart is usually possible however. The familiar call is a loud curloo-oo.

The only similar species over most of the curlew's range is the Eurasian whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus ). The whimbrel is smaller and has a shorter bill with a kink rather than a smooth curve. Flying curlews may also resemble bar-tailed godwits (Limosa lapponica ) in their winter plumages; however, the latter have a smaller body, a slightly upturned beak, and legs that do not reach far beyond their tail tips. The Eurasian curlew's feet are longer, forming a conspicuous "point".

The nest is a bare scrape on taiga, meadow, and similar habitats. The clutch size of the curlew consists of 4 eggs which are laid in April or May and incubates them for about a month until they begin to hatch. It has been observed that curlews tend to nest close to common kestrel's nests, as they can offer protection from other predators, such as corvids, even though kestrels also predate curlew nests.

6-10-2024 LOUGHILL, IRELAND - EURASIAN WREN (Troglodytes troglodytes)

The Eurasian wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) or northern wren is a very small insectivorous bird, and the only member of the wren family Troglodytidae found in Eurasia and Africa (Maghreb). In Anglophone Europe, it is commonly known simply as the wren. It has a very short tail which is often held erect, a short neck and a relatively long thin bill. It is russet brown above, paler buff-brown below and has a cream buff supercilium. The sexes are alike.

The species was once lumped with Troglodytes hiemalis of eastern North America and Troglodytes pacificus of western North America as the winter wren. The Eurasian wren occurs in Europe and across the Palearctic – including a belt of Asia from northern Iran and Afghanistan across to Japan. It is migratory in only the northern parts of its range. It is also highly polygynous, an unusual mating system for passerines.

2-10-2024 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - IBERIAN STRAW GRASSHOPPER (Euchorthippus chopardi)

Euchorthippus chopardi, the Iberian straw grasshopper, is a species of slant-faced grasshopper in the family Acrididae. It is found in Europe.

The IUCN conservation status of Euchorthippus chopardi is "LC", least concern, with no immediate threat to the species' survival. The IUCN status was assessed in 2015.

3-10-2024 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - WAVE MOTH (Idaea minuscularia)

Wingspan 1.2 to 1.8 cm. White wings with scattered dark scales. Dotted posterior edge and parallel to this, a series of dots on the inside of the wing. Between the two there are dark spots that are often barely  noticeable (photo on the left).

In Málaga it can be confused with other species of Idaea, especially I. incisaria (central photo) and I. calunetaria (left photo), but these last two are generally rarer in urban environments and, among other things, their designs and colours tend to be more contrasting and they have wavy posterior edges of the hind wings, unlike I. minuscularia, which is regular.

In the province of Malaga it can be seen throughout the year, being very rare in July and August, the driest months.

The caterpillars feed on a multitude of low plants in all types of habitats, being adapted to parks, gardens and urban lots.

Adults flock to streetlights at night, remaining on walls for long periods of time, even during the day. It is less common to find them on the ground. Occasionally they enter homes, posing no danger to people, pets or belongings. It is one of the most common species in Malaga, having been found in many urban environments throughout the province, including towns and cities, cemeteries, petrol stations, housing estates and business parks. Among the cities, Arroyo de la Miel-Benalmádena Costa, Fuengirola and Malaga capital stand out, especially in the Teatinos-Universidad district. In this area it has been favoured by an urban model dotted with green areas of various sizes and characteristics, places suitable for this and other moths.

2-10-2024 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - WAVE MOTH (idaea cervantaria)

1.4 to 2.2 cm wingspan. Straw-coloured, with yellowish wings with scattered dark, brown or greyish scales. On each wing it has a wavy line with small pointed spots, pointing backwards. Sometimes these details are barely noticeable. Between these lines and the rear edge, it has dark spots that may have a  light wavy stripe. It has a spot on each wing but those on the front wings may go unnoticed.

There are other similar species that are impossible to distinguish externally, so for a correct and safe identification, genital analysis must be used. Several of them have been found in the province of Malaga, although I. cervantaria is currently the most common and the only one that has been observed in urban environments.

The caterpillars feed on dry leaves of herbaceous plants and in captivity on petals of different Asteraceae and sea alder (Lobularia maritima), the latter common in our province, especially in sunny areas of the limestone mountains, and occasionally used in gardening for the showiness of its inflorescences.

It frequently visits urban lights, resting for hours or even days around them if they are in a shaded place.

1-10-2024 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - MOORISH GECKO (JUVENILE)

Tarentola mauritanica, known as the common wall gecko, is a species of gecko (Gekkota) native to the western Mediterranean area of North Africa and Europe. It has been introduced to Madeira and Balearic Islands, and the Americas (in Montevideo, Buenos Aires and California). A nocturnal animal with a predominantly insectivorous diet, it is commonly observed on walls in urban environments in warm coastal areas; it can be found further inland, especially in Spain where it has a tradition of cohabitation with humans as an insect hunter. A robust species, up to 15 centimetres (5.9 in) long, its tubercules are enlarged and give the species a spiny armoured appearance.

Population size

Unknown

Life Span

7-10 years

Length

15

cminch

The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. It is also known as moorish gecko, crocodile gecko, European common gecko, and, regionally, as osga (in Portuguese), salamanquesa (in Spanish) and dragó (in Catalan).

The Common wall gecko is a small lizard native to the western Mediterranean area of North Africa and Europe. It is commonly observed on walls in urban environments, mainly in warm coastal areas. However, the Common wall gecko can be found further inland, especially in Spain where it has a tradition of cohabitation with humans as insect hunter. This little creature is brownish-grey or brown in color with darker or lighter spots. These colors change in intensity according to the light. When geckos are active by day their color is darker than during the night.

In Europe, Common wall geckos can be found through most of the Iberian Peninsula (except northwestern Portugal and most of northern Spain), southern France, coastal Italy, southern Slovenia, northern coastal Croatia, and southwestern parts of Greece. In North Africa, they range from northern Egypt, through northern Libya, northern and central Tunisia, and northern Algeria to most of Morocco and northwestern Western Sahara. There is an isolated introduced population in southern Western Sahara. Common wall geckos can be found in rocky areas, cliffs, rock fields, and on many construction sites, ruins, building walls, and inside houses.

2-10-2024 PEGO MARJAL, ALICANTE - NOMAD DRAGONFLY (MALE) (Sympetrum fonscolombii)

The red-veined darter or nomad (Sympetrum fonscolombii) is a dragonfly of the genus Sympetrum.

There is genetic and behavioural evidence that S. fonscolombii is not closely related to the other members of the genus Sympetrum and it will at some time in the future be removed from this genus.

Sympetrum fonscolombii was named under the protonym Libellula fonscolombii by the Belgian entomologist Edmond de Sélys Longchamps, in 1840, in honor of the French entomologist Étienne of Fonscolombe (hence the species name). Its name is sometimes spelt fonscolombei instead of fonscolombii but Askew (2004) gives the latter as the correct spelling.

Sympetrum fonscolombii is a widespread and common species in much of central and southern Europe including most Mediterranean islands, North Africa, the Middle East, Mongolia, south-western Asia, including the Indian Subcontinent, the Indian Ocean Islands and Sri Lanka.In Europe it is resident in the south of its range but in some years it migrates northward. From the 1990s onwards has increasingly been found in northwest Europe, including Belgium, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Britain and Ireland. It is the only Libellulidae to be found in the Azores and it is also found on the Canary Islands and Madeira.

It breeds in a wide range of habitats including marshes, lakes, ponds, permanent and seasonal rivers. It is able to recolonize dry areas after a rainfall.

2-10-2024 PEDREGUER, ALICANTE - MEDITERRANEAN HEATH (Erica multiflora)

Erica multiflora is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae. It is native to the Mediterranean Basin. It is a shrub which can grow up to 2.5 m (8 ft) tall.

The Mediterranean Heath is a native shrub of the Mediterranean region (including Malta) which typically grows to 1 m in height, but may sometimes even reach 2 m. Its branches are compact and covered with dark green leaves all year round. At times, the leaves may turn red, and are arranged in whorls of three or sometimes five around the stem. The rigid foliage is needlelike with rounded tips and edges which bend downwards – this feature is thought to have inspired the Maltese name “leħjet ix-xiħ”, a name which is also used for many other unrelated plants in Malta. Although the flowers are usually pinkish, white and very pale pink flowers also occur. The flowers have distinctive purplish anthers, are narrow bell-shaped and may either be in small clusters or solitary on the axils of the leaves. This shrub is rather common in the Maltese Islands and is usually found in garrigues and phryganas, but can also be encountered alongside cliffs and amid boulder screes. Amongst a variety of medicinal properties, the Mediterranean Heath was used as an antiseptic, astringent and diuretic. In Italy, it is also renowned in apiculture for the production of a particular honey.  Locally, the species was primarily used, unfortunately in great quantities, as decoration for Christmas cribs since the flowering period coincides with the festive period. The Mediterranean Heath is a plant of national interest, and nowadays it is a species whose exploitation may be subject to management measures stipulated in national legislation.

30-9-2024 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - WAVE MOTH (Idaea cervantaria)

 

1.4 to 2.2 cm wingspan. Straw-coloured, with yellowish wings with scattered dark, brown or greyish scales. On each wing it has a wavy line with small pointed spots, pointing backwards. Sometimes these details are barely noticeable. Between these lines and the rear edge, it has dark spots that may have a  light wavy stripe. It has a spot on each wing but those on the front wings may go unnoticed.

There are other similar species that are impossible to distinguish externally, so for a correct and safe identification, genital analysis must be used. Several of them have been found in the province of Malaga, although I. cervantaria is currently the most common and the only one that has been observed in urban environments.

The caterpillars feed on dry leaves of herbaceous plants and in captivity on petals of different Asteraceae and sea alder (Lobularia maritima), the latter common in our province, especially in sunny areas of the limestone mountains, and occasionally used in gardening for the showiness of its inflorescences.

It frequently visits urban lights, resting for hours or even days around them if they are in a shaded place.

1-10-2024 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - FLOWERING INCH PLANT (Tradescantia cerinthoides)

Tradescantia cerinthoides, commonly called flowering inch plant, is a species of plant in the dayflower family that is native to south east Brazil to north east Argentina. Described in 1843 by the German botanist, Carl Sigismund Kunth. The pink tipped white flowers and green purplish foliage are appealing features to gardeners. This plant is used in many parts of the world as an ornamental, and can become an invasive species.

1-10-2024 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - HALF EDGED WALL JUMPING SPIDER (Menemerus semilimbatus)

Menemerus semilimbatus is a spider in the family Salticidae.

Menemerus semilimbatus are about 6.5–8.4 millimetres (0.26–0.33 in) long, the male being slightly smaller than the female. These fairly big jumping spiders are dorso-ventrally flattened and are covered with short dense, grayish-white hairs, with hairy whitish palps and a white band on the side margins of the carapace, showing also a small white, triangular marking in the middle. The eyes are large and forward-facing. The legs are light brown with darker rings and patches, while the abdomen is dorsally yellowish or grayish, with a characteristic pattern of several bright V-shaped markings. The females show a notch at the posterior edge of the epigyne and two oval depressions in the anterior half.

Menemerus semilimbatus is a Mediterranean species widely distributed in Europe, southern Asia and in Africa. In the Americas, it has been reported in Argentina, Chile, Ecuador and USA.

 These spiders are synanthropic living in gardens and inside and on the outside of houses. It is usually found on the walls of buildings where it stalks its prey.

1-10-2024 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - BLUE POTATOBUSH (Lycianthes rantonnetii)

Lycianthes rantonnetii, the blue potato bush or Paraguay nightshade, is a species of flowering plant in the nightshade family Solanaceae, native to South America. Growing to about 6 ft (1.8 m) tall and broad, it is a rounded evergreen shrub with a somewhat lax habit. A profusion of trumpet-shaped, bright blue-purple flowers with a prominent yellow eye appear in summer, followed by red berries. It is widely cultivated and may be hardy in mild or coastal areas. Alternatively it can be grown in a container and brought under cover in winter. It requires a sheltered location in full sun. Though related to food plants like the potato and tomato, all parts of the plant are considered toxic to humans.

It has been given the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

The species is named for Barthélémy Victor Rantonnet, a 19th-century French horticulturalist.

Lycianthes rantonnetii has previously been placed in Solanum, a huge genus which has recently been the subject of major investigation, with species being transferred to and from several different genera. There are many rare and little-known species whose true placement has yet to be determined.

30-9-2024 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SMALL RANUNCULUS MOTH (Hecatera dysodea)

Hecatera dysodea, the small ranunculus, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in Europe, primarily in Central Europe and Southern Europe The northern boundary of the distribution is from the Baltic Sea and the southern part of Lithuania, Belarus, south of Moscow to the Urals. North Africa forms the distribution border in the south (from Algeria and Morocco) east they extend to the Middle East, Turkestan and across the Palearctic to Central Asia. It is an introduced species in North America, where it was first found in Utah in 1998 and Oregon in 2005.

The wingspan is 32–34 mm. The length of the forewings is 14–15 mm. Meyrick describes it thus - Forewings whitish irrorated with grey, median area suffused with grey and partly mixed with orange; subbasal line whitish, edged anteriorly with black mixed with orange; first and second lines whitish, edged internally with blackish; spots outlined with black mixed with orange; subterminal line formed of orange spots, preceded by some black scales. Hindwings pale grey, with darker posterior suffusion. Larva pale dull green, or yellowish freckled with brown; dorsal line pale, dark-edged; lateral dark, indistinct; spiracles black; head ochreous-brown or dull greenish.

The moths are found mainly on the edge or in localities. They prefer dry ruderal areas, brownfields, roadsides, embankments, gardens and parks. In the Alps they rise up to 1400 m. They fly in one generation from May to mid August.  Their cocoons typically hatch during the month of June when the humidity levels increase

The larvae feed on flowers and seeds of Asteraceae species, especially Lactuca species.