30-11-2024 RIO SERPIS, VALENCIA - GREY HERON (Ardea cinerea)

The Grey Heron is a large grey heron having white and black accents, a white crown with black plumes, black belly, and white thighs.

Adult: The adult has a white head (including crown, sides, throat) with a broad black eye stripe extending from above the eye to the back of the crown and continuing as a crest with several elongated, black plumes. The long and heavy bill is yellow with a dull brown suffusion along the lower bill and top of the upper bill. The irises are yellow and lores are yellow turning darker green around the eye. The chin, throat, and neck are light grey to white, with the neck being tinged buff at its base. The foreneck is grey-white with two distinct broken black streaks running parallel down the median. The upper back and hind neck are pale grey, the lower back and upper wing blue-grey. Pale grey lanceolate feathers occur along the back. The flight feathers are dark grey to black contrasting with the paler upper wings and uniform grey to white under the wing. At rest, a black “shoulder” patch with a few white feathers is formed at the forward bend of the wing. The flanks are grey, the sides of the belly black, but the rest of the under parts are light grey to white, including the feathered thighs. The breast feathers are loose and elongated. The tail is grey. The legs and feet are green-grey to yellow-brown, varying in shade with age and season; the upper leg is paler (more yellow) than the lower leg.

During breeding, the black crest plumes attain full development and long white lanceolate plumes develop along the back, lower foreneck and breast. The iris, bill, and legs flush deep orange to red. The bill may retain some of this color until after the young have hatched.

Variation: The sexes are identical in plumage, but the male averages larger (Boev 1987a, b, c). Considerable individual variation can exist, including birds that are various shades of grey, white, black, brown, or buff (e.g., Krotoski 1983, Sanders and Ebels 1998). Geographic patterns of variation are recognized taxonomically. The European-African race, A. c. cinerea, is as described above. The buff color on the neck decreases geographically from east to west, and the eastern race jouyi typically lacks the buff color and is markedly paler on the neck, upper wing feathers, and back plumes (Vaurie 1965). The island race firasa averages larger, especially in bill and legs than cinerea. The West African monicae is paler, looking sufficiently pale grey to white to be distinguishable from migrant A. c. cinerea (Erard et al. 1986). In the western Indian Ocean, Grey Herons breeding on various islands vary from firasa-type to cinerea–type (Penny 1974, Langrand 1990).

Juvenile: Juvenile Grey Herons are more uniformly grey than adults and lack black plumage highlights and ornamental plumes. They have a grey to dark grey crown. The chin is white and foreneck appears brown-grey. The upper parts are grey-brown and under parts grey with brown grey streaking on the foreneck. The soft parts are duller than in the adult's. Legs are dark grey, the upper legs being paler and tinged yellow-green. In the first autumn and winter the upper parts become more blue-grey. The feathers of the back and breast are moderately elongated. From the second autumn subadult plumage is assumed, differing from the full adult in having the forehead and crown grey instead of white and the black of the sides of the belly less developed. Juvenile plumages are retained into the second year and vary among individuals from relatively more juvenile to more adult.

Chick: The chick is brown-grey above, with notable head crest, and white below. Irises are yellow, bill grey, and legs green-grey.

Voice: The Grey Heron is a rather vocal heron. Its distinctive vocalization is the “Frarnk” call, a loud far carrying flight call. The “Go” call, rendered “go, go, go”, is an alarm call. The “Oooo” call is an aggressive call, also given in the Forward display. The Oooo call is also used in the Stretch display, becoming a more gurgling “oooo” when given by both sexes in the crouched part of the Stretch. At the breeding colony, the species is very vocal, uttering a variety of yelps, squawks and other, softer notes. The “Rwo” call is the male’s advertising call. The “Arre” call is a landing call, rendered “arre, arre”, tending to a clucking on alighting. The Snap Display ends in a “Clop”. A Greeting Display includes bill-snaps. Bill Clappering occurs among pairs during formation and when in contact.

Weights and measurements: Length: 90-98 cm. Weight: 1,020-2,073 g.

30-11-2024 RIO SERPIS, VALENCIA - BLACK REDSTART (MALE) (Phoenicurus ochruros)

The Black redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) is a small passerine bird in the genus Phoenicurus. Like its relatives, it was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family (Turdidae), but is now known to be an Old World flycatcher (Muscicapidae).

The adult male of this species is overall dark grey to black on the upperparts and with a black breast; the lower rump and tail are orange-red, with the two central tail feathers dark red-brown. The belly and undertail are either blackish-grey (western subspecies) or orange-red (eastern subspecies); the wings are blackish-grey with pale fringes on the secondaries forming a whitish panel (western subspecies) or all blackish (eastern subspecies). The female is grey (western subspecies) to grey-brown (eastern subspecies) overall except for the orange-red lower rump and tail, greyer than the common redstart; at any age, the grey axillaries and underwing coverts are also distinctive. There are two distinct forms in first calendar year males at least in western subspecies, with the first ('carei') being similar to females and the second ('paradoxus') approaching adult males but lacking the whitish wing panel that does only develop during post-breeding molt of wing feathers in the second calendar year. This second form is much rarer than the first.

Black redstarts breed in south and central Europe and Asia and north-west Africa, from Great Britain and Ireland (where local) south to Morocco, east to central China. They are resident in the milder parts of their range, but north-eastern birds migrate to winter in southern and western Europe and Asia, and north Africa. In some areas, birds that breed in mountains move to lower elevations in winter. Black redstarts inhabit stony ground in mountains, particularly cliffs and stony slopes with xerophytic vegetation. They are also found in villages, and urban areas and often occur in large industrial complexes that have bare areas and cliff-like buildings.

2-8-2017 CENTRAL PARK, BUDAPEST - DOUBLE BARRED FINCH (Taeniopygia bichenii)

The double-barred finch (Stizoptera bichenovii ) is an estrildid finch found in dry savannah, tropical (lowland) dry grassland and shrubland habitats in northern and eastern Australia. It is sometimes referred to as Bicheno's finch or as the owl finch, the latter of which owing to the dark ring of feathers around the face.

The double-barred finch is a 10–11 cm long munia-like bird. It has a white face bordered with black, brown upperparts and throat, and white underparts. The throat and underparts are separated by another black line. The wings are patterned in brown and white. The sexes are similar, but juveniles are duller and browner. A less common subspecies with brown or black underparts is known to exist.

The double-barred finch is granivorous and highly gregarious. Nests are built in grass, bushes or low trees, with four to six eggs laid per clutch. The call is a soft tet or a louder peew, and the song is a soft fluting, which is somewhat like the zebra finch.

This species occurs in Europe, North Africa and Asia. It was recently rediscovered in the Maltese islands.

Oedipoda caerulescens is a medium-sized grasshopper, between 15 and 21 mm for males and between 22 and 28 mm for females. The body coloration varies greatly depending on the substrate on which the animals have developed: reddish brown, gray, yellowish, or even completely dark or bright. The forewings are crossed most often by two or three pale bands, but the most striking characteristic, very visible when the insect flies away, is the bright coloration of the hind wings, a beautiful turquoise highlighted with a black marginal stripe. Furthermore, the posterior femora have a notch on their upper surface. At rest, confusion is possible with other Oedipoda species such as O. germanica.

Oedipoda caerulescens frequents dry areas with low and open vegetation: dunes, heathlands, grasslands on sand and sunlit limestone rocks. Many stations correspond to land recently used for human activities, such as coal spoil heaps, quarries and pits, the ballast of railway tracks, etc. It is exclusively a terrestrial insect, and its cryptic coloration often matches its substrate. It presses itself to the ground and remains motionless, and jumps only at the very close approach of danger. A remarkable behavior is the "hook" landing which serves to confuse potential attackers. Thus, the grasshopper lands and swings round to face the direction it has come from. The sudden disappearance of the blue hind wings of the adult makes it difficult for predators to shift quickly enough to a different kind of search to relocate the prey. The female lays her eggs in bare, dry soil. In this species, acoustic emissions are virtually nonexistent. The diet consists mainly of grasses.

29-11-2024 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SLENDER SOWTHISTLE (Sonchus tenerrimus)

Sonchus tenerrimus is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name slender sowthistle. It is native to the Mediterranean region of southern Europe, northern Africa, and the Middle East. It has been found as well in several other locations around the world, historically in association with ship ballast in coastal regions. It has become naturalized in a few places, such as California in the United States and Baja California in Mexico.

Sonchus tenerrimus is an annual or perennial herb producing a slender, branching stem up to about 80 centimeters (32 inches) tall. The leaves are deeply divided into many variously shaped lobes which may have toothed edges or smaller lobes. The inflorescence bears flower heads lined with glandular, hairy to woolly phyllaries. They are filled with numerous yellow ray florets but no disc florets. The fruit is an achene up to a centimeter long including its pappus.

27-11-2024 MARJAL DE MOROS PUCOL, VALENCIA - NORTHERN SHOVELER (MALE) (Spatula clypeata)

The Northern shoveler (Spatula clypeata) is a widespread species of duck unmistakable in the northern hemisphere due to its large spatulate bill. In Britain, it is known simply as the shoveler. One part of its scientific name Spatula is the Latin for a "spoon" or "spatula"; the other part is derived from the Latin clypeata and can be translated as "shield-bearing".

During the breeding season, the male of this species has an iridescent dark green head, white breast, and chestnut belly and flanks. In flight, pale blue forewing feathers are revealed, separated from the green speculum by a white border. In early fall the male will have a white crescent on each side of the face. In non-breeding (eclipse) plumage, the male resembles the female. The female is a drab mottled brown like other dabblers, with plumage much like a female mallard, but easily distinguished by the long broad bill, which is gray-tinged with orange on the cutting edge and lower mandible. The female's forewing is gray.

Northern shovelers breed in wide areas across Eurasia, western North America, and the Great Lakes region of the United States. They are strongly migratory and winter in southern Europe, Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, the Caribbean, northern South America, the Malay Archipelago, Japan, and other areas. In North America, they winter south of a line from Washington to Idaho, from New Mexico east to Kentucky, and along the Eastern Seaboard as far north as Massachusetts. Northern shovelers are birds of open wetlands, such as wet grassland or marshes with some emergent vegetation. Preferred feeding areas include lakes, estuaries, coastal shorelines, salt marshes, flooded fields, and agricultural ponds.

Northern shovelers are social ducks that live in small flocks and coexist peacefully with many other species. They feed during the day by dabbling for plant food, often by swinging their bill from side to side and using the bill to strain food from the water. Their wide-flat bill is equipped with well-developed lamellae; these are small, comb-like structures on the edge of the bill that act like sieves, allowing the birds to skim crustaceans and plankton from the water's surface. This adaptation gives them an advantage over other puddle ducks, with which they do not have to compete for food resources during most of the year. Thus, mud-bottomed marshes rich in invertebrate life are their habitat of choice. During the midday heat, the birds usually rest on land near the water. Northern shovelers are fairly quiet and communicate with each other only in certain situations; males have a low clunking call, whereas females have a light Mallard-like quack.

27-11-2024 MARJAL DE MOROS PUCOL, VALENCIA - ZITTING CISTICOLA (Cisticola juncidis)

The zitting cisticola or streaked fantail warbler (Cisticola juncidis ) is a widely distributed Old World warbler whose breeding range includes southern Europe, Africa (outside the deserts and rainforest), and southern Asia down to northern Australia. A small bird found mainly in grasslands, it is best identified by its rufous rump; as well, it lacks any gold on the collar and the brownish tail is tipped with white. During the breeding season, males have a zigzagging flight display accompanied by regular "zitting" calls that have been likened to repeated snips of a scissor. They build their pouch nest suspended within a clump of grass.

The zitting cisticola is 10 to 12 cm (3.9 to 4.7 in) in length. It is brown above, heavily streaked with black markings. The underparts are whitish, and the tail is broad, white-tipped and flicked frequently, giving rise to the alternative name for the species. The adult males have less crown streaking and more back marking than the females, but there are no great difference between the sexes or the eighteen geographical races. The absence of a nuchal collar separate it from the golden-headed cisticola (Cisticola exilis ). In the non-breeding season, they tend to skulk within the grass and can be hard to spot.

This species is found mainly in grassland habitats, often near water. Most populations are resident, but some East Asian populations migrate south to warmer areas in winter. In the Himalayas, they ascend to about 1,900 m (6,200 ft) during summer but are below 1,300 m (4,300 ft) in the winter. This species is a rare vagrant to northern Europe, mostly as a spring overshoot. Its European range is generally expanding, although northern populations are especially susceptible to hard winters.

Zitting cisticolas are very small insectivorous birds, sometimes found in small groups. The breeding season is associated with the rains. Two broods a year occur in many regions. Males are generally polygynous, but some are monogamous. The male builds the initial nest structure deep in the grasses, and invites females using a special display. Females that accept the male complete the nest. The nest is made by binding living leaves into the soft fabric of felted plant-down, cobwebs, and grass. The zitting cisticola's nest is a cup shape with a canopy of tied-together leaves or grasses overhead for camouflage; 3–6 eggs are laid. The female incubates the egg. The eggs hatch after about 10 days. More than one brood may be raised. Females change their mates frequently and rarely stay within the same territory, while males are less mobile, maintaining non-overlapping song-territories which shift from day to day. Females can sometimes breed in their first year.

27-11-2024 MARJAL DE MOROS PUCOL, VALENCIA - EURASIAN GREEN WINGED TEAL (FEMALE) (Anas crecca ssp. crecca)

The Eurasian teal (Anas crecca), common teal, or Eurasian green-winged teal is a common and widespread duck that breeds in temperate Eurosiberia and migrates south in winter. The Eurasian teal is often called simply the teal due to being the only one of these small dabbling ducks in much of its range. The bird gives its name to the blue-green colour teal.

It is a highly gregarious duck outside the breeding season and can form large flocks. It is commonly found in sheltered wetlands and feeds on seeds and aquatic invertebrates. The North American green-winged teal (A. carolinensis) was formerly (and sometimes is still) considered a subspecies of A. crecca.

The Eurasian teal breeds across the Palearctic and mostly winters well south of its breeding range. However, in the milder climate of temperate Europe, the summer and winter ranges overlap. For example, in the United Kingdom and Ireland a small summer population breeds, but far greater numbers of Siberian birds arrive in winter. In the Caucasus region, western Asia Minor, along the northern shores of the Black Sea, and even on the south coast of Iceland and on the Vestmannaeyjar, the species can be encountered all year, too.

27-11-2024 MARJAL DE MOROS PUCOL, VALENCIA - EURASIAN GREEN WINGED TEAL (MALE) (Anas crecca ssp. crecca)

The Eurasian teal (Anas crecca), common teal, or Eurasian green-winged teal is a common and widespread duck that breeds in temperate Eurosiberia and migrates south in winter. The Eurasian teal is often called simply the teal due to being the only one of these small dabbling ducks in much of its range. The bird gives its name to the blue-green colour teal.

It is a highly gregarious duck outside the breeding season and can form large flocks. It is commonly found in sheltered wetlands and feeds on seeds and aquatic invertebrates. The North American green-winged teal (A. carolinensis) was formerly (and sometimes is still) considered a subspecies of A. crecca.

The Eurasian teal breeds across the Palearctic and mostly winters well south of its breeding range. However, in the milder climate of temperate Europe, the summer and winter ranges overlap. For example, in the United Kingdom and Ireland a small summer population breeds, but far greater numbers of Siberian birds arrive in winter. In the Caucasus region, western Asia Minor, along the northern shores of the Black Sea, and even on the south coast of Iceland and on the Vestmannaeyjar, the species can be encountered all year, too.

In winter, there are high densities around the Mediterranean, including the entire Iberian Peninsula and extending west to Mauretania; on Japan and Taiwan; as well as in South Asia. Other important wintering locations include almost the entire length of the Nile Valley, the Near East and Persian Gulf region, the mountain ranges of northern Iran, and South Korea and continental East and Southeast Asia. More isolated wintering grounds are Lake Victoria, the Senegal River estuary, the swamps of the upper Congo River, the inland and sea deltas of the Niger River, and the central Indus River valley. Vagrants have been seen in inland Zaire, Malaysia, on Greenland, and on the Marianas, Palau and Yap in Micronesia; they are regularly recorded on the North American coasts south to California and South Carolina, including annual sightings on the island of Newfoundland.

From tracking wintering teal in Italy, most individuals departed the wintering grounds between mid-February and March, using the Black-Sea-Mediterranean flyway to reach their breeding grounds, from central Europe to east of the Urals, by May. This slow migration is due to long stopovers near the start of migration, mainly in south-eastern Europe.

Altogether, the Eurasian teal is much less common than its American counterpart, though still very plentiful. Its numbers are mainly assessed by counts of wintering birds; some 750,000 are recorded annually around the Mediterranean and Black Seas, 250,000 in temperate western Europe, and more than 110,000 in Japan. In 1990 and 1991, a more detailed census was undertaken, yielding over 210,000 birds wintering in Iran, some 109,000 in Pakistan, about 77,000 in Azerbaijan, some 37,000 in India, 28,000 in Israel, over 14,000 in Turkmenistan and almost 12,000 in Taiwan. It appears to be holding its own currently, with its slow decline of maybe 1–2% annually in the 1990s – presumably mainly due to drainage and pollution of wetlands – not warranting action other than continuing to monitor the population and possibly providing better protection for habitat on the wintering grounds. The IUCN and BirdLife International classify the Eurasian teal as a species of Least Concern, unchanged from their assessment before the split of the more numerous A. carolinensis.

27-11-2024 MARJAL DE MOROS PUCOL, VALENCIA - LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta)

The Little egret (Egretta garzetta) is small elegant heron in the family Ardeidae. As an aquatic bird, it feeds in shallow water and on land, consuming a variety of small creatures. At one time common in Western Europe, the Little heron was hunted extensively in the 19th century to provide plumes for the decoration of hats and became locally extinct in Northwestern Europe and scarce in the south. Around 1950, conservation laws were introduced in southern Europe to protect the species and their numbers began to increase.

The plumage of the Little egret is normally entirely white, although there are dark forms with largely bluish-grey plumage. In the breeding season, the adult has two long plumes on the nape that form a crest. These plumes are about 150 mm (6 in) and are pointed and very narrow. There are similar feathers on the breast, but the barbs are more widely spread.

The Little Egret is a small white heron with attractive white plumes on crest, back and chest, black legs and bill and yellow feet. It first appeared in the UK in significant numbers in 1989 and first bred in Dorset in 1996. Its arrival followed naturally from a range expansion into western and northern France in previous decades. It is now at home on numerous south coast sites, both as a breeding species and as a winter visitor.

With its yellow feet, which are used to flush prey when feeding in shallow water, the Little Egret is a distinctive member of the heron family.

Little Egrets first bred in Britain in 1996 and since then have successfully colonised much of southern Britain and Ireland. Most of the breeding colonies have been established within existing Grey Heron colonies, the two species nesting alongside one another.

The winter distribution is also currently restricted to the southern half of Britain & Ireland, despite the fact that young birds are known to move some distance from their natal site. 

26-11-2024 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SMALL FRUIT FLY (Genus Drosophila)

Drosophila (/drəˈsɒfɪlə, drɒ-, droʊ-/ is a genus of fly, belonging to the family Drosophilidae, whose members are often called "small fruit flies" or pomace flies, vinegar flies, or wine flies, a reference to the characteristic of many species to linger around overripe or rotting fruit. They should not be confused with the Tephritidae, a related family, which are also called fruit flies (sometimes referred to as "true fruit flies"); tephritids feed primarily on unripe or ripe fruit, with many species being regarded as destructive agricultural pests, especially the Mediterranean fruit fly.

One species of Drosophila in particular, Drosophila melanogaster, has been heavily used in research in genetics and is a common model organism in developmental biology. The terms "fruit fly" and "Drosophila" are often used synonymously with D. melanogaster in modern biological literature. The entire genus, however, contains more than 1,500 species and is very diverse in appearance, behavior, and breeding habitat.

25-11-2024 RIO JUCAR CULLERA, VALENCIA - EURASIAN GREAT CORMORANT

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

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

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

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

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

25-11-2024 RIO JUCAR CULLERA, VALENCIA - CRETAN VIPER'S-BUGLOSS (Echium creticum)

Echium creticum, the Cretan viper's bugloss, (syn. Echium calycinum Viv., Echium rubrum Moench, Echium sericeum Vahl, Echium violaceum L.) is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae. It is native to the western Mediterranean Basin. It is also used as an ornamental plant.

Viper's bugloss is a toxic plant of medium severity. All parts of the plant are poisonous when ingested, and can cause symptoms of varying harm, such as pain of the lips, tongue, and throat, vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhea, and liver damage.

24-11-2024 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - MEDITERRANEAN MANTIS (MALE) (Iris oratoria)

The European mantis (Mantis religiosa) is a large hemimetabolic insect in the family of the Mantidae ('mantids'), which is the largest family of the order Mantodea (mantises). Their common name praying mantis is derived from the distinctive posture of the first pair of legs that can be observed in animals in repose. It resembles a praying attitude. Both males and females have elongated bodies with two pairs of wings. The most striking features that all Mantodea share are a very mobile, triangular head with large compound eyes and their first pair of legs (the 'raptorial legs'), which is highly modified for the efficient capture and restraint of fast-moving or flying prey.

In Germany, M. religiosa is listed as Gefährdet on the German Red List on the basis of an assessment from 1998. It is not supposed to be caught or held as a pet. At a global level, it is assessed by the IUCN as least concern.

The great variation in the coloration of M. religiosa from different shades of yellow, brown, green, and sometimes black has been the cause of numerous hypotheses and studies for over 100 years. However, no generally accepted answer about reason, benefit, or mechanism of the coloration or the change of coloration has been found.

Di Cesnola observed in 1904 that green mantids were found on fresh green grass, whereas brown individuals seemed to prefer brown grass burned by the sun. When forced to change the location as to no longer match their coloration, almost all the ‘not matching’ animals were killed by predators such as birds. This indicates a camouflaging purpose of the coloration.

Przibram also observed in 1907 that a change in temperature can trigger a change in coloration: animals that hatched in a cold environment turned green after moulting when heat and sunlight were provided. Without the change in temperature and only a change in the color of the background, no change in coloration occurred. This finding contradicts with Di Cesnola, who claims to have observed the animals within the same time and location (and therefore the same temperature).

23-11-2024 RIO SERPIS GANDIA, VALENCIA - EURASIAN HOOPOE (Upupa epops)

The Eurasian hoopoe (Upupa epops ) is the most widespread species of the genus Upupa. It is a distinctive cinnamon coloured bird with black and white wings, a tall erectile crest, a broad white band across a black tail, and a long narrow downcurved bill. Its call is a soft "oop-oop-oop". It is native to Europe, Asia and the northern half of Africa. It is migratory in the northern part of its range. It spends most of the time on the ground probing for grubs and insects. The clutch of seven to eight eggs is laid in an existing cavity. The eggs are incubated by the female and hatch asynchronously. Some ornithologists treat the African and Madagascar hoopoes as subspecies of the Eurasian hoopoe.

The Eurasian hoopoe is a cinnamon-colored bird with black and white wings, a tall erectile crest, a broad white band across a black tail, and a long narrow downcurved bill. The bird has broad and rounded wings capable of strong flight which are larger in the northern migratory subspecies. The hoopoe has a characteristic undulating flight, which is like that of a giant butterfly, caused by the wings half-closing at the end of each beat or a short sequence of beats.

Eurasian hoopoes are widespread in Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and northern Sub-Saharan Africa. Most European and north Asian birds migrate to the tropics in winter. Those breeding in Europe usually migrate to the Sahel belt of sub-Saharan Africa. The African populations are sedentary all year. Eurasian hoopoes require bare or lightly vegetated ground on which to forage and vertical surfaces with cavities (such as trees, cliffs, or even walls, nestboxes, haystacks, and abandoned burrows) in which to nest. These requirements can be provided in habitats such as heathland, wooded steppes, savannas and grasslands, as well as forest glades.

Eurasian hoopoes are active during the day spending most of the time on the ground probing for grubs and insects. They are solitary foragers who typically feed on the ground. More rarely they will feed in the air, where their strong and rounded wings make them fast and maneuverable, in pursuit of numerous swarming insects. More commonly their foraging style is to stride over relatively open ground and periodically pause to probe the ground with the full length of their bill. The rest of the time is typically spent sunbathing by spreading out their wings and tails low against the ground and tilting their head up; they often fold their wings and preen halfway through. They also enjoy taking dust and sand baths. The typical call of these birds is a trisyllabic ‘oop-oop-oop’. Other calls include rasping croaks, when alarmed, and hisses. Females produce a wheezy note during courtship feeding by the male.

Eurasian hoopoes are serially monogamous, meaning they form pair bonds that last for a single breeding season. They are solitary and territorial breeders. The male calls frequently to advertise his ownership of the territory. Chases and fights between rival males (and sometimes females) are common and can be brutal. Birds will try to stab rivals with their bills, and individuals may be occasionally blinded in fights. The nest of Eurasian hoopoes is usually located in a hole in a tree or wall. It has a narrow entrance and may be unlined, or various scraps may be collected. The female alone is responsible for incubating the eggs. Clutch size varies with location and can contain from 4 to 12 eggs. The incubation period lasts between 15 and 18 days, during which time the male feeds the female. The chicks hatch with a covering of downy feathers. By around day 3 to 5, feather quills emerge which will become the adult feathers. The chicks are brooded by the female for between 9 and 14 days. The female later joins the male in the task of bringing food. The young fledge in 26 to 29 days and remain with the parents for about a week more.

23-11-2024 RIO SERPIS GANDIA, VALENCIA - 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 rraces 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. 

23-11-2024 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - RUSTY DOT PEARL MOTH (Udea ferrugalis)

Udea ferrugalis, the rusty dot pearl, is a moth of the family Crambidae. The species was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1796.

This species can be found in central and southern Europe, Asia Minor, Africa, India and Japan.

The wingspan is 18–22 mm. The forewings of these small moths have yellow, brown or ferruginous ground colour and prominent indistinct dark brown or blackish markings towards the edge. Hindwings are brownish grey.[4] Legs are whitish. Caterpillars can reach a length of 10–15 millimetres (0.39–0.59 in). They are greenish with yellowish head.

These moths are bivoltine or trivoltine. The moth flies through the year, but mainly in the autumn, depending on location. The larvae feed on various herbaceous plants, such as Stachys, Arctium, Lycopus, Mentha, Eupatorium cannabinum and Fragaria vesca. They overwinter in the soil as a chrysalis. This species is sometimes considered a pest, as the larvae attack various crop plants. 

Wingspan 18-22 mm.

The ferruginous ground colour and blackish markings on the forewing help to identify this species. Like several of its congeners, it shows distinctively whitish legs.

In Britain this moth is mainly a migrant species, but can occur at almost any time of the year, sometimes in large influxes with other migrants.

The adult flies at night and comes to light.

22-11-2024 ARENAL JAVEA, ALICANTE - PORED MUSHROOM (Suillus collinitus)

Suillus collinitus is a pored mushroom of the genus Suillus in the family Suillaceae. It is an edible mushroom found in European pine forests. The mushroom has a reddish to chestnut-brown cap that reaches up to 11 cm (4.3 in) in diameter, and a yellow stem measuring up to 7 cm (2.8 in) tall by 1 to 2 cm (0.4 to 0.8 in) thick. On the underside of the cap are small angular pores, initially bright yellow before turning greenish-brown with age. A characteristic feature that helps to distinguish it from similar Suillus species, such as S. granulatus, is the pinkish mycelia at the base of the stem.

Molecular analysis has shown the species to be related to other typical Mediterranean Suillus species such as S. bellinii, S. luteus, and S. mediterraneensis. S. collinitus is a mycorrhizal species, and forms associations with several species of pine, most notably the Aleppo pine. This tree species is commonly used in reforestation schemes and soil conservation against erosion in the Mediterranean region, and S. collinitus is often used as a beneficial inoculant to help the young trees better survive in typically harsh soil conditions.

22-11-2024 ARENAL JAVEA, ALICANTE - SMALL WHITE BUTTERFLY (Pieris rapae)

Pieris rapae is a small- to medium-sized butterfly species of the whites-and-yellows family Pieridae. It is known in Europe as the small white, in North America as the cabbage white or cabbage butterfly, on several continents as the small cabbage white, and in New Zealand as the white butterfly. The butterfly is recognizable by its white color with small black dots on its wings, and it can be distinguished from P. brassicae by its larger size and the black band at the tip of its forewings.

The caterpillar of this species, often referred to as the "imported cabbageworm", is a pest to crucifer crops such as cabbage, kale, bok choy and broccoli. Pieris rapae is widespread in Europe and Asia; it is believed to have originated in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Europe, and to have spread across Eurasia thanks to the diversification of brassicaceous crops and the development of human trade routes. Over the past two centuries, it spread to North Africa, North America, New Zealand, and Australia, as a result of accidental introductions.

 The species has a natural range across Europe, Asia, and North Africa. It was accidentally introduced to Quebec, Canada, around 1860 and spread rapidly throughout North America. The species has spread to all North American life zones from Lower Austral/Lower Sonoran to Canada. Estimates show that a single female of this species might be the progenitor in a few generations of millions. It is absent or scarce in desert and semidesert regions (except for irrigated areas). It is not found north of Canadian life zone, nor on Channel Islands off the coast of southern California. By 1898, the small white had spread to Hawaii; by 1929, it had reached New Zealand and the area around Melbourne, Australia, and found its way to Perth as early as 1943. It does not seem to have made it to South America.

22-11-2024 ARENAL PLAYA JAVEA, ALICANTE - YELLOW LEGGED GULL (Larus michahellis)

The yellow-legged gull is a large gull found in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, which has only recently achieved wide recognition as a distinct species. It was formerly treated as a subspecies of either the Caspian gull L. cachinnans, or more broadly as a subspecies of the herring gull L. argentatus.The genus name is from Latin Larus which appears to have referred to a gull or other large seabird, and the species name honours the German zoologist Karl Michahelles.

The yellow-legged gull is a large gull, though the size does vary, with the smallest females being scarcely larger than a common gull and the largest males being roughly the size of a great black-backed gull. They range in length from 52 to 68 cm (20 to 27 in) in total length, from 120 to 155 cm (47 to 61 in) in wingspan and from 550 to 1,600 g (1.21 to 3.53 lb) in weight. Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 40.8 to 47.2 cm (16.1 to 18.6 in), the bill is 4.6 to 6 cm (1.8 to 2.4 in) and the tarsus is 5.6 to 7.5 cm (2.2 to 3.0 in). Adults are externally similar to herring gulls but have yellow legs. They have a grey back, slightly darker than herring gulls but lighter than lesser black-backed gulls. They are much whiter-headed in autumn, and have more extensively black wing tips with few white spots, just as lesser black-backed. They have a red spot on the bill as adults, like the entire complex. There is a red ring around the eye like in the lesser black-backed gull but unlike in the herring gull which has a dark yellow ring.

First-year birds have a paler head, rump and underparts than those of the herring gull, more closely resembling first-year great black-backed gulls in plumage. They have a dark bill and eyes, pinkish grey legs, dark flight feathers and a well-defined black band on the tail. They become lighter in the underparts and lose the upperpart pattern subsequently. By their second winter, birds are essentially feathered like adults, save for the patterned feathers remaining on the wing coverts. However, their bill tips are black, their eyes still dark, and the legs are a light yellow flesh colour.

The call is a loud laugh which is deeper and more nasal than the call of the herring gull.

The breeding range is centred on the Mediterranean Sea. In North Africa, it is common in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia and increasing in places. Recent breeding has occurred in Libya and Egypt. In the Middle East, a few breed in Israel and Syria with larger numbers in Cyprus and Turkey. In Europe, there are colonies all along the Mediterranean coast, and also on the Atlantic islands and coasts north to Brittany and west to the Azores. It also breeds on the western side of the Black Sea; here it overlaps with the Caspian gull but there is a difference in habitat, with the yellow-legged gull preferring sea cliffs and the Caspian gull flatter shores. In recent decades birds have spread north into central and western Europe. One to four pairs have attempted to breed in southern England since 1995 (sometimes hybrid pairs with lesser black-backed gulls), though colonisation has been very slow.

Many birds remain in the same area all year round, but others migrate to spend the winter in mild areas of western Europe or head south as far as Senegal, Gambia and the Red Sea. There is also extensive northward post-breeding dispersal in the late summer, with numbers in southern England high from July to October. It is reported as a vagrant to northeastern North America and Nigeria.

Like most Larus gulls, they are omnivores and opportunistic foragers. They will scavenge on rubbish tips and elsewhere, as well as seeking suitable prey in fields or on the coast, or robbing smaller gulls and other seabirds of their catches. Although urban populations are generally opportunistic scavengers, they can shift to a predatory diet if necessary; this was observed during the lockdown of Italy in 2020, when the lack of food scraps led the yellow-legged gulls of Rome to take prey as large as rats and rock doves.

Atlantic gulls in Gibraltar have been observed and photographed picking and eating fruit from olive trees in flight.

20-11-2024 EL HONDO, ALICANTE - EUROPEAN STONECHAT (FEMALE) (Saxicola rubicola)

The European stonechat (Saxicola rubicola) is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a subspecies of the common stonechat. Long considered a member of the thrush family, Turdidae, genetic evidence has placed it and its relatives in the Old World flycatcher family, Muscicapidae.

European stonechats breed in heathland, coastal dunes and rough grassland with scattered small shrubs and bramble, open gorse, tussocks or heather. They are short-distance migrants or non-migratory, with part of the population (particularly from northeastern parts of the range, where winters are colder) moving south to winter further south in Europe and more widely in north Africa.

Perky little bird of open country, especially heathland with gorse, moorland, weedy meadows, scrubby marsh margins, and rough grassland with scattered low bushes. Perches atop bushes and on fences, dropping to the ground to feed, before flying back up to a perch. Male distinctive, with blackish head set off by big white patch on sides of neck, orangey breast. Female brownish overall with paler eyebrow (only behind eye, unlike Whinchat), dull orangey breast; shows paler rump in flight, contrasting with solidly blackish tail. Warbled song is short and buzzy. Calls include dry “tchak” and rising “weet.”

European stonechats breed in heathland, coastal dunes and rough grassland with scattered small shrubs and bramble, open gorse, tussocks or heather. They are short-distance migrants or non-migratory, with part of the population (particularly from northeastern parts of the range, where winters are colder) moving south to winter further south in Europe and more widely in north Africa.

European stonechats first breed when they are one year old. They are monogamous during the breeding season but do not pair for life. The nest is built entirely by the female and is placed in dense vegetation close to the ground. It is a loose unwoven cup of dried grass lined with hair and feathers. The eggs are laid in early morning at daily intervals. The clutch is typically 4–6 eggs, which are pale blue to greenish-blue with red-brown freckles that are more numerous at the larger end. The average size of an egg is 18.7 mm × 14.4 mm (0.74 in × 0.57 in) with a weight of 2.0 g (0.071 oz). They are incubated for 13–14 days by the female beginning after the last egg is laid. Both parents care for and feed the chicks. They are brooded by the female. The nestlings fledge 12–16 days after hatching but continue to be fed by both parents for a further 4–5 days after which the female begins building a new nest for another brood while the male continues to feed the young for another 5–10 days. The parents raise two or three broods in a season.

20-11-2024 EL HONDO, ALICANTE - WESTERN SWAMPHEN (JUVENILE) (Porphyrio porphyrio)

The western swamphen stands out for its frontal shield, scarlet-red legs and bright turquoise plumage. The face, throat and part of the neck are a paler colour and it has a very conspicuous white bottom. Not much of a swimmer, their long toes let them move through semi-flooded cane fields and hold down food while pecking it. Due to their broad distribution in the Old World and Oceania, the western swamphen is classified by 13 subspecies, including some with odd and wonderful variations in their colouring and plumage. The subspecies endemic to Madagascar, for example, has similar colouring on its body, but part of the wings and dorsal are green and golden. However, in the Philippines the subspecies there has much lighter plumage—white at some points on the head and neck—and a brownish dorsal with yellow hues.

It mainly inhabits swampy areas and non-flowing aquatic ecosystems with abundant vegetation and reed beds on their shores, in Europe, central and southern Africa, the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, as well as all of Indonesia and the coasts of Australia.

The western swamphen stands out for its frontal shield, scarlet-red legs and bright turquoise plumage. The face, throat and part of the neck are a paler colour and it has a very conspicuous white bottom. Not much of a swimmer, their long toes let them move through semi-flooded cane fields and hold down food while pecking it. Due to their broad distribution in the Old World and Oceania, the western swamphen is classified by 13 subspecies, including some with odd and wonderful variations in their colouring and plumage. The subspecies endemic to Madagascar, for example, has similar colouring on its body, but part of the wings and dorsal are green and golden. However, in the Philippines the subspecies there has much lighter plumage—white at some points on the head and neck—and a brownish dorsal with yellow hues.

It mainly inhabits swampy areas and non-flowing aquatic ecosystems with abundant vegetation and reed beds on their shores, in Europe, central and southern Africa, the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, as well as all of Indonesia and the coasts of Australia.

Omnivorous, they prey on small aquatic vertebrates, crustaceans and insects, even though their main diet is tender marram grasses and other plants.

Due to the extensive distribution area of this species, it is hard to pinpoint a breeding season, as in more temperate regions it breeds in summer, while in the southern Sahara and southern hemisphere it tends to be in September and October. Breeding systems also vary by subspecies, as toward the north they tend to form monogamous pairs, while in southern and, especially, tropical regions, they can be communal. Despite this, the species—which is common in its entire area of distribution—builds nests from aquatic plant matter and dry reeds in reed swamps. It lays from three to five eggs, although this varies depending on several conditions, with both sexes incubating them from 23 to 27 days. Breeding is communal for this subspecies, and there are even young, pre-breeding age, individuals that help with the chicks.

Their customs and shy nature mean that they are rarely spotted in the swamplands covered with reeds and the shores of lagoons with thick vegetation that they inhabit.

Quite common although very local in the Mediterranean region, in northern Europe there are occasional escapes. It prefers freshwater wetlands. It moves around inside large reed beds and rushes, also feeding on the edges of vegetation or even in adjacent wet meadows. It is characterized by being a large rail, much larger than a moorhen. Its plumage is generally dark purplish blue, with a very robust red beak and reddish legs, and a white undertail patch. The young are basically greyish, being duller overall.

In spite of its bright colouring, the swamphen is easily frightened so it does not often show itself.

Its long toes enable it to walk through the semi-flooded reed beds where it lives and to peck at its food while holding it. The swamphen is omnivorous and preys on small water vertebrates, insects and crustaceans although its diet mainly consists of the tender shoots of bulrushes and other plants.