11-3-2016 CATARROJA - GLOSSY IBIS (Plegadis falcinellus) (PHOTO COURTESY OF VALERIE FISHER)

16-3-2016 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SARDINIAN WARBLER (MALE) (Sylvia melanocephala)

16-3-2016 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH (MALE) (Carduelis carduelis)

16-3-2016 MONTE CORONA - MEDITERRANEAN SPOTTED CHAFER (Oxythyrea funesta)

16-3-2016 LA FONT EN CARROS, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH (MALE) (Carduelis carduelis)

7-4-2015 DUBAI, UAE - LAUGHING DOVE (Spilopelia senegalensis)

The laughing dove (Spilopelia senegalensis) is a small pigeon that is a resident breeder in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Western Australia where it has established itself in the wild after being released from Perth Zoo in 1898. This small long-tailed dove is found in dry scrub and semi-desert habitats where pairs can often be seen feeding on the ground. It is closely related to the spotted dove (Spilopelia chinensis) which is distinguished by a white and black chequered necklace. Other names include laughing turtle dove, palm dove and Senegal dove while in Asia the name little brown dove is often used.

15-3-2016 LA FONT EN CARROS, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH (MALE) (Carduelis carduelis)

15-3-2016 LA FONT EN CARROS, VALENCIA - WHITE WAGTAIL (Motacilla alba)

31-3-2015 GOA, INDIA - INDIAN POND HERON (Ardeola grayii)

The Indian pond heron or paddybird (Ardeola grayii) is a small heron. It is of Old World origins, breeding in southern Iran and east to the Indian subcontinent, Burma, and Sri Lanka. They are widespread and common but can be easily missed when they stalk prey at the edge of small water-bodies or even when they roost close to human habitations.

They are distinctive when they take off, with bright white wings flashing in contrast to the cryptic streaked olive and brown colours of the body. Their camouflage is so excellent that they can be approached closely before they take to flight, a behaviour which has resulted in folk names and beliefs that the birds are short-sighted or blind.

Indian pond herons are stocky with short necks, short thick bills and buff-brown backs. In summer, adults have long neck feathers. Their appearance is transformed from dull colours when they take to flight and the white of the wings makes them very prominent. They are very similar to the squacco herons, Ardeola ralloides, but darker backed. To the east of their range, they are replaced by the Chinese pond herons, Ardeola bacchus.

During the breeding season, there are records of individuals with red legs. The numbers do not suggest that this is a normal change for adults during the breeding season and some have suggested the possibility of it being genetic variants.

Erythristic plumage has been noted. The race phillipsi has been suggested for the populations found in the Maldives, without much acceptance. It forms a superspecies with the closely related Chinese pond heron, Javan pond heron and the Madagascar pond heron.

They are usually silent but may make a harsh croak in alarm when flushed or near their nests.

31-3-2015 GOA, INDIA - LITTLE CORMORANT (Microcarbo niger)

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

14-3-2016 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SARDINIAN WARBLER (MALE) (Sylvia melanocephala)

14-3-2016 VILLALONGA RESERVOIR, VALENCIA - LITTLE RINGED PLOVER (Charadrius dubius)

14-3-2016 VILLALONGA RESERVOIR, VALENCIA - LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta)

14-3-2016 VILLALONGA RESERVOIR, VALENCIA - GREY WAGTAIL (Motacilla cinerea)

14-3-2016 VILLALONGA RESERVOIR, VALENCIA - EURASIAN GREAT CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax carbo)

13-3-2015 VILLALONGA RESERVOIR, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN MOORHEN (Gallinula chloropus)

Сommon moorhens are diurnal birds that spend their time swimming or walking along the shore. They forage beside or in the water, sometimes walking on lilypads or upending in the water to feed. They are often secretive but can become tame in some areas. Outside of the breeding season, Common moorhens prefer to spend their time alone; however, during the winter they may gather in groups to feed on sheltered lakes and ponds. To communicate with each other, these birds will give a wide range of gargling calls and will emit loud hisses when threatened.

Сommon moorhens are monogamous and territorial. They form pair-bonds that may last for several years. Pairs nest solitarily usually on top of thick mats of aquatic plants but may also nest in trees, shrubs, or on the ground in dense vegetation. Their nest is a wide shallow cup made with dead vegetation and lined with grass and leaves. Laying starts in spring, between mid-March and mid-May in Northern Hemisphere temperate regions. About 8 eggs are usually laid per female early in the season. Incubation lasts about three weeks. The chicks are precocial; they are hatched with eyes open and are covered in blackish down. Both parents incubate and feed the young. They fledge after 40-50 days, become independent usually a few weeks thereafter, and may raise their first brood the next spring.

20-12-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - YELLOW STREAKED LORY (Chalcopsitta scintillata)

The yellow-streaked lory (Chalcopsitta scintillata), also known as the streaked lory or yellowish-streaked lory, is a species of parrot in the family Psittaculidae.

It is found in the Aru Islands and southern New Guinea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical mangrove forest.

The yellow-streaked lory species contains three subspecies:

Chalcopsitta scintillata (Temminck) 1835

Chalcopsitta scintillata chloroptera Salvadori 1876

Chalcopsitta scintillata rubrifrons Gray, GR 1858 - Carmine-fronted lory

Chalcopsitta scintillata scintillata (Temminck) 1835 - Nominate subspecies

13-12-2015 YANGON, MYANMAR - LARGE BILLED CROW (Corvus macrorhynchos)

The large-billed crow (Corvus macrorhynchos), formerly referred to widely as the jungle crow, is a widespread Asian species of crow. It is very adaptable and is able to survive on a wide range of food sources, making it capable of colonizing new areas, due to which it is often considered a nuisance, especially on islands. It has a large bill, which is the source of its scientific name macrorhynchos (Ancient Greek for "large beak") and it is sometimes known by the common name thick-billed crow. It can also be mistaken for a common raven. Johann Georg Wagler first described the species from a holotype obtained from Java in the year 1827. The eastern jungle crow and Indian jungle crow were once considered conspecific and together called the jungle crow.

The overall size (length: 46–59 cm; 18–23 in). Wingspan is (100–130 cm; 39–51 in). Body proportions vary regionally. In the far northeast in Japan, the Kuriles and the Sakhalin peninsula, it is somewhat larger than the carrion crow. All taxa have a relatively long bill with the upper one quite thick and arched, making it look heavy and almost raven-like. Generally, all taxa have dark greyish plumage from the back of the head, neck, shoulders and lower body. Their wings, tail, face, and throat are glossy black. The depth of the grey shading varies across its range.

The range of this species is extensive and stretches from the northeastern Asian seaboard to Afghanistan and eastern Iran in the west, through South and Southeast Asia, to the Lesser Sundas and Cambodia in the southeast. It occurs in woodland, parks and gardens, cultivated regions with at least some trees, but is a bird of more open country in the south of its range where it is not in competition with the common raven and carrion crow of the north.

13-3-2016 VILLALONGA RESERVOIR, VALENCIA - LITTLE RINGED PLOVER (Charadrius dubius)

The little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius) is a small plover. The genus name Charadrius is a Late Latin word for a yellowish bird mentioned in the fourth-century Vulgate. It derives from Ancient Greek kharadrios a bird found in river valleys (kharadra, "ravine"). The specific dubius is Latin for doubtful, since Sonnerat, writing in 1776, thought this bird might be just a variant of common ringed plover.

Adult little ringed plovers have a grey-brown back and wings, a white belly and a white breast with one black neckband. They have a brown cap, a white forehead, a black mask around the eyes with white above and a short dark bill. The legs are flesh-coloured and the toes are all webbed.

This species differs from the larger ringed plover in leg colour, the head pattern, and the presence of a clear yellow eye-ring.

The little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius ) is a small plover. The genus name Charadrius is a Late Latin word for a yellowish bird mentioned in the fourth-century Vulgate. It derives from Ancient Greek kharadrios a bird found in river valleys (kharadra, "ravine"). The specific dubius is Latin for doubtful, since Sonnerat, writing in 1776, thought this bird might be just a variant of common ringed plover.

Adult little ringed plovers have a grey-brown back and wings, a white belly and a white breast with one black neckband. They have a brown cap, a white forehead, a black mask around the eyes with white above and a short dark bill. The legs are flesh-coloured and the toes are all webbed.

A small, rotund wading bird, the Little ringed plover nests on bare gravel around flooded gravel pits, sandy riverbanks and reservoirs. Like other plovers, it forages for invertebrates and crustaceans in a particular way: standing and watching, running forward, pecking, then standing still again. It is a migrant species, arriving in this country in mid-March and leaving again in July.

Species more frequent in inland humid areas, lagoons, gravel pits and rivers with shores where there are pebbles and stones. In winter it can be seen on the coast.

Species present all year round in the province. Malaga hosts both wintering and breeding individuals. The Little Ringed Plover reproduces from April. Nest on the ground, on banks and beaches with gravel of rivers, reservoirs and lakes. The laying consists of 4 eggs. It feeds on small insects and invertebrates that it catches in shallow waters and among the gravel and the mud of the banks.

Waders exploit the resources of the banks depending on the size of their legs and bills. They do not go into the water beyond what the length of their bill and legs allow them to. Thus, the Little Ringed Plover is one of the least able to enter the water, using only surface water.

Typical Lifespan is 4 years with breeding typically at 2nd year.

Adult Survival 0.55

This attractive small wading bird is a relatively new addition to the British breeding avifauna, first recorded nesting here in 1938.

Little Ringed Plovers are summer visitors to Britain, sometimes arriving as early as mid-March. Originally associated with gravel workings in central England, they have now colonised seasonally wet areas across the post-industrial landscapes of the north-west. In Wales and Scotland, new colonists use river gravels for nesting.

Easily confused with its commoner coastal cousin, the Ringed Plover, this species prefers fresh water. It is a daintier bird, has more subtle colours and lacks a white wing-bar when seen in flight. A good close view reveals the diagnostic yellow eye-ring.

13-3-2016 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SARDINIAN WARBLER (MALE) (Sylvia melanocephala)

13-3-2016 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH (MALE) (Carduelis carduelis)

12-3-2016 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SARDINIAN WARBLER (FEMALE) (Sylvia melanocephala)

The Sardinian warbler (Curruca melanocephala ) is a common and widespread typical warbler from the Mediterranean region. Like most Curruca species, it has distinct male and female plumages. The adult male has a grey back, whitish underparts, black head, white throat and red eyes. Plumages are somewhat variable even in the same locality, with the intensity of a reddish hue on upper- and/or underside that varies from absent to (in some subspecies) pronounced. The female is mainly brown above and buff below, with a grey head. The Sardinian warbler's song is fast and rattling, and is very characteristic of the Mediterranean areas where this bird breeds.

11-3-2016 CATARROJA, VALENCIA - LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta)

11-3-2016 CATARROJA, VALENCIA - LITTLE GREBE (Tachybaptus ruficollis)

11-12-2015 BAGAN, MYANMAR - FINLAYSON'S SQUIRREL (Callosciurus finlaysonii)

Finlayson's squirrel or the variable squirrel (Callosciurus finlaysonii, sometimes misspelled C. finlaysoni) is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. The species occurs in a wide range of wooded habitats, including gardens and parks in cities like Bangkok. It was named in honour of the Scottish naturalist and traveller George Finlayson.

It has numerous subspecies that vary greatly in appearance. One of these, C. f. bocourti (syn. C. f. floweri), has been introduced to Singapore and two regions in Italy, probably a result of the species' popularity in the pet trade. It is possible that some of the Callosciurus squirrels introduced into Japan are also Finlayson's squirrels.

Finlayson's squirrel has also been introduced in the Philippines, particularly in the Greater Manila area where it is considered as an invasive species.

The Finlayson's squirrel has a head-and-body length of about 21–22 cm (8.3–8.7 in) and its tail is about 22–24 cm (8.7–9.4 in) long.

There are currently 16 recognised subspecies. Additional subspecies are sometimes recognised. For example, some authorities recognise C. f. floweri, while others consider it a synonym of C. f. bocourti (as done in the following colour description). The subspecific name of C. f. boonsongi commemorates Thai zoologist and conservationist Boonsong Lekagul.

The pelage colour in this species is extremely variable and the subspecies are often defined by this feature. For example, C. f. finlaysonii (nominate) is overall whitish, C. f. albivexilli, C. f. boonsongi, C. f. germaini and C. f. nox are overall blackish (first with white tail-tip, second occasionally with white underside, face and feet), C. f. annellatus is overall rufous with a light band at the base of the tail, C. f. bocourti is whitish below with highly variable colour of the upperparts (whitish, grey, blackish, olive-brownish or reddish), C. f. cinnamomeus is overall reddish with a dark mid-back, C. f. ferrugineus is reddish-brown, C. f. harmandi has brownish upperparts, orange-red underparts and light grey tail, C. f. menamicus is reddish or orangish, often has greyish legs and flanks, and sometimes a white belly, and C. f. sinistralis has grizzled upperparts, reddish underparts and reddish tail with a pale band at the base.

Unnamed populations also remain (for example, a population in central Laos is shiny black with red tail and shoulder/chest region) and even within described subspecies there are often some individual variations.

As currently defined, Finlayson's squirrel may comprise more than one species. C. f. ferrugineus has been treated as a separate species. A genetic study of the 12 subspecies in Thailand, including 7 from the mainland and 5 from islands, found that they belonged in six clades, which often were separated by water (large rivers in the mainland and the sea for the islands). The study also revealed that the mitochondrial DNA of this species compared to the closely related Pallas's squirrel is not monophyletic. A subsequent study recommended that, to maintain monophyletic species, flavimanus and griseimanus, which traditionally are recognized as being subspecies of Pallas's squirrel in southeastern Indochina (central and southern Vietnam, adjacent parts of Cambodia and southern Laos), should be considered part of Finlayson's squirrel. The study also found that flavimanus, as traditionally defined, actually consists of at least two clearly separate lineages, both part of Finlayson's squirrel.

12-12-2015 BAGAN, MYANMAR - CRIMSON MARSH GLIDER DRAGONFLY (rithemis aurora)

Trithemis aurora, the crimson marsh glider, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is a common and widely distributed species found throughout the year across the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.

The male of this small species is distinctly different from the female. The male has a reddish-brown face, with eyes that are crimson above and brown on the sides. The thorax is red with a fine, purple pruinescence. The abdomen, the base of which is swollen, is crimson with a violet tinge. The wings are transparent with crimson venation and the base has a broad amber patch. The wing spots are a dark reddish-brown and the legs are black.

The female has an olivaceous or bright reddish-brown face with eyes that are purplish-brown above and grey below. The thorax is olivaceous with brown median and black lateral stripes. The abdomen is reddish-brown with median and lateral black markings. The black markings are confluent at the end of each segment and enclose a reddish-brown spot. The wings are transparent with brown tips. The venation is bright yellow to brown and basal amber markings are pale. The wing spots are a dark brown and the lags are dark grey with narrow yellow stripes.

It is commonly found in weedy tanks and ponds, marshes, channels, and slow flowing streams and rivers in the lowlands and mid-hills. It breeds in streams, rivers, canals, ponds and tanks.