24-11-2017 PEGO MARJAL, ALICANTE - WESTERN SWAMPHEN (Porphyrio porphyrio)

The western swamphen (known as Purple Swamphen) (Porphyrio porphyrio ) is a swamphen in the rail family Rallidae, one of the six species of purple swamphen. From the French name talève sultane, it is also known as the sultana bird. This chicken-sized bird, with its large feet, bright plumage and red bill and frontal shield is easily recognisable in its native range. It used to be considered the nominate subspecies of the purple swamphen, but is now recognised as a separate species. The western swamphen is found in wetlands in Spain (where the largest population lives), Portugal, southeastern France, Italy (Sardinia and Sicily) and northwestern Africa (Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia).

The species makes loud, quick, bleating and hooting calls which are hardly bird-like in tone. It is particularly noisy during the breeding season. Despite being clumsy in flight, it can fly long distances and is a good swimmer, especially for a bird without webbed feet.

The western swamphen prefers wet areas with high rainfall, swamps, lake edges and damp pastures. The birds often live in pairs and larger communities. It clambers through the reeds, eating the tender shoots and vegetable-like matter. They have been known to eat eggs, ducklings, small fish and invertebrates such as snails. They have even been known to attack large eels; however, there is no consensus amongst ornithologists if they actually eat eel. They will often use one foot to bring food to their mouth rather than eat it on the ground. Where they are not persecuted they can become tame and be readily seen in towns and cities.

Western swamphens are generally seasonal breeders, correlating with peak rainfall in many places, or summer in more temperate climes. The purple swamphen breeds in warm reed beds. The pattern of social behaviour tends to be monogamy.

Pairs nest in a large pad of interwoven reed flags, etc., on a mass of floating debris or amongst matted reeds slightly above water level in swamps, clumps of rushes in paddocks or long unkempt grass. Each bird can lay 3–6 speckled eggs, pale yellowish stone to reddish buff, blotched and spotted with reddish brown. The incubation period is 23–27 days, and is performed by both sexes. The precocious chicks are feathered with downy black feathers and able to leave the nest soon after hatching, but will often remain in the nest for a few days. Young chicks are fed by their parents (and group members) for between 10–14 days, after which they begin to feed themselves.

Today the western swamphen is locally common, with the largest population in Spain. It was formerly listed as "Rare" by the European Union, but has been delisted to "Localised".

The species declined drastically in the first half of the 20th century due to habitat loss and hunting. It was relatively widespread until 1900, but by the 1960s it was seriously threatened and its range in the Iberian Peninsula was limited to a few locations in the Guadalquivir basin. As a result of reintroduction schemes and protection of both the species and its habitat, the western swamphen has since recovered. By the 1990s it was locally common, and by 2000 its range in the Iberian Peninsula was similar to its range in 1900. The center is in Spain where the population increased from 600–900 breeding pairs in 1992 to 3500–4500 breeding pairs in 1999. From Spain it has continued its expansion into southeastern France where small numbers now breed. It remains rare and local in Portugal where there were 49–67 breeding pairs in 2002, but this population is also recovering. It was extirpated from Sicily in 1957, effectively restricting its Italian range to Sardinia where the population was 450–600 breeding pairs in 1999. Beginning in 2000, it was reintroduced to Sicily. A small "purple swamphen" population in central Italy is the result of grey-headed swamphens that escaped from a zoo.

Little is known about the status of the western swamphen in Africa, but northeastern Algeria is considered one of its strongholds in this region.

When protected, western swamphens are able to thrive in human-managed habitats, and in some places they live in paddy fields, resulting in conflicts with farmers as they can be destructive to the rice.

23-11-2017 VILLALONGA, VALENCIA - MEADOW PIPIT (Anthus pratensis)

The Meadow Pipit, Anthus pratensis, is a small, unassuming bird of the passerine family. It measures between 14.5 to 15 cm in length and weighs a mere 15 to 22 grams. Its plumage is predominantly brown above and buff below, with darker streaks adorning most of its body. The tail is brown with narrow white edges, and it stands on pale pinkish-yellow legs. A distinctive feature is its notably long hind claw, surpassing the length of its other hind toes.

When identifying the Meadow Pipit, look for its streaked appearance and listen for its weak "tsi-tsi" call. In flight, observe its song, which is a simple, repetitive tune that increases in pace towards the end. The bird's small size and long hind claw are also key identification markers.

The Meadow Pipit favors open spaces such as pastures, bogs, and moorlands. It can also be found in low-intensity agricultural areas and, during winter, in saltmarshes and occasionally open woodlands.

This species breeds across the Palearctic, from Greenland and Iceland to the Ural Mountains, and south to central France and Romania. An isolated population resides in the Caucasus Mountains. While migratory over most of its range, wintering in southern Europe, North Africa, and southwestern Asia, it remains resident year-round in western Europe.

The Meadow Pipit is a terrestrial bird, feeding on the ground and using elevated perches to scan for predators. It is known to move to the coast or lowlands during winter, even in areas where it is considered resident.

The call of the Meadow Pipit is a soft "tsi-tsi." Its song, delivered during a short song flight, is a simple melody that quickens as it progresses.

Nests are well-concealed on the ground in dense vegetation. Clutches typically contain two to seven eggs, which hatch after 11 to 15 days. Fledging occurs 10 to 14 days post-hatching, and the species often raises two broods per year. The Meadow Pipit is a frequent host for the cuckoo's parasitic breeding strategy.

Its diet consists mainly of insects and other invertebrates, favoring prey less than 5 mm in length. During winter, it also consumes seeds from grasses, sedges, rushes, heather, and crowberry berries.

The Meadow Pipit is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN. However, there has been a noted decline in populations, particularly in French farmland, where numbers have dropped by 68% over the past 17 years.

20-11-2017 LAKESIDE THURROCK, ESSEX - MUTE SWAN (Cygnus olor)

Mute Swans form strong pair bonds and have few natural predators. They will vigorous defend nests and attack human intruders. The male is properly called a "cob," the female a "pen." Young Mute Swans are called cygnets.

Mute Swans form long-lasting pair bonds. Their reputation for monogamy along with their elegant white plumage has helped establish them as a symbol of love in many cultures. The Mute Swan is reported to mate for life. However, changing of mates does occur infrequently, and swans will remate if their partner dies.

Hearing the wail and unable to make it stop, Apollo struck down Cycgus, forcing him to live the rest of his life as a Mute Swan. As the myth would have it, Mute Swans continue to live their life in absolute silence to this day until, just moments before their death, they wail one last mournful song.

The total native population of mute swans is about 500,000 birds at the end of the breeding season (adults plus young), of which up to 350,000 are in Russia. The largest single breeding concentration is 11,000 pairs in the Volga Delta.

If a mate is lost then the surviving mate will go through a grieving process like humans do, after which it will either stay where it is on its own, fly off and find a new stretch of water to live on (where a new mate may fly in and join it) or fly off and re-join a flock.

Mute swans are large and aggressive birds. As adults they are not often preyed on unless they are old or ill. Eggs and hatchlings are vulnerable to nest predation by raccoons, mink, and a wide variety of other medium to large-sized predators. But swan parents are typically present to protect their young.

The mute swan's name comes from the fact that it's less vocal than other swan species, such as the whooper swan that makes the distinctive 'whooping' call in flight. The mute swan is also the largest of the swan species in the UK, and in fact the second largest species of waterfowl in the world. Mute swans do not migrate and are a permanent resident all year round, unlike the Bewick and Whooper swans who are winter visitors to these shores. The male swan is called a cob and a female is called a pen and group of swans is called a herd. Swans are highly intelligent and have sharp vision and impeccable hearing.

The mute swan (Cygnus olor) is a species of swan and a member of the waterfowl family Anatidae. It is native to much of Eurasia, and (as a rare winter visitor) the far north of Africa. It is an introduced species in North America, home to the largest populations outside of its native range, with additional smaller introductions in Australasia and southern Africa. The name "mute" derives from it being less vocal than other swan species. Measuring 125 to 160 cm (49 to 63 in) in length, this large swan is wholly white in plumage with an orange beak bordered with black. It is recognisable by its pronounced knob atop the beak, which is larger in males.

Mute swans nest on large mounds that they build with waterside vegetation in shallow water on islands in the middle or at the very edge of a lake. They are monogamous and often reuse the same nest each year, restoring or rebuilding it as needed. Male and female swans share the care of the nest, and once the cygnets are fledged it is not uncommon to see whole families looking for food. They feed on a wide range of vegetation, both submerged aquatic plants which they reach with their long necks, and by grazing on land. The food commonly includes agricultural crop plants such as oilseed rape and wheat, and feeding flocks in the winter may cause significant crop damage, often as much through trampling with their large webbed feet, as through direct consumption. It will also feed on small proportions of aquatic insects, fish and frogs.

20-11-2017 LAKESIDE THURROCK, ESSEX - EURASIAN GREAT CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax carbo)

The great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), a robust seabird, is cloaked in predominantly black plumage. It is a member of the cormorant family, with a widespread distribution. The species exhibits considerable size variation across its range, with males generally larger than females. Notable features include a longish tail and a distinctive yellow throat-patch. During the breeding season, adults boast white patches on their thighs and throat.

To identify the great cormorant, look for its large size, heavy build, and thick bill. It lacks a crest and its plumage does not have a green tinge, distinguishing it from the common shag. In North America, it is bulkier than the double-crested cormorant and has less yellow on the throat and bill. The white thigh patches are a key identifier.

Great cormorants are found in a variety of aquatic environments including seas, estuaries, freshwater lakes, and rivers. They often nest in colonies close to these water bodies.

This species has a broad distribution, breeding across the Old World, Australia, and the Atlantic coast of North America. Northern populations tend to migrate southward in winter, seeking coasts rich in fish.

Great cormorants are generally silent but may emit guttural noises at breeding colonies. They are known for their wing-drying posture, often seen with wings outstretched to dry after diving.

Great cormorants are generally silent but may emit guttural noises at breeding colonies. They are known for their wing-drying posture, often seen with wings outstretched to dry after diving.

Mostly silent, the great cormorant vocalizes with guttural sounds in the vicinity of its breeding colonies.

Great cormorants typically nest in colonies near wetlands, rivers, or sheltered inshore waters, often returning to the same site annually. Their nests are constructed from sticks and can be located in trees, on cliff ledges, or on predator-free ground. They lay clutches of three to five pale blue or green eggs, which are incubated for about 28 to 31 days.

These birds are piscivorous, diving to catch fish such as wrasses, sand smelt, flathead, and common soles. They exhibit seasonal dietary shifts, preferring larger fish in colder temperatures. Their foraging efficiency is influenced by the size of the prey rather than the quantity.

The great cormorant is currently listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Conservation efforts have led to a population rebound, with approximately 1.2 million birds in Europe alone. However, their increasing numbers have led to conflicts with fisheries due to predation on fish stocks.

20-11-2017 LAKESIDE THURROCK, ESSEX - EURASIAN COOT (Fulica atra)

The Eurasian coot, Fulica atra, also known as the common coot or Australian coot, is a distinctive waterbird with a slaty-black body, a glossy black head, and a striking white bill topped with a white frontal shield. This bird is a member of the Rallidae family, which includes rails and crakes. Both sexes exhibit similar plumage, making them indistinguishable in the field.

Adult Eurasian coots measure 36–38 cm in length with a wingspan of 70–80 cm. Males are slightly heavier than females, weighing around 890 g compared to the females' 750 g. The species is characterized by its white bill and frontal shield, which contrast sharply with its all-black body. Juveniles are paler with a whitish breast and lack the facial shield, which develops fully by one year of age.

The Eurasian coot is found on freshwater lakes and ponds and has adapted well to urban environments, often seen in city parks and gardens with water bodies.

This bird has a broad range across the Old World, including Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of North Africa. It is a resident in milder regions but migrates south and west from much of Asia during winter.

The Eurasian coot is less secretive than many rails, often visible on open water or grasslands. It is territorial and aggressive during the breeding season, with both parents defending their territory. In non-breeding seasons, coots may form large flocks. They are reluctant flyers, preferring to run across water surfaces, and are known for bobbing their heads while swimming.

This species is known for its noisy demeanor, producing a variety of crackling, explosive, or trumpeting calls, which are often heard at night.

Coots build bulky, sometimes floating nests, concealed in vegetation or in the open. Both sexes construct the nest, with the male gathering materials. Clutches typically contain 6-10 buff-colored eggs speckled with black or dark brown. Both parents incubate the eggs, which hatch after 21-24 days. Chicks are precocial and nidifugous, with distinctive orange-red tips on their down.

Omnivorous in nature, the Eurasian coot consumes small live prey, including other birds' eggs, as well as algae, vegetation, seeds, and fruit. It employs various feeding techniques, both on land and in water.

The Eurasian coot is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN and is protected under the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA).

20-11-2017 LAKESIDE THURROCK, ESSEX - CANADA GOOSE (Branta canadensis)

The Canada goose (Branta canadensis), sometimes called Canadian goose, is a large wild goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body. It is native to the arctic and temperate regions of North America, and it is occasionally found during migration across the Atlantic in northern Europe. It has been introduced to France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, New Zealand, Japan, Chile, Argentina, and the Falkland Islands. Like most geese, the Canada goose is primarily herbivorous and normally migratory; often found on or close to fresh water, the Canada goose is also common in brackish marshes, estuaries, and lagoons.

Extremely adept at living in human-altered areas, Canada geese have established breeding colonies in urban and cultivated habitats, which provide food and few natural predators. The success of this common park species has led to its often being considered a pest species because of its excrement, its depredation of crops, its noise, its aggressive territorial behavior toward both humans and other animals, and its habit of stalking and begging for food, the latter a result of humans disobeying artificial feeding policies toward wild animals.

The black head and neck with a white "chinstrap" distinguish the Canada goose from all other goose species except the cackling goose and barnacle goose (the latter, however, has a black breast and gray rather than brownish body plumage). Some Canadian geese come with a pepper-spotted or brown neck with brown plumage, and these are assumed to be a leucistic variety.

Canada geese are primarily herbivores, although they sometimes eat small insects and fish. Their diet includes green vegetation and grains. The Canada goose eats a variety of grasses when on land. It feeds by grasping a blade of grass with the bill, then tearing it with a jerk of the head. The Canada goose also eats beans and grains such as wheat, rice, and corn when they are available. In the water, it feeds from aquatic plants by sliding its bill at the bottom of the body of water. It also feeds on aquatic plant-like algae, such as seaweed.

In urban areas, it is also known to pick food out of garbage bins. They are also sometimes hand-fed a variety of grains and other foods by humans in parks. Canada geese prefer lawn grass in urban areas. They usually graze in open areas with wide clearance to avoid potential predators.

During the second year of their lives, Canada geese find a mate. They are monogamous, and most couples stay together all of their lives. If one dies, the other may find a new mate. The female lays from two to nine eggs with an average of five, and both parents protect the nest while the eggs incubate, but the female spends more time at the nest than the male.

Its nest is usually located in an elevated area near water such as streams, lakes, ponds, and sometimes on a beaver lodge. Its eggs are laid in a shallow depression lined with plant material and down.

The incubation period, in which the female incubates while the male remains nearby, lasts for 24–32 days after laying. Canada geese can respond to external climatic factors by adjusting their laying date to spring maximum temperatures, which may benefit their nesting success. As the annual summer molt also takes place during the breeding season, the adults lose their flight feathers for 20–40 days, regaining flight about the same time as their goslings start to fly.

As soon as the goslings hatch, they are immediately capable of walking, swimming, and finding their own food (a diet similar to that of adult geese). Parents are often seen leading their goslings in a line, usually with one adult at the front and the other at the back. While protecting their goslings, parents often violently chase away nearby creatures, from small blackbirds to lone humans who approach: first giving a warning hiss, and then attacking with bites and slaps of the wings. Although parents are hostile to unfamiliar geese, they may form groups of a number of goslings and a few adults, called crèches.

The offspring enter the fledgling stage any time from six to nine weeks of age. They do not leave their parents until after the spring migration, when they return to their birthplace.

20-11-2017 LAKESIDE THURROCK, ESSEX - BLACK HEADED GULL (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)

The black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) is a small, nimble gull with a wingspan ranging from 94 to 110 cm and a body length of 37 to 44 cm. It weighs between 190 and 400 grams. Despite its name, the adult's summer plumage features a chocolate-brown head, which can appear black from a distance. The body is pale grey, and the primary wing feathers are tipped with black. The bill and legs are a striking red. In winter, the brown head is replaced by a white one with dark spots. Juveniles are mottled with brown spots and have a black band on the tail. There is no sexual dimorphism in plumage.

In flight, the white leading edge of the wing is a distinctive field mark. The summer adult's brown head, red bill, and legs are key identifiers, while the winter plumage features two dark spots on the head. Juveniles can be recognized by their mottled brown pattern and black tail band.

This species nests in colonies on the ground in large reed beds, marshes, or islands within lakes. It is not pelagic and is seldom seen far from coasts.

The black-headed gull breeds across much of the Palearctic, including Europe and coastal eastern Canada. It is migratory, wintering further south, but some remain in the milder westernmost areas of Europe. It is also present in northeastern North America and occasionally seen as far south as Virginia and some Caribbean islands.

Highly gregarious in winter, the black-headed gull is an opportunistic feeder, consuming a wide range of food from insects to carrion. It is known for its "kree-ar" call and displays various behaviors such as eggshell removal from the nest, which is believed to reduce predation risk.

The black-headed gull is a vocal species, particularly in colonies. Its call is a familiar "kree-ar," and its scientific name suggests a laughing sound.

This gull takes two years to reach maturity. First-year birds can be distinguished by a black terminal tail band and a less developed dark hood in summer. Breeding occurs in colonies, and the species is known for its complex social behaviors, including begging coordination between siblings and conspecific brood parasitism.

The black-headed gull can be confused with the similar-looking Bonaparte's Gull in North America.

The diet includes insects, fish, seeds, worms, scraps, carrion, and invertebrates in ploughed fields. It feeds in towns and agricultural areas with equal relish.

The black-headed gull is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating it is not currently at significant risk of widespread decline.

Individuals synchronize their vigilance activities with nearby conspecifics, depending on the distance between them.

The first recorded sighting in Australia occurred in 1991 at the Broome Sewage Ponds, marking a significant range expansion for the species.

The black-headed gull has been immortalized in Richard Adams' novel "Watership Down" as the character Kehaar and is the official bird of Tokyo, Japan.

20-11-2017 LAKESIDE, ESSEX - TUFTED DUCK (Aythya fuligula)

The tufted duck, or tufted pochard, is a small diving duck with a population approaching one million birds. The males are striking with their black plumage contrasted by white flanks and a blue-grey bill, crowned with a distinctive tuft on the back of the head. Their eyes are a remarkable gold-yellow. Females, on the other hand, are cloaked in brown with paler flanks and may have some white around the bill base, though not as pronounced as in scaup species.

When identifying the tufted duck, look for the male's black body, white sides, and the namesake tuft on the back of the head. Females are more subdued in color but can be distinguished by their brown plumage and paler sides. Both sexes share a similar structure and size, with an average length of 43.2 cm and a wingspan that ranges from 19.4 to 21.2 cm.

These ducks favor marshes and lakes with abundant vegetation, which provides cover for nesting. They are also found in coastal lagoons, along shorelines, and in sheltered ponds.

The tufted duck breeds across temperate and northern Eurasia. In winter, they migrate to milder regions in the south and west of Europe, southern Asia, and are year-round residents in the British Isles. They have been known to appear as winter visitors along the coasts of the United States and Canada and have been spotted as far afield as Melbourne, Australia.

Tufted ducks are gregarious outside of the breeding season, forming large flocks on open water. They are migratory in much of their range, seeking out the milder climates during the colder months.

The female tufted duck emits a harsh, growling "karr" mostly in flight, while the male is generally silent but may produce a simple "wit-oo" whistle during courtship.

These ducks nest near marshes and lakes where dense vegetation can conceal their nests from potential predators.

The tufted duck can be confused with the greater and lesser scaup. However, the scaup species lack the characteristic head tuft and have different calls.

Tufted ducks are divers, plunging below the surface to forage for molluscs, aquatic insects, and some plant material. They have also been known to upend from the water's surface and may feed nocturnally.

The tufted duck is currently listed as Least Concern globally by the IUCN, though it is considered Near Threatened in Europe. The species is protected under the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA).

20-11-2017 LAKESIDE, ESSEX - FIELDFARE (Turdus pilaris)

The fieldfare is easily recognisable with its slate-grey head, nape and rump, dark brown back, blackish tail and boldly speckled breast. In flight, its white under wing-coverts and axillaries are conspicuous. The harsh flight call "tsak tsak" is also distinctive.

The forehead and crown of the male are bluish-grey and each feather has a central brownish-black band. The lores and under-eye regions are black and there are faint, pale streaks above the eyes. The ear coverts, nape, hind neck and rump are bluish-grey, usually with a white streak near the shaft of each rump feather. The scapulars and mantle feathers are dark chestnut-brown with dark central streaks and pale tips. There are fourteen tail feathers each with a pointed tip, the outer two slightly shorter than the others giving a rounded tail. They are brownish-black, with inconspicuous darker bars visible in some lights. The outer edge of each tail feather is fringed with grey near the base and the outer pair of feathers have a narrow white border on the inner edge. The chin, throat and upper breast are creamy-buff with bold streaks and speckles of brownish-black. The lower breast is creamy-white with a diminishing buff tinge and fewer speckles and the belly is similarly creamy-white, with the speckles restricted to the uppermost parts. The primaries are brownish-black with the leading edge fringed grey and the inner edge of the outer feathers grey near the base whereas the inner feathers are fringed with brown near the base. The secondaries are similar but fringed with chestnut-brown on the leading edge. The upper wing-coverts are brownish-black and similar to the outer primaries in their margin colouration. The axillaries and under wing-coverts are white and the under tail-coverts have dark greyish-brown bases and margins and white centres and tips. The beak is strong, with a slight curve and a notch near the tip. It is orange-yellow in winter, with the upper mandible somewhat brownish and both mandible tips brownish-black. In the summer both mandibles of the male's beak are yellow. The irises are dark brown and the legs and feet are brown. The average adult length is 25 cm (9.8 in), the winglength is 14.5 cm (5.7 in) and the tarsal length 3.5 cm (1.4 in). Wingspan ranges from 39 to 42 cm and weight ranges from 80 to 140 g.

The female is very similar to the male but the upper parts are somewhat more brownish and the feathers on the crown have narrower black central stripes. The throat and breast are paler with fewer, smaller markings. The beak is similar to the male's winter beak. The juvenile are a duller colour than the adults with pale coloured streaks on the feathers that have dark streaks in the adult. The young assume their adult plumage after their first moult in the autumn.

The call is mostly uttered in flight and is a harsh "tsak tsak tsuk". The same sound, but softer, is made more conversationally when individuals gather in trees. When angry or alarmed they emit various warning sounds reminiscent of the mistle thrush (Turdus viscivorus). The male has a rather feeble song that he sings in the breeding season. It is a mixture of a few phrases like those of the common blackbird (Turdus merula) interspersed with whistles, guttural squeaks and call notes. This is sung on the wing and also from a tree and a subdued version of this song with more warbling notes is sung by a group of birds at communal roosts.

In the summer the fieldfare frequents mixed woodland of birch, alder, pine, spruce and fir, often near marshes, moorland or other open ground. It does not avoid the vicinity of humans and can be seen in cultivated areas, orchards, parks and gardens. It also inhabits open tundra and the slopes of hills above the tree line. In the winter, groups of fieldfares are chiefly found in open country, agricultural land, orchards and open woodland. They are nomadic, wandering wherever there is an abundance of berries and insects. Later in the year they move on to pastureland and cultivated fields.

Migration southwards from the breeding range starts in October but the bulk of birds arrive in the United Kingdom in November. Some of these are still on passage and carry on into continental Europe but others remain. The passage-migrants return in April and they and the resident migrants depart from the United Kingdom mostly by early May.

9-11-2017 WILMOT GARDENS, BRENTWOOD - FLY AGARIC FUNGI (Amanita muscaria)

Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly amanita, is a basidiomycete of the genus Amanita. It is a large white-gilled, white-spotted, and usually red mushroom.

Despite its easily distinguishable features, A. muscaria is a fungus with several known variations, or subspecies. These subspecies are slightly different, some having yellow or white caps, but are all usually called fly agarics, most often recognizable by their notable white spots. Recent DNA fungi research, however, has shown that some mushrooms called "fly agaric" are in fact unique species, such as A. persicina (the peach-colored fly agaric).

Native throughout the temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere, A. muscaria has been unintentionally introduced to many countries in the Southern Hemisphere, generally as a symbiont with pine and birch plantations, and is now a true cosmopolitan species. It associates with various deciduous and coniferous trees.

Although poisonous, death due to poisoning from A. muscaria ingestion is quite rare. Parboiling twice with water weakens its toxicity and breaks down the mushroom's psychoactive substances; it is eaten in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America. All A. muscaria varieties, but in particular A. muscaria var. muscaria, are noted for their hallucinogenic properties, with the main psychoactive constituents being muscimol and its neurotoxic precursor ibotenic acid. A local variety of the mushroom was used as an intoxicant and entheogen by the indigenous peoples of Siberia.

19-11-2017 WILMOT GARDENS, BRENTWOOD - EURASIAN JAY (Garrulus glandarius)

The Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius) is a species of passerine bird in the crow family Corvidae. It has pinkish brown plumage with a black stripe on each side of a whitish throat, a bright blue panel on the upper wing and a black tail. The Eurasian jay is a woodland bird that occurs over a vast region from western Europe and north-west Africa to the Indian subcontinent and further to the eastern seaboard of Asia and down into south-east Asia. Across this vast range, several distinct racial forms have evolved which look different from each other, especially when comparing forms at the extremes of its range.

The bird is called jay, without any epithets, by English speakers in Great Britain and Ireland.

A member of the widespread jay group, it inhabits mixed woodland, particularly with oaks, and is a habitual acorn hoarder. In recent years, the bird has begun to migrate into urban areas, possibly as a result of continued erosion of its woodland habitat. Before humans began planting the trees commercially on a wide scale, Eurasian jays were the main source of movement and propagation for the European oak (Q. robur), each bird having the ability to spread more than a thousand acorns each year. Eurasian jays will also bury the acorns of other oak species, and have been cited by the National Trust as a major propagator of the largest population of holm oak (Q. ilex) in Northern Europe, situated in Ventnor on the Isle of Wight. Jays have been recorded carrying single acorns as far as 20 km, and are credited with the rapid northward spread of oaks following the last ice age.

Feeding in both trees and on the ground, it takes a wide range of invertebrates including many pest insects, acorns (oak seeds, which it buries for use during winter), beech and other seeds, fruits such as blackberries and rowan berries, young birds and eggs, bats, and small rodents. Like most species, the jay's diet changes with the seasons but is noteworthy for its prolific caching of food—especially oak acorns and beechnuts—for winter and spring. While caching occurs throughout the year, it is most intense in the autumn.

19-11-2017 WILMOT GARDENS, BRENTWOOD - BRITISH GREAT TIT (Parus major ssp. newtoni)

The Great tit (Parus major) is a widespread and common songbird throughout Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and east across the Palearctic to the Amur River, south to parts of North Africa. It has adapted well to human changes in the environment and is a common and familiar bird in urban parks and gardens. It is also an important study species in ornithology.

The Great tit has a distinctive appearance that makes it easy to recognize. The nominate race has a bluish-black crown, black neck, throat, bib, and head, and white cheeks and ear coverts. The breast is bright lemon-yellow and there is a broad black mid-line stripe running from the bib to the vent. There is a dull white spot on the neck turning to greenish yellow on the upper nape. The rest of the nape and back are green-tinged with olive. The wing-coverts are green, and the rest of the wing is bluish-grey with a white wing bar. The tail is bluish-grey with white outer tips. The plumage of the female is similar to that of the male except that the colors are overall duller.

Great tits have a wide distribution across much of Eurasia. They can be found across all of Europe except for Iceland and northern Scandinavia, including numerous Mediterranean islands. In North Africa, they live in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. They also occur across the Middle East, and parts of Central Asia from northern Iran and Afghanistan to Mongolia, as well as across northern Asia from the Urals as far east as northern China and the Amur Valley. Great tits inhabit open deciduous woodland, mixed forests, forest edges, and gardens. In northern Siberia, they live in boreal taiga. In North Africa, they prefer oak forests as well as stands of Atlas cedar and even palm groves. In the east of their range, Great tits favor riverine willow and birch forest, as well as low scrubland and oases.

Great tits are generally not migratory. Pairs will usually remain near or in their territory year-round, even in the northern parts of their range. Young birds will disperse from their parents' territory, but usually not far. Great tits are gregarious birds that are active during the day and roost in flocks at night. They often forage on the ground and along with other tits, readily join winter mixed-species foraging flocks. Great tits are vocal birds and have up to 40 types of calls and songs. The calls are generally the same between the sexes, but the male is much more vocal and the female rarely calls. Soft single notes such as "pit", "spick", or "chit" are used as contact calls. A loud "tink" is used by adult males as an alarm or in territorial disputes. One of the most familiar is a "teacher, teacher", often likened to a squeaky wheelbarrow wheel, which is usually used in proclaiming ownership of a territory.

19-11-2017 HANNINGFIELD RESERVOIR, ESSEX - MALLARD (MALE) (Anas platyrhynchos)

Male Mallards have a dark, iridescent-green head and bright yellow bill. The gray body is sandwiched between a brown breast and black rear. Females and juveniles are mottled brown with orange-and-brown bills. Both sexes have a white-bordered, blue “speculum” patch in the wing.

Unlike larger waterfowl such as the Tundra Swan, which mate for life, Mallard pairs only stay together for a season. Courtship and pair formation begin each fall and winter. Groups of males display for a hen with a variety of behaviors, including head and tail shaking, head-bobbing, dipping, and whistling.

The female Mallard has between five and 14 light green eggs that she incubates for 30 days.

The ducklings are lead to water as soon as their soft, downy feathers are dry. ...

Most Mallard ducks live for one or two years, but some can live as long as 16 years!

Mallards swim with their tail held above the water.

19-11-2017 HANNINGFIELD RESERVOIR, ESSEX - MALLARD (FEMALE) (Anas platyrhynchos)

The mallard (/ˈmælɑːrd, ˈmælərd/) or wild duck (Anas platyrhynchos) is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa. It has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, the Falkland Islands, and South Africa. This duck belongs to the subfamily Anatinae of the waterfowl family Anatidae. Males have green heads, while the females (hens or ducks) have mainly brown-speckled plumage. Both sexes have an area of white-bordered black or iridescent purple or blue feathers called a speculum on their wings; males especially tend to have blue speculum feathers. The mallard is 50–65 cm (20–26 in) long, of which the body makes up around two-thirds the length. The wingspan is 81–98 cm (32–39 in) and the bill is 4.4 to 6.1 cm (1.7 to 2.4 in) long. It is often slightly heavier than most other dabbling ducks, weighing 0.7–1.6 kg (1.5–3.5 lb). Mallards live in wetlands, eat water plants and small animals, and are social animals preferring to congregate in groups or flocks of varying sizes.

The female lays 8 to 13 creamy white to greenish-buff spotless eggs, on alternate days. Incubation takes 27 to 28 days and fledging takes 50 to 60 days. The ducklings are precocial and fully capable of swimming as soon as they hatch.

19-11-2017 HANNINGFIELD RESERVOIR, ESSEX - EUROPEAN ROBIN (Erithacus rubecula)

The European robin (Erithacus rubecula) is a small insectivorous passerine bird. The term robin is also applied to some birds in other families with red or orange breasts. These include the American robin (Turdus migratorius ), a thrush, and the Australasian robins of the family Petroicidae.

The male and female European robins are similar in coloration, with an orange breast and face lined with grey, brown upperparts, and a whitish belly. The bill and eyes are black. Juveniles are spotted brown and white in coloration, with patches of orange gradually appearing.

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.

The robin occurs 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. It is a vagrant in Iceland. In the southeast, it reaches Iran the Caucasus range. 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. These migrants can be recognised by the greyer tone of the upper parts of their bodies and duller orange breast. The continental European robins that migrate during winter prefer spruce woods in northern Europe, contrasting with its preference for parks and gardens in Great Britain.

In southern Iberia, habitat segregation of resident and migrant robins occurs, with resident robins remaining in the same woodlands where they bred.

Attempts to introduce the European robin into Australia and New Zealand in the latter part of the 19th century were unsuccessful. Birds were released around Melbourne, Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Dunedin by various local acclimatisation societies, with none becoming established. There was a similar outcome in North America, as birds failed to become established after being released in Long Island, New York in 1852, Oregon in 1889–1892, and the Saanich Peninsula in British Columbia in 1908–1910.