ROGERSTOWN ESTUARY (Outer Section) Rush, Co. Dublin. Ireland

 

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Rogerstown Estuary is situated just north of the Donabate-Portrane peninsula, and also south of Rush, on Ireland's east coast about 25km  north of Dublin.The estuary is made up of saltwater marshes, raised salt marsh, wet meadows and riverine shallows and creeks. It covers an area of 3.63 km2 (900 acres), and is divided by a causeway and bridge built in the 1840s to carry the main Dublin–Belfast railway line. It is internationally recognised as one of the most important east coast sites and is vital for wintering wildfowl and waders and birds on passage. Text © Wikipedia 

BLACK BELLIED (GREY) PLOVER Pluvialis squatarola Rogerstown Estuary, Rush, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 

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MONK PARAKEET (Myiopsitta monachus) pair at Desembocadura Del Guadalhorce, Park Natural, Malaga, Spain

 

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The Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) or Quaker Parrot is of the family Psittacidae which is in the genus Myiopsitta. This small South American parrot is native to the subtropical regions of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. It also occurs in many countries, notably in North America and Europe, as an introduced species.

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds
 

Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) distribution map   

  

RESIDENT - YEAR ROUND (Feral populations occur in many countries notably in North America and Europe)

 

Cephas, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons 

LITTLE RINGED PLOVER Charadrius dubius Desembocadura Del Guadalhorce, Park Natural, Malaga, Spain

 

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LITTLE OWL Athene noctua Ria Formosa, Natural Park, Tavira, Portugal

 

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PEREZ'S FROG Pelophylax perezi El Acebuche, Nature Reserve, Almonte, Huelva, Spain

 

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PEREZ'S FROG TADPOLE Pelophylax perezi El Acebuche, Nature Reserve, Almonte, Huelva, Spain

 

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MATALASCANAS LIGHTHOUSE Almonte, Huelva, Spain

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WESTERN SUBAPLINE WARBLER Sylvia inornata ssp. S. i. iberiae Matalascañas, Almonte, Huelva, Spain

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LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta) Broadmeadow Estuary, Kilcrea, Swords, Fingal, Co.Dublin, Ireland

 

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The Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) is a small member of the heron family Ardeidae which includes Bitterns, Egrets and Herons. It is found in the temperate parts of Eurasia and Africa as well as Australia and New Zealand. Over the last 60 years or so this species has greatly expanded its range including recolonising its former breeding areas in Northern Europe, as well as Ireland. It first bred in the Caribbean in the mid 1990’s and is increasingly being recorded along the North American eastern seaboard.

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EUROPEAN HERRING GULL (Larus argentatus subspecies L. a. argenteus) at Keenleen, South Harbour, Cape Clear Island, Baltimore, Co.Cork, Ireland

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The European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) is of the family Laridae which is in the genus Larus. There are several subspecies recognised including the Western European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus argenteus) which is resident in Ireland, Britain and the Near Continent.

 

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EUROPEAN NIGHTJAR (Caprimulgus europaeus) Old Sanatorium, Sigri, Lesvos Island, Greece

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The European Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus), Eurasian Nightjar or Nightjar is a crepuscular and nocturnal species in the family Caprimulgidae which is in the genus Caprimulgus. It returns from its wintering areas in sub-Saharan during April and breeds across most of Europe, temperate Asia and north western Africa.
The preferred habitat is dry open country with some trees and small bushes, such as heath lands, forest clearings or newly planted woodland. It feeds on a wide variety of flying insects.
The return migration south to its winter quarters commences in late August.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_nightjar

EGYPTIAN LOCUST or EGYPTIAN GRASSHOPPER (Anacridium aegyptum) Achladeri Pinewoods, Lesvos Island, Greece

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The Egyptian Locust or Egyptian Grasshopper (Anacridium aegyptium) is of the family Acrididae which is in the genus Anacridium. In Europe, it mainly occurs in countries that boarder the Mediterranean Basin. It is also found in North Africa as well as Southwestern Asia. After hatching from an egg, an immature locust (called a nymph) goes through five moult stages known as instars and then becomes an adult. Unlike some other types of locust, this species poses no treat to agriculture. This is Europe's largest grasshopper with some females reaching up to 70mm in length and it overwinters as an adult.
  

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BLACK WINGED STILT [Male] (Himantopus himantopus) Kalloni Salt Pans, Lesvos Island, Greece

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The Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) is one of three species of stilt, the others two are Black Stilt (Himantopus novaezelandiae) and Banded Stilt (Cladorhynchus leucocephalus). It is resident in Africa and also breeds across the temperate parts of Europe and Central Asia where it is a summer resident that migrates south for the winter to sub Saharan Africa, the Indian sub-continent and South East Asia. Within the warmer parts of this range, there is a sedentary population.  
In addition, there are also four subspecies or races recognised, which some authorities consider to be full species, 

• Hawaiian Stilt (Himantopus himantopus knudseni) is resident on the Hawaiian Islands. 

•  Black-necked Stilt (H. h.  mexicanus) occurs in the southern part of North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and the northern part of South America, including the Galapagos Islands

• White-backed Stilt (H. h.  melanurus) occurs in central and southern South America

• White-headed Stilt (H. h.  leucocephalus) occurs in Australasia, the Java Peninsula and the Philippines. 

On Lesvos Island, Black-winged Stilt is a common spring and autumn passage migrant where it is also a local and scarce resident which breeds in small numbers.

Text © Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds.com

EUROPEAN BLACK KITE Milvus migrans ssp. M. m. migrans Los Barrios, Cádiz, Spain

 

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RED & BLACK LONG HORNED BEETLE Purpuricenus desfontainii Achladeri Pinewoods, Lesvos Island, Greece

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MELODIOUS WARBLER (Hippolais polyglotta) Los Barrios, Cádiz, Spain

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 The Melodious Warbler (Hippolais polyglotta) is of the warbler family Acrocephalidae which is in the genus Hippolais. It is a common breeding summer resident in southwest Europe and northwest Africa. In Mid September, it migrates south to spend the winter in sub-Saharan Africa. In Ireland it's a rare but annual over shooting spring and autumn migrant to south coast headlands where it needs to be separated with care from the very similar Icterine Warbler (Hippolais icterina) which has noticeably longer primary projections being equal in length to the tertials. Melodious Warbler primary projections are half the length of its tertials.       

 

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