Bird, bug, butterfly and a wild variety of photos from Belarus, Cyprus, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Scotland and Spain by Irish wildlife photographer Patrick J. O'Keeffe and invited guests

Wednesday 29 June 2016

CLEOPATRA BUTTERFLY [Male] (Gonepteryx cleopatra subspecies G. c. insularis) Moni Gouvernetou Monastery, Akrotiri Peninsula, Crete, Greece


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The Cleopatra Butterfly (Gonepteryx cleopatra) or simply called Cleopatra is a medium sized butterfly of the family Pieridae which is in the genus Gonepteryx. It occurs in Southern Europe, Northwest Africa as well as Turkey and parts of the Middle East. In Europe, this long lived species is on the wing from April to August. There are 10 subspecies recognised and the subspecies Gonepteryx cleopatra insularis is endemic to the Greek island of Crete.

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

The Cleopatra Butterfly is divided into the following subspecies:
  •     Gonepteryx cleopatra cleopatra  – North Africa, Portugal, Spain, Sicily
  •     Gonepteryx cleopatra balearica  – Balearic Islands
  •     Gonepteryx cleopatra petronella  – Ibiza
  •     Gonepteryx cleopatra italica  – Italy, France, Corsica,  Sardinia
  •     Gonepteryx cleopatra dalmatica  – Dalmatian coast, western Balkans
  •     Gonepteryx cleopatra citrina  – southern Greece
  •     Gonepteryx cleopatra insularis  – Crete
  •     Gonepteryx cleopatra fiorii  – Rhodes
  •     Gonepteryx cleopatra taurica  – Anatolia, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Cyprus
  •     Gonepteryx cleopatra palmata  – Cyrenaica, Libya
 Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonepteryx_cleopatra 


 CLEOPATRA BUTTERFLY [Female] (Gonepteryx cleopatra subspecies G. c. insularis) Moni Gouvernetou Monastery, Akrotiri Peninsula, Crete, Greece

Saturday 25 June 2016

WESTERN HONEY BEE (Apis mellifera) on PURPLE MILK THISTLE (Galactites tomentosa) Pelekaniotikos River, Koundoura, Crete, Greece


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The Western Honey Bee or European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) is the most common of the seven species of honey bee, though historically, from six to eleven species have been recognized. The genus name Apis is Latin for "bee" and mellifera means "honey-bearing", referring to the species' tendency to produce a large quantity of honey for storage over the winter. Like all honey bees, the Western Honey Bee is eusocial, creating colonies with a single fertile female (or "queen"), many sterile females or "workers" and small proportion of fertile males or "drones". Individual colonies can house tens of thousands of bees. Colony activities are organized by complex communication between individuals, through both odors and the dance language.

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

Tuesday 21 June 2016

SPOTTED FLYCATCHER (Muscicapa striata) Pelekaniotikos River, Koundoura, Crete, Greece


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The Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata) is a small Old World passerine in the family Muscicapidae which is in the genus Muscicapa. It is the commonest and the most widespread flycatcher found in Europe and western Asia. It is one of five species of migratory flycatcher which are summer breeding residents in Europe. In late spring, it returns from its wintering areas in southern Africa and southwestern Asia. Its preferred habit is open deciduous woodland. Main prey items include small flying invertebrates and caterpillars. By September with its food supply in decline, the return migration south begins.  

Text © www.rawbirds.com

Saturday 18 June 2016

(EASTERN) SUBALPINE WARBLER (Sylvia cantillans subspecies S. c. albistriata) Moni Gouvernetou Monastery, Akrotiri Peninsula, Crete, Greece


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The Subalpine Warbler (Sylvia cantillans) is a migratory passerine in the family Sylviidae which is in the genus Sylvia. It breed in Northwest Africa, Southern Europe and Western Turkey. It feeds on small invertebrates as well as soft fruits. In the autumn, it migrates south to spend the winter in sub Saharan Africa. 
There are four subspecies which are divided into two groups: 
  •  The Western Subalpine Warbler includes both S. c. inornata which breeds in northwest Africa and S. c. iberiae which breeds on the Iberian Peninsula, in southeastern France and northwest Italy.
  • The Eastern Subalpine Warbler includes both S. c. cantillans which breeds in the southern half of Italy and S. c. albistriata which breeds in the Western Balkans, Greece (including the island of Crete) and Western Turkey. 
 The Moltoni's Warbler (Sylvia subalpina) which breeds in Mallorca, Corsica, Sardinia and parts of northern Italy is a closely related species that was previously treated as a fifth subspecies S. c. moltonii. In northern Italy there is zone of intergradation between Moltoni's Warbler and Eastern Subalpine Warbler. 

Text © rawbirds.com 

Map of the breeding ranges of all five former taxa of the Subalpine Warbler complex. The grey zone in the north of Italy is of the intergradation between subalpina and cantillans. The points are locations with proven cases of sympatry. The map constructed by Lars Svensson from Shirihai et al (2001), Brambilla et al (2006), and comments from M. Ullman (© Lars Svensson).

Source:
Svensson, L. (2013a): A taxonomic revision of the Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 133: 240-248.
Svensson, L. (2013b): Subalpine Warbler variation and taxonomy. British Birds106: 651-668.

Friday 17 June 2016

PHALASARNA, Cape Kutri, Kisamos district, Crete, Greece


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The Secrets of Ancient Phalasarna (Falasarna)
For most people Phalasarna is one of the best beaches in Crete and nothing more. And yet, right there on the core of the Gramvousa Peninsula, the ruins of ancient Phalasarna reveal a secret millennia-old world.
 


Source: http://www.crete-kreta.com/phalasarna

Saturday 11 June 2016

COMMON MOORHEN (Gallinula chloropus) Palaiochora Harbour, Palaiochora, Crete, Greece


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The Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) or Waterhen is a member of the rail family Rallidae which is in the genus Gallinula. Its name derives from the old English name word 'moor' meaning 'marsh' as it doesn't occur on moorland. It is commonly encountered in marshlands, ponds, lakes, canals, estuaries as well as wet areas in reed beds. This species is a partial migrant and the northern populations move south for the winter. It occurs in most of Europe and in many parts of Asia and Africa. There are several sub species recognised. The former sub species found in the Americas, the Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata), is now treated as a full species.

Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) world distribution map
Yellow: breeding summer visitor. Green: breeding resident. Blue: non-breeding winter visitor
 Source: Map By Viktor Kravtchenko - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,

Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) world distribution map based on data from Handbook of the Birds of the World (del Hoyo et al), Birds of the Western Palearctic (Snow et al) and regional field guides. Updated with the split in 2011 by the American Ornithologists Union of Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata) which occurs in the Americas that was formally treated as a subspecies of Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)

ITALIAN SPARROW [Female] (Passer italiae) Palaiochora Harbour, Palaiochora, Crete, Greece


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The Italian Sparrow (Passer italiae) or Cisalpine Sparrow is a small perching bird in the family Passeridae which is in the genus Passer. It is very closely related to and is intermediate in appearance between House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) and Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis). Some authorities treat it as a subspecies of House Sparrow but recent DNA research strongly supports its status as a full species. The Italian Sparrow occurs in Italy and small populations are also found in the adjoining countries of Austria, France, Slovenia and Switzerland. It is also resident on the Greek island of Crete and other Mediterranean islands including Corsica and Malta. 


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

Wednesday 8 June 2016

BLACK CROWNED NIGHT HERON [1st summer] (Nycticorax nycticorax) Palaiochora Harbour, Palaiochora, Crete, Greece


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The Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), more commonly known as Night Heron, is a medium sized heron in the family Ardeidae which is in the genus Nycticorax. It is the most widespread heron in the world but is absent from large parts of North Africa, Northern Eurasia and Australasia as well as the more northern and colder regions. There are four subspecies or races generally recognised. The northern populations are migratory and winter in the southern parts of the range.

Friday 3 June 2016

PERSIAN BUTTERCUP (Ranunculus asiaticus) Cape Kutri, Kisamos district, Crete, Greece


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The Persian Buttercup or Turban Buttercup (Ranunculus asiaticus) is in the family Ranunculaceae which is in the genus Ranunculus. This perennial plant is native to the eastern Mediterranean region, including the Greek island of Crete. It is in bloom from March to May, height from 25 to 70mm and flower colour can be white, yellow, pink, purple or scarlet. It is widely grown as a garden cultivar.

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds