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 8 March 2017

SARDINIAN WARBLER [Male] (Sylvia melanocephala) Boquer Valley, Formentor Peninsula, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain


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The Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala) is a small mainly insectivorous warbler of the family Sylviidae which is in the genus Sylvia. It is commonly encountered in southern and eastern Europe and around the Mediterranean Basin as well as on the Canary Islands. Up to five subspecies are recognised by some authorities. The female, typically of most sylvia warblers, has drabber plumage, it is grey headed with brownish upper parts and the under parts are washed buff. This species normally occurs in shrubby type habitat as well as in parks and gardens. 

Text:  © Patrick J. O'Keeffe / RawBirds.com

Friday 3 March 2017

WESTERN [PURPLE] SWAMPHEN (Porphyrio porphyrio) Albufera Marsh, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain


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The Western Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) is a large member of the rail family Rallidae which is in the genus Porphyrio. 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 which has now been split into six full species  It is found in Iberia, France, Sardinia and  northwest Africa to Tunisia.

The Purple Swamphen has been split into the following species:
  •     Western Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) - southwest Europe and northwest Africa
  •     African Swamphen (Porphyrio madagascariensis) - sub-Saharan  Africa and   Madagascar
  •     Grey-headed Swamphen (Porphyrio poliocephalus) - Middle East, through the Indian subcontinent to southern China and northern Thailand, introduced Florida, USA
  •     Black-backed Swamphen (Porphyrio indicus) - southeast Asia to Sulawesi
  •     Philippine Swamphen (Porphyrio pulverulentus) - Philippine islands
  •     Australasian Swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus) - Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania

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

Wednesday 22 February 2017

RED VEINED DARTER DRAGONFLY [Male] (Sympetrum fonscolombii) Albufera Marsh, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain


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The Red Veined Darter Dragonfly (Sympetrum fonscolombii) is a member of the family Libellulidae which is in the genus Sympetrum. It has a wide spread distribution and is commonly found in Africa, western, central and southern Asia as well as most of Europe. This species is nomadic by nature and since the 1990’s has greatly expanded its European range as far north as southern Scandinavia.  

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

Monday 20 February 2017

CLOUDED YELLOW BUTTERFLY (Colias croceus) Albufera Marsh, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain


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The Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) is a migratory butterfly of the family Pieridae which is in the genus Colias. It is one of the most-widespread species in Europe. The breeding range extends from North Africa and southern Europe eastwards through Turkey into the Middle East. It occurs throughout the rest of Europe as a summer migrant, in good years individuals reaching Scandinavia. In Asia, its range extends into central Siberia in the north and into India in the south but it is absent from Central Asia.

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

Friday 10 February 2017

EURASIAN COOT (Fulica atra) Albufera Marsh, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain


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The Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra) is a member of the rail and crake family Rallidae which is in the genus Fulica. It occurs in Eurasia, northern Africa and Australia. It has recently expanded its range into New Zealand. In the milder parts of its range, it is sedentary but in the northern more colder region, it migrates further south and west for the winter.

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

Tuesday 31 January 2017

BLACK CROWNED NIGHT HERON (Nycticorax nycticorax) Albufera Marsh, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain


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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 20 January 2017

LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta) Albufera Marsh, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain


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The Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) is a small member of the heron family Ardeidae which also includes Bitterns 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. It first bred in the Caribbean in the mid 1990’s and is increasingly being recorded along the North American eastern seaboard.

Text © Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Rawbirds.com

Saturday 31 December 2016

CATTLE EGRET [WESTERN] (Bubulcus ibis) Pollença, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain


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The Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) is a species of heron of the family Ardeidae which is in the genius Bubulcus. Originally native to parts of Asia, Africa and Europe, it has undergone a rapid expansion and has successfully colonised much of the temperate zones of the world. There are two geographical races which are sometimes classified as full species, the Western Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis ibis) and the Eastern Cattle Egret (B. ibis coromandus). The eastern subspecies breeds in Asia and Australasia, and the western form occupies the rest of the range, including the Americas. Some authorities recognise a third subspecies, (B. i. seychellarum) which occurs on the Seychelles Islands in the Indian Ocean. 

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

Saturday 24 December 2016

BALEARIC WARBLER [Male] (Sylvia balearica) Boquer Valley, Formentor Peninsula, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain


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The Balearic Warbler (Sylvia balearica) is a small passerine of the family Sylviidae which is in the genus Sylvia. It is endemic to the Balearic Islands (but is absent from Menorca), Spain. It is very closely related to and is similar in appearance to Marmora's Warbler (Sylvia sarda) who together with Dartford Warbler (Sylvia undata) and Tristram's Warbler (Sylvia deserticola) form a super group within the genus Sylvia. This insectivorous species occurs in open rocky coastal habitat with thorny bushes, broom and heather which provide cover and nesting areas.

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

Monday 19 December 2016

SQUACCO HERON [Male] (Ardeola ralloides) Palaiochora Harbour, Palaiochora, Crete, Greece


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The Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides) is small heron of the family Ardeidae which is in the genus Ralloides. It is resident south of the Sahara Desert in western, eastern and south eastern Africa, including Madagascar. There is also a small population in Morocco and Algeria on the North West African coast. In addition, this heron occurs as a summer resident in central and southern Europe as well as in western central Asia. In the autumn, it migrates back to Africa to spend the winter months there. Its diet includes frogs, lizards, small fish and a wide variety of invertebrates. 

Text © Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Rawbirds.com