NATURE & TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY (Under Const.)
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Tits at the PRSE of Madrid (4). Blue tit. Finalist in the photo contest "in the Park I Live 2012", about the Southeast Regional Park of Madrid, organized by TRAMA NGO.
Spanish Wasp Beetle (Neoplagionotus marcae) (1/2) A jewel of the Southeast Regional Park of Madrid, the Spanish wasp beetle was discovered in the 90's in Rivas-Vaciamadrid, the city where I live in. This is a rare Iberian endemism, very localized and scarce, whose only known populations in the Madrid region are located at the south and southeast, and outside the region, in some areas of Toledo, Badajoz and Andalusia. Despite its impressive appearance, it is a beetle, otherwise harmless. It uses its resemblance to a wasp or bee to scare off potential predators, and spends its life exclusively in its food plant, the mallow Lavatera triloba (in the photo, in which the wasp beetle is enjoying a feast of pollen). The fact of being specialized in this plant, together with their low number and very localized distribution of their populations, make the conservation status of Neoplagionotus marcae to be seriously threatened due to relentless urban advance. This picture is dedicated to the great naturalist in the PRSE and good friend Jose Maria Sendarrubia. Without his invaluable help and enthusiasm I would not have been able to obtain this picture.
Spanish Wasp Beetle (Neoplagionotus marcae) (2/2) A jewel of the Southeast Regional Park of Madrid, the Spanish wasp beetle was discovered in the 90's in Rivas-Vaciamadrid, the city where I live in. This is a rare Iberian endemism, very localized and scarce, whose only known populations in the Madrid region are located at the south and southeast, and outside the region, in some areas of Toledo, Badajoz and Andalusia. Despite its impressive appearance, it is a beetle, otherwise harmless. It uses its resemblance to a wasp or bee to scare off potential predators, and spends its life exclusively in its food plant, the mallow Lavatera triloba (in the photo). The fact of being specialized in this plant, together with their low number and very localized distribution of their populations, make the conservation status of Neoplagionotus marcae to be seriously threatened due to relentless urban advance. This picture is dedicated to the great naturalist in the PRSE and good friend Jose Maria Sendarrubia. Without his invaluable help and enthusiasm I would not have been able to obtain this picture.
Loving Spring. Pair of mating Lesser Kestrels. The Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni) is a small falcon that breeds in colonies located in places such as hollow rocks, overhangs on cliffs, or, cause they are so famous here in Spain, in roofs of old abandoned buildings. There, they have found a discreet place to nest and give birth to their offspring, as their adult plumage mimics perfectly with the earthy tones of the old ceramic tiles. In fact, during this photo session I found it difficult to locate them with the naked eye, using binoculars or viewing through the telephoto lens. Lesser Kestrels are spread throughout the Mediterranean Sea and across South Asia. And they spend winters in sub-Saharan Africa. 100,000 pairs were in Spain in the late nineteenth century, and they went to only about 5,000 in the twentieth century, so the species was declared at risk of extinction. Today, thanks to the protective measures taken, these little kestrels have improved their populations in Spain.
Lord of the Steppe. The great bustard (Otis tarda) is the largest species of flying bird in Europe. Very popular in Spain among bird lovers, where it is mainly resident, it breeds in southern and central Europe and across temperate Asia. Its habitat is open grassland and undisturbed cultivation, where it feels safe. Great bustards are very shy of humans, have a very acute hearing and are very quiet, which makes observing them closely a difficult task. I managed to make this photograph with the invaluable help of my good friend José David Gomez Díaz. It was in the vicinity of the village Calera y Chozas, in Toledo (Spain).
La Rueda. No event in the life of the great bustard (Otis tarda) is more important and spectacular than the courtship of males to females. The heat is a unique display on which males compete for the best exhibition. They inflate their plumage so that all the white feathers are placed well illustrated, and for a few seconds or minutes are transformed into white balls of feathers. This phenomenon is called in Spain "la rueda" (the wheel). They sometimes bend down a lot onto the grass when making the wheel.
Great Bustard Feeding (Otis tarda). The populations of this species of bustard are declining worldwide due to habitat loss. In the past their area of distribution was much greater than at present, becoming extinct in most of Europe during centuries XIX and XX. The main factors that have determined this reduction have been agricultural intensification, expansion of irrigated agriculture, infrastructure construction, hunting and pesticide use.
Male Great Bustard (Otis tarda). During the mating season, males of this species exhibit elegant "mustaches" formed by long, thin feathers that grow downwards from the base of their beak.
Open Wings and Flying.
Tits at the PRSE of Madrid (4).
Blue tit.
Finalist in the photo contest "in the Park I Live 2012", about the Southeast Regional Park of Madrid, organized by TRAMA NGO.
Tits at the PRSE of Madrid (4). Blue tit. Finalist in the photo contest "in the Park I Live 2012", about the Southeast Regional Park of Madrid, organized by TRAMA NGO.
Tits at the PRSE of Madrid (4).
Blue tit.
Finalist in the photo contest "in the Park I Live 2012", about the Southeast Regional Park of Madrid, organized by TRAMA NGO.
See photo in original gallery.
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