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Lagoa Do Caiado
Lagoa do Caiado is the largest lake on Pico Island, Azores. The high-altitude lake is located on the Achada Plateau, an extensive volcanic mountain range covering most of the central area of the island. The waters are clear and are used for public supply since 1993. Sitting at around in altitude, in a cinder cone dominated landscape, the area around the lake is densely vegetated due to the extreme humidity it gets (around of precipitation each year). Unlike the rest of the Azores, which have been subject to introduction of exotic species, most of the plant-life around the lake is endemic to the archipelago (''Juniperus brevifolia'', ''Picconia azorica'', ''Erica azorica'', ''Vaccinium cylindraceum''). It is one of the best spots for birdwatching in the island, most commonly found are the Eurasian woodcock, the common snipe, the Eurasian teal, the grey heron, the wagtails and the Azores chaffinch The Azores chaffinch (''Fringilla moreletti'') is a small passerine bird in the f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
São Roque Do Pico
São Roque do Pico () is a concelho, municipality in the Portugal, Portuguese archipelago of the Azores, occupying most of the northern side of the island of Pico Island, Pico. As of 2021, it has 3,221 inhabitants spread through five freguesias (civil parishes) in an area of 142.36 km². The municipality is bordered by the Atlantic to the north, Lajes do Pico to the south and east, and Madalena, Azores, Madalena to the west. History While the first incursions into the island occurred in the 15th century, the region that would become known as São Roque occurred later.Sandra Cristina Sousa (14 May 2003), p.18 The first colonizers of Pico came to occupy the area of Lajes, coming from the lands of the north of Portugal, because there were few anchorages in other parts of the island. What occurred in the north was starkly different: these colonizers were families from Graciosa, who would much later be supplemented by Flemish people, Flemings from Faial Island, Faial, under the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Picconia Azorica
''Picconia azorica'', locally known as pau-branco, is a species of '' Picconia'' common to the majority of islands of the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores, where it is endemic. It can grow to a medium-sized tree, though it is usually found in the form of a shrub. It is threatened by habitat loss. Description The evergreen woody plant species is present in all the islands of the Azores, except Graciosa, usually in coastal and medium altitude forests from sea-level up to about high. Leaves are lanceolate or ovate, opposite and with entire margins. It flowers from March to July, producing small white flowers in axillary clusters.Martins et al. (2011), p.39 The fleshy fruits are dark blue drupes about long, similar to olive trees (both plants are in the Oleaceae family).Azores Flora''Picconia azorica'' Status The species is very popular in traditional/artesnal carpentry, for furniture construction and religious sanctuary. Since its colonization, the resources of the different ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Azores Chaffinch
The Azores chaffinch (''Fringilla moreletti'') is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae, closely related to the Eurasian chaffinch ''F. coelebs'', and formerly treated as a subspecies of it. Genetic, morphological, and vocal differences from it have resulted in it being elevated to species level in 2021. It is endemic to the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores, part of Macaronesia in the warm temperate northern Atlantic Ocean. It is locally known as the tentilhão or sachão. Description The top and rear of the head and part of the mantle are bluish-grey, with the rest of the mantle being greenish; the wings and tail are black and white; the throat, cheeks, and chest are pink. Unlike other chaffinches, it often shows a pale supercilium above and behind the eye. The bill is grey with a dark tip and cutting edges. The legs and feet are dark pinkish-brown. The plumage of the females is duller, brown above and paler brown below, and with narrower white wing and tail ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wagtail
Wagtails are a group of passerine birds that form the genus ''Motacilla'' in the family Motacillidae. The common name and genus name are derived from their characteristic tail pumping behaviour. Together with the pipits and longclaws they form the family Motacillidae. The forest wagtail belongs to the monotypic genus ''Dendronanthus'' which is closely related to ''Motacilla'' and sometimes included therein. The willie wagtail (''Rhipidura leucophrys'') of Australia is not a true wagtail; it was named as such by early settlers from England from its superficial similarity in colour and behaviour to the pied wagtail, but belongs to an unrelated genus of birds known as fantails. Taxonomy The genus ''Motacilla'' was described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae, tenth edition of his ''Systema Naturae''. The type species is the white wagtail. ''Motacilla'' is the Latin name for the pied wagtail; although actually a diminutive of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grey Heron
The grey heron (''Ardea cinerea'') is a long-legged wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia, and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more northern parts migrate southwards in autumn. A bird of wetland areas, it can be seen around lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes and on the sea coast. It feeds mostly on aquatic creatures which it catches after standing stationary beside or in the water, or stalking its prey through the shallows. Standing up to tall, adults weigh from . They have a white head and neck with a broad black stripe that extends from the eye to the black crest. The body and wings are grey above and the underparts are greyish-white, with some black on the flanks. The long, sharply pointed beak is pinkish-yellow and the legs are brown. The birds breed colonially in spring in heronries, usually building their nests high in trees. A clutch of usually three to five bluish-gre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eurasian Teal
The Eurasian teal (''Anas crecca''), common teal, or Eurasian green-winged teal is a common and widespread duck that breeds in temperate Eurosiberia and migrates south in winter. The Eurasian teal is often called simply the teal due to being the only one of these small dabbling ducks in much of its range. The bird gives its name to the blue-green colour teal. It is a highly gregarious duck outside the breeding season and can form large flocks. It is commonly found in sheltered wetlands and feeds on seeds and aquatic invertebrates. The North American green-winged teal (''A. carolinensis'') was formerly (and sometimes is still) considered a subspecies of ''A. crecca''. Taxonomy The Eurasian teal belongs to the "true" teals, a group of small ''Anas'' dabbling ducks closely related to the mallard (''A. platyrhynchos'') and its relatives; that latter group in fact seems to have evolved from a true teal. It forms a superspecies with the green-winged teal and the speckl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Common Snipe
The common snipe (''Gallinago gallinago'') is a small, stocky wader native to the Old World. Distribution and habitat The breeding habitats are marshes, bogs, tundra and wet meadows throughout the Palearctic. In the north, the distribution limit extends from Iceland over the north of the British Isles and northern Fennoscandia, where it occurs at around 70°N, as well as through European Russia and Siberia. Here it is mostly on the northern edge of the Taiga zone at 71°N, but reaches 74°N on the east coast of the Taymyr Peninsula. In the east it extends to Anadyr, Kamchatka, Bering Island and the Kuril Islands, The southern boundary of the distribution area in Europe runs through northern Portugal, central France, northern Italy, Bulgaria, and Ukraine, with populations in the west being only very scattered. In Asia, the distribution extends south to northern Turkestan, locally to Afghanistan and the Middle East, through the Altai and further to Manchuria and Ussuri. It is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eurasian Woodcock
The Eurasian woodcock (''Scolopax rusticola'') is a medium-small wader, wading bird found in temperate and subarctic Palearctic realm, Eurasia. It has Camouflage#Cryptic coloration in nature, cryptic camouflage to suit its woodland habitat, with reddish-brown upperparts and buff-coloured underparts. Its eyes are set far back on its head to give it 360-degree vision and it probes in the ground for food with its long, sensitive bill, making it vulnerable to cold weather when the ground remains frozen. The male performs a courtship flight known as "roding" at dusk in spring. It is widely believed that the female will sometimes carry chicks between her legs whilst flying, though evidence of this is purely anecdotal. The world population is estimated to be 14 million to 16 million birds. Taxonomy The Eurasian woodcock was Species description, formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae, tenth edition of his ''Systema Natur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Birdwatching
Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device such as binoculars or a telescope, by listening for bird sounds, watching public webcams, or by viewing smart bird feeder cameras. Most birdwatchers pursue this activity for recreational or social reasons, unlike ornithologists, who engage in the study of birds using formal scientific methods. Birding, birdwatching, and twitching The first recorded use of the term ''birdwatcher'' was in 1712 by William Oldsworth. The term ''birding'' was also used for the practice of ''fowling'' or hunting with firearms as in Shakespeare's '' The Merry Wives of Windsor'' (1602): "She laments sir... her husband goes this morning a-birding." The terms ''birding'' and ''birdwatching'' are today used by some interchangeably, although some participants prefer ''birding'', partly because ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vaccinium Cylindraceum
''Vaccinium cylindraceum'', known by its common names such as Azores blueberry, ( Portuguese: uva-da-serra, uva-do-mato) is a semi-deciduous species of ''Vaccinium'' endemic to the Azores. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit as an ornamental. Description This shrub can reach up to 3 meters in height. It is also a hermaphrodite. The serrated leaves are elongated and have sharp tips. Initially red, the apical shoots may have a bright red colour. The flowers are trumpet-shaped, with a pinkish white colour, and usually occur in clusters. In autumn the leaves may change to a reddish-yellow. The black fruit is a pseudo-berry, and are said to be juicy and fleshy. Cytology is 2n = 48. Distribution and habitat This plant can be found at all of the islands in Azores, apart from Graciosa Graciosa Island () (literally "graceful" or "enchanting" in Portuguese), also referred to as the ''White Island'', is a volcanic island in the Atlantic Ocean. It is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Erica Azorica
''Erica azorica'' ( Portuguese: ''urze'') is a species of heath endemic to the Azores The Azores ( , , ; , ), officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores (), is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal (along with Madeira). It is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the Macaronesia region of the North Atl .... Distribution ''Erica azorica'' is mainly distributed on coastal cliffs, lava flows, dry slopes, in natural forests, Australian cheesewood woodlands, ravines and craters of the Azorean archipelago, from sea level to the highest altitudes. References azorica Endemic flora of the Azores Habitats Directive species Flora of Europe Trees of Europe {{Ericaceae-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Juniperus Brevifolia
''Juniperus brevifolia'', the Azores juniper, is a species of juniper native to the Azores (on Corvo, Faial, Flores, Pico, Santa Maria, São Jorge, São Miguel, and Terceira), where it occurs from sea level up to elevation. It is closely related to ''Juniperus oxycedrus'' (prickly juniper) of the Mediterranean region and ''Juniperus cedrus'' (Canary Islands juniper) of the neighboring Macaronesian islands. It is threatened by habitat loss.Adams, R. P. (2004). ''Junipers of the World''. Trafford. Farjon, A. (2005). ''Monograph of Cupressaceae and Sciadopitys''. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Description It is a shrub or small tree growing to a height of and a trunk diameter up to . The leaves are evergreen, needle-like, in whorls of three, glaucous green, long and 1–3 mm broad, with a double white stomatal band (split by a green midrib) on the inner surface. It is dioecious, with separate male and female plants. The seed cones are berry-like, green ripening in 18 mo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
