ZooChat Big Year 2017

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lintworm said:
Mammal update from Kuni Mukthat Mountain Nyala Conservancy.

74. Grivet monkey
..... Menelik's bushbuck

Unfortunately no mountain nyala....
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Today was the easiest twitch of the year. Though I have been to the Afar region multiple times in the past years, I had never seen Grevy zebra, except a roadkill...There are supposed to be 150 left on the Aledeghe plain (the only population outside Kenya) and within 2 minutes on said plain we found a group of 6, though unfortunately very skittish. Apart from the zebra there was the usual collateral damage and a nice carnivore:

75. Grevy zebra
76. Soemmerring's gazelle
77. Beisa oryx
78. Salt's dikdik
79. Slender mongoose
 
Chlidonias said:
you should probably stop seeing mammals now...
Click to expand...

I will, but only at the end of this week, before that I hope to get at least a few of the following: white-tailed mongoose, gerenuk, porcupine, golden wolf, Abyssinian hare & pale fox. But after that I promise I will stop seeing new mammals until mid-December....
 
Two more from a quick drive to my other local spot. It seems to be quite the time for waders/sandpipers! I also saw another snipe today, and did have time to observe it for a bit longer this time, so that was fun.

BIRDS:
148) Common greenshank, Tringa nebularia
149) Green sandpiper, Tringa ochropus
 
lintworm said:
Today was the easiest twitch of the year. Though I have been to the Afar region multiple times in the past years, I had never seen Grevy zebra, except a roadkill...There are supposed to be 150 left on the Aledeghe plain (the only population outside Kenya) and within 2 minutes on said plain we found a group of 6, though unfortunately very skittish. Apart from the zebra there was the usual collateral damage and a nice carnivore:

75. Grevy zebra
76. Soemmerring's gazelle
77. Beisa oryx
78. Salt's dikdik
79. Slender mongoose
Click to expand...

Chlidonias said:
you should probably stop seeing mammals now...
Click to expand...

I told you I wouldn't stop....

And two more mammals from a night walk around the house

80. White-tailed mongoose
81. Crested porcupine

Porcupine are amazing :), I saw 2 feeding close to the house, I had only seen Cape porcupine once (being chased by stupid lions in Etosha) in 2011, so these 2 were very welcome.
 
lintworm said:
I will, but only at the end of this week, before that I hope to get at least a few of the following: white-tailed mongoose, gerenuk, porcupine, golden wolf, Abyssinian hare & pale fox. But after that I promise I will stop seeing new mammals until mid-December....
Click to expand...
no, that is too many mammals. At that rate you will overtake my total and that is unacceptable.
 
Macaw16 said:
I have since realised Dunlin was not a lifer.

A week in Galloway gave me some more for the year sightings from between 7-12.8.2017. I seem to have prevously forgotten to include #12.

118. Hooded Crow Corvus cornix
119. Common Linnet Linaria cannabina
120. Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata
121. Whinchat Saxicola rubetra
122. Osprey Pandion haliaetus
123. Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus

11. Stoat Mustela erminea
12. Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus
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A walk at dusk (19/8/2017) allowed me to see and hear one new species; although I heard many owls, I failed to see any (as is often the case for me).

124. European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus
 
lintworm said:
I told you I wouldn't stop....

And two more mammals from a night walk around the house

80. White-tailed mongoose
81. Crested porcupine

Porcupine are amazing :), I saw 2 feeding close to the house, I had only seen Cape porcupine once (being chased by stupid lions in Etosha) in 2011, so these 2 were very welcome.
Click to expand...

82. African golden wolf

No less than 5 individuals seen, but slightly disappointing because we were searching for solid evidence of pale foxes occuring this far south, but that we did not find....
 
I only entered because I thought you needed some competition @Chlidonias! As it turned out, I prioritised zoos over wildlife this summer, so my list is basically finished. I did have a lovely time at Zlin today, though.
 
lintworm said:
Would you already tell us where?
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No. Maybe later when I have the details - and countries - worked out. Considering visiting a couple of places generally considered as unsafe but probably safe nowadays.

:p

Hix
 
Hix said:
No. Maybe later when I have the details - and countries - worked out. Considering visiting a couple of places generally considered as unsafe but probably safe nowadays.
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Rwanda for the win! Wooo.
 
Hix said:
No. Maybe later when I have the details - and countries - worked out. Considering visiting a couple of places generally considered as unsafe but probably safe nowadays.

:p

Hix
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Sounds Like Sangha lodge in CAR or otherwise maybe Sierra Leone ;)
 
I've mentioned this before, but I have a long-standing future plan, perhaps never to be realised, for an African trip involving Ethiopia and Uganda with side-trips into Rwanda and the DRC. I like Asia too much though, and Africa generally is too expensive for me, so it may not eventuate.

I do fancy Sangha Lodge too from the trip reports I've read. I actually worked out a back-of-envelope budget for a trip there once (a few years ago). Gabon is also very attractive to me.
 
23/8/2017
213. little friarbird
Maybe give us a hint HIx. What animal are you most wanting to see in the wild? I'll nominate some animals and you can let us know if I'm hot or cold.
Okapi?
Ethiopian wolf?
Gelada baboon?
Gabon viper?
 
how deep can you scuba-dive @Hix ? Maybe go to Sodwana Bay in South Africa. You would earn the awe of every living and future Zoochatter.
 
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