ZooChat Big Year 2018
- Thread starter Chlidonias
- Start date
Things have slowed down considerably for me.
BIRDS:
75 Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura
76 Fox Sparrow - Passerella iliaca
77 Cooper's Hawk - Accipiter cooperii
Just dipped while looking for arguably one of the biggest (figurative, as they're quite small) bird finds in the Netherlands this year so far, a juvenile Ross' gull, but did see some other very nice birds while I was there.
BIRDS:
117) Black-tailed godwit, Limosa limosa
118) Caspian gull, Larus cachinnans
119) Grey wagtail, Motacilla cinerea
120) Red-breasted merganser, Mergus serrator
BIRDS:
117) Black-tailed godwit, Limosa limosa
118) Caspian gull, Larus cachinnans
119) Grey wagtail, Motacilla cinerea
120) Red-breasted merganser, Mergus serrator
Birds:
45. Black-Shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris)
56. Sacred Kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus)
Reptiles:
10. Lace Moniter (Varanus varius)
9) Willow Ptarmigan - Lagopus Lagopus
4) North American Brown Lemming
5) Caribou
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Had an excellent day of twitching and birding today! As happens quite often, the coast was full of rarities today. Unfortunately I wasn't able to find a surf scoter that had been seen yesterday, but I did find all other goals and quite some nice extras, too!
BIRDS:
121) Red-throated loon, Gavia stellata
122) Dusky warbler, Phylloscopus fuscatus
123) Crested lark, Galerida cristata
124) Desert wheatear, Oenanthe deserti
125) Great Northern loon, Gavia immer
126) Black-necked grebe, Podiceps nigricollis
MAMMALS:
7) Grey seal, Halichoerus grypus
BIRDS:
121) Red-throated loon, Gavia stellata
122) Dusky warbler, Phylloscopus fuscatus
123) Crested lark, Galerida cristata
124) Desert wheatear, Oenanthe deserti
125) Great Northern loon, Gavia immer
126) Black-necked grebe, Podiceps nigricollis
MAMMALS:
7) Grey seal, Halichoerus grypus
Turns out I counted Black Phoebe twice, and here's the more from my trip plus one from back home:
Birds
73) Red-Winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
74) Gadwall Mareca strepera
75) Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe
76) Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata
~Thylo
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Went diving again today and picked up a few more year ticks.
Fish
202. Collare Butterflyfish
203. Yellowfin Goatfish
204. Neon Fusilier
205. Lyretail Pigfish
206. Tricolor Parrotfish
207. Steephead Parrotfish
208. Palette Tang
209. Dogtooth Tuna
210. Scribbled Filefish
211. Spotted Porcupinefish
212. Midnight Snapper
Hix
Fish
213. Black-and-White Snapper
214. Melon Butterflyfish
215. Snooty Wrasse
216. Ringed Slender Wrasse
217. Greencheek Parrotfish
218. Silky Shark
219. Bigeye Trevally
220. Paddletail Snapper
221. Great Barracuda
222. Mackerel Tuna
223. Clown Triggerfish
224. Tiger Cardinalfish
225. Japanese Wrasse
Hix
47. Magpie Goose (Anseranas semipalmata)
48. Royal Spoonbill (Platalea regia)
49. Pied Cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius)
50. Little Tern (Sternula albifrons)
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Had planned to go birding but as usual, things didn't happen as planned so instead I went to a basketball session and on road I saw this cutie which is not a lifer but quite rare here nonetheless
17 - Stonechat, Saxicola rubicola
Frustratingly, I also saw my first lark inside the city (they are very common in rural areas but not in the city) but we were driving too fast to identify it.
Pleasant (if damp) morning out in Nottingham catching up with two vagrants at Holme Pierrepont and then a bonus duck at Attenborough. It was the only time I've failed on Egyptian Goose at Attenborough - but the first new species we saw was a UK first for me.
110. Spotted Sandpiper - Actitis macularius
111. Long-tailed Duck - Clangula hyemalis
112. Red-crested Pochard - Netta rufina
110. Spotted Sandpiper - Actitis macularius
111. Long-tailed Duck - Clangula hyemalis
112. Red-crested Pochard - Netta rufina
Well guess what, first birding session of the season and probably one of the best I've ever had (not for the number of species I've seen but for the whole experience and some of the species)!
18 - Crested lark, Galerida cristata
19 - Southern gray shrike, Lanius meridionalis
20 - Spanish sparrow, Passer hispaniolensis
21 - Thekla lark, Galerida theklae
22 - European turtle dove, Streptopelia turtur
23 - Sardinian warbler, Sylvia melanocephala
24 - Maghreb long-legged buzzard, Buteo rufinus cirtensis
25 - Western olivaceous warbler, Iduna opaca
26 - Black-winged kite, Elanus caeruleus
27 - Moussier's redstart, Phoenicurus moussieri
Unfortunately, I didn't take my camera with me because I don't know where the charger is and it is completely discharged; it is even more frustrating when you consider the fact raptors are rare in Morocco (because of poisoning mainly) and that these 2 species were very close to me (both were looking to steal chicks from the farmers in the are)!
The Black-winged kite and the Western olivaceous warbler are uncommon, the Maghreb long-legged buzzard is rare and the Spanish sparrow , although supposed to be found here, is one of the species that keeps on eluding me so I consider it to be a nice addition (although not a lifer). All in all, a very good day!
Visited Twycross today, and called in at a sheep field in Newton Solney on the way to catch up with two white ungulate-followers that have been calling it home. As I prepared to leave the zoo just after lunchtime a check of the local bird sightings proved very handy as another great bird had turned up just up the road at Albert Village Lake (although I had to brave a certain amount of hail and sleet to see it!).
Birds:
113. Western Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis
114. Black-throated Diver - Gavia arctica
Birds:
113. Western Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis
114. Black-throated Diver - Gavia arctica
@Mr. Zootycoon unless a new one has decided to replace the old one, I'm quite certain we did, indeed!
It showed quite well, and thus I got some quite decent pictures of it both on the ground and on the fence on which it often perches, together with the group of common redpolls. Very nice observation, and probably the closest I've been to common redpolls as well! I'll upload my pictures to the gallery.
It showed quite well, and thus I got some quite decent pictures of it both on the ground and on the fence on which it often perches, together with the group of common redpolls. Very nice observation, and probably the closest I've been to common redpolls as well! I'll upload my pictures to the gallery.
While I got nice views my pictures were record shot at best, so I'm looking forward to see yours. It was a bit of a strange place for such a large group of redpolls.
Of course, I've been out and about myself and I've got a few species to add. The hare was seen while on my way to BestZoo yesterday. Today I went after another bird I was really looking forward to see and I manage to find another gull as a bonus.
Birds
113. Bohemian waxwing [Bombycilla garrulus]
114. Yellow-legged gull [Larus michahellis]
Mammals
4. European hare [Lepus europaeus]
Still didn't do some proper birding but did do a quick twitch on my way to the zoo with @Vision that gave me two lifers despite one of them being common in the Netherlands.
BIRDS
63. Short-toed Treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla)
64. Common Redpoll (Acanthis flammea)
65. Arctic Redpoll (Acanthis hornemanni)
And there have also been some additions on other fronts.
MAMMALS
4. House Mouse (Mus musculus)
INVERTS
2. Asian Ladybeetle (Harmonia axyridis)