ZooChat Big Year 2018

So a quick bike ride to a local pond got me a partridge, the pond itself got me an early bluethroat, and just as I was about to leave I heard and saw two foxes fighting. Definitely a very successful day!

BIRDS:
162) Grey partridge, Perdix perdix
163) Bluethroat, Luscinia svecica

MAMMALS:
10) Red fox, Vulpes vulpes
 
Nothing really exciting but just a few more spring-y species from my local patch. Spring seems to be on its way: displaying lapwings and singing skylarks are everywhere!

Birds
130. White wagtail [Motacilla alba]
131. Common snipe [Gallinago gallinago]
132. Meadow pipit [Anthus pratensis]
133. European stonechat [Saxicola rubicola]

I have a more interesting birding trip planned this weekend so I expect some more lifers soon.
 
My tendency to avoid cities usually works in my favour for finding birds. Not for this one I guess.

Birds
134. Feral pigeon [Columba livia]
 
Pleistohorse said:
Birds:

11) Snow Bunting - Plectrophenax Nivalis

Mammals:

1) Arctic Fox
2) Red Fox
3) Moose
4) North American Brown Lemming
5) Caribou
6) American Red Squirrel
7) Snowshoe Hare
8) House Mouse
* Wolverine - Tracks only
Click to expand...

Birds:

12) Gray Jay - Perisoreus Canadensis
 
I let the updates lag a little much...
jayjds2 said:
1/16/18

Mammals
3. Eastern cottontail
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4. Eastern chipmunk
jayjds2 said:
Inverts
1/25/18
1. House fly

Birds

1/26/18
11. Feral pigeon

1/27/18
12. Ring-billed gull
13. Slate-colored junco (ssp. carolinensis)
14. White-breasted nuthatch
15. Field sparrow
16. Downy woodpecker
17. Northern mockingbird
Click to expand...
2. Odorous house ant

18. Snow goose
19. American black duck
20. Mallard
21. Lesser scaup
22. Canvasback
23. Ring-billed duck
24. Red-tailed hawk
25. Common merganser
26. Redhead
27. American herring gull
28. Song sparrow
29. Bald eagle
30. North American ruddy duck
31. American coot
32. Ruby-crowned kinglet
33. Winter wren
34. Mourning dove
35. Northern cardinal
36. Golden-crowned kinglet
37. Carolina chickadee
38. Double-crested cormorant
39. Hooded merganser
40. Swamp sparrow
41. White-throated sparrow
42. Great blue heron
43. Belted kingfisher
44. Tufted titmouse

Over the last few months, with the bulk in January. My duck curse is finally over...
 
animal_expert01 said:
Birds:
51. Black Swan (Cygnus atratus)

Fish:
6. Platy (Xiphophorus variatus)
7. Guppy (Poecilia reticulata)
8. Indo-Pacific Sergeant Major (Abudefduf vaigiensis)
9. Stripey (Microcanthus strigatus)
10. Estuary Cod (Epinephelus malabaricus)

Amphibians:
3. Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog (Litoria fallax)
Click to expand...

Birds:
52. Peacock (Pavo cristatus)
53. Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus)
54. Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata)
55. Domestic Duck (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus)

Unsure if these can be counted, but they were certainly all wild and not free ranging individuals.

Fish:
11. Mangrove Jack (Lutjanus argentimaculatus)
12. Glass Perch (Ambassis agassizi)
 
animal_expert01 said:
Birds:
52. Peacock (Pavo cristatus)
53. Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus)
54. Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata)
55. Domestic Duck (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus)

Unsure if these can be counted, but they were certainly all wild and not free ranging individuals.
Click to expand...
Where were these? I haven't got an Australian field-guide to hand, but none of them seem likely to be from acceptable feral populations in Queensland.
 
animal_expert01 said:
Birds:
52. Peacock (Pavo cristatus)
53. Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus)
54. Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata)
55. Domestic Duck (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus)

Unsure if these can be counted, but they were certainly all wild and not free ranging individuals.

Fish:
11. Mangrove Jack (Lutjanus argentimaculatus)
12. Glass Perch (Ambassis agassizi)
Click to expand...

Chlidonias said:
Where were these? I haven't got an Australian field-guide to hand, but none of them seem likely to be from acceptable feral populations in Queensland.
Click to expand...
Looking at eBird data, there are definitely established populations of all four of these domestic birds in Australia. Weather they can be counted or not is really up to the one who saw them.
 
Mr. Zootycoon said:
I have a more interesting birding trip planned this weekend so I expect some more lifers soon.
Click to expand...

Despite the strong winds and the cold temperature I did have quite a succesful day of birding. It was not exactly easy to find the birds we were looking for because all the small birds like bluethroats (those look ridiculous in the snow!), reed buntings and chiffchaffs sat on the ground or very low in the reed beds. All except a fantastic penduline tit, which just kept foranging on top of the reeds and was blown out of it every now and then. Certainly one of the highlights of the year. Second best bird was a vagrant bufflehead. There were also loads of waterfowl and waders I've seen earlier this year, and it was good to see our national birds, the godwits, have returned again.

Birds
135. Common shelduck [Tadorna tadorna]
136. Bluethroat [Luscinia svecica]
137. Pied avocet [Recurvirostra avosetta]
138. Black-tailed godwit [Limosa limosa]
139. Eurasian penduline tit [Remiz pendulinus]
140. Bufflehead [Bucephala albeola]
141. Jack snipe [Lymnocryptes minimus]

I hope this sounds more like your idea of a good birding trip @Chlidonias ;)
 
birdsandbats said:
Looking at eBird data, there are definitely established populations of all four of these domestic birds in Australia. Weather they can be counted or not is really up to the one who saw them.
Click to expand...
There are no established wild populations of Muscovy Ducks in Australia as far as I'm aware.

True established populations of Peafowl are very restricted in the country (as opposed to small free-living groups, such as can be seen here and there in Queensland).

Domestic chickens and ducks are random, but officially the former are countable only at specific localities. Usually (in most of the country) it is basically impossible to tell if domestic birds compose a true feral population or not.
 
Catching up on the last few weeks: mostly from The Forest of Dean (with Maguari) and a work trip to North Wales this week:

131. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dryobates minor)
132. Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)
133. Dipper (Cinclus cinclus)
134. Skylark (Alauda arvensis)
135. Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus)
136. Slavonian Grebe (Podiceps auritus)
137. Black Guillemot (Cepphus grylle)
138. Scaup (Aythya marila)
 
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