ZooChat Big Year 2018

lintworm said:
You mean you have never bothered with identifying butterflies before :p
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Hey, it's one way to get more lifers this year! :P
I genuinely can't imagine ever seeing such a small blue butterfly before though, though of course perhaps I have and just never really thought much of it, and thus forgot afterwards. Either way, it's a beautiful species!
 
Some more springtime additions - most of the birds and the reptile coming from a morning spent at Padley Gorge yesterday.

Birds:
158. Willow Warbler - Phylloscopus trochilus
159. Blackcap - Sylvia atricapilla
160. Common Cuckoo - Cuculus canorus
161. Northern Wheatear - Oenanthe oenanthe
162. Tree Pipit - Anthus trivialis
163. Common Redstart - Phoenicurus phoenicurus
164. European Pied Flycatcher - Ficedula hypoleuca
165. Common House Martin - Delichon urbicum

(UK: 163)

Reptiles:
1. Viviparous Lizard - Zootoca vivipara

Invertebrates:
16. Orange-tip - Anthocharis cardamines
17. White-tailed Bumblebee - Bombus lucorum
18. Green Hairstreak - Callophrys rubi

:)
 
birdsandbats said:
A few from a birdwatching trip yesterday. Migration is getting real now!

Mammals
10. Common Muskrat Ondatra zibethicus

Birds
59. Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus
60. Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis
61. Purple Martin Progne subis
62. Osprey Pandion haliaetus
63. Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon
64. American Tree Sparrow Spizelloides arborea
65. Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis
66. Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus
67. Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
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birdsandbats said:
Birds
79. Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina
80. Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes*
81. Yellow-Rumped Warbler Setophaga coronata
82. American Yellow Warbler Setophaga petechia

Also an annoying little House Wren that I could hear clearly but not see. :mad:

Herpitiles
2. American Toad Anaxyrus americanus
3. Wood Frog Lithobates sylvaticus

BONUS: Adorable fox kits!

*First yellowlegs I have managed to ID. Probably seen this species before.
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birdsandbats said:
Over the weekend my total should increase dramatically. Thank You migration!
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As promised, upped totals:
Mammals
11. Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrel Ictidomys tridecemlineatus

Birds
83. Nashville Warbler Oreothlypis ruficapilla
84. Yellow-Throated Vireo Vireo flavifrons
85. Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis
86. White-Throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis
87. Great Crested Flycatcher Myiarchus crinitus
88. House Wren Troglodytes aedon
89. Swainson's Thrush Catharus ustulatus
90. Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitaria
91. Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula
92. Green Heron Butorides virescens
93. Northern Parula Setophaga americana
94. Magnolia Warbler Setophaga magnolia
95. Orange-Crowned Warbler Oreothlypis celata
96. Brown Thrasher Toxostoma rufum
97. Palm Warbler Setophaga palmarum
98. Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus
99. Rose-Breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus
100. Black-And-White Warbler Mniotilta varia
101. Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea
102. Blue-Headed Vireo Vireo solitarius
103. American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla
104. Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe
105. Northern Waterthrush Parkesia noveboracensis
106. Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius
107. White-Crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys

Herpitiles
4. Painted Turtle Chrysemys picta
5. Pond Slider Trachemys scripta

As usual, some cool birds decided to be heard but not seen.
 
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And while I'm going strong with the insects, this guy just landed on the insect screen behind my open window, and notified me of its presence by sounding like something much bigger. They really are impressive beetles, just unfortunate that their larvae do so much damage.

INVERTEBRATES:
22) Cockchafer, Melolontha melolontha
 
Birds:
85. Common Swift, Apus apus

and that's probably going to be all for at least three weeks, until I've got exams out the way. I plan to do a bit more 'proper' birding in June, and then the really fun lists begin in late June, when i'm off to Thailand :D. I've never been to southeast Asia before, so that's going to be a lot of lifers!
 
Realised I haven't updated my year list since mid-April. Here are all the new species I have seen in that time:

96. Common tern Sterna hirundo
97. Common cuckoo Cuculus canorus
98. Sedge warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
99. Common whitethroat Sylvia communis
100. Common swift Apus apus

3. Small white butterfly Pieris rapae
4. Orange-tip butterfly Anthocharis cardamines

5. Common wasp Vespula vulgaris
6. Tawny mining bee Andrena fulva
7. European hornet Vespa crabro
8. European honeybee Apis mellifera

3. Harlequin ladybird Harmonia axyridis

1. Dark bush cricket Pholidoptera griseoaptera

Thank heavens for Paul Brock's Comprehensive Guide to Insects of Britain and Ireland, or my invertebrate list would probably be half the length it is now.

For the sake of everybody's sanity (especially mine), I will no longer divide the invertebrates up into separate lists. I am now on 17 identified species in total.
 
A bit of post-work birding last week and then a glorious bank holiday weekend to explore some local hotspots:

146. Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca)
147. House Martin (Delichon urbicum)
148. Garganey (Spatula querquedula)
149. Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)
150. Swift (Apus apus)
151. Black-necked Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis)
152. Whitethroat (Sylvia communis)
153. Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius)
154. Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)
155. Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava)
156. Garden Warbler (Sylvia borin)
157. Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus)
158. Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus)
159. Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca)
160. Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata)
161. Wood Warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix)
162. Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca)
163. Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus)
 
Macaw16 said:
Some from Scarborough (1/4/2018):

66. Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
67. Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima
68. European Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis
69. Western Barn Owl Tyto alba
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And another bird at long last (7/5/2018)...

70. Common Swift Apus apus
 
birdsandbats said:
As promised, upped totals:
Mammals
11. Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrel Ictidomys tridecemlineatus

Birds
83. Nashville Warbler Oreothlypis ruficapilla
84. Yellow-Throated Vireo Vireo flavifrons
85. Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis
86. White-Throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis
87. Great Crested Flycatcher Myiarchus crinitus
88. House Wren Troglodytes aedon
89. Swainson's Thrush Catharus ustulatus
90. Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitaria
91. Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula
92. Green Heron Butorides virescens
93. Northern Parula Setophaga americana
94. Magnolia Warbler Setophaga magnolia
95. Orange-Crowned Warbler Oreothlypis celata
96. Brown Thrasher Toxostoma rufum
97. Palm Warbler Setophaga palmarum
98. Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus
99. Rose-Breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus
100. Black-And-White Warbler Mniotilta varia
101. Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea
102. Blue-Headed Vireo Vireo solitarius
103. American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla
104. Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe
105. Northern Waterthrush Parkesia noveboracensis
106. Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius
107. White-Crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys

Herpitiles
4. Painted Turtle Chrysemys picta
5. Pond Slider Trachemys scripta

As usual, some cool birds decided to be heard but not seen.
Click to expand...
Forgot one:

Birds
108. Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum
 
And a few new very good birds from today! Red-backed shrikes (and all shrikes, actually) are rare in my area so I was very happy to see this bird, and I can't complain about the lifer warbler either.

BIRDS:
220) Red-backed shrike, Lanius collurio
221) Marsh warbler, Acrocephalus palustris

INVERTEBRATES:
23) Large red damselfly, Pyrrhosoma nymphula
24) Large white, Pieris brassicae
25) Cinnabar moth, Tyria jacobaeae
 
Pleistohorse said:
Birds:
20. Bohemian Waxwing - Bombycilla Garrulus (Lucille Creek on January 19)
21. Snow Bunting - Plectrophenax Nivalis (Knik River on March 15)

Mammals:
9. Moose - Alces Americanus
10. Caribou - Rangifer Tarandus
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22. Barrow’s Goldeneye - Bucephalus Islandica (Fish Creek on April 14)
23. Rock Ptarmigan - Lagopus Muta (Putugayuk River on April 23)
24. Sandhill Crane - Antigone Canadensis (Palmer Slough on May 1)
25. Canada Goose - Branta Canadensis (Fish Creek on May 2)
26. Red-necked Grebe - Podiceps Grisgena (Vine Pond on May 3)
27. Northern Pintail - Anas Acuta (Cottonwood Creek on May 5)
28. Green-winged Teal - Anas Crecca (Cottonwood Creek on May 5)
29. Snow Goose - Chen Caerulescens (Palmer Slough on May 5)
30. Northern Harrier - Circus Cyaneus (Cottonwood Creek on May 5)
31. Merlin - Falco Columbarius (Cottonwood Creek on May 5)
32. Bonaparte’s Gull - Chroicocephalus Philadelphia (Fish Creek on May 6)
33. Arctic Tern - Sterna Paradisaea (Fish Creek on May 7)
34. American Robin - Turdus Migratorius (Tall Birch Bog on May 7)

Mammals:
11. Musk Ox
 
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