ZooChat Big Year 2019

Dare I ask if you got any photographs of the following?

Any of your shrike sightings may also be handy for the future.
Unfortunately, something seems to have happened to the autofocus of my camera in the first few days, so any pictures I do have (I should have some of the forktail, ferruginous flycatcher and hill blue flycatcher) are very blurry. I'll see how usable they are when I'm home!
Shrikes are difficult, as most of my observations of those are from moving transport. :p
 
Might be worth uploading them on the offchance - I can always delete them again if they are truly unacceptable :P
 
Two more birds today at Zealandia. Chaffinches aren't terribly common around most of Wellington - usually I see them around the zoo - but this year I still hadn't seen any until today. And also kakariki for the first time this year - although I kept hearing them on the previous three visits to Zealandia this year they had remained stubbornly invisible until now when a small group posed out in the open.


45) Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs
46) Red-crowned Kakariki Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae
 
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Been relatively productive over the last fortnight.

BIRDS
121. Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
122. Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica)
123. Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus)
124. Eurasian Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)
125. Western Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava)
126. Garganey (Spatula querquedula)
127. Eurasian Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola)
128. Mediterranean Gull (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus)
129. Caspian Gull (Larus cachinnans)
130. Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
131. White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)
132. Ruff (Philomachus pugnax)
133. Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
134. Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis)

MAMMALS
8. Common Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus)
9. Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus)

HERPTILES
1. Common Toad (Bufo bufo)

INVERTS
8. Mottled Shieldbug (Rhaphigaster nebulosa)
9. Asian Ladybeetle (Harmonia axyridis)
 
Did some more birding:

Birds
84. Horned Grebe Podiceps auritus
85. Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina
86. Great Egret Ardea alba
87. Osprey Pandion haliaetus

Mammals
7. Eastern Fox Squirrel Sciurus niger
Out of hibernation:

Mammals
8. Woodchuck Marmota monax
 
Drove through the California desert and camped in the rain shadow of Mount Whitney, blanketed in snow. Didn't see any new birds, but twice saw one of my target mammal species for the year.

Mammals
18. Black-tailed Jackrabbit (Lepus californicus)

Also need to take Craveri's Murrelet off my list, as it turns out they were misidentified Scripps's Murrelets. That puts my bird total at 152 species.

Update:

Birds
153. Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius)
154. Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
155. Ash-throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens)
156. Rufous-crowned Sparrow (Aimophila ruficeps)
157. Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus)
 
i just got back from one of the collest twitching trips ever
yesterday a wilson snipe was reported. the first ewer in sweden. it was seen this moring so i made a gambel to find it. wen we arivde it had not been sen 9 am. ther was around 200 birders wating for the bird. after alomst wating four a hour i started singing and we herd it relly well but by this it was dark. i swa the outline of the birds once tho
92. wilson snipe Gallinago delicata
93 eurasian woodcook
94 redwing
95 bean goose
 
BIRDS:
Day 8: Da Lat (Tuyen Lam Lake)
272) Vietnamese greenfinch, Chloris monguilloti
273) White-rumped munia, Lonchura striata
274) Little cormorant, Microcarbo niger
275) Gould's sunbird, Aethopyga gouldiae
276) Hill prinia, Prinia superciliaris
277) Black-headed sibia, Heterophasia desgodinsi
278) Flavescent bulbul, Pycnonotus flavescens
279) Grey bush chat, Saxicola ferreus
280) Black-naped oriole, Oriolus chinensis
281) Scaly thrush, Zoothera dauma
282) Indochinese barbet, Psilopogon annamensis
283) Blue-winged minla, Actinodura cyanouroptera
284) Green-backed tit, Parus monticolus
285) Ashy bulbul, Hemixos flavala
286) Chestnut-vented nuthatch, Sitta nagaensis
287) Orange-headed thrush, Geokichla citrina
288) Lesser racket-tailed drongo, Dicrurus remifer
289) White-cheeked laughingthrush, Pterorhinus vassali

290) Eurasian hoopoe, Upupa epops
291) Vietnamese cutia, Cutia lagalleni
292) Barred cuckoo-dove, Macropygia unchall
293) Verditer flycatcher, Eumyias thalassinus
294) Rufous woodpecker, Micropternus brachyurus
295) Mountain imperial pigeon, Ducula badia
296) Maroon oriole, Oriolus traillii
297) Large niltava, Niltava grandis
298) Dalat shrike-babbler, Pteruthius annamensis
299) Taiga flycatcher, Ficedula albicilla
300) Little pied flycatcher, Ficedula westermanni
301) Blyth's leaf warbler, Phylloscopus reguloides
302) Mountain bulbul, Ixos mcclellandii

Day 9: Da Lat (Ta Nung Valley)
303) Red-billed blue magpie, Urocissa erythroryncha
304) Grey-crowned crocias, Laniellus langbianis
305) Black-throated sunbird, Aethopyga saturata
306) Speckled piculet, Picumnus innominatus

Day 10: Da Lat (Tuyen Lam Lake)
307) Mountain tailorbird, Phyllergates cucullatus
308) Red-billed scimitar-babbler, Pomatorhinus ochraceiceps
309) Yellow-billed nuthatch, Sitta solangiae
310) Vinous-breasted starling, Acridotheres burmannicus

MAMMALS:
19) Northern smooth-tailed tree-shrew, Dendrogale murina

A minor accident yesterday and a lot of rain in the past 2 days made it so those days weren't extremely productive, but overall I feel like I still saw most of the things I wanted to. Crocias, to our surprise, were still at Ta Nung Valley, even though the place has been turned into some weird 'ecotourism' thing. Both thrushes are as amazing as I'd imagined them to be!
 
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Did some more birding:

Birds
84. Horned Grebe Podiceps auritus
85. Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina
86. Great Egret Ardea alba
87. Osprey Pandion haliaetus

Mammals
7. Eastern Fox Squirrel Sciurus niger
Birds
88. Pied-Billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps
89. Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis
90. Green-Winged Teal Anas carolinensis
91. Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna
 
Birds
88. Pied-Billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps
89. Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis
90. Green-Winged Teal Anas carolinensis
91. Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna
Actually from a while ago, I just forgot about it until now:

Fish
1. Common Carp Cyprinus carpio
 
Mammals
6. Common Ringtail Possum Pseudocheirus peregrinus

Invertebrates
61. Glasswing Acraea andromacha
What an eventful day!
I visited Maleny Bird World today with a friend, and as we were about to leave her car wouldn’t start. A few hours later, we were able to organise alternative transport home while I ticked off a few more birds and a lovely butterfly species.

Birds
60. Black Swan Cygnus atratus
61. Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus :D
62. Brown Cuckoo Dove Macropygia phasianella
63. Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo
Calyptorhynchus funereus

Invertebrates
62. Lesser Wanderer Danaus chrysippus
 
I went up to the Waikanae Estuary this morning to pick up some more very common birds for the year. It is quite a way up the coast from me so I don't go there often (first time for this year). Wellington is not a great city for birding because the sites are a long way apart, often with convoluted public transport routes, and each site has relatively few species (the total for this year so far I could be getting in just a couple of days in January alone when I was living in Christchurch). There are still a few common species I haven't seen yet (like White-faced Heron, somehow) and they will slowly trickle in over the next few months.

47) Australasian Coot Fulica atra
48) European Greenfinch Carduelis chloris
49) European Skylark Alauda arvensis
50) Ring-necked Pheasant Phasianus colchicus
51) White-fronted Tern Sterna striata
52) Caspian Tern Sterna caspia
53) Australasian Harrier Circus approximans
54) Banded dotterel Charadrius bicinctus
 
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What an eventful day!
I visited Maleny Bird World today with a friend, and as we were about to leave her car wouldn’t start. A few hours later, we were able to organise alternative transport home while I ticked off a few more birds and a lovely butterfly species.

Birds
60. Black Swan Cygnus atratus
61. Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus :D
62. Brown Cuckoo Dove Macropygia phasianella
63. Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo
Calyptorhynchus funereus

Invertebrates
62. Lesser Wanderer Danaus chrysippus
Birds
64. Little Friarbird Philemon citreogularis
 
BIRDS:
Day 10: Cat Tien NP (Lodge outside of the NP)
311) Oriental dollarbird, Eurystomus orientalis

Day 11: Cat Tien NP (HQ and surroundings)
312) Striated heron, Butorides striata
313) Common sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos
314) Golden-fronted leafbird, Chloropsis aurifrons
315) Grey-faced tit-babbler, Macronus kelleyi
316) Ashy-headed green pigeon, Treron phayrei
317) Black-hooded oriole, Oriolus xanthornus
318) Vernal hanging-parrot, Loriculus vernalis
319) Indian cuckoo, Cuculus micropterus
320) Black-and-red broadbill, Cymbirhynchus macrorhynchos
321) Siberian blue robin, Larvivora cyane
322) Bay woodpecker, Blythipicus pyrrhotis
323) Violet cuckoo, Chrysococcyx xanthorhynchus
324) Blue-eared barbet, Psilopogon duvaucelli
325) Pale-headed woodpecker, Gecinulus grantia
326) Blue-winged pitta, Pitta moluccensis
327) Scarlet-backed flowerpecker, Dicaeum cruentatum
328) Large cuckooshrike, Coracina macei
329) Golden-crested myna, Ampeliceps coronatus
330) Great iora, Aegithina lafresnayei
331) Blue-bearded bee-eater, Nyctyornis athertoni
332) Greater flameback, Chrysocolaptes guttacristatus
333) Great eared nightjar, Lyncornis macrotis

Day 12: Cat Tien NP (Fields and Crocodile Lake)
334) White-crested laughingthrush, Garrulax leucolophus
335) Germain's peacock-pheasant, Polyplectron germani
336) Indochinese cuckoo-shrike, Lalage polioptera
337) Laced woodpecker, Picus vittatus
338) Red turtle dove, Streptopelia tranquebarica
339) Lineated barbet, Psilopogon lineatus
340) Black-winged kite, Elanus caeruleus

341) Red-breasted parakeet, Psittacula alexandri
342) Stork-billed kingfisher, Pelargopsis capensis
343) Asian koel, Eudynamys scolopaceus
344) Oriental pied hornbill, Anthracoceros albirostris
345) Ochraceous bulbul, Alophoixus ochraceus
346) Indian roller, Coracias benghalensis
347) Grey-headed swamphen, Porphyrio poliocephalus
348) Oriental darter, Anhingha melanogaster

349) Purple heron, Ardea purpurea
350) Asian golden weaver, Ploceus hypoxantus
351) Bronze-winged jacana, Metopidius indicus
352) Green peafowl, Pavo muticus
353) Grey-headed fish eagle, Haliaeetus ichtyaetus
354) Red-wattled lapwing, Vanellus indicus
355) Woolly-necked stork, Ciconia episcopus
356) Collared scops owl, Otus lettia

Day 13: Cat Tien NP
357) Black bittern, Dupetor flavicollis
358) Siamese fireback, Lophura diardi
359) Chestnut-headed bee-eater, Merops leschenaulti


MAMMALS:
20) Southern buff-cheeked gibbon, Nomascus gabriellae
21) Northern tree shrew, Tupaia belangeri

22) Sambar, Rusa unicolor
23) Black-shanked douc, Pygathrix nigripes
 
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BIRDS
208 - Crested Shriketit (Falcunculus frontatus)

209 - Red-browed Treecreeper (Climacteris erythrops)
210 - White-throated Treecreeper (Cormobates leucophaea)
211 - Olive Whistler (Pachycephala olivacea)

INVERTEBRATES
44 - Portuguese Millipede (Ommatoiulus moreletii)*
BIRDS
212 - Large-billed Scrubwren (Sericornis magnirostra)
213 - Collared Sparrowhawk (Accipiter cirrocephalus)
214 - Dusky Woodswallow (Artamus cyanopterus)
215 - Spotted Harrier (Circus assimilis)
216 - Arctic Jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus)
217 - Banded Stilt (Cladorhynchus leucocephalus)
218 - Brown Quail (Synoicus ypsilophorus)
219 - Australian Spotted Crake (Porzana fluminea)
 
Out of hibernation:

Mammals
8. Woodchuck Marmota monax

Birds
88. Pied-Billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps
89. Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis
90. Green-Winged Teal Anas carolinensis
91. Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna
Good Friday was a good Friday, though the reason had nothing to do with Easter or religion:

Birds
92. Greater Prairie-Chicken Tympanuchus cupido

93. Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis

Yes, the Pinnated Grouse were booming, and it was one of the most things I have ever seen. Also, a completely unrelated mammal from yesterday:

Mammals
9. North American Porcupine Erethizon dorsatum
 
Birds
118. Black-chinned Honeyeater
119. Olive Whistler


:p

Hix
Went out west for a couple of days last weekend, hoping to pick up a few for my year list, and scored three lifers to boot.

Birds
120. Cockatiel
121. Greater Bluebonnet
122. Yellow-throated Miner
123. Blue-faced Honeyeater
124. House Sparrow
125. Pink-eared Duck
126. Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
127. Australian Shelduck
128. Black-tailed Native Hen
129. Black-fronted Dotterel
130. Whistling Kite
131. Mallee Ringneck Parrot
132. Yellow-plumed Honeyeater
133. White-plumed Honeyeater
134. White-breasted Woodswallow
135. Pied Butcherbird
136. Zebra Finch
137. Little Raven
138. Common Bronzewing
139. Peaceful Dove
140. Spotted Bowerbird
141. Striped Honeyeater
142. Speckled Warbler
143. Southern Whiteface
144. White-browed Babbler
145. Varied Sitella
146. Crested Bellbird
147. White-winged Chough
148. Red-capped Robin
149. Chestnut-rumped Thornbill
150. Bar-shouldered Dove
151. Yellow Thornbill
152. Dusky Woodswallow
153. Emu

Mammals
8. European Hare
9. Feral Cat
10. Western Grey Kangaroo

:p

Hix
 
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