ZooChat Big Year 2019

[WhistlingKite24]

Invertebrates
64. Transverse Ladybird Beetle Coccinella transversalis

Birds
66. Grey Teal Anas gracilis

Time for an update (finally got around to listing all the invertebrates including all the identifications I’ve received since summer).
Birds
67. Australian King Parrot Alisterus scapularis
68. Pheasant Coucal Centropus phasianinus
69. White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae
70. Wandering Whistling Duck Dendrocygna arcuata
71. Eastern Spinebill Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris
72. Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida

Invertebrates
65. Vegetable Grasshopper Atractomorpha similis
66. Australian Wood Cockroach Panesthia cribrata
67. Garden Mantid Orthodera ministralis
68. Lantana Treehopper Aconophora compressa
69. Water Strider Limnogonus luctuosus
70. Giant Waterbug Lethocerus insulanus
71. Backswimmer Paranisops inconstans
72. Hibiscus Harlequin Bug Tectocoris diophthalmus
73. Eucalypt Leaf Beetle Paropsis maculata
74. Common Pardillana Pardillana limbata
75. Bronze Orange Bug Musgraveia sulciventris
76. Spined Citrus Bug Biprorulus bibax
77. Reddish-Brown Flower Beetle Aphanestes gymnopleura
78. Common Spotted Ladybird Harmonia conformis
79. Water Scorpion Laccotrephes tristis
80. Large Brown Mantid Archimantis latistyla
81. Surinam Cockroach Pycnoscelus surinamensis
82. American Solider Fly Hermetia illucens
83. Poinciana Looper Pericyma cruegeri
84. Pasture Funnel Ant Aphaenogaster pythia
85. Grey Huntsman Spider Holconia immanis
86. Garden Slater Porcellionides pruinosus
87. Bush Cockroach Methana marginlis
88. Silver Orb Spider Leucauge granulata
89. Leaf-curling Spider Phonognatha graeffei
90. Soapberry Bug Leptocoris tagalicus
91. European Garden Snail Cornu aspersum

 

[animal_expert01]

101. Grey Teal (Anas gracilis)
102. European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)

103. Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)

 

[MRJ]

While at West Bali National Park we frequently ate at a fantastic little restaurant the "dining room" of which was a deck that jutted out into the water with mangroves on one side and a sandy beach on the other. Come dusk on a falling tide it was great watching mudskippers move along the beach above the water line.

Fish

1. Barred mudskipper Periophthalmus argentilineatus

We also spent an hour or so snorkeling off the beach which allowed me to try out my new underwater camera. The video of my swims has allowed me to identify some of the fish from a book I bought at the airport on the way out. Many more not identified, including most of the invertebrates I saw.

Reptiles

10. Green sea turtle Chelonia mydas

Fish

2. Buffon's river garfish Zenarchopterus buffonis
3. Moon wrasse Thalassoma lunare
4. Teira batfish Platax teira
5. Moorish idol Zanclus cornutus
6. Blacktail sergeant Abudefduf lorenzi

Invertebrates

2. Blue sea star Linckia laevigata

 

[carl the birder]

i got a lifer today a god 160 for this year
160 black tern Chlidonias niger

 

[DesertRhino150]

Over the past couple of weeks, I have seen three new birds, a new fish and nineteen new invertebrates. Apart from the first four invertebrates, all the new animals seen have been spotted over the past two days while walking locally:

108. Common whitethroat Sylvia communis
109. Common kingfisher Alcedo atthis
110. Eurasian bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula

5. Common dace Leuciscus leuciscus

34. Yellow meadow ant Lasius flavus
35. European red ant Myrmica rubra
36. Meadow brown butterfly Maniola jurtina
37. Wasp beetle Clytus arietis
38. Banded demoiselle Calopteryx splendens
39. Common backswimmer Notonecta glauca
40. White-legged damselfly Platycnemis pennipes
41. Harlequin ladybird Harmonia axyridis
42. Ringlet butterfly Aphantopus hyperantus
43. Marmalade hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
44. Red-eyed damselfly Erythromma najas
45. Semaphore fly Poecilobothrus nobilitatus
46. Emperor dragonfly Anax imperator
47. Swollen-thighed beetle Oedemera nobilis
48. Ramshorn snail Planorbarius corneus
49. Common pondskater Gerris lacustris
50. Holly blue butterfly Celastrina argiolus
51. Large skipper butterfly Ochlodes sylvanus
52. Pirate wolf spider Pirata piraticus

Another local walk today gave me another eight invertebrates for my list, including one lifer species:

53. Early bumblebee Bombus pratorum
54. Ichneumon wasp Ephialtes manifestator
55. Ruby-tailed wasp Chrysis ignita
56. Roesel's bush cricket Metrioptera roeselii
57. Wood digger wasp Ectemnius lituratus
58. Green dock beetle Gastrophysa viridula
59. Field grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus
60. Hoverfly Xylota sylvarum

An invertebrate event of interest (albeit involving a species already seen this year) is a swarm of honeybees settled on our garden bench. This is possibly a different colony to the one currently nesting in our chimney.

 

[birdsandbats]

Herpitiles
5. Common Snapping Turtle Chelydra serpentina

Herpitiles
6. American Toad Anaxyrus americanus

 

[Vision]

BIRDS:
415) River warbler, Locustella fluviatilis

INVERTS:
53) Asian ladybug, Harmonia axyridis
54) Box tree moth, Cydalima perspectalis
55) Common gear froghopper, Issus coleoptratus
56) Orange ladybug, Halyzia sedecimguttata
57) Flower spider, Misumena vatia
58) Red-spotted plant bug, Deraeocoris ruber
59) Banded demoiselle, Calopteryx splendens

BIRDS:
416) Melodious warbler, Hippolais polyglotta
417) Ferruginous duck, Aythya nyroca
418) European nightjar, Caprimulgus europaeus

MAMMALS:
28) Beech marten, Martes foina

INVERTS:
60) Painted lady, Vanessa cardui
61) Garden tiger moth, Arctia caja
62) Large skipper, Ochlodes sylvanus
63) Emperor dragonfly, Anax imperator
64) Denticulate leatherbug, Coriomeris denticulatus
65) Tawny cockroach, Ectobius pallidus
66) Forest cockroach, Ectobius sylvestris

 

[Chlidonias]

MAMMALS:
28) Beech marten, Martes foina

Nice. Is this a difficult mammal to see?

 

[Vision]

Nice. Is this a difficult mammal to see?

Not really, they're basically one of those species you're bound to see eventually if you drive in forests at night often. I just don't drive at night that often, so I hadn't gotten lucky yet! Yesterday night was an exception, because I drove to get the nightjars.

 

[lintworm]

Nice. Is this a difficult mammal to see?

They are even regulars in many cities nowadays, but you have to be out at night to stand a chance. Pine marten are much more tricky to see, they are just hit and (mostly) miss. I have seen only 1 in my life despite spending countless hours in suitable habitat.

 

[boof]

24/6/2019
194. eastern barn owl

 

[Ursus]

Invertebrates:
15. European earwig (Forficula auricular)

 

[Maguari]

Not long back from 10 days' zooing in North Rhine-Westphalia. As well as many, many fantastic zoo animals we did encounter some interesting incidental wild animals:

Birds:
226. Ring-necked Parakeet - Psittacula krameri

(UK: 172)

Mammals:
31. Greater White-toothed Shrew - Crocidura russula
32. Coypu - Myocastor coypus

Amphibians:
5. Alpine Newt - Ichthyosaura alpestris
6. Great Crested Newt - Triturus cristatus
7. Edible Frog - Pelophylax kl. esculentus

Invertebrates:
60. Banded Demoiselle - Calopteryx splendens

The shrew was in the grounds of Krefeld zoo, and appeared to have lost the use of its hind legs, very likely in an encounter with a predator (not impossibly a zoo animal, but probably more likely a domestic cat). It was still pretty lively, for all that, pulling itself around on its front pair. Coypu I saw for the first time in the wild on a zoo trip in France last year, but they seem to have taken a liking to me, with an adult with three young seen in the grounds of ZOOM-Erlebniswelt (Gelsenkirchen) and a further individual in the Ruhr river near our accommodation.

We almost certainly saw more Pelophylax than just Edible as we saw a lot of individuals in a lot of locations but the frogs I was able to get images of showing ID points (like vocal sac colour and metatarsal tubercle) all show Edible traits.

 

[Vision]

Went after Baillon's crake, a still fairly rare vagrant, tonight and unfortunately didn't see (nor even hear) any of them. I'm now 0/2 on my attempts of the small crakes in Belgium... At least I'll have more opportunities to get them in the future! Did get two other additions instead, though, so I suppose I can't complain too much.

BIRDS:
419) Black-crowned night heron, Nycticorax nycticorax

MAMMALS:
29) Red fox, Vulpes vulpes

These will likely be my last additions (of birds and mammals, at least) in Belgium for the next few weeks

 

[Dannelboyz]

BIRDS
234 - Northern Giant Petrel (Macronectes halli)
235 - Fairy Prion (Pachyptila turtur)
336 - Fluttering Shearwater (Puffinus gavia)
337 - Southern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialoides)
238 - Southern Giant Petrel (Macronectes giganteus)
239 - Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophris)
240 - Hutton's Shearwater (Puffinus huttoni)
--- Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor) [heard]
241 - Black-faced Cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscescens)

Barely birded at all in the last few weeks, so it was nice to get out again!

BIRDS
242 - Crescent Honeyeater (Phylidonyris pyrrhopterus)
243 - Superb Lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae)

 

[LaughingDove]

Practically back up to where I was last year already... sigh...

1) Black-headed Gull
2) Hooded Crow
3) Rook
4) Eurasian Collared Dove
5) Tree Sparrow
6) Caspian Gull
7) Jackdaw
8) Feral Pigeon
9) Great Tit
10) Blue Tit
11) Herring Gull
12) Eurasian Siskin
13) Mute Swan
14) Common Moorhen
15) Eurasian Coot
16) House Sparrow
17) Mallard
18) Eurasian Magpie

1) European Red Squirrel

Quite busy at the moment as I go back to university next week, so these are just from a short stroll in the drizzle around near my house (in Poland).

A local park today.

19) Mandarin Duck
20) Middle Spotted Woodpecker
21) Carolina Wood Duck
22) European Goldfinch
23) European Greenfinch
24) Eurasian Jay
25) Greater Spotted Woodpecker
26) Eurasian Nuthatch
27) Short-toed Treecreeper

2) Striped Field Mouse

28) Goosander
29) Great Cormorant
30) Dunnock
31) Common Blackbird

3) House Mouse

32) Red Kite
33) European Starling
34) Common Pheasant
35) Common Kestrel
36) Carrion Crow
37) Common Woodpigeon
38) Canada Goose
39) Common Buzzard

4) Eastern Grey Squirrel
5) European Rabbit

40) European Robin

From last Sunday:

41) Greylag Goose
42) Common Teal
43) Lesser Black-back Gull
44) European Wigeon
44) Greater Black-back Gull
45) Common Gull
46) Northern Lapwing
47) Common Buzzard
48) Merlin
49) Brambling
50) Long-tailed Tit

Missed one off, should have been #41 at the top of this list

51) Redwing

Some great birding today:

52) Common Kingfisher
53) Common Shelduck (species missed in 2018!)
54) Skylark
55) Common Snipe (species missed in 2018!)
56) Bullfinch
57) Northern Shoveler
58) Eurasian Golden Plover

It's been an extremely long time since I last updated this list, just been rather busy and sadly not spent just time on ZooChat. However having now finished my first year at uni I've got a bit of time to do an update:

Mammals:
Oxfordshire, England:
6) Roe Deer
7) Fallow Deer

Warsaw, Poland:
8) Northern White-breasted Hedgehog
9) Beech Marten
10) Red Deer
11) Wild Boar
12) Brown Hare

Pembrokeshire, Wales:
13) Lesser Horseshoe Bat
14) Greater Horseshoe Bat
15) Brown Long-eared Bat
16) Daubenton's Bat
17) Soprano Pipistrelle
18) Common Pipistrelle
19) Natterer's Bat
20) European Badger

Birds:
Warsaw, Poland
59) Yellowhammer
60) Hawfinch
61) Ortolan Bunting
62) Common Crane
63) Crested Tit
64) Northern Wheatear
65) Willow Tit

Oxfordshire, UK:
66) Common Swift

Pembrokeshire, Wales
67) Green Woodpecker
68) Chaffinch
69) Tawny Owl
70) Coal Tit
71) Marsh Tit
72) House Martin
73) Barn Swallow
74) Eurasian Wren
75) Eurasian Blackcap
76) Eurasian Treecreeper
77) Song Thrush
78) Spotted Flycatcher
79) Red-billed Chough
80) Common Guillemot
81) Razorbill
82) Northern Fulmar
83) Northern Gannet
84) European Shag
85) Eurasian Oystercatcher
86) Common Sandpiper
87) Eurasian Skylark
88) Sand Martin
89) Whinchat
90) Common Stonechat
91) Meadow Pipit
92) Manx Shearwater

Amphibians (all Warsaw, Poland)
1) Common Toad
2) Edible Frog
3) Common Frog
4) Moor Frog
5) Common Newt
6) Pool Frog
7) Great Crested Newt
8) Fire-bellied Toad

Reptiles:
1) Sand Lizard
2) Viviparous Lizard

On Monday I will be flying to Illinois in the US to spend 12 weeks there this summer for work purposes. Unfortunately for seeing wildlife, the entirety of the 12 weeks will be spent at the Uni of Illinois in the town of Champaign. If anyone can suggest any way I might be able to see any wildlife from there with only weekends free and without my own car that could be helpful? I suspect that's not an easy task however.

 

[birdsandbats]

Birds
153. Chestnut-sided Warbler Setophaga pensylvanica

Herpitiles
5. Common Snapping Turtle Chelydra serpentina

A pair of long-awaited lifers and a nice vagrant from birding today:

Birds
144. Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
145. American Bittern Botaurus lentiginosus
146. Yellow-headed Blackbird Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus
147. Great Crested Flycatcher Myiarchus crinitus
148. Black Tern Chlidonias niger
149. Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana
150. Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus
151. Common Gallinule Gallinula galeata
152. Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus

Mammals
10. Red Fox Vulpes vulpes
11. American Mink Neovison vison
12. Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel Ictidomys tridecemlineatus

Birds
154. Green Heron Butorides virescens
155. Carolina Chickadee Poecile carolinensis

Mammals
13. Striped Skunk Mephitis mephitis

Herpitiles
6. American Bullfrog Lithobates catesbeia
7. Spiny Softshell Turtle Apalone spinifera

 

[Vision]

Taxonomic update, as of the latest IOC changes:

Hill blue flycatcher (Cyornis banyumas) is now split into Javan blue flycatcher (C.banyumas) and Hill blue flycatcher (C.whitei). I saw C.whitei.

Tickell's blue flycatcher (Cyornis tickelliae) is now split into Tickell's blue flycatcher (C.tickelliae) and Indochinese blue flycatcher (C.sumatrensis). I saw C.sumatrensis.

Indian roller (Coracias benghalensis) is now split into Indian roller (C.benghalensis) and Indochinese roller (C.affinis). I saw C.affinis.

Barbary falcon (Falco pelegrinoides) is now lumped back into Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus). My list had both species, but now that they're lumped I have to remove Barbary falcon from the list, putting me back at 418 species.

 

[birdsandbats]

Birds
154. Green Heron Butorides virescens
155. Carolina Chickadee Poecile carolinensis

Mammals
13. Striped Skunk Mephitis mephitis

Herpitiles
6. American Bullfrog Lithobates catesbeia
7. Spiny Softshell Turtle Apalone spinifera

Birds
156. Wood Thrush Hylocichla mustelina

 

[Pleistohorse]

Birds:

24. Spectacled Eider - Somateria Fisheri
25. American Wigeon - Mareca Americana
26. Sabine Gull - Xeman Sabinus
27. Pacific Loon - Gavia Pacifica
28. Greater Scaup - Aythya Marila
29. Green-Winged Teal - Anas Crecca
30. Northern Shoveler - Spatula Clypeata
31. Northern Pintail - Anas Acuta
32. Canada Goose - Branta Canadensis
33. Tundra Swan - Cygnus Columbianus
34. Arctic Tern - Sterna Paradisaea
35. Dark-Eyed Junco - Junco Hyemalis
36. Yellow-Rumped Warbler - Setophaga Coronata
37. Orange-Crowned Warbler - Oreothlypis Celata
38. Tree Swallow - Tachycineta Bicolor
39. Lapland Longspur - Calcarius Lapponicus
40. Cackling Goose - Branta Hutchinsii
41. Northern Harrier - Circus Hudsonius
42. Lesser Yellowlegs - Tringa Flavipes
43. Sandhill Crane - Antigone Canadensis
44. Peregrine Falcon - Falco Peregrinus
45. Short-Billed Dowitcher - Limnodromus Griseus
46. Red-Necked Phalarope - Phalaropus Lobatus
47. Parasetic Jaeger - Stercorarius Parasiticus
48. Hermit Thrush - Catharus Guttatus
49. Belted Kingfisher - Megaceryle Alcyon
50. Long-Tailed Duck - Clangula Hyemalis
51. Common Eider - Somateria Mollissima
52. Red-Throated Loon - Gavia Stellata
53. King Eider - Somateria Spectabilis
54. Long-billed Dowitcher - Limondromus Scolopaceus
55. Brant - Branta Bernicla
56. Semipalmated Plover - Charadrius Dubius
57. Semipalmated Sandpiper - Calidris Pusilla
58. Common Merganser - Mergus Merganser
59. Long-tailed Jaeger - Stercorarius Longicadus
60. American Robin - Turdus Migratorius

61. Black Guillemot - Cepphus Grylle