ZooChat Big Year 2019

Najade said:
Jalbarragup, Hamelin Bay and Reabold Hill (Perth)

Birds
54. Baudin’s Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus baudinii)

Reptiles
27. King’s Skink (Egernia kingii)

Amphibians
06. Western Banjo Frog (Lymnodynastes dorsalis)
07. Moaning Frog (Heleioporus eyrei)
08. Turtle Frog (Myobatrachus gouldii)
Click to expand...

Slow and steady wins the race I guess.

Mt Gibson Road and Sandstone Rd off Paynes Find

Birds
55. Copper-backed Quail-thrush (Cinclosoma clarum)
56. White-browed Treecreeper (Climacteris affinis)

Reptiles
28. Yellow-spotted Monitor (Varanus panoptes)

Full set of Aussie Treecreepers
 
A few new additions, the birds and the last 3 inverts, the others I am just plugging away at getting caught up.

Birds:
168. White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys
169. Yellow-rumped Warbler Setophaga coronata
Inverts:
70.Eastern Tailed Blue Cupido comyntas
71. Boxwood Leaftier Moth Galasa nigrinodis
72. Large Maple Spanworm Prochoerodes lineola
73. A May Beetle Phyllophaga crenulata
74. Reddish-brown Stag Beetle Lucanus capreolus
75. Dogbane Beetle Chrysochus auratus
76. A Long-legged Fly Condylostylus patibulatus
77. Greenhead Tabanus nigrovittatus
78. Filter Fly Clogmia albipunctata
79. Honey Bee Apis mellifera
80. Northern Flatid Planthopper Flatormenis proxima
81. European Earwig Forficula auricularia
82. Isabella Tiger Moth Pyrrharctia isabella ( as a caterpillar)
83. Black-and-yellow Argiope Argiope aurantia
84. Eastern Oyster Crassostrea virginica
 
So I've had a few more mornings to go migration counting and we had the first really good days for finches, thrushes and geese. I also saw two more Richard's pipits, a species that was a lifer a mere week ago, as well as my first Merlin of the year. A small field work project which focussed in part on carabid beetles also meant a new batch of inverts.

Birds
243. Merlin, Falco columbarius

Invertebrates
175. Lesser Broad-Bordered Yellow Underwing, Noctua janthe
176. Six-Spot Burnet, Zygaena filipendulae
177. Poecilus cupreus
178. Stictopleurus abutilon
179. Aphodius contaminatus
180. Harvestman, Opilio canestrinii
181. Calathus melanocephalus
182. Pterostichus melanarius
183. Amara fulva
184. Amara ovata
185. Nebria brevicollis
186. Necrophorus vespillo
187. Ocys harpaloides
188. Harpalus affinis
189. Notiophilus biguttatus

I guess that's mostly it for the year when it comes to birds. I have some hope that one or a few rare migrant/vagrants may end up close by, in particular the Yellow-Browned Warbler. For inverts I fear that yet again I'll just miss the 200 for inverts.
 
Najade said:
Slow and steady wins the race I guess.

Mt Gibson Road and Sandstone Rd off Paynes Find

Birds
55. Copper-backed Quail-thrush (Cinclosoma clarum)
56. White-browed Treecreeper (Climacteris affinis)

Reptiles
28. Yellow-spotted Monitor (Varanus panoptes)

Full set of Aussie Treecreepers
Click to expand...

Kirkalocka Stn and Barimala Creek (Mt Magnet)

Birds
57. Western Quail-thrush (Cinclosoma marginatum)
58. Slaty-backed Thornbill (Acanthiza robustirostris)
59. Black Honeyeater (Sugamel nigrum)

QT was circling within metres of us foraging, calling, etc. Sometimes too close for binoculars. Best QT viewing I’ve had so far.
 
Chlidonias said:
I was at Pasir Ris the day before you posted this! I didn't realise the white-eyes had been split - I'll have to look into that. (Edit: although I just realised the white-eyes I saw that day were Oriental Z. palpebrosus anyway)
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Really? I was staying at rhe “resort” next door so we were very close! Just don’t tell me you were at Fraser’s Hill last weekend (I left this morning).
Edit: Actually now I look at the dates, I was in Pasir Ris Park from sunrise (I was chasing otters) till mid-morning that day.
 
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Bukit Fraser, Malaysia. The dusky langur is the 100th mammal on my list. I hesitate to say life list as I only started it 18 months ago after a visit to Africa. I have added some older lists I found, also searched photos and have included animals I can distinctly remember. However there is probably 50 years of observations that are not included. Which is why sometimes common Australian animals pop up as first timers. I have to say having my list has really sparked up my watching and I now make a real effort to go out watch primarily birds and mammals but anything that comes my way. I am really enjoying it and I can put it down to the example of others on this group. So thanks, guys!

Mammals

38. Siamang Symphalangus syndactylus
39. Southern pig-tailed macaque Macaca nemestrina
40. White-thighed langur Presbytis siamensis
41. Dusky langur Trachypithecus obscurus
42. Pallas's squirrel Callosciurus erythraeus
43. Slender squirrel Sundasciurus tenuis
44. Western striped squirrel Temiops mcchellandi
45. Yellow-footed marten Martes flavigula

Birds

323, Mountain imperial pigeon Ducula pickeringii
324. Barred cuckoo-dove Macropygia unchall
325. Red-headed trogon Harpactes erythrocephalus
326. Fire-tufted barbet Psilopogon pyrolophus
327. Greater yellowback Chrysosophlegma favinucha
328. White-throated fantail Rhipidura albicollis
329. Bronzed drongo Dicrurus aeneus
330. Lesser racket-tailed drongo Dicrurus remifer
331. Ochraceus bulbul Alophoixus ochraceus
332. Black-crested bulbul Pycnonotus flaviventris
333. Mountain fulvetta Alcippe peracensis
334. Long-tailed sibia Heterophasia picaoides
335. Spectacled laughingthrush Rhinucichila mitrata
336. Sultan tit Melanochlora sultanea
337. Mugimaki flycatcher Ficedula mugimaki
338. Large niltava Niltava grandis
339. Pied bushchat Saxicola caprata
340. Asian glossy starling Aplonis panayensis
341. Orange-bellied leafbird Chloropsis hardwickii
342. Black-throated sunbird Aethopyga saturata
343. Little spiderhunter Arachmothera longirosta
344. Streaked spiderhunter Arachmothera magna

Inverts.

5. Red Helen Papilio helenus
6. Giant forest millipede Tryropygus allevatus

I have a few more birds to add when I am happy with identifications. I was somewhat disappointed with the number of bird species I saw, I was perhaps expecting about double that number. I put it down to lack of experience with these birds and conditions, and the fact that as far as I know I did not experience any waves. On the other hand I was ecstatic with the mammals. Overall I enjoyed Fraser's Hill and look forward to going back.
 
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Najade said:
Kirkalocka Stn and Barimala Creek (Mt Magnet)

Birds
57. Western Quail-thrush (Cinclosoma marginatum)
58. Slaty-backed Thornbill (Acanthiza robustirostris)
59. Black Honeyeater (Sugamel nigrum)

QT was circling within metres of us foraging, calling, etc. Sometimes too close for binoculars. Best QT viewing I’ve had so far.
Click to expand...

Austin Downs Stn, Jokers Tunnel and on the road to Denham

Mammals
53. Inland Cave Bat (Vespadelus finlaysoni)
54. Hill’s Sheath-tailed Bat (Taphozous hilli)
55. Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus)

Birds
60. Banded Whiteface (Aphelocephala nigricincta)

Reptiles
29. Western Spiny-tailed Gecko (Strophurus strophurus)
 
Najade said:
Austin Downs Stn, Jokers Tunnel and on the road to Denham

Mammals
53. Inland Cave Bat (Vespadelus finlaysoni)
54. Hill’s Sheath-tailed Bat (Taphozous hilli)
55. Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus)

Birds
60. Banded Whiteface (Aphelocephala nigricincta)

Reptiles
29. Western Spiny-tailed Gecko (Strophurus strophurus)
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Monkey Mia cruise

Mammals
56. Dugong (Dugong dugon)
 
Normally I don't like skipping class, but when a rarity of this magnitude gets found I'm glad to make an exception! This was the first field observation of this species in Belgium. it only gets better when upon arrival someone found what is probably my favourite bird nearby, which is definitely good this late into the year!

BIRDS:
663) Pallas' grasshopper warbler, Helopsaltes certhiola
664) Eurasian wryneck, Jynx torquilla

(Benelux: 216)
 
Najade said:
Ellendale Pool, Lancelin, Dryandra

Mammals
57. Brush-tailed Bettong (Bettongia penicillata)
58. Western Brown Bandicoot (Isoodon fusciventer)
59. Western Brush Wallaby (Macropus irma)

Birds
61. Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
62. Rock Parrot (Neophema petrophila)
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Back to back whale watching cruise with Naturaliste charters out of Dunsborough and another failed attempt for Chuditch at Dryandra

Mammals
60. (Pygmy) Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda)
61. Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis)
62. (Dwarf) Minke Whale (Balaenoptera (acutorostrata) undescribed)
63. Tammar Wallaby (Macropus eugenii)

Birds
63. South Polar Skua (Stercorarius maccormicki)
64. Hutton’s Shearwater (Puffinus huttoni)
 
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MRJ said:
I have to say having my list has really sparked up my watching and I now make a real effort to go out watch primarily birds and mammals but anything that comes my way. I am really enjoying it and I can put it down to the example of others on this group. So thanks, guys!
Click to expand...
Same. :D
 
MRJ said:
Really? I was staying at rhe “resort” next door so we were very close! Just don’t tell me you were at Fraser’s Hill last weekend (I left this morning).
Edit: Actually now I look at the dates, I was in Pasir Ris Park from sunrise (I was chasing otters) till mid-morning that day.
Click to expand...
I was at Pasir Ris on 24 Sept from dawn until around late morning/noonish - I landed in Singapore at 3am so just went from the airport. And I was also at Bukit Fraser from 1st to 3rd October, so a bit before you. Right now I'm in Bangkok.
 
MRJ said:
43. Slender squirrel Sundasciurus tenuis
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This one has been split as Malaysian Montane (or Upland) Squirrel Sundasciurus tahan. It is actually more closely related to the montane squirrels of Borneo than to the lowland Slender Squirrel.
 
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Vision said:
Normally I don't like skipping class, but when a rarity of this magnitude gets found I'm glad to make an exception! This was the first field observation of this species in Belgium. it only gets better when upon arrival someone found what is probably my favourite bird nearby, which is definitely good this late into the year!

BIRDS:
663) Pallas' grasshopper warbler, Helopsaltes certhiola
664) Eurasian wryneck, Jynx torquilla

(Benelux: 216)
Click to expand...

And little did I know that the very next day there'd be a rarity of an even higher magnitude... While we were already birding at the coast looking for vagrants to discover we suddenly got notified of a nearby red-eyed vireo! This is only the second Belgian record, and only the 12th record of any American passerine in the country... The bird was fairly difficult to connect with but eventually gave great views, towards the end of the day it was also briefly foraging together with a yellow-browed warbler (a rare Asian migrant) in the same tree!

665) Red-eyed vireo, Vireo olivaceus

In the morning we also went back to the Pallas' grasshopper warbler (which was now in a much more traditional location - a large patch of beachgrass), meaning we got two of the rarest passerines ever recorded in Belgium in one day!
 
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Chlidonias said:
I was at Pasir Ris on 24 Sept from dawn until around late morning/noonish - I landed in Singapore at 3am so just went from the airport. And I was also at Bukit Fraser from 1st to 3rd October, so a bit before you. Right now I'm in Bangkok.
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I arrived on the Thursday evening and was at Pasir Ris Friday. I arrived at Butik Fraser mid-afternoon on the 3rd. Ships passing in the night... Have a great trip, I am back in Australia now.
 
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