ZooChat Big Year 2020

Bluethroats for me are very much a mixed bag - Sometimes I have to spend an hour looking in a reed bed trying to get glimpses of that small brown flash (almost similar to an Acrocephalus or Locustella at times), but then on other days I'll just have them singing prominently around me in plain sight.
Two weeks ago I had one of those days when all my bluethroat observations remained heard-only despite intense searching, but this weekend I had 3 of them singing prominently right next to me while I was waiting for the wryneck to pop up again, even sitting in open branches of trees right above me!
 
Mr. Zootycoon said:
They are generally found in areas with older reed and some woody vegetation. In early spring the males are quite easy to see as they perch in the open to sing. I've seen four Bluethroats sing this year and all were perching in willow bushes. Later in the year they tend to become a bit more skulky in my experience, but far from impossible to see.



Good luck. They're fanastic birds to see!
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Thaks for the information on Bluethroats.The one I saw in the UK was in cold March weather. It was foraging near water and also flying between bushtops. Very visible.

As to Black Woodpecker, note that I said 'virtual';)- I live in the UK so no chance here- and no travelling now...
 
birdsandbats said:
Birds
107. Golden-crowned Kinglet Regulus satrapa
108. Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus
109. Winter Wren Troglodytes hiemalis

Herps
1. Painted Turtle Chrysemys picta
2. Wood Frog Lithobates sylvaticus

Fish
3. Common Carp Cyprinus carpio
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Birds
110. Barred Owl Strix varia
111. Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus
 
Najade said:
My second loon :)

Birds
72. Great Northern Diver (Gavia immer)
73. Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons)
74. Gadwall (Mareca strepera)
75. Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata)
76. Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago)
77. European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola)
78. Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella)
Click to expand...

Mammals
11. Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)

Birds
79. Common Firecrest (Regulus ignicapilla)
80. Eurasian Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola)
 
Herptiles

I decided to eliminate the common wall lizard from my list because I'm not ure anymore the ID was correct.
Today, while I was birdwatching...

1. Italian Wall Lizard, Podarcis siculus
 
One good that about being largely stuck indoors is you get to catch up on things. Here is my long overdue update making me current of of today. Some high? lights were believe it or not my first deer tick. Every tick I have been able to id previously were always dog ticks. But since my first a few weeks ago, I found found 2 other deer ticks. I also have found my first ever wild Spotted Salamander and the other night saw for only the 3rd time Spring Peepers even though I hear them every year. Also some vagrants from earlier in the year makes it look like I had a trip to Europe without actually going.

Birds:
64. American Coot Fulica americana
65. Common Merganser Mergus merganser
66. Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus
67. Field Sparrow Spizella pusilla
68. Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps
69. Hairy Woodpecker Dryobates villosus
70. Fish Crow Corvus ossifragus
71. Sanderling Calidris alba
72. White-winged Scoter Melanitta fusca
73. Dunlin Calidris alpina
74. Black Scoter Melanitta americana
75. Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons
76. Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus
77. Snow Goose Anser caerulescens
78. Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis
79. Mew Gull Larus canus canus
80. Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope
81. American Tree Sparrow Spizella arborea
82. Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
83. Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus
84. Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana
85. Merlin Falco columbarius
86. Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris
87. Brown Creeper Certhia americana
88. Common Grackle Quiscalus quiscula
89. Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
90. Golden-crowned Kinglet Regulus satrapa
91. King Eider Somateria spectabilis
92. Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater
93. American Woodcock Scolopax minor
94. Osprey Pandion haliaetus
95. Wilson's Snipe Gallinago delicata
96. Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos
97. Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe
98. Pine Warbler Setophaga pinus
99. Snowy Egret Egretta thula
100. Great Egret Ardea alba
101. American Oystercatcher Haematopus palliatus
102. Winter Wren Troglodytes hiemalis
103. Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus
104. Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo

Mammals:
5. Red Fox Vulpes vulpes

Herps:
1. Red-backed Salamander Plethodon cinereus
2. Painted Turtle Chrysemys picta
3. Spotted Salamander Ambystoma maculatum
4. Spring Peeper Pseudacris crucifer

Inverts:
1. Pavement Ant Tetramorium caespitum
2. Half-wing Moth Phigalia titea
3. Black-legged Tick Ixodes scapularis
4. Bald-faced Hornet Dolichovespula maculata
5. Northern Quahog Mercenaria mercenaria
6. Atlantic Ribbed Mussel Geukensia demissa
7. Asian Shore Crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus
8. Common Periwinkle Littorina littorea
9. Eastern Oyster Crassostrea virginica
10. Winter Firefly Ellychnia corrusca
 
birdsandbats said:
Another great vagrant today (only the 11th record in my state):

Mammals
10. Woodchuck Marmota monax

Birds
104. Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis
105. Osprey Pandion haliaetus
106. Golden-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia atricapilla
Click to expand...
Mammals
11. Snowshoe Hare Lepus americanus
 
At Moonlit

286. Little eagle Hieraaetus morphnoides
 
Dannelboyz said:
I was in Terrick-Terrick NP for fieldwork this week. After 15 hours of searching, I picked up what is probably the best bird I've ever seen in terms of rarity and uniqueness! It was a male with two chicks as well. Vic tick #333!

BIRDS
202 - Horsfield's Bushlark (Mirafra javanica)
203 - Chestnut-rumped Thornbill (Acanthiza uropygialis)
204 - Western Gerygone (Gerygone fusca)
205 - White-browed Babbler (Pomatostomus superciliosus)
206 - Restless Flycatcher (Myiagra inquieta)
207 - Australian Ringneck (Barnardius zonarius)
208 - Gilbert's Whistler (Pachycephala inornata)
209 - Diamond Firetail (Stagonopleura guttata)
210 - Plains-wanderer (Pedionomus torquatus)
211 - Collared Sparrowhawk (Accipiter cirrocephalus)

REPTILES
12 - Boulenger's Skink (Morethia boulengeri)
Click to expand...
An excellent week of fieldwork in Gippsland got me quite a few additions. Particularly stoked about the Masked-Owl!

MAMMALS
24 - Sambar (Rusa unicolor)*
25 - Dingo (Canis familiaris)*
26 - Feral Cat (Felis catus)*

Note that I am using the term "Dingo" loosely to include dingo/feral dog hybrids, as virtually all dingoes in Gippsland are.

BIRDS
212 - Australian Masked-Owl (Tyto novaehollandiae)
213 - Eastern Cattle Egret (Bubulcus coromandus)
214 - Southern Emuwren (Stipiturus malachurus)
215 - Crescent Honeyeater (Phylidonyris pyrrhopterus)
216 - Large-billed Scrubwren (Sericornis magnirostra)

AMPHIBIANS
3 - Pobblebonk (Limnodynastes dumerili)
--- Red-groined Froglet (Paracrinia haswelli) [heard]
4 - Southern Toadlet (Pseudophryne semimarmorata)
5 - Eastern Common Froglet (Crinia signifera)
6 - Southern Brown Tree Frog (Litoria ewingi)
7 - Blue Mountains Tree Frog (Litoria citropa)
8 - Leaf Green Tree Frog (Litoria nudidigita)
9 - Lesueur's Tree Frog (Litoria lesueuri)
10 - Striped Marsh Frog (Limnodynastes peroni)
 
birdsandbats said:
Birds
107. Golden-crowned Kinglet Regulus satrapa
108. Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus
109. Winter Wren Troglodytes hiemalis

Herps
1. Painted Turtle Chrysemys picta
2. Wood Frog Lithobates sylvaticus

Fish
3. Common Carp Cyprinus carpio
Click to expand...

birdsandbats said:
Birds
112. Yellow-rumped Warbler Setophaga coronata
113. Purple Martin Progne subis
Click to expand...
Birds
114. Purple Finch Haemorhous purpureus
115. Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia

Herps
3. Common Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis
 
Coelacanth18 said:
Bimonthly update:

Birds
25. House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
26. Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
27. Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)
28. Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)
29. Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)
30. Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)
31. White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)
32. Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)
33. Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)
34. Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)
35. Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

Mammals
2. White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
3. House Mouse (Mus musculus)
Click to expand...

Quick update with everything else seen so far:

Birds
36. Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)
37. Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
38. Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)
39. Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)
40. Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus)
41. Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)
42. American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)
43. Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)
44. Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)

Mammals
4. Groundhog (Marmota monax)
5. Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana)
 
Najade said:
Mammals
11. Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)

Birds
79. Common Firecrest (Regulus ignicapilla)
80. Eurasian Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola)
Click to expand...


Hedgehogs are awake, swallows are back and herps are about. Must be summer in the air^^

Mammals
12. European Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus)

Reptiles
01. Yellow-bellied Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta)
 
One addition today and a lifer at that! On my building at work before the rains.
Inverts:
11. Mottled Gray Carpet Cladara limitaria
 
lintworm said:
112. Bluethroat
113. Yellow Wagtail

Mammals

8. Common Pipistrelle

Invertebrates

7. Bombylius major
8. Holly Blue
9. Small Tortoiseshell
10. Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
Click to expand...

I am now seeing Bluethroats daily and more and more spring arrivals and migrants are starting to pop up now. I went looking for a Black-crowned Night Heron this morning, but did not find it. I have seen this species on four continents, but never in the Netherlands (where it is a rarity), so never bothered to look, but beggars can't be choosers these days....

114. Common Raven
115. Common Kingfisher
116. Whimbrel
117. European Golden Plover
118. Common Greenshank
119. Common Whitethroat
120. Eurasian Blackcap

Herptiles

1. Common Frog
2. Common Toad

Invertebrates

11. Red Admiral
12. Cabbage White
 
birds
199 bean gose(tundra bean goose if split it wood be a swedish lifer
200 sponbill duck
201 little ringed plower
202 common ringed plower
203 northern wheatear
204 common linnet
 
birdsandbats said:
Birds
114. Purple Finch Haemorhous purpureus
115. Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia

Herps
3. Common Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis
Click to expand...
Birds
116. Ring-necked Pheasant Phasianus colchicus
117. Wilson's Snipe Gallinago delicata
118. Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula
 
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