ZooChat Big Year 2020

to day i grab my bike to go and find a red breasted flychatcher close to me. it was a nice but hot day
248 red brested flycatcher Ficedula parva
 
This was definitely one of the species I was looking forward to seeing in the country the most, so it's good to finally get it out of the way! It actually turned out to be a lot more fun than expected, because on the walk over there, about 800-900m away from the location I saw one wonderfully, and upon arrival to the reported location there was also one singing there! I can't be 100% certain if I found a second individual or not, but if there are indeed two birds it's definitely one of my best finds yet. Either way, definitely fantastic birds, and even though these were second calendar year birds lacking the red colour it was fun to finally see them.

BIRDS:
211) Common rosefinch, Carpodacus erythrinus
 
Worked right through the long weekend that has just passed, so took a sunny winters afternoon off to do a bit of birdwatching.

Coolart Wetlands

305. Hoary-headed grebe Poliocephalus poliocephalus
306. Spiny-cheeked honeyeater Acanthagenys rufogularis

Cape Schanck

307. Kelp gull Larus dominicanus

And a correction. I wasn't aware that the masked lapwing has been split, ironically back to the two species that existed when I started being interested in birds. However the local species has not been called spur-winged plover, the name I grew up with. Technically a new species for my list.

14. Black-shouldered lapwing Vanellus novaehollandiae
 
Dannelboyz said:
BIRDS
235 - Speckled Warbler (Pyrrholaemus sagittatus)
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Had an awesome trip to the mallee for the last five days or so, getting an incredible six lifers! I was honestly expecting no more than one or two, considering the amount of time I've spent in the mallee in recent years. Some day I'll finally pick up Redthroat!

I have to check through my ZC year list at some point to make sure I've counted correctly. I seem to be 3 species behind what I'd expect compared with my eBird list, taking into account heard-only species and splits :p

MAMMALS
29 - Western Grey Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus)
30 - Red Kangaroo (Osphranter rufus)

BIRDS
236 - Fuscous Honeyeater (Lichenostomus fuscus)
237 - Greater Bluebonnet (Northiella haematogaster)
238 - Yellow-plumed Honeyeater (Lichenostomus ornatus)
239 - Yellow-throated Miner (Manorina flavigula)
240 - Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis)
241 - Blue-faced Honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis)
242 - Black-faced Woodswallow (Artamus cinereus)
243 - Rufous Fieldwren (Calamanthus campestris)
244 - Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis)
245 - Pied Butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis)
246 - Crested Bellbird (Oreoica gutturalis)
247 - Splendid Fairywren (Malurus splendens)
248 - Apostlebird (Struthidea cinerea)
249 - Inland Thornbill (Acanthiza apicalis)
250 - Chestnut Quailthrush (Cinclosoma castanotum)
251 - Major Mitchell's Cockatoo (Lophochroa leadbeateri)
252 - Mulga Parrot (Psephotus varius)
253 - Mallee Emuwren (Stipiturus mallee)
254 - Red-lored Whistler (Pachycephala rufogularis)
255 - Southern Scrub-Robin (Drymodes brunneopygia)
256 - Shy Heathwren (Hylacola cauta)
257 - Malleefowl (Leipoa ocellata)
258 - Striped Honeyeater (Plectorhyncha lanceolata)
259 - Little Crow (Corvus bennetti)
260 - White-browed Treecreeper (Climacteris affinis)
261 - Purple-crowned Lorikeet (Glossopsitta porphyrocephala)
262 - White-fronted Honeyeater (Purnella albifrons)
 
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Dannelboyz said:
Had an awesome trip to the mallee for the last five days or so, getting an incredible six lifers! I was honestly expecting no more than one or two, considering the amount of time I've spent in the mallee in recent years. Some day I'll finally pick up Redthroat!

I have to check through my ZC year list at some point to make sure I've counted correctly. I seem to be 3 species behind what I'd expect compared with my eBird list, taking into account heard-only species and splits :p

MAMMALS
29 - Western Grey Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus)
30 - Red Kangaroo (Osphranter rufus)

BIRDS
236 - Fuscous Honeyeater (Lichenostomus fuscus)
237 - Greater Bluebonnet (Northiella haematogaster)
238 - Yellow-plumed Honeyeater (Lichenostomus ornatus)
239 - Yellow-throated Miner (Manorina flavigula)
240 - Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis)
241 - Blue-faced Honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis)
242 - Black-faced Woodswallow (Artamus cinereus)
243 - Rufous Fieldwren (Calamanthus campestris)
244 - Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis)
245 - Pied Butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis)
246 - Crested Bellbird (Oreoica gutturalis)
247 - Splendid Fairywren (Malurus splendens)
248 - Apostlebird (Struthidea cinerea)
249 - Inland Thornbill (Acanthiza apicalis)
250 - Chestnut Quailthrush (Cinclosoma castanotum)
251 - Major Mitchell's Cockatoo (Lophochroa leadbeateri)
252 - Mulga Parrot (Psephotus varius)
253 - Mallee Emuwren (Stipiturus mallee)
254 - Red-lored Whistler (Pachycephala rufogularis)
255 - Southern Scrub-Robin (Drymodes brunneopygia)
256 - Shy Heathwren (Hylacola cauta)
257 - Malleefowl (Leipoa ocellata)
258 - Striped Honeyeater (Plectorhyncha lanceolata)
259 - Little Crow (Corvus bennetti)
260 - White-browed Treecreeper (Climacteris affinis)
261 - Purple-crowned Lorikeet (Glossopsitta porphyrocephala)
262 - White-fronted Honeyeater (Purnella albifrons)
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Picked up a bird I hadn't previously seen in the state today, pushing my Victorian bird life list up to 345 species!

BIRDS
263 - Eurasian Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)
 
I love the coast! A friend and I went to look if we could find a Blyth's reed warbler (still only one field observation ever in Belgium, but they're popping up in at least 25 places in the Netherlands right now so we decided that somebody has to find Belgium's second this year...). No luck with the birds except for an out-of-place spotted flycatcher and a family of grey partridges, but we did get a bunch of really good moths, and I found what was apparently Zeebrugge's first Common wall lizard ever! Go figure that my first major find as a birder isn't even a bird...

BIRDS:
212) Grey partridge, Perdix perdix

HERPS:
2) Common wall lizard, Podarcis muralis

INVERTS:
52) Meadow brown, Maniola jurtina
53) Six-spot burnet, Zygaena filipendulae
54) Five-spot burnet, Zygaena trifolii
55) Tawny wave, Scopula rubiginata
56) Single-dotted wave, Idaea dimidiata
57) Pale prominent, Pterostoma palpina
58) Garden tiger moth, Arctia caja
59) Smoky wainscot, Mythimna impura
60) Shark, Cucullia umbratica
61) Flounced rustic, Luperina testacea
62) Large tabby, Aglossa pinguinalis
63) Twin-barred knot-horn, Homoeosoma sinuella
64) Black-legged soldier beetle, Cantharis fusca
65) Malachite beetle, Malachius bipustulatus
66) Swollen-thighed beetle, Oedemera nobilis
 
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Having been in the house all day for work I took advantage of the sunny evening for a little twitching excursion. A lifer irruptive migrant combined with a drive back past the most local breeding site for one of my favourite British birds made it well worth the effort.

Birds:
174. Rose-coloured Starling - Pastor roseus
175. Eurasian Spoonbill - Platalea leucorodia

:)
 
Mehdi said:
06/06/2020 (Agadir, Morocco)
INVERTS:
6 - Beet webworm moth, Spoladea recurvalis
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After exactly 3 months without birding at all because of the lockdown, the lifting of this latter means I've finally been able to bird. What better way to spend my first session back at Issen to try and get as many spring/summer migrants that I missed during those three months as possible?

13/06/2020
(Road from Agadir to Issen, Morocco)
BIRDS:
103 - European bee-eater, Merops apiaster
104 - European turtle-dove, Streptopelia turtur
105 - Rufous-tailed scrub-robin, Cercotrichas galactotes

(Issen, Morocco)
BIRDS:
106 - Fulvous babbler, Argya fulva

INVERTS:
7 - Lang's short-tailed blue, Leptotes pirithous

14/06/2020:
BIRDS:
107 - Western olivaceous warbler, Iduna opaca
108 - Crested lark, Galerida cristata
109 - African blue tit, Cyanistes teneriffae
110 - Common linnet, Linaria cannabina
111 - Western black-eared wheatear, Oenanthe hispanica
112 - Booted eagle, Hieraaetus pennatus

HERPS:
6 - Sahara frog, Pelophylax saharicus
7 - Bibron's agama, Agama impalearis

INVERTS:
8 - Clouded yellow, Colias croceus
9 - Small white, Pieris rapae
10 - Small copper, Lycaena phlaeas
11 - Red-veined dropwing, Trithemis arteriosa
12 - Orange-winged dropwing, Trithemis kirbyi

All-in-all, the perfect way to come back with the uncontested highlight of this weekend being the two Booted eagles seeing circling in the sky, a totally unexpected addition and only my second and third ever Booted eagles in Morocco!

The other birds were basically all the species I wished to get barring maybe Western bonelli's warbler. The Crested lark and African blue tit were especially good to get as I was afraid of missing them this year.
 
i went to bat exebetion to try to id bats. we only id one. id bye call but allso sean. the one bat i have id before. after that i went on a short nigth bird trip. but those was only herd.

mammals
33 wild bore Sus scrofa
34 common nocktule Nyctalus noctul
 
Najade said:
Birds
101. Icterine Warbler (Hippolais icterina)
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Went out looking for White-throated Dipper today, but was unsuccessful. At least I got this little guy:

Birds
102. Marsh Warbler (Acrocephalus palustris)


I'm gonna be in Maastricht over the weekend. Anyone know if there's any wildlife-y stuff out that way that I should have a look for?
 
Najade said:
Went out looking for White-throated Dipper today, but was unsuccessful. At least I got this little guy:

Birds
102. Marsh Warbler (Acrocephalus palustris)


I'm gonna be in Maastricht over the weekend. Anyone know if there's any wildlife-y stuff out that way that I should have a look for?
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Depends on what you want. There is a reliable location for European Eagle Owl in the former stone quarry of the St. Pietersberg on the SW of the city. There are also a few calcereous species-rich meadows, with high abundance of rare plants and inverts there, as well as the former stone quarry itself, which is now open for visitors. There is a very high number of smaller nature reserves between Maastricht and the German border. Former quarries often host Midwife Toad and Yellow-bellied Toads (though seeing the former is very difficult). In general a night-drive on smaller country roads there gives you a good chance of seeing European Badger and Beech Marten (and in the area around the Vijlenerbos there is a small chance of seeing European Wild Cat, this is also the only place in the country where Hazel Dormouse occurs, for which careful scanning of thickets at forest edges is needed).

Furthermore the city of Maastricht itself is imo the prettiest in the country and some of the old city walls are great for rare inverts and flora. The Hooge Fronten area is one of the very few places in the NL where Common Wall Lizards are found.

You can look up recent observation of basically all species on www.waarneming.nl, but note that the exact location of some rarities is obscured.
 
Dannelboyz said:
Had an awesome trip to the mallee for the last five days or so, getting an incredible six lifers! I was honestly expecting no more than one or two, considering the amount of time I've spent in the mallee in recent years. Some day I'll finally pick up Redthroat!

I have to check through my ZC year list at some point to make sure I've counted correctly. I seem to be 3 species behind what I'd expect compared with my eBird list, taking into account heard-only species and splits :p

MAMMALS
29 - Western Grey Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus)
30 - Red Kangaroo (Osphranter rufus)

BIRDS
236 - Fuscous Honeyeater (Lichenostomus fuscus)
237 - Greater Bluebonnet (Northiella haematogaster)
238 - Yellow-plumed Honeyeater (Lichenostomus ornatus)
239 - Yellow-throated Miner (Manorina flavigula)
240 - Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis)
241 - Blue-faced Honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis)
242 - Black-faced Woodswallow (Artamus cinereus)
243 - Rufous Fieldwren (Calamanthus campestris)
244 - Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis)
245 - Pied Butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis)
246 - Crested Bellbird (Oreoica gutturalis)
247 - Splendid Fairywren (Malurus splendens)
248 - Apostlebird (Struthidea cinerea)
249 - Inland Thornbill (Acanthiza apicalis)
250 - Chestnut Quailthrush (Cinclosoma castanotum)
251 - Major Mitchell's Cockatoo (Lophochroa leadbeateri)
252 - Mulga Parrot (Psephotus varius)
253 - Mallee Emuwren (Stipiturus mallee)
254 - Red-lored Whistler (Pachycephala rufogularis)
255 - Southern Scrub-Robin (Drymodes brunneopygia)
256 - Shy Heathwren (Hylacola cauta)
257 - Malleefowl (Leipoa ocellata)
258 - Striped Honeyeater (Plectorhyncha lanceolata)
259 - Little Crow (Corvus bennetti)
260 - White-browed Treecreeper (Climacteris affinis)
261 - Purple-crowned Lorikeet (Glossopsitta porphyrocephala)
262 - White-fronted Honeyeater (Purnella albifrons)
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An exceptional night in the central highlands got me two lifers! I've seen feathertails several times now but this is the first time I've managed to ID one to species level.

MAMMALS
31 - Leadbeater's Possum (Gymnobelideus leadbeateri)
32 - Narrow-toed Feathertail Glider (Acrobates pygmaeus)
 
KevinVar said:
BIRDS
103. Eurasian Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)
104. European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola)
105. Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica)
106. Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)
107. Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)
108. Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)
109. Eurasian Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)
110. Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus)
111. Common House Martin (Delichon urbicum)
112. Northern Raven (Corvus corax)
113. Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea)
114. Mediterranean Gull (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus)
115. Grasshopper Warbler (Locustella naevia)
116. Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus)
117. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dryobates minor)
118. Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
119. Little Owl (Athene noctua)
120. Common Swift (Apus apus)
121. Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)
122. Common Whitethroat (Sylvia communis)
123. Eurasian Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus)
124. Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus)
125. Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca)
126. Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)
127. Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)
128. Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius)
129. Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)
130. Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago)
131. Eurasian Bittern (Botaurus stellaris)
132. Water Rail (Rallus aquaticus)
133. Bearded Reedling (Panurus biarmicus)
134. Sand Martin (Riparia riparia)
135. Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis)
136. Woodlark (Lullula arborea)
137. Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus)
138. Common Linnet (Linaria cannabina)
139. Eurasian Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)
140. Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)
141. Cetti's Warbler (Cettia cetti)
142. Common Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos)
143. Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)
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Birds and mammals from the annual Big Day at the end of May and a visit to one of the reed warblers part of the remarkable influx in western Europe.

BIRDS
144. European Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus)
145. Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella)
146. Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata)
147. Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus)
148. Eurasian Wryneck (Jynx torquilla)
149. Garden Warbler (Sylvia borin)
150. Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio)
151. Willow Tit (Poecile montanus)
152. Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius)
153. Crested Tit (Lophophanes cristatus)
154. Common Crane (Grus grus)
155. White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)
156. Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida)
157. Black Tern (Chlidonias niger)
158. Garganey (Spatula querquedula)
159. White-winged Tern (Chlidonias leucopterus)
160. Black-necked Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis)
161. Marsh Warbler (Acrocephalus palustris)
162. Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)
163. Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea)
164. Western Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava)
165. Sanderling (Calidris alba)
166. Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica)
167. Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula)
168. Ruff (Philomachus pugnax)
169. Icterine Warbler (Hippolais icterina)
170. Savi's Warbler (Locustella luscinioides)
171. Blyth's Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus dumetorum)

MAMMALS
8. Common Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus)
9. Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)
10. Common Noctule (Nyctalus noctula)
 
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