217 Virginia Rail - Rallus limicola
218 Black-billed Magpie - Pica hudsonia
219 Northern Rough-winged Swallow - Stelgidopteryx serripennis
220 California Gull - Larus californicus
ZooChat Big Year 2020
- Thread starter Chlidonias
- Start date
217 Virginia Rail - Rallus limicola
218 Black-billed Magpie - Pica hudsonia
219 Northern Rough-winged Swallow - Stelgidopteryx serripennis
220 California Gull - Larus californicus
I'm going to redo my mammal list, it was a little screwy:
Mammals
1. Eastern Gray Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis
2. American Red Squirrel Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
3. White-tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus
4. Northern Raccoon Procyon lotor
5. Eastern Cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus
6. Meadow Vole Microtus pennsylvanicus
7. Eastern Chipmunk Tamias striatus
8. Common Muskrat Ondatra zibethicus
9. Southern Red-backed Vole Myodes gapperi
10. Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel Ictidomys tridecemlineatus
11. Woodchuck Marmota monax
12. Bobcat Lynx rufus
13. Red Fox Vulpes vulpes
14. American Mink Neovison vison
15. Virginia Opossum Didelphis virginiana
16. Fox Squirrel Sciurus niger
Mammals
1. Eastern Gray Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis
2. American Red Squirrel Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
3. White-tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus
4. Northern Raccoon Procyon lotor
5. Eastern Cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus
6. Meadow Vole Microtus pennsylvanicus
7. Eastern Chipmunk Tamias striatus
8. Common Muskrat Ondatra zibethicus
9. Southern Red-backed Vole Myodes gapperi
10. Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel Ictidomys tridecemlineatus
11. Woodchuck Marmota monax
12. Bobcat Lynx rufus
13. Red Fox Vulpes vulpes
14. American Mink Neovison vison
15. Virginia Opossum Didelphis virginiana
16. Fox Squirrel Sciurus niger
Dannelboyz
Well-Known Member
MAMMALS
35 - Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)
Luca Bronzi
Well-Known Member
After having visited Ponza Island, the Aeolian Archipelago and the Maremma Regional Park, I'm now in Calabria, where I'll pass basically the entire month.
During these days I saw some species.
Fishes
18. Comber, Serranus cabrilla (many juveniles and also a bigger and probably older individual)
19. Goldblotch Grouper, Epinephelus costae (some juveniles which seem more confident than the dusky groupers).
Invertebrates
???. Common Cicada, Cicada orni
Birds
Today I was looking for gulls and I saw many piper-like birds which were however too far to correctly identify.
At a certain point a man with a girl went close to the birds scaring them. Among the gulls, a brownish bird, which I thought was a Gray Heron, flew next to me and it revealed to be a glossy ibis. It was indeed a beautiful and not very shy individual, but the fact that it was alone and that in Calabria there aren't many of them made me think it escaped from someone. I'm not sure about it though.
I'm also pretty sure I saw some Bee-eaters but I'll wait to put them in my checklist.
During these days I saw some species.
Fishes
18. Comber, Serranus cabrilla (many juveniles and also a bigger and probably older individual)
19. Goldblotch Grouper, Epinephelus costae (some juveniles which seem more confident than the dusky groupers).
Invertebrates
???. Common Cicada, Cicada orni
Birds
Today I was looking for gulls and I saw many piper-like birds which were however too far to correctly identify.
At a certain point a man with a girl went close to the birds scaring them. Among the gulls, a brownish bird, which I thought was a Gray Heron, flew next to me and it revealed to be a glossy ibis. It was indeed a beautiful and not very shy individual, but the fact that it was alone and that in Calabria there aren't many of them made me think it escaped from someone. I'm not sure about it though.
I'm also pretty sure I saw some Bee-eaters but I'll wait to put them in my checklist.
I spent all day today going to lots of different places looking for Northern Bobwhites and Timber Rattlesnakes. I didn't see either, but I did see two lifer birds, so I really shouldn't complain:
Birds
227. Bell's Vireo Vireo bellii
228. Louisiana Waterthush Parkesia motacilla
What an amazing and especially unexpected experience! While swimming in a pool with my family, I looked up to the sky and suddenly saw dozens of birds of prey including two very large ones circling around in the sky. It didn't take much for me to figure out what species they were:
06/08/2020 (Issen, Morocco)
BIRDS:
132 - Black kite, Milvus migrans
133 - Griffon vulture, Gyps fulvus
HERPS:
8 - Berber toad, Sclerophrys mauritanica
The second time I see a black kite in Morocco and the first time I see a vulture of any kind here as well! These were obviously passage migrants towards Africa (probably from Spain or France) and after a few minutes they were gone but what a few minutes they were.
This evening's addition from Woodhead Reservoir was the weirdest addition to my home county list for... well, ever.
It's believed to be a vagrant youngster hatched wild in the reintroduced population in the Alps - which is not considered self-sustaining by the gatekeepers of the official lists, so this bird won't be going on the main section of the official British List, for example. However my policy for my own list is that I do count birds from reintroduced populations if the population is known to have started breeding. This was mainly concocted to sanely deal with the complications around Common Cranes in the UK - but as time's gone on I more and more like it for the fact that it avoids the habit of birders de-legitimising or marginalising important reintroduced populations as 'not wild (enough)'. So, unless the bird is later proven to be from a different source to that currently believed, it goes on my list.
And somehow, my Derbyshire list now includes:
Birds:
189. Bearded Vulture - Gypaetus barbatus
It's believed to be a vagrant youngster hatched wild in the reintroduced population in the Alps - which is not considered self-sustaining by the gatekeepers of the official lists, so this bird won't be going on the main section of the official British List, for example. However my policy for my own list is that I do count birds from reintroduced populations if the population is known to have started breeding. This was mainly concocted to sanely deal with the complications around Common Cranes in the UK - but as time's gone on I more and more like it for the fact that it avoids the habit of birders de-legitimising or marginalising important reintroduced populations as 'not wild (enough)'. So, unless the bird is later proven to be from a different source to that currently believed, it goes on my list.
And somehow, my Derbyshire list now includes:
Birds:
189. Bearded Vulture - Gypaetus barbatus
I feel the same way about reintroduced populations, there is a debate among birders here in Wisconsin about if the Whooping Crane populations here are truly "countable". I have always counted them, and many birders don't. Some will only county wild-born individuals for some reason, but it's usually impossible to know, so they don't count them.This evening's addition from Woodhead Reservoir was the weirdest addition to my home county list for... well, ever.
It's believed to be a vagrant youngster hatched wild in the reintroduced population in the Alps - which is not considered self-sustaining by the gatekeepers of the official lists, so this bird won't be going on the main section of the official British List, for example. However my policy for my own list is that I do count birds from reintroduced populations if the population is known to have started breeding. This was mainly concocted to sanely deal with the complications around Common Cranes in the UK - but as time's gone on I more and more like it for the fact that it avoids the habit of birders de-legitimising or marginalising important reintroduced populations as 'not wild (enough)'. So, unless the bird is later proven to be from a different source to that currently believed, it goes on my list.
And somehow, my Derbyshire list now includes:
Birds:
189. Bearded Vulture - Gypaetus barbatus
Forgot to add this one from a few days ago:
Birds:
229. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Earlier this week I had a rather good birding session in an area where Black Stork is seen quite regularly, and not unsuprisingly I saw two individuals. Today I decided to go looking for Odonata since both my year list and life list could certainly use a few new species. Within a few hours we had good sightings of at least 11 species (a few more difficult damselflies still await further identification), including three species rare in the Netherlands.
Birds
206. Black Stork, Ciconia nigra
Herptiles
11. Viviparous Lizard, Zootoca vivipara
Invertebrates
127. Rhodondendron Leafhopper, Graphocephala fennahi
128. Fox Moth, Macrothylacia rubi
129. Rock Greyling, Hipparchia semele
130. Lythria cruentaria
131. Ruddy Darter, Sympetrum sanguineum
132. Red-brown Longhorn Beetle, Stictoleptura rubra
133. Twin-Lobed Deerfly, Chrysops relictus
134. Emerald Damselfly, Lestes sponsa
135. Notoxus monoceros
136. Clouded Magpie, Abraxas sylvata
137. Myathropa florea
138. Dark Strawberry Tortrix, Syricoris lacunana
139. Coreus marginatus
140. Banded Darter, Sympetrum pedemontanum
141. Migrant Hawker, Aeshna mixta
142. Common Darter, Sympetrum striolatum
143. Blue-eyed Hawker, Aeshna affinis
144. Black Darter, Sympetrum danae
145. Brown Hawker, Aeshna grandis
146. Goblet-marked Damselfly, Erythromma lindenii
147. Adelphocoris quadripunctatus
148. 22-spot Ladybird, Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata
149. Straw-barred Pearl, Pyrausta despicata
150. Melanostoma mellinum
Birds
206. Black Stork, Ciconia nigra
Herptiles
11. Viviparous Lizard, Zootoca vivipara
Invertebrates
127. Rhodondendron Leafhopper, Graphocephala fennahi
128. Fox Moth, Macrothylacia rubi
129. Rock Greyling, Hipparchia semele
130. Lythria cruentaria
131. Ruddy Darter, Sympetrum sanguineum
132. Red-brown Longhorn Beetle, Stictoleptura rubra
133. Twin-Lobed Deerfly, Chrysops relictus
134. Emerald Damselfly, Lestes sponsa
135. Notoxus monoceros
136. Clouded Magpie, Abraxas sylvata
137. Myathropa florea
138. Dark Strawberry Tortrix, Syricoris lacunana
139. Coreus marginatus
140. Banded Darter, Sympetrum pedemontanum
141. Migrant Hawker, Aeshna mixta
142. Common Darter, Sympetrum striolatum
143. Blue-eyed Hawker, Aeshna affinis
144. Black Darter, Sympetrum danae
145. Brown Hawker, Aeshna grandis
146. Goblet-marked Damselfly, Erythromma lindenii
147. Adelphocoris quadripunctatus
148. 22-spot Ladybird, Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata
149. Straw-barred Pearl, Pyrausta despicata
150. Melanostoma mellinum
Birds
230. Short-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus
231. Willet Tringa semipalmata
i had a great time ringing birds for 4 days at falsterbo bird observatori. in total we saw and heard 117 species. and i think i got them all but two of them
272 common shellduck
273 black necked grebe swedish lifer
274 red kite
275 black kite swedish lifer
276 pied avocet
277 bar-tailed godwit
278 euroasian curlew
279 sadwich tern swedish lifer
280 little tern
281 euroasian collerd dove
282 tawny pitpit swedish lifer
283 black redstart sweidish lifer
284 dunnock
285 iceterin warbler
286 barred warbler
287 bearde tit
mammals
39 european rabbit swedish lifer i belive Oryctolagus cuniculus
40 harbor seal Phoca vitulina)
272 common shellduck
273 black necked grebe swedish lifer
274 red kite
275 black kite swedish lifer
276 pied avocet
277 bar-tailed godwit
278 euroasian curlew
279 sadwich tern swedish lifer
280 little tern
281 euroasian collerd dove
282 tawny pitpit swedish lifer
283 black redstart sweidish lifer
284 dunnock
285 iceterin warbler
286 barred warbler
287 bearde tit
mammals
39 european rabbit swedish lifer i belive Oryctolagus cuniculus
40 harbor seal Phoca vitulina)
BIRDS:
221 Violet-green Swallow - Tachycineta thalassina
222 Trumpeter Swan - Cygnus buccinator
223 Pacific Loon - Gavia pacifica
224 Harlequin Duck - Histrionicus histrionicus
225 American Dipper - Cinclus mexicanus
226 Canada Jay - Perisoreus canadensis
Mammals:
1. Red Deer (Cervus elaphus)
2. Yellow-Necked Mouse (Apodemus flavicollis)
Birds:
1. House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
2. European Blackbird (Turdus merula)
3. Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)
4. Lesser Black-Backed Gull (Larus fuscus)
5. Greater Black-Backed Gull (Larus marinus)
6. Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)
7. European Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
8. Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus)
9. Long-Tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus)
10. European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
11. Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
12. Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)
13. Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
14. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
15. Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
16. Feral Pigeon (Columba livia domestica)
17. Common Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus)
18. Stock Dove (Columba oenas)
19. Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
20. Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
21. Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
22. Eurasian Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
23. House Martin (Delichon urbicum)
24. Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba)
25. Great Tit (Parus major)
26: Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)
27. Coal Tit (Periparus ater)
28. Eurasian Magpie (Pica pica)
29. Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
As you can see, COVID-19 has thrown a monkey wrench into my plans for bird-watching, so I haven't got a very big list. Though, I will try to get that list better now.
1. Red Deer (Cervus elaphus)
2. Yellow-Necked Mouse (Apodemus flavicollis)
Birds:
1. House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
2. European Blackbird (Turdus merula)
3. Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)
4. Lesser Black-Backed Gull (Larus fuscus)
5. Greater Black-Backed Gull (Larus marinus)
6. Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)
7. European Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
8. Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus)
9. Long-Tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus)
10. European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
11. Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
12. Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)
13. Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
14. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
15. Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
16. Feral Pigeon (Columba livia domestica)
17. Common Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus)
18. Stock Dove (Columba oenas)
19. Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
20. Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
21. Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
22. Eurasian Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
23. House Martin (Delichon urbicum)
24. Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba)
25. Great Tit (Parus major)
26: Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)
27. Coal Tit (Periparus ater)
28. Eurasian Magpie (Pica pica)
29. Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
As you can see, COVID-19 has thrown a monkey wrench into my plans for bird-watching, so I haven't got a very big list. Though, I will try to get that list better now.
Totally forgot that I've seen a Black kite in Spain earlier this year! As such, I'm only at 132 birds currently, not 131.
Meanwhile I've picked up a few more non-bird additions to the list:
08/08/2020 (Issen, Morocco)
HERPS:
9 - Moorish wall gecko, Tarentola mauritanica
10 - Algerian psammodromus, Psammodromus algirus
INVERTS:
14 - White-banded digger bee, Amegilla quadrifasciata
Talking about making the list better...
I went for an evening birding trip today, first to a group of marshes in a nature reserve close to the coast, and the second to a private reservoir. Both locations have had separate rare species reported with them.
The wildlife reserve was unfortunately unsuccessful. I was aiming for Black-Winged Stilts, which was signposted for a route into the viewing area for them, but to no avail. We did see some new species for this year though, so it wasn't a waste in the slightest.
The reservoir was an ultimate success. The target that we aimed for was a juvenile Purple Heron, a species that is normally in Africa and Asia, but must've got lost and ended up in the UK. I decided to go out of the car to check where the location of a photograph of the bird was, and it decided to fly out across the water, even 'unloading' right in front of me. Both very nice areas, and it was probably the best birding trip i've done in my life.
Birds:
30. Eurasian Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus)
31. Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)
32. Great White Egret (Ardea alba)
33. Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
34. Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
35. Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra)
36. Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea)
Birds
232. Baird's Sandpiper Calidris bairdii