Birds
218. Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia
ZooChat Big Year 2021
- Thread starter Chlidonias
- Start date
218. Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia
Invertebrates:
15. Deer Tick (Ixodes scapularis)
16. Scolopocryptops sexspinosus
Mammals: 7
Birds: 75
Herptiles: 7
Fish: 4
Invertebrates: 16
15. Deer Tick (Ixodes scapularis)
16. Scolopocryptops sexspinosus
Mammals: 7
Birds: 75
Herptiles: 7
Fish: 4
Invertebrates: 16
Mammals
4. Bank vole Myodes glareolus
5. Stoat Mustela erminea
6. Brown hare Lepus europaeus
7. Brown rat Rattus norvegicus
Birds
33. Red kite Milvus milvus
34. Goldcrest Regulus regulus
35. Song thrush Turdus philomelos
36. Eurasian bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula
37. Stock dove Columba oenas
38. Peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus
39. Tawny owl Strix aluco
40. Eurasian skylark Alauda arvensis
41. Eurasian oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus
42. Common reed bunting Emberiza schoeniclus
43. Common moorhen Gallinula chloropus
44. Mandarin duck Aix galericulata
45. Eurasian coot Fulica atra
46. Eurasian jay Garrulus glandarius
47. Northern lapwing Vanellus vanellus
48. Mute swan Cygnus olor
49. Canada goose Branta canadensis
50. Greylag goose Anser anser
51. Gadwall Mareca strepera
52. Tufted duck Aythya fuligula
53. Eurasian wigeon Mareca penelope
54. Eurasian siskin Spinus spinus
55. Common chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita
56. Eurasian curlew Numenius arquata
57. Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella
58. Eurasian nuthatch Sitta europaea
59. Eurasian treecreeper Certhia familiaris
60. Grey wagtail Motacilla cinerea
Amphibians
1. Common frog Rana temporaria
2. Smooth newt Lissotriton vulgaris
Birds:
76. Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
77. Tree Swallow (Tachycineata bicolor)
Mammals: 7
Birds: 77
Herptiles: 7
Fish: 4
Invertebrates: 16
76. Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
77. Tree Swallow (Tachycineata bicolor)
Mammals: 7
Birds: 77
Herptiles: 7
Fish: 4
Invertebrates: 16
Herptiles:
8. Common Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis)
Mammals: 7
Birds: 77
Herptiles: 8
Fish: 4
Invertebrates: 16
8. Common Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis)
Mammals: 7
Birds: 77
Herptiles: 8
Fish: 4
Invertebrates: 16
Birds
219. Common Loon Gavia immer
Mammals
27. North American Porcupine Erethizon dorsatum
Think around a month back, I saw what I believe to be a fairy martin? But due to there only being like 16 records of them in NZ, it could have just been a weird welcome swallow. Also saw some sea birds during Easter, but they're uncountable as I couldn't get any ids on them. Saw, what could've been a petrel/shearwater/juvenile kelp gull and a pure white one which could've been a noody or a tern. Expected to see shelducks much earlier in the year, maybe they just went somewhere else during the summer? Also was able to see SIPO, alongside a few variables for comparison, and they look absolutely minuscule compared to them, (is this normal)?
Birds
23. Paradise Shelduck (Tadorna variegata)
24. South Island Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus finschi)
Some nice new spring observations:
Birds:
33. Brown-Headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)
34. Ruby-Crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)
35. Greater White-Fronted Goose (Anser albifrons)
36. Pied-Billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)
Insect/Invertebrate:
28. Small cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae)
29. Eastern parson spider (Herpyllus ecclesiasticus)
30. Two lined cantharid/leatherwing beetle (Atalantycha bilineata)
31. Two spotted bumble bee (Bombus bimaculatus)
Fish:
2. Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)
I might have also seen largemouth bass, and I heard a great horned owl
Is one of those supposed to be Smallmouth?
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Today I have managed to add seven new birds to my year list - the highest daily total since the first of January. The first bird was another garden lifer (seen flying overhead), birds 55-57 were seen either at Colchester Zoo or while travelling there and the remaining three birds, plus the fish and new invertebrates, were seen while out walking locally:
54. Eurasian skylark Alauda arvensis
55. Western jackdaw Coloeus monedula
56. Common moorhen Gallinula chloropus
57. Rook Corvus frugilegus
58. Great crested grebe Podiceps cristatus
59. Tufted duck Aythya fuligula
60. Common shelduck Tadorna tadorna
1. Common dace Leuciscus leuciscus
12. Common wasp Vespula vulgaris
13. Orange-tip butterfly Anthocharis cardamines
14. Common pondskater Gerris lacustris
15. Hairy-footed flower bee Anthophora plumipes
16. Red-tailed bumblebee Bombus lapidarius
17. Small tortoiseshell butterfly Aglais urticae
Birds
94 Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe
Invertebrates
34 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
94 Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe
Invertebrates
34 Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni
5 large earth bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Nearly forgot to post my wildlife additions from Saturday in all the excitement of going to the zoo and the pub on Sunday. 
With the Welsh border opened, I was finally able to make a much-overdue meetup, and being forced to meet outside anyway, I arranged for an afternoon clifftop walk and being nothing if not opportunistic, I turned up first thing in the morning so as to have plenty of birding time while I was over there.
It was a somewhat different cast of characters from what I'm used to for a day in Anglesey (usually I'm birding there in winter or late summer) but it bumped the list along nicely. Still odd to have no Black Guillemots or Red-breasted Mergansers though, and time forbade a Red Squirrel search - but I will certainly be back over there as the year wears on so all in good time. Two particular Anglesey stars that did shine were South Stack's choughs and Point Lynas' porpoises - the latter of which completely evaded me last year. The unusual timing of the day also meant I was just late enough to have birds arriving on the cliffs at South Stack, filling in a good chunk of seabirds. Also, the biggest group of eider I've had in Wales was a nice finish to the day when I went down my old stomping ground at Bangor Pier for the turnstone roost.
All the birds and mammals are from North Wales on Saturday; the butterflies are from Yorkshire WP on Sunday.
Birds:
106. Common Scoter - Melanitta nigra
107. European Shag - Phalacrocorax aristotelis
108. Northern Fulmar - Fulmarus glacialis
109. Red-billed Chough - Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
110. Common Guillemot - Uria aalge
111. Razorbill - Alca torda
112. Northern Gannet - Morus bassanus
113. Atlantic Puffin - Fratercula arctica
114. Sandwich Tern - Thalasseus sandvicensis
115. Northern Wheatear - Oenanthe oenanthe
116. Common Greenshank - Tringa nebularia
117. Common Eider - Somateria mollissima
118. Ruddy Turnstone - Arenaria interpres
Mammals:
10. Grey Seal - Halichoerus grypus
11. Harbour Porpoise - Phocoena phocoena
Invertebrates:
19. Small White - Pieris rapae
20. Brimstone - Gonepteryx rhamni
21. Orange Tip - Anthocharis cardamines
With the Welsh border opened, I was finally able to make a much-overdue meetup, and being forced to meet outside anyway, I arranged for an afternoon clifftop walk and being nothing if not opportunistic, I turned up first thing in the morning so as to have plenty of birding time while I was over there.
It was a somewhat different cast of characters from what I'm used to for a day in Anglesey (usually I'm birding there in winter or late summer) but it bumped the list along nicely. Still odd to have no Black Guillemots or Red-breasted Mergansers though, and time forbade a Red Squirrel search - but I will certainly be back over there as the year wears on so all in good time. Two particular Anglesey stars that did shine were South Stack's choughs and Point Lynas' porpoises - the latter of which completely evaded me last year. The unusual timing of the day also meant I was just late enough to have birds arriving on the cliffs at South Stack, filling in a good chunk of seabirds. Also, the biggest group of eider I've had in Wales was a nice finish to the day when I went down my old stomping ground at Bangor Pier for the turnstone roost.
All the birds and mammals are from North Wales on Saturday; the butterflies are from Yorkshire WP on Sunday.
Birds:
106. Common Scoter - Melanitta nigra
107. European Shag - Phalacrocorax aristotelis
108. Northern Fulmar - Fulmarus glacialis
109. Red-billed Chough - Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
110. Common Guillemot - Uria aalge
111. Razorbill - Alca torda
112. Northern Gannet - Morus bassanus
113. Atlantic Puffin - Fratercula arctica
114. Sandwich Tern - Thalasseus sandvicensis
115. Northern Wheatear - Oenanthe oenanthe
116. Common Greenshank - Tringa nebularia
117. Common Eider - Somateria mollissima
118. Ruddy Turnstone - Arenaria interpres
Mammals:
10. Grey Seal - Halichoerus grypus
11. Harbour Porpoise - Phocoena phocoena
Invertebrates:
19. Small White - Pieris rapae
20. Brimstone - Gonepteryx rhamni
21. Orange Tip - Anthocharis cardamines
I can't help but notice a distinct lack of Walrus here...
There speaks a man who has never tried to drive long distance across Wales.
I would dearly love to visit the Walrus, but he's at Tenby in south-west Wales - a 6hr each-way drive from home, compared to 3hr for my lovely porpoises (thanks to the relatively speedy A55 North Wales Expressway - one of basically two good roads in Wales). It needs an overnight really, to have enough time in Tenby there to justify the journey and allow for Walrus searching if he's not on his ramp first time.
I am quite happy with what has been a very successful day. I spent the morning looking for inverts, and then went to a swine lagoon (Pond of pig poop), where some ducks and sandpipers that I wanted to see were. It was only 5 minutes from my house, and I'm quite happy I saw the species that I wanted. I am growing fonder and fonder of waterfowl, they are nice to find
I did get stopped by the police (This is America), who was wondering what I was taking pictures of, but he just smiled and drove away when I quickly explained I was birding.Birds:
37. Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria)
38. Northern Shoveler Duck (Spatula clypeata)
39. American Coot (Fulica americana)
40. Blue-Winged Teal (Anas discors)
41. Wilson’s Snipe (Gallinago delicata)
42. Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)
43. Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)
Insect/Invertebrates:
33. Long-bodied cellar spider/daddy long legs spider (Pholcus phalangioides)
34. Milky slug (Deroceras agreste)
35. Wandering broadhead planarian (Bipalium adventitium)
Maybe you looked suspicious.
I've never had that happen once despite birding all over public areas and roads.
I was wearing a mask in case of smell. It was fine though, and the officer was nice. He did say that was what he thought when I told him I was birding, so he was just checking by.Maybe you looked suspicious.