ZooChat Big Year 2021

Najade said:
Back to Bislicher Insel again for the first species. I think the birds should coordinate better and not pop up one at a time to save me some fuel money.
The rest from a forest in Hünxe. No wryneck though :(

Bislicher Insel, Hünxe

Birds
7. Corn Bunting (Emberiza calandra)
8. Wood Warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix)
9. Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis)
10. European Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur)
Click to expand...

4th time's the charm, I guess. New family for me too :)

Ratingen

Birds
11. White-throated Dipper (Cinclus cinclus)
 
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Have just arrived at Heron Island for a 7 day stay. Heron Island is at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. Enjoying a sandwich while waiting for check-in. Buff-banded rails launch themselves at you to grab your sandwich as you try to bite it. I think a positive ID.

Birds.
188. Buff-banded rail Hypotaenidia philippensis
 
Birds:

85. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)

Mammals: 7
Birds: 85
Herptiles: 8
Fish: 4
Invertebrates: 23
Total: 127
 
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Heron Island continued

Birds
189. Wedge-tailed shearwater Ardenna pacifica
190. Brown booby Sula leucogaster
191. Pied oystercatcher Haematopus longirostris
192. Black noddy Anous minutus
193. Sacred kingfisher Todiramphus sanctus

Had great views of a white-bellied sea-eagle this morning, That is almost all of the birds, a few terns and other seabirds may be added. Only one passerine seen and likely, the sivereye which are very common and apparently an endemic sub-species. All the birds here seem to be very tame.

Fish
4. Shovel-nosed ray Glaucostegus typus (new Order and Family)

Invertebrates
57. New Caledonian sea star Nardoa novaecaledoniae

Just starting to snorkel so hopefully there will be quite a list of reef animals to report over coming days.
 
Birds:

86. Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra)
87. Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus)

Mammals: 7
Birds: 87
Herptiles: 8
Fish: 4
Invertebrates: 23
Total: 129
 
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TZDugong said:
Species seen around my local area in the last month, nothing too crazy but some nice species.

I double counted Tundra Swan accidentally so I should've been on 75 birds instead of 76.

Birds:
76. Great Egret, Ardea alba
77. Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, Regulus calendula
78. Northern Flicker, Colaptes auratus
79. Chipping Sparrow, Spizella passerina
80. American Goldfinch, Spinus tristis
81. Hermit Thrush, Catharus guttatus
82. Caspian Tern, Hydroprogne caspia
83. Yellow-Rumped Warbler, Setophaga coronata

Mammals:
9. Eastern Cottontail, Sylvilagus floridanus

Reptiles:
1. Painted Turtle, Chrysemys picta
2. Pond Slider, Trachemys scripta
Click to expand...
A few more additions from the last week and a bit; really happy with the Gnatcatcher lifer, and Hummingbirds are always great to see.

Birds:
84. Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, Archilochus colubris
85. Brown Thrasher, Toxostoma rufum
86. Blue-Headed Vireo, Vireo solitarius
87. Baltimore Oriole, Icterus galbula
88. Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Polioptila caerulea
89. Eastern Kingbird, Tyrannus tyrannus
90. Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Stelgidopteryx serripennis
 
A rare chance for a local ibis led to an excursion to Carr Vale NR on the fringes of the neighbouring town of Bolsover this evening. It's a good general birding site so as well as the main event I was able to pick up a few more summer visitors.

Birds:
133. Eurasian Reed Warbler - Acrocephalus scirpaceus
134. Common Tern - Sterna hirundo
135. Glossy Ibis - Plegadis falcinellus
136. Willow Warbler - Phylloscopus trochilus

:)
 
More from Heron Island

Birds
194. Bridled tern Onychoprion anaethetus
195. Greater crested tern Thalasseus bergii

Fish
5. Pink whipray Pateobatis fai
6. Grey carpetshark Chiloscyllium punctatum (new Order and Family)
7. Whitetip reef shark Triaenodon obesu

Above sharks and ray observed from the pier, stuff from underwater coming.
 
ChunkyMunky pengopus said:
Mammal:
6. White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Birds:
49. House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)
50. Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
51. Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum)
52. Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)
53. Veery (Catharus fuscescens)
54. Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)

Insect/Invertebrate:
41. Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
42. Red Admiral butterfly (Vanessa atalanta)
43. Asiatic wall jumping spider (Attulus fasciger)
44. American dog/wood tick (Dermacentor variabilis)

To clarify:
Fish:
2
Herptiles:
2 reptiles, 1 amphibian
Birds:
I accidently skipped 48 previously, Chipping sparrow is actually 48 and House wren is 49
Click to expand...
Birds:
55. Blue-grey Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea
56. Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
57. Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica)

Insect/Invertebrate:
45. Big headed/pedunculate ground beetle (Scarites subterraneus)
46. Zebra jumping spider (Salticus scenicus)
47. Four-spotted sap beetle (Glischrochilus quadrisignatus)
48. Tan jumping spider (Platycryptus undatus)
49. American green crab spider (Misumessus oblongus)
50. Symplecta limoniid crane fly (Symplecta cana)
51. Parenthesis lady beetle (Hippodamia parenthesis)
 
ThylacineAlive said:
Was finally able to get back outside consistently for the first time this year and decided to try my hand at some more serious birding than I traditionally have done.

I got a tip that a very rare Ross' Gull had made its way south to one of my favorite birding beaches in CT on Saturday, causing a flurry of birders to rush down from the coast from within and outside the state. When I heard about it, it was a bit too late to drop everything and rush down but I made plans to try my luck at the break of dawn the next morning. When I arrived the parking lot was already flooded with birders attempting the same as me. Last anyone spotted the gull, it was more or less a speck on the horizon heading towards Long Island but we hoped that the strong southernly winds blowing towards the beach would have pushed the gull back onto shore. Unfortunately, and expectedly, it did not and as far as I've heard no birders in and around the Long Island Sound have spotted it since. I visited again the day after just in case, but still no luck. Likely a one day only event bird, but oh well. eBird lists only one prior record of the species in CT from back in 1984.

Today I made my second excursion out, this time further north to a spruce forest where Pine Grosbeak, Red Crossbill, White-Winged Crossbill, Red-Breasted Nuthatch, and Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker have all been spotted consistently of late. The possibility of Ruffed Grouse was present as well. As with the beach, I arrived at the park shortly before opening to find that the entire property including its trails had been swallowed by the snowfall a few days prior. Unfortunately, I was not dressed appropriately to go trekking into the woods through snow without any idea as to where the trails were (there weren't any signs marking them). Lucky for me, though, at the very least the grosbeaks had been consistently found near the visitor center and along the road that runs adjacent to the park. Unfortunately for me, though, the weather was not on my side. Temps stayed below 20F all morning and the forest remains almost completely silent. I bumped into two other birders (including one who was lucky enough to have nabbed the gull on that first day), one of which had arrived before dawn and had trekked aimlessly through the snow to no avail. After a couple hours are searching around separately, we bumped into each other again and none of us reported anything other than a single titmouse, two starlings, a raven, and the call of a White-Breasted Nuthatch. Shortly afterwards a surprise flurry blew in and began to cover the road with snow, telling me it was time to give up and head out.

It took about 20 minutes of driving before I finally regained cell service, at which point I decided to make my way to a small wildlife refuge about 45 minutes away where both Common and Hoary Redpolls* had been hanging around for about a week. The one birder who had seen the Ross' Gull told me she had just been to see the redpolls the day before and that they were hanging out in a housing development next to the park as opposed to the area of brush they'd been at for over a week. I got to the park, checked the housing community, checked the known spot, checked the brook nearby, checked the meadow nearby, checked the known spot again, checked on the other side of the brook, checked the known spot one last time, checked the nearby parking lot, and checked the housing community one last time before eventually admitting defeat and heading home. I've since read comments on eBird saying the small flock had last been seen the afternoon before flying across town lines.

*I know they're not a valid species but I've never seen Common Redpoll either so.

All of that said, I've had decent luck finding some other birds along the way, so small mercies and all that.

First the backyard birds:
1) House Sparrow Passer domesticus
2) Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis
3) Blue Jay Cyanocitta cirstata
4) Rock Dove Columba livia
5) Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
6) Black-Capped Chickadee Poecile attricapillus
7) Tufted Titmouse Baeolophus bicolor
8) White-Breasted Nuthatch Sitta carolinensis
9) Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
10) Dark-Eyed Junco Junco hyemalis

Hammonasset Beach State Park
11) Great Blue Heron Ardeola herodias
12) Red-Tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis
13) Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
14) Canada Goose Branta canadensis
15) Brant Goose Branta bernicla
16) Common Eider Somateria mollissima
17) Surf Scoter Melanitta perspicillata
18) Long-Tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis
19) Greater Scaup Aythya marila
20) Red-Breasted Merganser Mergus serrator
21) Ring-Billed Gull Larus delawarensis
22) American Herring Gull Larus smithsonianus
23) Greater Black-Backed Gull Larus marinus
24) Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides
25) Horned Grebe Podiceps auritus

Great Mountain Forest
X) SNOW

Nod Brook Wildlife Management Area
26) American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos
27) American Tree Sparrow Spizelloides arborea
28) Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana
29) Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus

Mammals
1) Eastern Grey Squirrel Sciurus (Neosciurus) carolinensis
2) Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus

~Thylo
Click to expand...

Ha! Remember when I thought I was going to be able to actually commit to practicing birding this year? Well a long, break-less semester of five days of schoolwork coupled with a weekend job left very little time for birding, or zoo-going, or really anything. Hopefully this summer will be more relaxed, but I've already picked up a second summer job so we shall see.

Any updates I have are for species I've seen "around" as I've gone about my busy year. I haven't kept a list unfortunately but I have a decent recollection of what else I've seen (helps that it's not much!):

Birds
30) Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo
31) Mute Swan Cygnus olor
32) North American Wood Duck Aix sponsa
33) Killdeer Charadrius vociferus
34) Great Egret Ardea alba
35) Double-Crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus
36) American Black Vulture Coragyps atratus
37) Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
38) Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii -- this bird had the misfortune of meeting the front of a car on the highway moment after appearing in my view
39) Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon
40) Fish Crow Corvus ossifragus
41) Common Raven Corvus corax
42) Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor
43) Purple Martin Progne subis
44) Northern Rough-Winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis
45) Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
46) Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris
47) Grey Catbird Dumetella carolinensis
48) Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis
49) American Robin Turdus migratorius
50) House Finch Haemorhous mexicanus
51) American Goldfinch Spinus tristis
52) White-Throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis
53) Red-Winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
54) Common Grackle Quiscalus quiscula
55) Yellow-Rumped Warbler Setophaga coronata

Hopefully the upcoming weeks bare from fruit for me bird-wise..

Mammals
3) White-Tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus
4) Eastern Chipmunk Tamias striatus
5) House Mouse Mus musculus

Reptiles
1) Painted Turtle Chrysemys picta
2) Eastern Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis

Amphibians
1) Eastern Newt Notophthalmus viridescens

~Thylo
 
One more over the work car park today.

Birds
137. Common Swift - Apus apus

:)
 
At Heron Island

Fish
8. Sling-jaw wrasse Epibulus insidiator
9. Humbug dascyilus Dascyllus aruanus
10. Threadfin butterflyfish Chaetodon auriga (new Family)
11. Spanish flag snapper Lutjanus carponotatus (new Family)
12. Lined rabbitfish Siganus lineatus (new Family)
13. Scissortail sergeant Abudefduf sexfasciatus (new Order and Family)
14. Yellow boxfish Ostracion cubicus (new Family)
15. Cowtail stingray Pastinachus sephen
16. Epaulette shark Hemiscyllium ocellatum
17. Blacktip reef shark Carcharhinus melanopterus

Invertebrates
57. Guilding's sea star Linckia guildingi
58. Blue sea star Linckia laevigata
59. New Caledonia sea star Nardoa novaecaledoniae
60. Sandy sea cucumber Holothuria atra (new Class, Order and Family)
61. Burnt sausage sea cucumber Holothuria edulis
62. Long black sea cucumber Holothuria leucospilota
63. Licorice sea cucumber Stichopus chloronotus (new Family)
64. Variegated sea cucumber Stichopus variegetus
65. Swift-footed crab Leptograpsus variegatus (new Family)
66. Spider stromb Lambis lambis (new Order and Family)
67. Red-lipped stromb Strombus luhuanus
68. Black-tailed sea hare Aplysia dactylomela (new Order and Family)
69. Flat-bottomed sea hare Dolabella auricularia
70. sp. Headshield slug Tubulophilinopsis gardineri (new Order and Family)
71. Oak chiton Onithochiton quercinus (new Class, Order and Family)
73. Small giant clam Tridacna maxima (new Order and Family)
74. Christmas tree worm Spirobranchus giganteus (new Phylum, Class Order and Family)
 
MRJ said:
At Heron Island

Fish
8. Sling-jaw wrasse Epibulus insidiator
9. Humbug dascyilus Dascyllus aruanus
10. Threadfin butterflyfish Chaetodon auriga (new Family)
11. Spanish flag snapper Lutjanus carponotatus (new Family)
12. Lined rabbitfish Siganus lineatus (new Family)
13. Scissortail sergeant Abudefduf sexfasciatus (new Order and Family)
14. Yellow boxfish Ostracion cubicus (new Family)
15. Cowtail stingray Pastinachus sephen
16. Epaulette shark Hemiscyllium ocellatum
17. Blacktip reef shark Carcharhinus melanopterus

Invertebrates
57. Guilding's sea star Linckia guildingi
58. Blue sea star Linckia laevigata
59. New Caledonia sea star Nardoa novaecaledoniae
60. Sandy sea cucumber Holothuria atra (new Class, Order and Family)
61. Burnt sausage sea cucumber Holothuria edulis
62. Long black sea cucumber Holothuria leucospilota
63. Licorice sea cucumber Stichopus chloronotus (new Family)
64. Variegated sea cucumber Stichopus variegetus
65. Swift-footed crab Leptograpsus variegatus (new Family)
66. Spider stromb Lambis lambis (new Order and Family)
67. Red-lipped stromb Strombus luhuanus
68. Black-tailed sea hare Aplysia dactylomela (new Order and Family)
69. Flat-bottomed sea hare Dolabella auricularia
70. sp. Headshield slug Tubulophilinopsis gardineri (new Order and Family)
71. Oak chiton Onithochiton quercinus (new Class, Order and Family)
73. Small giant clam Tridacna maxima (new Order and Family)
74. Christmas tree worm Spirobranchus giganteus (new Phylum, Class Order and Family)
Click to expand...

You already listed the New Caledonia sea star on this page. You should be at 73 invertebrates.
 
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