Zoochat Big Year 2023

1/14/23

5. White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)


3/10/23


6. Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)


3/4/23

77. Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)
78. Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
79. Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus)
80. White-Throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)
81. Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)
82. Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)
83. Domestic Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata domestica)


3/10/23


84. Red-Headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)
85. Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)


Total:

Mammals:
6
Birds: 85
Reptiles: 5
Invertebrates: 5
 
A great day at Burton Mere with Peregrine giving great views hunting murmurating Starlings, 5 Marsh Harriers in the air at once, and at least 40 of the first species below
95 Avocet Recuvirostra avosetta
96 Barnacle Goose Branta bernicla
97 Snipe Gallinago gallinago
98 Ruff Calidris pugnax
99 Fieldfare Turdus pilaris
100 Raven Corvus corax
 
Last Saturday I finally had the chance to twitch the vagrant Gull-billed Tern at Manakapua-Island, which I'd been interested in for a while, as to the extent of my knowledge it's the first time that an individual of the Asian ssp. has reached down here (I believe so far the vagrants have all been of the Aus. sp/ssp, with a major irruption in 2011-[ofc before I was a birder..]). And I'd always thought it'd be neat if one of those became a vagrant, so of course I was really keen on finding this bird. My targets for this trip were very tern-heavy, with of course the vagrant being key, but also the two Sternula. terns that NZ gets, the little-tern (common-ish vagrant) and the big focus, fairy tern, with NZ having a unique ssp. which is unfortunately CRE, only breeding at around 4 spots up north. The latter I especially wanted, as I dipped on them when I was at one of their key strongholds, and luckily the vagrant spot happened to be another stronghold! so I was really banking on finally getting lucky. Of course I had a few other targets, such as better views of ruddy turnstones, knots and a few other shorbs which would've been lifers for me.
Arriving, I had to cross the semi-inundated channel to get to the island, so I decided to go 'barefoot-bandit', which wasn't even that bad of a decision. The landscape was nice, open mudflats with big stands of rushes on either shore, and of course the channel being open. I'd immediately seen a few big dragonflies zoom past, but couldn't get any good visuals on them so un-idable. Crossing the channel I picked up the first few lifers, a titiko, as well as 2 bird targets down. Banded Dotterel & Curlew Sandpiper, I'd always had some qualms about id'ing shorbs, especially banded-dotts, considering their non-breeding plumage is identical to NZ dotts (which I'd nearly psyched myself into id'ing as such at Waipu), but finally having seen them, the difference is striking. Not only were there quite a few in breeding plumage, with the characteristic brown and maroon double band, but they're so tiny as well!! I'd heard they were smaller but I wasn't expecting how small they were! They literally looked like midgets compared to the NZ dotts, believe around the size of a wrybill, plus they also had clearly much browner backs. I also spotted a wrybill, which let me get quite close before it zoomed off, and then a trio of curlew-sands. When I was looking at them I wasn't too sure on the id, but it definitely seemed the most likely option, (clearly smaller + slimmer than a knot, plus a very lengthy bill), and as I had taken a few digi-bins I got the id cinched. Not sure if they would classify as my first 'self-found' vagrants, as NZBirds list them as such, but they're also originally migrants, which have apparently gotten really rare over the past years or so, (not much of a self-find considering they'd already been reported on eBird before I came, but still quite neat).

Moving on to the island, only having one small stretch with a few gorse sprouts where I had to be careful with my feet, I made it to the coast. Maybe I just haven't been to that many dunes, but the landscape there is truly amazing, huge hills of dunes, contrasted w. the blues and greys of the sky, made the place feel alien, probably one of the most beautiful places I've been. On the way up to the GBT spot at the tip, I rolled over a few logs, mostly getting a flurry of agitated sandhoppers, but finally striking something 'nice', with a large shore earwig. (I thought they were native, but sadly they're invasive). Finally I reached the northern end of the island, but after 2 hours of birding I dipped on them, (my dad called me back as we hadn't eaten anything). Even after this I still must say that this was probably one of my most favourite locations I've ever birded, wide-expansive mudflats, free access and (at least when I was there) completely empty of other people. Although I didn’t see all that many species, the abundance of some was truly shocking, especially the red knots. There were probably ~1000 of them give or take? Which was really cool as well as quite a few beginning to phase into their beautiful red breeding plumage, (some poor digibins have also allowed me to id them ssp. With the ones I saw being of the Chukotka ssp. [which is what 99% of them are anyways]), as well as finding a few ruddy turnstone flocks. I did have a quick encounter, with a pair of Sternula terns which quickly sped off, so no dice on those sadly. Heading back, I noticed a WF Heron standing in one of the pools of water on the island, which got me thinking of what could lie in the water. A quick glance revealed tadpoles! I even caught one of them by hand, but didn’t take any good shots of the belly which may’ve allowed it to be id’d (considering the habitat/where I am, the only real possibilities would be the 3 invasive frogs, but their tadpoles look quite similar). So no lifer for me, but overall I’d say I came off it well, got 2 shorb. lifers [Especially happy about the banded dotterels], and a really pretty landscape.

Birds
69. Banded Dotterel (Charadrius bicinctus)-or Anarhynchus.?
70. Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea)

INVERTS TALLY: 26
(Cicada's a recent id from mid-Jan, the rest are just bits and bobs, the earwig & titiko the only new addition from this trip)
Insects:
17. Clapping Cicada (Amphipsalta cingulata)
18. Psepholax femoratus (Tiny cute weevil, endemic aswll!!)
19. Shore Earwig (Labidura riparia)
20. Winged Weta (Pterapotrechus sp.)
Arachnids:
2. Eastern White-tailed Spider (Lampona murina)
Molluscs:
2. Garden Snail (Cornu aspersum)
3. Mudflat Titiko (Amphibola crenata)
Week back went out birding. The goal was to go to Rangitoto/Motutapu to try and tick off a few nice birds+reptiles, and hopefully attempt for Shore Plover, unfortunately the ferry seemed to be booked out or something all weekend. So, after searching up a few bus-routes on my phone, decided the next best thing would just be to go to Western Springs then Mangere WTP to tick off a few year-birds which I still needed, as well as hopefully find Black Shag (Great Cormorant), which I still have yet to see as a lifebird.. as well as them being reported from both areas quite recently.
Arriving at Western Springs in the morning, it felt at least a bit better than my previous visits here, but after not that long I got a bit sick of it. Walking one of the paths I quickly ticked off a flock of sleeping Feral-Graylags, whilst the white birds all casually sleeping right next to the path didn't feel the most wild, supposedly they all should be genuinely feral birds, and the birds here are ridiculously tame (probably a result of their only limiting factor being how much bread one can cram down their gullet). There was also at least one which wasn't leustic that I could pretend felt more wild. I also got to pass a coot mother and her chicks foraging right next to me which was really cool, such weird feet when they're all splayed out on land. The target birds here were greylags, little-black shags and hopefully black-shags. Unfortunately didn't connect with any of the shags, the roost tree I remembered for the LBS seemed deserted and then the rest of the trees were crowded with little-shags, although passed a really well-showing long-finned eel as I was waling out so it wasn't the worst.
Arriving in Mangere-WTP I walked to the start of the lagoon and immediately saw a trio of little-black shags sunning themselves on the mudflats. And then to be honest not much.. Made my way up Puketutu Canal-(really sad the amounts of genuinely disgusting looking litter there was along the road) and it felt quite empty, no grey-duck candidates which I'd thought I'd maybe try to id here and no shovelers either. So quickly made my way over to the retaining pond to take a look, but even in the late-morning sun it seemed the midges were still ever-abundant, and of course the ground over there even with boots in feels way too unpleasant. So I hurried over, had a quick glance of a shoveler (smaller duck compared to mallard, noticeably down-turned bill) and made my way quickly out. Looking back I probably should've went up to the shell-banks to try for the tattler which is apparently showing there again, but it was low-tide and I didn't feel like staying for too long. [But I still need grey-teal for the year, as well as not the greatest views of shoveler so I'll probably have to come back here soon..]
On the up-side, just saw my first ever katydid on my balcony!

Birds
71. Feral Goose (Anser anser)
72. Little-Black Shag (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris)
73. Australasian Shoveler (Spatula rhynchotis)

Fish -(Ray Finned)
1. Short-Finned Eel (Anguilla australis)
2. Long-Finned Eel (Anguilla dieffenbachii)

INVERTS TALLY: 30
Insects:
21. Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
22. Australian Paper-Wasp (Polistes humilis)
23. Common Garden Katydid (Caedicia simplex)
Crustaceans:
1. Tunneling Mud-Crab (Austrohelice crassa)
 
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On the nights of Friday and Saturday, I participated in ‘turtle-walks’ on the Chennai coast. Today, with the amount of disturbance from humans and domestic animals, along with pollution both light and chemical, the chance of sea turtle nests surviving on these beaches is virtually nil. As a result, volunteers, especially students and locals, started patrolling the beaches to find and relocate eggs to protected hatcheries, built to ensure survival. On the weekends, walks are held for the public to join in.
Even without finding any nests, these walks are extremely interesting: our Friday walk didn’t produce a single nest, but we found vary many crabs ducking through the surf, dead balloonfishes, and tragically two dead turtles. We also saw a number of birds, especially on the second night, where we saw a possible night-heron, and the silhouette of a bird I have always wanted to see, the Indian Thick-knee. It flew past screaming after I had spent several hours straining my years for their calls.
On the second night we struck gold, or rather, olive, as right as we were starting out someone spotted a turtle that had come up to nest within meters of our group. We saw every stage of the nesting (from a distance): the excavation, the laying, the filling and compression, and the return to the sea. There were a 109 eggs; this was probably not the female’s first brood of the year.
At the end of both walks, we released hatchlings that had emerged in the hatchery back into the sea: to prevent them getting misled by artificial lighting, we released them well before sunrise leading them using torchlight.

Reptiles
4. Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Lepidochelys olivacea


Birds
104. Indian Thick-knee Burhinus indicus
First, some housekeeping. I missed a couple of species in my previous updates, either because I was unsure of the exact species (the taxonomy of wagtails, langurs and prinias are all messed-up, I must say), or because I forgot. :p It is worth noting that I am not IDing most of these myself.
Birds
104. Plain Prinia Prinia inornata
105. River Tern Sterna aurantia
106. Eastern Yellow Wagtail Motacilla chuchunensis
Mammals
7. Tufted Grey Langur Semnopithecus priam
However I also have to remove a bird off the list: I could not see the colours of the thick-knee from Saturday night, and being close to the sea it may well have been a Great Thick-knee (Esacus recurvirostris). Therefore I will remove it from the list.

Day before yesterday we went in search of eagle owls in a place where we knew a pair lived, a huge collection of boulders and scrub. We were lucky enough to get excellent views and even photographs of them, as well as sightings of a male Blue Rock Thrush high up on the rocks.
Birds
107. Indian Eagle Owl Bubo bengalensis
108. Blue Rock-thrush Monticola solitarius
109. Jungle Prinia Prinia sylvatica
110. Little Swift Apus affinis
111. Dusky Crag-Martin Ptyonoprogne concolor
112. Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius
113. Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus
114. Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola

115. Jerdon’s Bushlark Mirafra affinis
116. Eurasian Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
These last two I had probably seen earlier this year, but not clearly enough that I felt confident to count them. In a similar vein I also saw a female Shikra today from closer than ever before, right outside the place I’m staying. I had seen accipiters frequently enough, but you never know if they are Shikra…
117. Shikra Accipiter badius
Whether 111 to 114 are lifers or not is a bit iffy - I have encountered birds very similar to each but never identified them conclusively.
 
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After almost two weeks of pouring rain we are now in a very brief period of fine weather in the Netherlands - next week the rain is expected to return in force. So all kinds of birds are now rushing northwards: gulls, finches, lapwings, larks, ducks, kites, storks, thrushes, and cranes. For two days I completely failed to see any cranes despite hem flying quite well in the region. The same happened last year as well, and I did no see any cranes that year! Today I was walking through the forest in my local patch and I heard cranes flying overhead, but frustratingly I couldn't find them through the canopy. A pair of displaying goshawks was very good though. A while later I arrived at the migration counting site, and the people there had naturally seen the cranes I heard calling earlier. But luckily, after waiting for only a short while, a small flock of cranes came flying overhead. Content with the sighting, I stayed a while to see some more migratory birds and then returned home, with a very good bird added to the year list.

The first bird in the list is from Spain, but for some reason I forgot to add it earlier.

Birds
155. Corn Bunting, Emberiza calandra
156. Mistle Thrush, Turdus viscivorus
157. Fieldfare, Turdus pilaris
158. Common Crane, Grus grus
 
Another single update for the year:
138) Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo

As some of the early spring migrants begin to arrive, the winter visitors I have left to see become fewer and farther between. Red-Winged Blackbirds and Common Grackle have returned, and the first CT Blue-Winged Teal and Boat-Tailed Grackle of the year have been reported. I am looking forward to the start of migration, though my free time to go birding on the weekends might be dwindling some, but we shall see.

~Thylo

I managed to carve out some time for birding rather last minute this weekend, and to some good success! After a visit to the Bronx Zoo on yesterday I made an evening stop at an Audubon on the way home that I heard was good for woodcock, a bird I've longed to see. Like clockwork, as soon as the sun fell below the treeline, the fields filled with dozens of peenting birds. While the lighting made it poor for photographs, I got to watch several birds engage in their mating rituals, zipping around and calling to potential mates. I even got to witness one male actively courting a potential mate. Definitely well worth the hours spent waiting in the fields and the particularly dark walk back to my car.

This morning I had initially planned for a second go at the woodcocks, but with my success at the first attempt I decided to check out somewhere else. I chose the Milford Point Audubon, the best locale in the state to see nesting plovers and sandpipers. It's early in the season and the bulk of the nesting species won't arrival for another month or so, but some species have already started to return. A couple of unexpected surprised turned up as well, including a single Eurasian Teal hidden amongst 300+ Green-Winged Teal. Apparently, a few hours after I left today, a Short-Eared Owl was found here. Just goes to show that there never really is an appropriate time to head home :P

On my way home, I did make a quick pitstop at a pond where an out of season sandpiper had been found some days earlier. Though I had no luck with it, I did pick up an additional sparrow for the year.

139) American Woodcock Scolopax minor
------
140) Green-Winged Teal Anas carolinensis
141) American Pied Oystercatcher Haematopus palliatus
142) Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus
143) Piping Plover Charadrius melodus
144) Eurasian Teal Anas crecca
------
145) American Tree Sparrow Spizelloides arborea

~Thylo
 
Today I had a SUPER day of urban (and not so urban) wildlife watching. My boyfriend purposed to go for a walk along the Ebro river and I of course accepted enchanted. The river birds were very abundant as we go slightly far from the city, and I saw several species including some new for the year. First thing I saw (besides the common urban birds such as pigeons and magpies) is a flock of white storks soaring over the city before reach the river. I found several robins, serins singing, the loud song of Cetti's warblers, in the water and the margins there were abundant cormorants, little egrets, mallards, gulls, I saw no less than three Turdus species: two male blackbirds, a mistle thrush and even a rare (here) song thrush! first flock of chaffinches of the year, a female black redstart, white wagtails, two greenfinches!!! a long-tailed tit!!!! great tits, in the opposite margin I saw a magnific GREAT egret! I only missed a kingfisher but with so many species I certainly could not complain! We went just to the point where I saw the first kingfisher of my life and then came back to the city. I also lifted some barks of dead poplar trunks and alive plane trees revealing several hibernating insect species, some of them new for the year and one of them not common here! Under a bark there is also a dead American red crayfish and not a small one, but I can't count as it was dead, but very surprising to find it under a tree bark (various meters above the usual river level). Also first marmalade hoverfly of the year, a carpenter bee, and some cabbage white butterflies but the latter didn't landed so I was unable to identified them to species leve (either napi or rapae).

We came back to home and a bluebottle fly seep into my house. Common as dirt but new species for the year.

Later, we met with some friends of my boyfriend in afternoon-night activities that are done for today (public holiday in Spain) in a big park. This leaded me to see more species of birds and even mammals!!! Flocks of jackdaws seeking for a roost place, first night heron of the year approaching to the roosting places shared by little egrets, cormorants and jackdaws in some islets with threes in the middle of the river we passed by where going to the park. A swan was floating in the water with the neck hidden - maybe already sleeping. Two blackcaps were discussing with their territorial sound over the privet trees they tend to favour. With the last wood pigeons and collared doves seeking for a roost place over the park, first bats of the year emerged already from hibernation with the arise of the good temperatures!! But the best of all went for the last moment: from a distance, we saw a MOUSE in the middle of a quiet road!!! I saw very few mouses in my life! The mouse finally hide under a car as we approached.


MAMMALS:
3. Common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus)
4. House mouse (Mus musculus)

BIRDS:
35. Black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
36. Mute swan (Cygnus olor)
37. Song thrush (Turdus philomelos)
38. Long-tailed tit (Aegithalos caudatus)
39. Common greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)
40. Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)


INVERTEBRATES:
35. Cheiracanthium mildei.
36. Porcellio laevis
37. Arocatus melanocephalus
38. Holcocranum saturejae
39. Prostemma guttula (not seen one since 2011!)
40. Episyrphus balteatus
41. Calliphora vicina
42. Akis genei
43. Xanthogaleruca luteola


Today I had some nice additions in my parents garden. First gecko of the year came out from hibernation already. Carpenter bees and hummingbird hawk moths were busy pollinating the jasmine, I saw a female blackcap, sparrows were loudly arguing and saw three storks soaring very high in the sky. An orbweaver installed its net between my pots and today she was enjoying a prey in the center of the net (honestly I saw the spider some days earlier but I didn't looked at it up close for identify the species until now).

HERPTILES:

1. Common wall gecko (Tarentola mauritanica)

INVERTEBRATES:

44. Agalenatea redii
45. Aphaenogaster senilis
46. Mythimna unipuncta
 
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Some animals from around Moonlit observed so far this year, mostly familiar, but a new mammal and a couple of new invertebrates.

Mammals

83. Common brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula
84. Eastern ringtail possum Pseudocheirus peregrinus
85. Black rat Rattus rattus
86. European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus
87. Southern elephant seal Mirounga leonina

Birds

552. Chestnut teal Anas castanea
553. Grey teal Anas gracilis
554. Pacific black duck Anas superciliosa
555. Cape Barren goose Cereopsis novaehollandiae
556. Maned duck Chenonetta jubata
557. Australasian grebe Tachybaptus novaehollandiae
558. Crested pigeon Ocyphaps lophotes
559. Common bronzewing Phaps chalcoptera
560. Spotted turtle-dove Spilopelia chinensis
561. Eurasian coot Fulica atra
562. Dusky moorhen Gallinula tenebrosa
563. Australasian swamphen Porphyrio melanotus
564. Royal spoonbill Platalea regia
565. Black-fronted dotterel Elseyornis melanops
566. Black-shouldered lapwing Vanellus novaehollandiae
567. Wedge-tailed eagle Aquila audax
568. Laughing kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae
569. Yellow-tailed black cockatoo Zanda funereus
570. Eastern rosella Platycercus eximius
571. Rainbow lorikeet Trichoglossus moluccanus
572. Superb fairywren Malurus cyaneus
573. Red wattlebird Anthochaera carunculata
574. Noisy miner Manorina melanocephala
575. Grey shrikethrush Colluricincla harmonica
576. Australian magpie Gymnorhina tibicen
577. Grey currawong Strepera versicolor
578. Grey fantail Rhipidura albiscapa
579. Willy wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys
580. European goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
581. European starling Sturnus vulgaris
582. Silver gull Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae

Invertebrates

3. sp. longhorn beetle Epithora dorsalis
4. Sand crab Ovalipes australiensis (new Family)
 
Birds
90. Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus
91. Red-headed Woodpecker Melanerpes erythrocephalus
Birds
92. Killdeer Charadrius vociferus
93. Canvasback Aythya valisineria
94. Horned Grebe Podiceps auritus
95. Fox Sparrow Passerella iliaca
96. Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons
97. Red-throated Loon Gavia stellata
98. Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna
99. Common Loon Gavia immer
100. Green-winged Teal Anas crecca
101. Lapland Longspur Calcarius lapponicus
 
It didn't look like the sun squirrels we had seen. However, it was ID'd by Gordon the local bird guide, and Sam had left us by then. I think I have photos but I have not looked at my camera photos yet at all. So if I do I'll go back and check them. Thanks.

Did you ever find any photos of the squirrel?
 
Today I had some nice additions in my parents garden. First gecko of the year came out from hibernation already. Carpenter bees and hummingbird hawk moths were busy pollinating the jasmine, I saw a female blackcap, sparrows were loudly arguing and saw three storks soaring very high in the sky. An orbweaver installed its net between my pots and today she was enjoying a prey in the center of the net (honestly I saw the spider some days earlier but I didn't looked at it up close for identify the species until now).

HERPTILES:

1. Common wall gecko (Tarentola mauritanica)

INVERTEBRATES:

44. Agalenatea redii
45. Aphaenogaster senilis
46. Mythimna unipuncta


Today I had a very pleasing and spectacular first butterfly of the year, a wonderful scarce swallowtail flied near my work place and accompanied me for several meters while I was entering into my work place.

INVERTEBRATES:

47. Iphiclides feisthamelii
 
Did you ever find any photos of the squirrel?
Still haven't looked. Too much else to do. Will do soon as my list is almost finalised.
 
And the mammal list for 2023 so far, which is already on 174 species!

Platypus Ornithorhynchus anatinus

Northern Brown Bandicoot Isoodon macrourus
Common Brushtail Possum Trichosurus vulpecula
Eastern Grey Kangaroo Macropus giganteus
Red-necked Wallaby Macropus rufogriseus
Swamp Wallaby Wallabia bicolor
Red-legged Pademelon Thylogale stigmatica

Black Flying Fox Pteropus alecto
Grey-headed Flying Fox Pteropus poliocephalus
Indian Flying Fox Pteropus giganteus
Straw-coloured Fruit Bat Eidolon helvum
Ethiopian Epauletted Fruit Bat Epomophorus labiatus
Hammer-headed Fruit Bat Hypsignathus monstrosus
Angolan Fruit Bat Lissonycteris angolensis
Egyptian Fruit Bat Rousettus aegyptiacus
Lesser Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus hipposideros
Geoffroy's Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus clivosus
Ruwenzori Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus ruwenzorii
Sundevall's Leaf-nosed Bat Hipposideros caffer
Noack's Leaf-nosed Bat Hipposideros ruber
Yellow-winged Bat Lavia frons
Egyptian Tomb Bat Taphozous perforatus
Mauritian Tomb Bat Taphozous mauritianus
Brazilian Free-tailed Bat Tadarida brasiliensis
Little Free-tailed Bat Chaerephon pumilus
Angolan Free-tailed Bat Mops condylurus
Dwarf Free-tailed Bat Mops nanulus
Greater Sac-winged Bat Saccopteryx bilineata

Northern Short-tailed Shrew Blarina brevicauda

Senegal Bushbaby Galago senegalensis
Dusky (Spectacled Lesser) Bushbaby Galago matschiei
Demidoff's Bushbaby Galagoides demidoff / demidovii
Thomas' Dwarf Bushbaby Galagoides thomasi
Potto Perodicticus ibeanus
Grey Slender Loris Loris lydekkerianus
Geoffroy's Spider Monkey Ateles geoffroyi
Panama White-faced Capuchin Cebus imitator
Mantled Howler Monkey Alouatta palliata
Black and White Colobus Colobus guereza
Ursine Colobus Colobus vellerosus
Ugandan Red Colobus Piliocolobus tephrosceles
Vervet Monkey Chlorocebus pygerythrus
Green Monkey Chlorocebus sabaeus
Tantalus Monkey Chlorocebus tantalus
Blue Monkey Cercopithecus mitis
Golden Monkey Cercopithecus kandti
Silver Monkey Cercopithecus doggetti
De Brazza's Monkey Cercopithecus neglectus
Mona Monkey Cercopithecus mona
Dent's Monkey Cercopithecus denti
Lowe's Monkey Cercopithecus lowei
Red-tailed Monkey Cercopithecus ascanius
L'Hoest's Monkey Cercopithecus lhoesti
Patas Monkey Erythrocebus patas
Grey-cheeked Mangabey Lophocebus albigena
Ugandan Mangabey Lophocebus ugandae
Guinea Baboon Papio papio
Olive Baboon Papio anubis
Bonnet Macaque Macaca radiata
Common Chimpanzee Pan troglodytes
Eastern Gorilla Gorilla beringei

European (Brown) Hare Lepus europaeus
Granada Hare Lepus granatensis
Cape Hare Lepus capensis
Savannah Hare Lepus victoriae
Indian Hare Lepus nigricollis
Black-tailed Jackrabbit Lepus californicus
Bunyoro Rabbit Poelagus marjorita
European Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus
Eastern Cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus
Desert Cottontail Sylvilagus audubonii
Marsh Rabbit Sylvilagus palustris
Brush Rabbit Sylvilagus bachmani

European Red Squirrel Sciurus vulgaris
Eastern Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinesis
Western Grey Squirrel Sciurus griseus
Arizona Grey Squirrel Sciurus arizonensis
Eastern Fox Squirrel Sciurus niger
American Red Squirrel Tamasciurus hudsonicus
Eastern Chipmunk Tamias striatus
Sonoma Chimunk Neotamias sonomae
Three-striped Palm Squirrel Funambulus palmarum
Striped Ground Squirrel Xerus erythropus
Unstriped Ground Squirrel Xerus rutilus
Barbary Ground Squirrel Atlantoxerus getulus
Forest Giant Squirrel Protoxerus stangeri
Ochre Bush Squirrel Paraxerus ochraceus
Boehm's Bush Squirrel Paraxerus boehmi
Alexander's Bush Squirrel Paraxerus alexandri
Fire-footed Rope Squirrel Funisciurus pyrropus
Carruther's Mountain Squirrel Funisciurus carruthersi
Small Sun Squirrel Heliosciurus punctatus
Red-legged Sun Squirrel Heliosciurus rufobrachium
Rock Squirrel Otospermophilus variegatus
Californian Ground Squirrel Otospermophilus beecheyi
Groundhog / Woodchuck Marmota monax

Pel's Anomalure Anomalurus pelii

Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus
House Mouse Mus musculus / domesticus
Bank Vole Myodes glareolus
Southern Red-backed Vole Myodes gapperi
Kemp's Gerbil Gerbilliscus kempi
African Grass Rat Arvicanthis niloticus
Beaded Wood Mouse Hylomyscus aeta
Fawn-footed Melomys Melomys cervinipes
Watson's Climbing Rat Tylomys watsoni
Muskrat Ondatra zibethicus
Coypu / Nutria Myocastor coypus
European Beaver Castor fiber
North American Porcupine Erethizon dorsatum
African Crested Porcupine Hystrix cristata
Central American Agouti Dasyprocta punctata

African Elephant Loxodonta africana

Rock Hyrax Procavia capensis
Western Tree Hyrax Dendrohyrax dorsalis
Benin Tree Hyrax Dendrohyrax interfluvialis

Plains Zebra Equus quagga

Baird's Tapir Tapirus bairdii

Common Hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius

Collared Peccary Dicotyles tajacu

Giant Forest Hog Hylochoerus meinertzhageni
Common Warthog Phacochoerus africanus

Northern Giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis

African Buffalo Syncerus caffer

Common Eland Taurotragus oryx
Kongoni (Hartebeest) Alcelaphus buselaphus
Topi Damaliscus lunatus
Roan Antelope Hippotragus equinus
Northern Bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus
Kob Kobus kob
Waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus
Impala Aepyceros melampus
Oribi Ourebia ourebi
Bohoe Reedbuck Redunca redunca
Mountain Reedbuck Redunca fulvorufula
Bush Duiker Sylvicapra grimmia
Black-fronted Duiker Cephalophus nigrifrons

European Red Deer Cervus elaphus
European Fallow Deer Dama dama
White-tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus
Mule Deer Odocoileus hemionianus
European Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus
Reeves' Muntjac Muntiacus reevesi

Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae
Common Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus
Harbour Porpoise Phocoena phocoena

Lion Panthera leo
Leopard Panthera pardus
Bobcat Lynx rufus
Dingo Canis dingo / familiaris
Coyote Canis latrans
Black-backed Jackal Canis mesomelas
Side-striped Jackal Canis adusta
Red Fox Vulpes vulpes
Least Weasel Mustela nivalis
American Mink Neogale vison
American Badger Taxidea taxus
North American River Otter Lontra canadensis
Sea Otter Enhydra lutris
Rusty-spotted Genet Genetta maculata
Egyptian Mongoose Herpestes ichneumon
Indian Grey Mongoose Herpestes edwardsii
White-tailed Mongoose Ichneumia albicauda
Slender Mongoose Galerella sanguinea
Pousargue's Mongoose Dologale dybowskii
Dwarf Mongoose Helogale parvula
Spotted Hyaena Crocuta crocuta
Northern Raccoon Procyon lotor
White-nosed Coati Nasua narica
Northern Olingo Bassaricyon gabbii

Common / Harbour Seal Phoca vitulina
Grey Seal Halichoerus gryphus
New Zealand Fur Seal Arctocephalus forsteri
California Sealion Zalophus californianus

I think I incorrectly listed my Olive baboons from Ghana on this thread as Guinea baboons, in which case we'd lose a species as far as I can tell (since MRJ also saw Olive baboons in Uganda while nobody has seen Guinea baboons this year from what I can tell).
 
Not much to report other than the warmer weather has been slowly bringing out more species. Reptiles and amphibians both have kicked off the year finally but I don't expect them to go up much for awhile other than the two aquatic turtles. Lots of activity from the gophers eating my plants but getting eyes on them is zero in my favor so far. Highlight of recent sightings was a immature Cooper's Hawk bushwhacking for sparrows, always interesting to see them diving in and out of brush. This particular hawk came up empty-handed after the towhee beat it over to the blackberry tangle, but certainly not from lack of trying!

Mammals:

5. Brazilian Free-tailed Bat (Tararida brasiliensis)

Birds:

69. Barrow’s Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica)
70. Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)
71. White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)
72. Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperi)

Reptiles:

1. Western Fence Lizard (Sceleporus occidentalis)

Amphibians:

1. Pacific Treefrog (Pseudacris regilla)

Invertebrates:

4. Bordered Plant Bug (Largus cinctus)
5. European Honeybee (Apis mellifera)
6. European Earwing (Forficula auricularia)

5-72-1-1-0-6

"Warmer weather bringing out more species," ha. Been storms and more storms bringing rain and snow unlike anything I've seen in some time. Picked up a few more reptiles right after my last post and then it's been little by little since. Finally got the first swallows of the year a good month and a half late; migration has largely stalled entirely other than the gulls and waterfowl it seems. Though seeing turtles hauled out on banks half covered in snow is entertaining in its own right.

Birds:

73. Common Merganser (Mergus merganser)
74. Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)
75. American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
76. Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)
77. Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta thalassina)
78. Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)
79. Say’s Phoebe (Sayornis saya)
-- Red-breasted x Red-naped Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber x S. nuchalis)

Reptiles:

2. Southern Alligator Lizard (Elgaria multicarinata)
3. Western Pond Turtle (Actinemys marmorata)
4. Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta)
5. Sharp-tailed Snake (Contia tenuis)

Invertebrates:

7. Western Boxelder Bug (Boisea rubrolineata)

5-79-5-1-0-7
 
550. Yellow-vented bulbul Pycnonotus goiavier
Those familiar with Asian birds might have noticed that the yellow-vented bulbul is an Asian bird and is not present in Africa. I think the problem was that the common bulbul also has a yellow vent, and somebody called it the yellow-vented, which I then ticked without thinking. So that one comes off.

However, we have been able to confirm that we saw a little bittern (Ixobrychus minutus) which we saw at Kidepo Valley National Park. So the numbers stay the same. And @Giant Eland , I am now satisfied we saw a Carruthers's squirrel. So this is the very last amendment to my vertebrate list.

I've compiled a systematic list which can be downloaded as a PDF from my lates post on the travel blog thread, which can be accessed here.
 
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Today I had a very pleasing and spectacular first butterfly of the year, a wonderful scarce swallowtail flied near my work place and accompanied me for several meters while I was entering into my work place.

INVERTEBRATES:

47. Iphiclides feisthamelii


Today I saw a small moth at the entry of my work place.

INVERTEBRATES:

48. Esperia sulphurella

Also this is one that belongs to the day 12th March (sunday), but I forgot to list it here. It was a small specimen, I gues mature females aren't still grown up so early in the year.

49. Euryopis episinoides
 
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