Zoochat Big Year 2023

[Kakapo]

Today I had a very pleasant field trip along the river of my city in companion of two fellow entomologist friends. I said a predated penduline tit lying on the path, with the head already reduced to bone, and full of ants. There were some rare and interesting insects and even some lifers (surprisingly for my "neighbour" photographic hunt area that I visited so often during my childhood).

BIRDS:
57. Eurasian golden oriole (Oriolus oriolus) - only heard, at two different spots, tough one of my friends was lucky to see it when I pointed at the sound adress!

HERPTILES:
5. Iberian wall lizard (Podarcis hispanica)

INVERTEBRATES:
292. Menemerus bivittatus
293. Lycosoides coarctata
294. Calopteryx xanthostoma! Two females. Not seen since 2014!
295. Orthetrum cancellatum - a magnific male that fortunately returned to the same rush every time it flied, so we can photograph it
296. Paracinema tricolor - the nymphs mentioned in an earlier post have grown enough for ensure the identification, but still none adult.
297. Graphosoma lineatum - only one, in Torilis arvensis. This year I noticed the complete lack of Graphosoma of either species in areas where previously they was extremely common. I'm very surprised it lasted into June for find this species and just one individual. Worrying.
298. Dyroderes umbraculatus, a nymph
299. Coreus marginatus
300. Brachycarenus tigrinus
301. Spilostethus pandurus (one along the river, other inside my house just a while ago!)
302. Peirates stridulus
303. Hermetia illucens (two, one landed in my hand)
304. Xanthogramma marginale
305. Hoplia chlorophana!!!! LIFER
306. Anthaxia millefolii (I never saw it before in my city area)
307. Anthaxia scutellaris (fourth sight in my life)
308. Acmaeodera pulchra (two: one busy in Chondrilla juncea flower, other landed in a dry elm branchlet)
309. Thea vigintiduopunctata
310. Propylaea quatuordecimpunctata
311. Scaurus rugulosus
312. Oedemera flavipes
313. Anthidium florentinum
314. Camponotus truncatus (two queens already wingless in different places! second sight in my life!)
315. Delta unguiculatum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Super LIFER!!!! Sadly the wasp was more quick than my camera.

Yesterday at night, after I wrote this, another moth appeared resting in the glass of a shop in a city.

INVERTEBRATES:

316. Gymnoscelis rufifasciata

INVERTE

 

[Maguari]

Finally catching up on nerd admin after nearly-a-week in Berlin last week. Alongside extensive zoo time and some traditional sightseeing (it had been nearly a decade since I was in the city - somehow!) I was able to do some odd bits of wildlifing, mainly in the grand park of the Tiergarten.

I was hoping but not hopeful for the park's resident goshawks - summer with the full-leafed trees would certainly not be the easiest time - but I did manage one flyby sighting when a hu-uge beast flew across one of the main paths a mere 10m or so in front of me and off through the trees. Nightingale and Serin were nice surprises I hadn't really thought about, and the classic east-central Europe zoo trip species of Hooded Crow and Black Redstart were present and correct. One bird I heard deep in a bush just the wrong side of an uncrossable fence seems to have been an Icterine Warbler, which would have been a lifer, but has to go down as heard-only.

The best of all was probably the two young-looking beavers I saw on two days pootling about in the Tiergarten lake - only my second (and third, I suppose!) wild sighting - I knew they were about in the Berlin region but never expected to see them so well in an urban setting. (I googled to check for any information about them, and could only find stories about other bits of Berlin being improved to try to stop beavers coming in to the Tiergarten, so presumably they're not the first!)

Trip totals were 41 birds and 6 mammals but the others were all species already seen in the UK this year (the other mammals being European Rabbit, Red Squirrel, Brown Rat, House Mouse, and Red Fox). Also managed a tiny nudge-on for my very slow herp year.

Mammals:
21. European Beaver - Castor fiber

Birds:
178. Hooded Crow - Corvus cornix
179. Northern Goshawk - Accipiter gentilis
180. Common Nightingale - Luscinia megarhynchos
181. Black Redstart - Phoenicurus ochruros
182. European Serin - Serinus serinus

(UK: 177)

Amphibians:
2. Edible Frog - Rana kl. esculenta

Invertebrates:
34. European Hornet - Vespa crabro
35. Two-spotted Ladybird - Adalia bipunctata

 

[ThylacineAlive]

Just realized I skipped #232 so I'm actually on 243 birds now.

I also forgot another reptile I saw today. For reptiles, I gave my last two the same number so I'm actually on 8:

8) Common Snapping Turtle Chelydra serpentina

~Thylo

Only update for this weekend is that, from checking my photos, the garter snake I saw in Idaho is actually a Western Terrestrial Garter Snake (Thamnophis elegans) and not a Common as I thought it was. A lifer for me!

~Thylo

 

[birdsandbats]

Fishes
5. Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides
6. Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus

Fish
7. Freshwater Drum (Sheephead) Aplodinotus grunniens
8. Round Goby Neogobius melanostomus

 

[Chlidonias]

BIRDS:
57. Eurasian golden oriole (Oriolus oriolus) - only heard, at two different spots, tough one of my friends was lucky to see it when I pointed at the sound adress!

Heard-only birds do not count for the numbered lists in the thread.

 

[Vision]

Heard-only birds do not count for the numbered lists in the thread.

I've always found this rule a bit silly, and I'm honestly surprised it has survived here as long as it has... For many birds (and other animals!), hearing them is either:
1) imperial, or at least extremely relevant, for identification;
2) a massive aspect of wildlife observation that can enhance observations immensely; and/or
3) way less disruptive, because if you hear a crake/nightjar/owl (or any other bird) and are happy to list it, there's no reason to flush it or disturb it with a flashlight.

Additionally, heard-only observations have also always been allowed on every single observation platform (like eBird, observation.org, iNaturalist, ornitho, etc.), and have always been a massive part of birding culture (think of things like Big Days, where huge amounts of species you're observing are likely at night and thus often heard-only).

It feels weird to still rule these very valid and relevant observations out for the sake of listing, while simultaneously allowing people to choose their own taxonomies, and while not really clarifying whether or not people can choose to list trapped animals, ship-assisted animals, animals from reintroduction programmes that are/aren't yet deemed self-sustaining, etc...

Some birders are fine with hearing things and can count those sightings everywhere, so isn't it weird that they can't count them here? Surely people should be able to choose that for themselves?

 

[Bisonblake]

Another surprising mammal sighting today at work! I was cleaning one of the ponds when I noticed a small gray animal walking on the other side of the fence. I was expecting another eastern mole but it was actually a northern short-tailed shew. This is probably the first time the scientific name of a species came to my mind before the common name. This sighting happened later in the morning than the eastern mole, around 10am.

6/15/23
Mammals:
12. Northern short-tailed shrew Blarina brevicauda

Total Species: 105
Birds: 86
Mammals: 12
Herptiles: 7

I'm still on the lookout for American coots. I went to the nature reserve I keep seeing reports from, but I'm still not having any luck. I found three birds for my year list, which are all lifers. There are only three non-lifer birds I haven't been able to see yet this year.

I seem to still have great luck with spotting mammals recently. I heard some rustling and growling coming from the reeds. I waited about 15 minutes to see what it was, and it turned out to be a raccoon. I was originally disappointed by this, but not far down the path, I saw two American minks swim across the ditch. A couple hours later, I got a short glimpse of a meadow jumping mouse hopping on the trail.

6/18/23
Birds:
87. Brown thrasher Toxostoma rufum
88. Eastern wood-pewee Contopus virens
89. Red-shouldered hawk Buteo lineatus

Mammals:
13. American mink Neovison vison
14. Meadow jumping mouse Zapus hudsonius

Total Species: 110
Birds: 89
Mammals: 14
Herptiles: 7

 

[MRJ]

I've always found this rule a bit silly, and I'm honestly surprised it has survived here as long as it has... For many birds (and other animals!), hearing them is either:
1) imperial, or at least extremely relevant, for identification;
2) a massive aspect of wildlife observation that can enhance observations immensely; and/or
3) way less disruptive, because if you hear a crake/nightjar/owl (or any other bird) and are happy to list it, there's no reason to flush it or disturb it with a flashlight.

Additionally, heard-only observations have also always been allowed on every single observation platform (like eBird, observation.org, iNaturalist, ornitho, etc.), and have always been a massive part of birding culture (think of things like Big Days, where huge amounts of species you're observing are likely at night and thus often heard-only).

It feels weird to still rule these very valid and relevant observations out for the sake of listing, while simultaneously allowing people to choose their own taxonomies, and while not really clarifying whether or not people can choose to list trapped animals, ship-assisted animals, animals from reintroduction programmes that are/aren't yet deemed self-sustaining, etc...

Some birders are fine with hearing things and can count those sightings everywhere, so isn't it weird that they can't count them here? Surely people should be able to choose that for themselves?

Without doubt you are correct regarding the acceptance of calls in bird observation.

I have a friend who also counts tracks, scats and signs. He counts porcupine from finding a recently dropped quill, leopard from a recent pug mark, and striped possum from a squashed roadkill outside a rambutan plantation. He even claims a leopard from the alarm calls of monkeys and peafowl.

Of course all these indicators are important to use in any fauna survey situation, which effectively is what all the websites you quoted are. But this thread is a game, and not of scientific interest. It is ok to have rules that seem a little strange, if people engaged in the game are fine with them. But if the rules are changed to include heard-only then surely we would have to include these other signs as well.

What you do on your own lists is entirely up to you. For myself, I like the idea that I see the animal, and only count sightings on my list. That is just the way I like it, but I still record heard-only when they are of interest to me. As it happens I also had a heard-only Eurasian golden oriole during my trip to Uganda.

animals from reintroduction programmes that are/aren't yet deemed self-sustaining

The rule is "Species must be part of an established wild population or be a natural migrant/vagrant/straggler." To require them to be self-sustaining would seem to exclude most Threatened species as they are declining.

 

[Crotalus]

Joining halfway through the year, hope this isn't frowned upon

The following species are primarily from Alabama, though there are a few from Montana, Wyoming, and Washington states.

Any new species this year are marked in bold.


Mammals

1. Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) – 3/28/23
2. American Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) – 5/12/23
3. Uinta Ground Squirrel (Urocitellus armatus) – 5/13/23
4. Northern Pocket Gopher (Thomomys talpoides) – 5/13/23
5. Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) – 5/13/23
6. Coyote (Canis latrans lestes) – 5/13/23
7. American Black Bear (Ursus americanus) – 5/13/23
8. Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) – 5/13/23
9. American Bison (Bison bison) – 5/13/23
10. Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis) – 5/13/23
11. Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) – 5/13/23
12. Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus) – 5/13/23
13. Elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni) – 5/13/23
14. Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus) – 5/18/23
15. American Ermine (Mustela richardsonii) – 5/27/23


Birds

1. Willet (Tringa semipalmata) – 1/14/23
2. Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) – 1/14/23
3. Double-Crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) – 1/14/23
4. Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) – 1/14/23
5. Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) – 1/14/23
6. Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) – 1/14/23
7. Common Loon (Gavia immer) – 1/15/23
8. Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla) – 1/15/23
9. Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) – 1/1523
10. Boat-Tailed Grackle (Quiscalus major) – 1/15/23
11. Pied-Billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) – 1/15/23
12. American Coot (Fulica americana) – 1/15/23
13. Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) – 1/15/23
14. Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) – 1/15/23
15. Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) – 1/15/23
16. Red-Winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) – 1/15/23
17. Yellow-Rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) – 1/15/23
18. Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) – 1/15/23
19. Ruby-Crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) - 3/19/23
20. Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) – 3/28/23
21. Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) – 3/28/23
22. Barred Owl (Strix varia) – 3/28/23
23. Red-Bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) – 3/28/23
24. Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) – 3/28/23
25. White-Eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus) – 3/28/23
26. Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) – 3/28/23
27. Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) – 3/28/23
28. American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) – 3/28/23
29. Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus) – 3/28/23
30. Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) – 3/28/23
31. Northern Rough-Winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis) – 3/28/23
32. White-Breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) – 3/28/23
33. Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) – 3/28/23
34. Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) – 3/28/23
35. Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) – 3/28/23
36. House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) – 3/28/23
37. Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) – 3/28/23
38. Dark-Eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) – 3/28/23
39. White-Throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) – 3/28/23
40. Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) – 3/28/23
41. Brown-Headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) – 3/28/23
42. Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla) – 3/28/23
43. Red-Tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) - 4/5/23
44. Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus) - 5/9/23
45. Black-Billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia) – 5/11/23
46. European Starling (Sturnus vulagris) – 5/11/23
47. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) – 5/11/23
48. Rock Dove (Columba livia) – 5/11/23
49. Mountain Chickadee (Poecile gambeli) – 5/12/23
50. House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) – 5/12/23
51. Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) – 5/13/23
52. American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) – 5/13/23
53. Common Raven (Corvus corax) – 5/13/23
54. American Wigeon (Mareca americana) – 5/13/23
55. Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) – 5/13/23
56. Barrow’s Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica) – 5/13/23
57. American Coot (Fulica americana americana) – 5/13/23
58. Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis) – 5/13/23
59. Brewer’s Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) – 5/13/23
60. Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus) – 5/13/23
61. Canada Jay (Perisoreus canadensis) – 5/13/23
62. American Dipper (Cinclus mexicanus) – 5/13/23
63. American Robin (Turdus migratorius) – 5/13/23
64. Gadwall (Mareca strepera) – 5/13/23
65. Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis tabida) – 5/13/23
66. Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica) – 5/20/23
67. Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) – 5/20/23
68. Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) - 5/23/23
69. White-Winged Scoter (Melanitta deglandi) – 5/25/23
70. Common Murre (Uria aalge) – 5/25/23
71. Pigeon Guillemot (Cepphus columba) – 5/25/23
72. Bonaparte’s Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) – 5/25/23
73. Western Gull (Larus occidentalis) – 5/25/23
74. Glaucous-Winged Gull (Larus glaucescens) – 5/25/23
75. Black-Footed Albatross (Phoebastria nigripes) – 5/25/23
76. Fork-Tailed Storm Petrel (Hydrobates furcatus) – 5/25/23
77. Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) – 5/25/23
78. Blue-Winged Teal (Spatula discors) – 5/27/23
79. Green-Winged Teal (Anas carolinensis) – 5/27/23
80. Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) – 5/27/23
81. Vaux’s Swift (Chaetura vauxi) – 5/27/23
82. Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) – 5/27/23
83. Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) – 5/27/23
84. Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) – 5/27/23
85. American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) – 5/27/23
86. Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) – 5/27/23
87. Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna) – 5/28/23
88. Golden-Crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) – 5/28/23
89. White-Crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) – 5/28/23
90. Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus) – 5/28/23
91. Red-Eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) – 5/31/23
92. Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) – 5/31/23
93. Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) – 5/31/23

Reptiles

1. Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis) – 5/18/23
2. Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) – 5/31/23
3. Southeastern Five-Lined Skink (Plestiodon inexpectatus) – 6/2/23



Amphibians

1. Webster’s Salamander (Plethodon websteri) – 1/29/23
2. Fowler’s Toad (Anaxyrus fowleri) – 6/2/23



Fish

1. Spotted Ratfish (Hydrolagus colliei) – 5/26/23
2. Pacific Sanddab (Citharichthys sordidus) – 5/26/23
3. Pacific Halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) – 5/26/23
4. Lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) – 5/26/23


Invertebrates

1. Boxelder Bug (Boisea trivittata) – 3/6/23
2. Common Pill Woodlouse (Armadillidium vulgare) – 3/26/23
3. Western Honeybee (Apis mellifera) – 4/4/23
4. Unequal Cellophane Bee (Colletes inaequalis) – 4/4/23
5. Red Paper Wasp (Polistes carolina) – 4/4/23
6. Bathroom Moth Fly (Clogmia albipunctata) – 4/4/23
7. Brown Waterscorpion (Ranatra fusca) – 4/5/23
8. Rocky Mountain Wood Tick (Dermacentor andersoni) – 5/13/23
9. West Coast Lady (Vanessa annabella) – 5/28/23
10. American Cockroach (Periplaneta americana) – 6/17/23
11. Tile-Horned Prionus (Prionus imbricornis) – 6/17/23

 

[MRJ]

Joining halfway through the year, hope this isn't frowned upon

Not at all. Welcome.

 

[Chlidonias]

Some birders are fine with hearing things and can count those sightings everywhere, so isn't it weird that they can't count them here? Surely people should be able to choose that for themselves?

As it says in the opening post, if you want to include heard-only birds you can, but separate to the numbered list of sighted birds - as an example, 56 birds seen, 5 heard-only, or whatever your numbers might be.

 

[DesertTortoise]

Birds
144. Eurasian-collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
145. Black tern (Chlidonias niger)
146. Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)
147. Hudsonian godwit (Limosa haemastica)
148. Sandhill crane (Antigone canadensis)
149. Yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)

Invertebrates
31. Blue-tipped dancer (Argia tibialis)
32. Large lace-border moth (Scopula limboundata)

Birds
May
150. Black-bellied plover (Pluvialis squatarola)
151. Stilt sandpiper (Calidris himantopus)
June
152. Cooper’s hawk (Accipiter cooperii)
153. Eastern wood-pewee (Contopus virens)
154. Black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
155. Great-tailed grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)
156. Yellow-headed blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus)

Mammals
June
9. North American river otter (Lontra canadensis)
10. Coyote (Canis latrans)

Invertebrates
May
33. Confused eusarca moth (Eusarca confusaria)
34. Great spangled fritillary (Argynnis cybele)
35. Brown recluse (Loxosceles reclusa)
36. Little wood satyr (Megisto cymela)
37. Common whitetail (Plathemis lydia)
38. Tuft-legged orbweaver (Mangora placida)
June
39. Red milkweed beetle (Tetraopes tetrophthalmus)
40. Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
41. Dasymutilla ursus
42. Margined calligrapher (Toxomerus marginatus)
43. Putnam’s jumping spider (Phidippus putnami)
44. False milkweed bug (Lygaeus turcicus)
45. Virile crayfish (Faxonius virilis)

 

[Coelacanth18]

Mammals

20. Round-tailed Ground Squirrel (Xerospermophilus tereticaudus)

Birds

184. Ridgway's Rail (Rallus obsoletus)

Picked up a few exotics common in the Los Angeles area, along with another mammal seen coming home from work the other night:

Mammals
21. Northern Raccoon (Procyon lotor)

Birds
185. Red-whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus)
186. Red-crowned Parrot (Amazona viridigenalis)
187. Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca)

No new reptiles, and still have yet to see a live snake this year. I've driven past Gopher Snakes on the road, but one was certainly dead and the others were hard to tell...

 

[Maguari]

Taking advantage of a dry evening (in the midst of a week of rain forecast most evenings, after very hot weather while I was away) to shoot over to the heath at Budby, in Sherwood Forest, for some sunset wildlifing.

The regular crepuscular assemblage at this fantastic site were all in evidence - some particularly good pre-sunset views of the owls, a few fewer roding woodcock than usual, and although nightjars were churring all evening, it took a long time for one to get up and fly where it could be seen from the main paths. Just as I was rolling around possible dates for a return visit, one did eventually get up though, and gave solid views when it did. Lots of Noctule activity early in the evening too, taking me to the practical limit of British bats I can safely identify in flight - any more will need to be at bat group events, barring a fluke encounter with a Nathusius Pip I suppose..!

Mammals:
22. Common Noctule - Nyctalus noctula

Birds:
183. Long-eared Owl - Asio otus
184. Eurasian Woodcock - Scolopax rusticola
185. European Nightjar - Caprimulgus europaeus

(UK:180)

 

[Crotalus]

Did some frogging in South Carolina to try and increase my number of amphibians - heard plenty, but only managed to see (and catch) 2 different species. Plenty of insects along the lake edge, though most of them were too quick for me to identify. Some cockroaches proved easier to get photos of and identify. While in South Carolina, I also finally saw an overdue Eastern Kingbird and my first ever kite.

Birds:

92. Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) – 6/19/23
93. Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) – 6/19/23


Amphibians:

2. Southern Cricket Frog (Acris gryllus) – 6/18/23
3. Squirrel Treefrog (Dryophytes squirellus) – 6/18/23


Invertebrates:

12. Barronopsis texana – 6/18/23
13. Indian Meal Moth (Plodia interpunctella) – 6/18/23
14. Turkestan Cockroach (Shelfordella lateralis) – 6/18/23
15. Chestnut Carpenter Ant (Camponotus castaneus) – 6/18/23
16. Smoky Brown Cockroach (Periplaneta fuliginosa) – 6/18/23


Was hoping to find an owl or some bats - didn't manage to find any. Heard what I think were Largemouth Bass jumping too.

 

[Chlidonias]

80) Ring-necked Pheasant Phasianus colchicus

Six months into the year I finally managed to see a pheasant! At my sister's property they are regular visitors - almost daily - but for some reason every time I have been there this year the pheasants remained absent. This weekend one casually strolled out of the forest and across the field. I'll probably see them every visit for the rest of the year now...

 

[birdsandbats]

80) Ring-necked Pheasant Phasianus colchicus

Six months into the year I finally managed to see a pheasant! At my sister's property they are regular visitors - almost daily - but for some reason every time I have been there this year the pheasants remained absent. This weekend one casually strolled out of the forest and across the field. I'll probably see them every visit for the rest of the year now...

Interesting to hear that Ring-necked Pheasant is the common name used in New Zealand. I thought it would be Common Pheasant, the name used in Europe. I've often heard European birders online complain that Ring-necked Pheasant is an inaccurate name.

 

[Bactrian Deer]

Finally took the time to make a list
Mammals:

1. Eastern Grey Squirrel
2. Coyote
3. Gray Bat
4. Eastern Cottontail
5. Muskrat
6. American Red Squirrel
7. Eastern Chipmunk
8. Virginia Opossum

Birds:

1. Mallard
2. Canada Goose
3. Red-Winged Blackbird
4. Red-Bellied Woodpecker
5. Eastern Bluebird
6. American Robin
7. Mourning Dove
8. Rock Pigeon
9. White-Throated Sparrow
10. House Sparrow
11. Northern Cardinal
12. Great Blue Heron
13. Golden Eagle
14. Bald Eagle (Truly majestic species, saw catching a fish)
15. Blue Jay
16. Carolina Chickadee
17. American Crow
18. Common Grackle
19. Laughing Gull (Vacation in FL)
20. Ruddy Turnstone

Amphibians:

1. American Bullfrog

Reptiles:

1. Brown Anole (FL)
2. Red-Eared Slider

 

[CMP]

Finally took the time to make a list
Mammals:

1. Eastern Grey Squirrel
2. Coyote
3. Gray Bat
4. Eastern Cottontail
5. Muskrat
6. American Red Squirrel
7. Eastern Chipmunk
8. Virginia Opossum

Birds:

1. Mallard
2. Canada Goose
3. Red-Winged Blackbird
4. Red-Bellied Woodpecker
5. Eastern Bluebird
6. American Robin
7. Mourning Dove
8. Rock Pigeon
9. White-Throated Sparrow
10. House Sparrow
11. Northern Cardinal
12. Great Blue Heron
13. Golden Eagle
14. Bald Eagle (Truly majestic species, saw catching a fish)
15. Blue Jay
16. Carolina Chickadee
17. American Crow
18. Common Grackle
19. Laughing Gull (Vacation in FL)
20. Ruddy Turnstone

Amphibians:

1. American Bullfrog

Reptiles:

1. Brown Anole (FL)
2. Red-Eared Slider

Welcome to the challenge!

It is helpful if you include scientific names

It is not listed as a hard rule, but pretty much everyone treats it and follows it as such, so for the future, please add scientific names.

 

[Mr. Zootycoon]

Today, I would have loved to write another paragraph or two about another 'against the odds' search for a weird and wonderful beasts, surviving only in tiny relics of its former habitat. This time, it would be the golden-ringed dragonfly, a specialist of clear natural streams. But the quest turned into little more than a stroll. It was a very good stroll, along a beautiful mostly intact lowland stream above which danced little flocks of banded demoiselles, their iridescent wing-bars shimmering in the late morning sun. But it is not worth a longer tale unfortunately.

There was also a very eventful evening of fieldwork with two new bats and two new birds, along with a couple of butterflies and moths seen here and there over the last few days or so.

Birds
206. Eurasian Woodcock, Scolopax rusticola
207. Tawny Owl, Strix aluco

Butterflies
19. Small Tortoiseshell, Aglais urticae
20. Large Skipper, Ochlodes sylvanus
21. Meadow Brown, Maniola jurtina

Dragonflies
23. Banded Demoiselle, Calopteryx splendens

Mammals
23. Nathusius's Pipistrelle, Pipistrellus nathusii
24. Common Noctule, Nyctalus noctula

Moths
18. Marbled Orchard Tortrix, Hedya nubiferana
19. Yellow Shell, Camptogramma bilineata
20. Variegated Golden Tortrix, Archips xylosteana
21. Mountain-Ash Tortricid, Choristoneura hebenstreitella
22. Lilac Beauty, Apeira syringaria
23. Leche's twist moth, Ptycholoma lecheana
24. Small Magpie, Anania hortulata
25. Garden Grass-veneer, Chrysoteuchia culmella
26. Crambus pascuella