Zoochat Big Year 2023

amur leopard said:
Scratch that about new additions, here's a few. The bird and the reptile are IDs made today of species seen yesterday, with the bird ID all thanks to @Coelacanth18 :). The mammal is a really nice species I saw at Halla Arboretum on the Northern side of Jeju Island. The population within the forest is fairly unbothered by humans so made it easier to get better views of the deer. As an aside it's nice to have seen both the Eastern roe deer and its Western counterpart, both very beautiful species. The keelback was really nice to see as it is a rare example of an animal that is both poisonous and venomous.

Mammals

1. Eastern roe deer, Capreolus pygargus

Birds

63. Blue and white flycatcher, Cyanoptila cyanomelana

Reptiles

3. Tiger keelback, Rhabdophis tigrinus.
Click to expand...

Some additions from last few days in Korea and first few in Japan.

Mammals

2. Siberian chipmunk, Tamias sibiricus

Birds

64. Intermediate egret, Ardea intermedia
65. Great white egret, Ardea alba
66. Black kite, Milvus migrans

Plus an as of yet unidentified wagtail species.

Reptiles

4. Japanese pond turtle, Mauremys japonicus

Amphibians

1. Black spotted pond frog, Pelophylax nigromaculata
2. Forest green tree frog, Zhangixalus arboreus
3. Japanese wrinkled frog, Glandirana rugosa
 
Well, no I am not really climbing sky islands. However I am in that region of south-east Arizona. I spent all of yesterday around Portal and in the Cave Creek Canyon. The surrounding area is dry flatlands and as soon as you enter the canyon it becomes lusher riparian forest. Still no very tall trees, making it easier than rainforest.

Birdwatching is the major industry around here, I've never seen anywhere so obsessed with birding, it is the only topic of conversation in the local store. It is also very easy, there are maybe a dozen homes that open their yards to visitors to sit and watch their feeders. They are distributed across the various habitats and at different elevations so birdwatching consists of going from house to house intermingled with some walking along forest roads and trails. There is no charge to sit at the feeders, however donations are requested.

Not only birdwatchers make this their residence of choice. Only a couple of kilometres away is the Arizona Sky Village, dedicated to astronomy. Almost every house has it's own telescope in the round-top housing typical of observatories. It is not essential to own a large telescope to live here, but your house must not have outside lights and must have blackout window blinds. Certainly no streetlamps.

Mammals

106. Merriman's kangaroo rat Dipodomys merriami (new Family)
107. Yellow-nosed cotton rat Sigmodon ochrognathus (new Family)
108. Harris's antelope squirrel Ammospermophilus harrisii
109. Cliff chipmunk Neotamias dorsalis
110. Rock squirrel Otospermophilus variegatus
111. Black-tailed jack-rabbit Lepus califoricus
112. Desert cottontail Sylvilagus audubonii
113. Long-tounged bat Choeronycteris mexicana NT (new Family)
114. Lesser long-nosed bat Leptonycteris yerbabuenae NT
115. American black bear Ursus americanus
116. Hooded skunk Mephitis macroura (new Family)
117. Striped skunk Mephitis mephitis
118. Mule deer Odocoileus hemionus
119. White-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus

Birds

732. Gambel's quail Callipepla gambelii
733. Inca dove Columbina inca
734. White-winged dove Zenaida asiatica
735. Common poorwill Phalaenophilus nuttallii
736. White-eared hummingbird Basilinna leucotis
737. Costa's hummingbird Calypte costae
738. Broad-billed hummingbird Cynanthus latirostris
739. Rivoli's hummingbird Eugenes fulgens
740. Blue-throated mountaingem Lampornis clemenciae
741. Calliope hummingbird Selasphorus calliope
742. Broad-tailed hummingbird Selasphorus platycercus
743. Rufus hummingbird Selasphorus rufus
744. Greater roadrunner Geococcyx californianus
745. Turkey vulture Cathartes aura
746. Swainson's hawk Buteo swainsoni
747. Hairy woodpecker Leuconotopicus villosus
748. Acorn woodpecker Melanerpes formicivorus
749. Western wood-peewee Contopus sordidulus
750. Thick-billed kingbird Tyrannus crassirostris
751. Loggerhead shrike Lanius ludovicianus
752. Mexican jay Aphelocoma wollweberi
753. Woodhouse's scrub-jay Aphelocoma woodhouseii
754. Lesser goldfinch Spinus psaltria
755. Black-throated sparrow Amphispiza bilineata
756. Lark sparrow Chondestes grammacus
757. Canyon towhee Melozone fusca
758. Rufus-winged sparrow Peucaea carpalis
759. American yellow warbler Setophaga petechia
760. American redstart Setophaga ruticilla
761. Hooded oriole Icterus cucullatus
762. Northern cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis
763. Pyrrhuloxia Cardinalis sinuatus
764. Lazuli bunting Passerina amoena
765. Blue grosbeak Passerina caerulea
766. Painted bunting Passerina ciris
767. Black-headed grosbeak Pheucticus melanocephalus
768. Bridled titmouse Baeolophus wollweberi
769. Verdin Auriparus flaviceps
770. Tree swallow Tachycineta bicolor
771. White-breasted nuthatch Sitta carolinensis
772. Cactus wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
773. Canyon wren Catherpes mexicanus
774. Northern mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
775. Curve-billed thresher Toxostoma curvirostre

Reptiles

24. Chihuahuan spotted whiptail Aspidoscelis exsanguia (new Family)
25. Northern diamondback rattlesnake Crotalus atrox

Amphibians

5. American bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus (new Family) (Introduced)

Invertebrates

51. Hammond's lined June beetle Polyphylla hammondi
52. Sleepy orange Abaeis nicippe
53. Two-tail swallowtail Papilio multicaudata
54. Flame skimmer Libellula saturata
55. Variegated medowhawk Sympetrum corruptum

Two-year new species targets
Mammals 103/100
Birds 756/1000
Bonus ectotherms 205
 
A few year ticks from moth trapping last night.

221) Yellow-barred brindle (Acasis viretata)
222) Mother of Pearl (Patania ruralis)
223) Light brown apple moth (Epiphyas postvittana)
 
MRJ said:
Well, no I am not really climbing sky islands. However I am in that region of south-east Arizona. I spent all of yesterday around Portal and in the Cave Creek Canyon. The surrounding area is dry flatlands and as soon as you enter the canyon it becomes lusher riparian forest. Still no very tall trees, making it easier than rainforest.

Birdwatching is the major industry around here, I've never seen anywhere so obsessed with birding, it is the only topic of conversation in the local store. It is also very easy, there are maybe a dozen homes that open their yards to visitors to sit and watch their feeders. They are distributed across the various habitats and at different elevations so birdwatching consists of going from house to house intermingled with some walking along forest roads and trails. There is no charge to sit at the feeders, however donations are requested.

Not only birdwatchers make this their residence of choice. Only a couple of kilometres away is the Arizona Sky Village, dedicated to astronomy. Almost every house has it's own telescope in the round-top housing typical of observatories. It is not essential to own a large telescope to live here, but your house must not have outside lights and must have blackout window blinds. Certainly no streetlamps.

Mammals

106. Merriman's kangaroo rat Dipodomys merriami (new Family)
107. Yellow-nosed cotton rat Sigmodon ochrognathus (new Family)
108. Harris's antelope squirrel Ammospermophilus harrisii
109. Cliff chipmunk Neotamias dorsalis
110. Rock squirrel Otospermophilus variegatus
111. Black-tailed jack-rabbit Lepus califoricus
112. Desert cottontail Sylvilagus audubonii
113. Long-tounged bat Choeronycteris mexicana NT (new Family)
114. Lesser long-nosed bat Leptonycteris yerbabuenae NT
115. American black bear Ursus americanus
116. Hooded skunk Mephitis macroura (new Family)
117. Striped skunk Mephitis mephitis
118. Mule deer Odocoileus hemionus
119. White-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus

Birds

732. Gambel's quail Callipepla gambelii
733. Inca dove Columbina inca
734. White-winged dove Zenaida asiatica
735. Common poorwill Phalaenophilus nuttallii
736. White-eared hummingbird Basilinna leucotis
737. Costa's hummingbird Calypte costae
738. Broad-billed hummingbird Cynanthus latirostris
739. Rivoli's hummingbird Eugenes fulgens
740. Blue-throated mountaingem Lampornis clemenciae
741. Calliope hummingbird Selasphorus calliope
742. Broad-tailed hummingbird Selasphorus platycercus
743. Rufus hummingbird Selasphorus rufus
744. Greater roadrunner Geococcyx californianus
745. Turkey vulture Cathartes aura
746. Swainson's hawk Buteo swainsoni
747. Hairy woodpecker Leuconotopicus villosus
748. Acorn woodpecker Melanerpes formicivorus
749. Western wood-peewee Contopus sordidulus
750. Thick-billed kingbird Tyrannus crassirostris
751. Loggerhead shrike Lanius ludovicianus
752. Mexican jay Aphelocoma wollweberi
753. Woodhouse's scrub-jay Aphelocoma woodhouseii
754. Lesser goldfinch Spinus psaltria
755. Black-throated sparrow Amphispiza bilineata
756. Lark sparrow Chondestes grammacus
757. Canyon towhee Melozone fusca
758. Rufus-winged sparrow Peucaea carpalis
759. American yellow warbler Setophaga petechia
760. American redstart Setophaga ruticilla
761. Hooded oriole Icterus cucullatus
762. Northern cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis
763. Pyrrhuloxia Cardinalis sinuatus
764. Lazuli bunting Passerina amoena
765. Blue grosbeak Passerina caerulea
766. Painted bunting Passerina ciris
767. Black-headed grosbeak Pheucticus melanocephalus
768. Bridled titmouse Baeolophus wollweberi
769. Verdin Auriparus flaviceps
770. Tree swallow Tachycineta bicolor
771. White-breasted nuthatch Sitta carolinensis
772. Cactus wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
773. Canyon wren Catherpes mexicanus
774. Northern mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
775. Curve-billed thresher Toxostoma curvirostre

Reptiles

24. Chihuahuan spotted whiptail Aspidoscelis exsanguia (new Family)
25. Northern diamondback rattlesnake Crotalus atrox

Amphibians

5. American bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus (new Family) (Introduced)

Invertebrates

51. Hammond's lined June beetle Polyphylla hammondi
52. Sleepy orange Abaeis nicippe
53. Two-tail swallowtail Papilio multicaudata
54. Flame skimmer Libellula saturata
55. Variegated medowhawk Sympetrum corruptum

Two-year new species targets
Mammals 103/100
Birds 756/1000
Bonus ectotherms 205
Click to expand...
Wow!
 
birdsandbats said:
Herps
12. American Bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus
Click to expand...
birdsandbats said:
Birds
236. Carolina Chickadee Poecile carolinensis
237. Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus
238. Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
Click to expand...
birdsandbats said:
This one is actually from a couple of weeks ago, forgot to count it:

Mammals
21. American Pygmy Shrew Sorex hoyi
Click to expand...
Birds
239. Black Vulture Coragyps atratus
240. Summer Tanager Piranga rubra
241. Stilt Sandpiper Calidris himantopus

Herps
13. Common Wall Lizard Podarcis muralis
14. Pond Slider Trachemys scripta

Mammals
22. North American River Otter Lontra canadensis
 
Some moths from trapping last night:

224) Ruby tiger (Phragmatobia fuliginosa)
225) Sallow kitten (Furcula furcula)
226) Drinker (Euthrix potatoria)
227) Burnished brass (Diachrysia chrysitis)
228) Swallow prominent (Pheosia tremula)
229) Flame carpet (Xanthorhoe designata)

And a couple of bats as well:

13) Common noctule (Nyctalus noctula)
14 )Daubenton's bat (Myotis daubentonii)
 
ThylacineAlive said:
Day 20 of being in Kenya! My program is officially over as of tonight and tomorrow I begin my own adventure, starting with a 4am start towards the eastern part of the nation. I may not have great service for the first 2-3 days so this may be my last daily update for a bit.

As for today's activities, it was foggy and rainy so I took the poor birding conditions as an opportunity to get some much needed rest. I did do a little bit of batting at the end of the day in a nearby wetland. In addition to the serotine, I saw one bat which remains unidentified. Additionally, I also saw a fairly large shrew swimming along the shore of a pond! I initially assumed this was a water shrew but have learned that Kenya does not have those, nor any particularly aquatic shrew species. For now, a mystery...

442) Lesser Swamp Warbler Acrocephalus gracilirostris

80) Cape Serotine Neoromicia capensis

~Thylo
Click to expand...

Hi all. Writing from the airport as I prepare for my flight back home from Kenya.

My last couple of weeks have been significantly more jam packed than my first few, so once I feel behind on daily updates it became too difficult to catch up. I have most of my daily write-ups already completed at this point so just need to get a handful of species identified and then I'll be posting the rest of my trip! Had a fantastic time and saw some amazing species so really looking forward to sharing the experience.

For now, just a few quick corrections. I need to redact my last correction on the hare. The Pardamat hates are, in fact, African Savanna Hares. Cape Hares apparently do not occur in that habitat type and the tail run method is not a good way to consistently identify the species (savanna hares I saw later in the trip did the exact same thing with the tails down, which is supposedly a marker for Cape Hare).

Second, I need to correct my grey woodpecker identification. I first saw this species in the brushland surrounding Lake Naivasha. I further saw grey woodpeckers in the Mara many times. I followed Merlin to differentiate between the two grey woodpecker species in Kenya but I've since learned that Merlin has very incorrect range maps for these species, or at least contradictory ones to East African birding books/sources. These sources have all the prior birds I saw as Mountain Grey Woodpecker, Chloropicus spodocephalus.

Finally, my Little Rush Warblers are actually Highland Rush Warbler, Bradypterus centralis.

More updates to come!

~Thylo
 
This post describes activities outside Madera Canyon. I will be working on my Madera Canyon list and post while waiting for planes on my return trip home tomorrow.

Road Trip Number 1.

On Friday I transferred from Cave Creek Canyon to Madera Canyon, which is about an hour south of Tucson. To get there I had to zig-zag around the mountain ranges, the option of going over the mountains would, if possible, involve poorly maintained and unmade mountain roads, which if shorter in distance would take a lot longer in time. I wanted to stop for lunch in Tombstone, a town that is famous for a thirty-second gunfight. There were plenty of ways to spend money, but I was happy to walk through the historical area, grab a bite to eat and move on. Nearby I saw the only bird identified on the trip, two perched Northern harriers. There were plenty of birds of prey around, but they were difficult to identify while barreling down the highway.

Next stop was Patagonia, a rather quaint town with a slightly alternative feel. I walked though a tiny butterfly garden in the main street, and picked up a couple of species. Later I met severe thunderstorms that were difficult to drive through, as the rain came down in sheets. Feeling weary after arriving at Madera Canyon I checked in at the Santa Rita lodge and spent the rest of the day at hummingbird feeders. As darkness fell, a coatimundi arrived out the back of the office, a species I missed at Cave Creek Canyon.

Road trip Number 2,

On the Saturday (yesterday) I decided I wanted a decent lunch so I returned to Patagonia. I used the mountain road through the Box Canyon. It was passable but I would not have liked to have been caught on that road during a thunderstorm. However the slow speed required made raptor identification easier. I picked up a pair of zone-tailed hawks. After lunch I visited the nearby Las Cienegas NCA as pronghorns had been reported there. I didn't see any however I saw numerous meadowlarks.

With thunderstorms threatening I decided to skip the mountain road and drive back via Nojales on the Mexican boarder. Lucky I did as driving into Nojales a collared peccary ran across the road in front of me. I'd missed this species in Cave Creek as well, and with it I have added six new mammal families to my list this trip. The trip progressed without further incidence besides the expected thunderstorms and a Border Patrol checkpoint.

Mammals

120. White-nosed coatimundi Nasua narica (new Family)
121. Collared peccary Pecari tajacu (new Family)

Birds

776. Northern harrier Circus hudsonius
777. Zone-tailed hawk Buteo albonotatus
778. Chihuahuan meadowlark Sturnella lilianae

Invertebrates

56. Cloudless sulphur Phoebis sennae
57. Pipevine swallowtail Battus philenor
 
Bisonblake said:
Another Metropark visit with @Azamat Shackleford. We spent most of the time looking for a canvasback that has been reported recently but didn't have any luck finding it. We still had a great time and saw 43 species of birds.

Birds:
108. Alder flycatcher Empidonax alnorum
109. Great crested flycatcher Myiarchus crinitus

Mammals:
16. Little brown bat Myotis lucifugus

Total Species: 137
Birds: 109
Mammals: 16
Herptiles: 10
Fish: 2
Click to expand...
8/13/23
Birds:
110. Common nighthawk Chordeiles minor

Total Species: 138
Birds: 110
Mammals: 16
Herptiles: 10
Fish: 2
 
A British tick and my 150th bird species for the year with four individuals showing themselves at RSPB Old Moor today:

150) Black-winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus)

As well as the stilts a few insect species seen as well:

230) Myathropa florea
231) Emperor dragonfly (Anax imperator)
232) Gold spot (Plusia festucae)
 
Giant Eland said:
Minor change:

#80 was actually a Desert Cottontail and we saw Mountain Cottontail for the first time at Silver Creek so...

96. Desert Cottontail, Sylvilagus audubonii (Apr 15)
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Hey everyone! Sorry it's been a while since my last update. In June, I was lucky enough to be a tour leader for a Javan Rhino safari book-ended by stops in Singapore and Mainland Malaysia. Unfortunately, the safari was cut short due to unforeseen circumstances. Even in our limited time at the park, we managed to see Rhino evidence on most days ranging from fresh footprints, dung floating in the river, a Rhino crashing through the brush, and two Rhinos calling to each other in the night. Sadly no official sightings though. Luckily plenty of other mammals kept me busy throughout the trip.

As always wild lifers in bold.

Brooklyn, NY:
97. Eastern Chipmunk, Tamias striatus (May 2)
98. House Mouse, Mus musculus (May 4)

Singapore:
99. Common Tree Shrew, Tupaia glis (May 29)
100. Southeast Asian Palm Civet, Paradoxurus musangus
101. Malayan Colugo, Galeopterus variegatus
102. Banded Pig, Sus scrofa vittatus
103. Lesser Mouse Deer, Tragulus kanchil
104. Malayan Sambar Deer, Rusa unicolor equina
105. Raffles' Banded Langur, Presbytis femoralis (May 30)
106. Plantain Squirrel, Callosciurus notatus
107. Smooth-coated Otter, Lutrogale perspicillata
108. Slender Squirrel, Sundasciurus tenuis
109. Crab-eating Macaque, Macaca fascicularis
110. Lesser Short-nosed Fruit Bat, Cynopterus brachyotis
111. Indomalayan Lesser Bamboo Bat, Tylonycteris fulvida
112. Malayan Greater Bamboo Bat, Tylonycteris malayana
113. Cave Nectar Bat, Eonycteris spelaea

Java:
114. Large Flying Fox, Pteropus vampyrus (Jun 1)
115. Javan Mouse Deer, Tragulus javanicus (Jun 2)
116. Black Giant Squirrel, Ratufa bicolor
117. Black-striped Squirrel, Callosciurus nigrovittatus
118. Javan Tree Shrew, Tupaia javanica
119. Javan Mongoose, Urva javanica
120. Asian House Shrew, Suncus murinus (Jun 3)
121. West Javan Langur, Trachypithecus mauritius (Jun 6)
122. Javanese Flying Squirrel, Iomys horsfieldii
123. Lesser False Vampire Bat, Megaderma spasma (Jun 10)

Malaysia:
124. White-thighed Surili, Presbytis siamensis (June 13)
125. Grey-bellied Squirrel, Callosciurus caniceps
126. Black-bearded Tomb Bat, Taphozous melanopogon
127. Malayan Civet, Viverra tangalunga
128. Annandale's Rat, Sundamys annandalei
129. Malayan Woolly Horseshoe Bat, Rhinolophus morio
130. Southern Pig-tailed Macaque, Macaca nemestrina (Jun 14)
131. Dusky Leaf Monkey, Trachypithecus obscurus
132. Sunda Slow Loris, Nycticebus coucang
133. Mainland Leopard Cat, Prionailurus bengalensis
134. Gray Tree Rat, Lenothrix canus
135. Prevost's Squirrel, Callosciurus prevostii (Jun 15)

Hyde Park, Vt:
136. Woodchuck (Jul 22)
 
Bisonblake said:
8/13/23
Birds:
110. Common nighthawk Chordeiles minor

Total Species: 138
Birds: 110
Mammals: 16
Herptiles: 10
Fish: 2
Click to expand...
One species I forgot to add from a few weeks ago. I can't remember the exact day I saw it.

Mammals:
17. House mouse Mus musculus

Total Species: 139
Birds: 110
Mammals: 17
Herptiles: 10
Fish: 2
 
ThylacineAlive said:
Hi all. Writing from the airport as I prepare for my flight back home from Kenya.

My last couple of weeks have been significantly more jam packed than my first few, so once I feel behind on daily updates it became too difficult to catch up. I have most of my daily write-ups already completed at this point so just need to get a handful of species identified and then I'll be posting the rest of my trip! Had a fantastic time and saw some amazing species so really looking forward to sharing the experience.

For now, just a few quick corrections. I need to redact my last correction on the hare. The Pardamat hates are, in fact, African Savanna Hares. Cape Hares apparently do not occur in that habitat type and the tail run method is not a good way to consistently identify the species (savanna hares I saw later in the trip did the exact same thing with the tails down, which is supposedly a marker for Cape Hare).

Second, I need to correct my grey woodpecker identification. I first saw this species in the brushland surrounding Lake Naivasha. I further saw grey woodpeckers in the Mara many times. I followed Merlin to differentiate between the two grey woodpecker species in Kenya but I've since learned that Merlin has very incorrect range maps for these species, or at least contradictory ones to East African birding books/sources. These sources have all the prior birds I saw as Mountain Grey Woodpecker, Chloropicus spodocephalus.

Finally, my Little Rush Warblers are actually Highland Rush Warbler, Bradypterus centralis.

More updates to come!

~Thylo
Click to expand...

Apologies on the delay in getting updates posted again. Due to severe flight delays and subsequent cancellations, despite flying out of Kenya on Sunday night, I only arrived back in the US yesterday evening..

Day 21 (July 29)

I woke up bright and early and made my way from Brackenhurst to Nairobi airport, where I caught a quick flight to Malindi on the east coast. There, I met up with both my travel companion and our guide for the next couple of weeks.

From there, we made our way northeast across the Tana River.

The Road
443) House Crow Corvus splendens
444) Black-Headed Lapwing Vanellus tectus
445) Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus
446) Vulturine Guineafowl Acryllium vulturinum
447) Long-Tailed Fiscal Lanius cabanisi
448) Parrot-Billed Sparrow Passer gongonensis

81) Straw-Colored Fruit Bat Eidolon helvum
82) Hinde's Dik-Dik Madoqua hindei
83) Desert Warthog Phacochoerus aethiopicus
84) Somali Dwarf Mongoose Helogale hirtula
85) Yellow Baboon Papio cynocephalis

Across the river, we arrived at our first destination: the Ishaqbini Hirola Conservancy.

This place was absolutely nothing like I expected. There are so few people and so few visitors here, the landscape looks virtually untouched. Our camp was down by a lake that branches off from the Tana, meaning we had some spectacular scenery around us. A lakefront view surrounded by colobus and goshawk, with frogs chirping all around is a great way to spend an afternoon.

449) Somali Ostrich Struthio molybdophanes
450) Golden-Breasted Starling Lamprotornis regius
451) Northern Red-Billed Hornbill Tockus erythrorhynchus
452) Buff-Crested Bustard Lophotis gindiana
453) Fischer's Starling Lamprotornis fischeri
454) African Openbill Stork Anastomus lamelligerus
455) White-Throated Bee-Eater Merops albicollis
456) Madagascar Bee-Eater Merops superciliosus
457) African Palm Swift Cypsiurus parvus
458) Namaqua Dove Oena capensis
459) Red-Billed Quelea Quelea quelea
460) Black-Faced Sandgrouse Pterocles decoratus
461) Shelley's Starling Lamprotornis shelleyi
462) Red-Billed Buffalo-Weaver Bubalornis niger
463) Eastern Violet-Backed Sunbird Anthreptes orientalis
464) Gabar Goshawk Micronisus gabar
465) African Goshawk Accipiter tachiro
466) Pearl-Spotted Owlet Glaucidium perlatum
467) Slender-Tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus clarus
468) Three-Banded Courser Rhinoptilus cinctus

86) Reticulated Giraffe Giraffa reticulata
87) Tana River Red Colobus Piliocolobus rufomitratus
88) Lesser Kudu Tragelaphus imberbis
89) Gerenuk Litocranius walleri
90) Hirola Beatragus hunteri
91) African Civet Civettictis civetta
92) Cape Hare Lepus capensis
93) Somali Bushbaby Galago gallarum
94) Senegal Bushbaby Galago senegalensis

I will say, Hirola are not easy antelope to spot and even harder to photograph. There are Hirola everywhere in the conservancy, but the best place to see them is within the 24km² predator -free sanctuary that houses 55 animals. Even here, all the animals are extremely skittish and will run at the first sign of humans. Our first half a day here left us quite worried about whether we'd actually find any, however we managed to spot our first group of 5 (including two calves) just as the sun set around us.

Now the Tana River and Garissa Counties in general make quite a contentious region of the world, with terrorism due to land/sea disputes with neighboring Somalia leading to some very unstable regions. For this reason, Ishaqbini has been sort of blacklisted by most travel agencies and travel insurance groups. Most larger Kenyan tour groups and guides will refuse to take you. Admittedly, there are a good few police/military checkpoints on the road from Malindi to Ishaqbini, and one must be careful to avoid the route heading towards Garissa. All that said, I found Ishaqbini to be a perfectly safe place to visit. With the right guide (mine has been taking people to Ishaqbini for years), one can easily traverse to the conservancy without nearing the the more unstable areas and once in the conservancy, you're accompanied by trained security personnel at all times. There is never more than one visiting party at one time, so plenty of time and devotion goes into your care and safety. In my opinion, the reputation of the whole region is a massive shame, as Ishaqbini is desperate for more visitation and income. The place is really quite wonderful as are the people, and I do hope more wildlife enthusiasts visit moving forward!

~Thylo
 
ThylacineAlive said:
Apologies on the delay in getting updates posted again. Due to severe flight delays and subsequent cancellations, despite flying out of Kenya on Sunday night, I only arrived back in the US yesterday evening..

Day 21 (July 29)

I woke up bright and early and made my way from Brackenhurst to Nairobi airport, where I caught a quick flight to Malindi on the east coast. There, I met up with both my travel companion and our guide for the next couple of weeks.

From there, we made our way northeast across the Tana River.

The Road
443) House Crow Corvus splendens
444) Black-Headed Lapwing Vanellus tectus
445) Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus
446) Vulturine Guineafowl Acryllium vulturinum
447) Long-Tailed Fiscal Lanius cabanisi
448) Parrot-Billed Sparrow Passer gongonensis

81) Straw-Colored Fruit Bat Eidolon helvum
82) Hinde's Dik-Dik Madoqua hindei
83) Desert Warthog Phacochoerus aethiopicus
84) Somali Dwarf Mongoose Helogale hirtula
85) Yellow Baboon Papio cynocephalis

Across the river, we arrived at our first destination: the Ishaqbini Hirola Conservancy.

This place was absolutely nothing like I expected. There are so few people and so few visitors here, the landscape looks virtually untouched. Our camp was down by a lake that branches off from the Tana, meaning we had some spectacular scenery around us. A lakefront view surrounded by colobus and goshawk, with frogs chirping all around is a great way to spend an afternoon.

449) Somali Ostrich Struthio molybdophanes
450) Golden-Breasted Starling Lamprotornis regius
451) Northern Red-Billed Hornbill Tockus erythrorhynchus
452) Buff-Crested Bustard Lophotis gindiana
453) Fischer's Starling Lamprotornis fischeri
454) African Openbill Stork Anastomus lamelligerus
455) White-Throated Bee-Eater Merops albicollis
456) Madagascar Bee-Eater Merops superciliosus
457) African Palm Swift Cypsiurus parvus
458) Namaqua Dove Oena capensis
459) Red-Billed Quelea Quelea quelea
460) Black-Faced Sandgrouse Pterocles decoratus
461) Shelley's Starling Lamprotornis shelleyi
462) Red-Billed Buffalo-Weaver Bubalornis niger
463) Eastern Violet-Backed Sunbird Anthreptes orientalis
464) Gabar Goshawk Micronisus gabar
465) African Goshawk Accipiter tachiro
466) Pearl-Spotted Owlet Glaucidium perlatum
467) Slender-Tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus clarus
468) Three-Banded Courser Rhinoptilus cinctus

86) Reticulated Giraffe Giraffa reticulata
87) Tana River Red Colobus Piliocolobus rufomitratus
88) Lesser Kudu Tragelaphus imberbis
89) Gerenuk Litocranius walleri
90) Hirola Beatragus hunteri
91) African Civet Civettictis civetta
92) Cape Hare Lepus capensis
93) Somali Bushbaby Galago gallarum
94) Senegal Bushbaby Galago senegalensis

I will say, Hirola are not easy antelope to spot and even harder to photograph. There are Hirola everywhere in the conservancy, but the best place to see them is within the 24km² predator -free sanctuary that houses 55 animals. Even here, all the animals are extremely skittish and will run at the first sign of humans. Our first half a day here left us quite worried about whether we'd actually find any, however we managed to spot our first group of 5 (including two calves) just as the sun set around us.

Now the Tana River and Garissa Counties in general make quite a contentious region of the world, with terrorism due to land/sea disputes with neighboring Somalia leading to some very unstable regions. For this reason, Ishaqbini has been sort of blacklisted by most travel agencies and travel insurance groups. Most larger Kenyan tour groups and guides will refuse to take you. Admittedly, there are a good few police/military checkpoints on the road from Malindi to Ishaqbini, and one must be careful to avoid the route heading towards Garissa. All that said, I found Ishaqbini to be a perfectly safe place to visit. With the right guide (mine has been taking people to Ishaqbini for years), one can easily traverse to the conservancy without nearing the the more unstable areas and once in the conservancy, you're accompanied by trained security personnel at all times. There is never more than one visiting party at one time, so plenty of time and devotion goes into your care and safety. In my opinion, the reputation of the whole region is a massive shame, as Ishaqbini is desperate for more visitation and income. The place is really quite wonderful as are the people, and I do hope more wildlife enthusiasts visit moving forward!

~Thylo
Click to expand...

Day 22 (July 30)

We spent half the day until around noon driving further around Ishaqbini, doing more birding and trying to spot get better views of the ever-elusive Hirola. In the end, we saw over a dozen individuals, but no sighting lasted more than a few moments and ultimately no decent photos were possible. Still, such a privilege to see even one of these animals.

469) Eastern Chanting Goshawk Melierax poliopterus
470) Violet-Breasted Sunbird Cinnyris chalcomelas
471) Pale Flycatcher Agricola pallidus
472) Green-Winged Pytilia Pytilia melba
473) Violet Wood-Hoopoe Phoeniculus damarensis
474) Golden Pipit Tmetothylacus tenellus
475) Pink-Breasted Lark Calendulauda poecilosterna
476) Red-Fronted Tinkerbird Pogoniulus pusillus
477) White-Browed Scrub-Robin Cercotrichas leucophrys

95) Unstriped Ground Squirrel Xerus rutilus

After finishing up mid-day at Ishaqbini, we made hast south to the Tana River Primate Conservancy. There, where we settled in at camp right along with river with further colobus playing the trees above us. The afternoon was primarily reserved for relaxing, however we did take advantage of a night drive, which produced plenty of galagos of both new and familiar types. My guide also found a genet, but it disappeared before I could spot it.

478) Abyssinian Scimitarbill Rhinopomastus minor
479) Black-Bellied Starling Notopholia corusca
480) African Green-Pigeon Treron calvus
481) Crowned Hornbill Lophoceros alboterminatus
482) Collared Sunbird Hedydipna collaris
483) Zanzibar Sombre Greenbul Andropadus (importunus) insularis
484) Trumpeter Hornbill Bycanistes bucinator
485) Olive Sunbird Cyanomitra olivacea
486) Eastern Bearded Scrub-Robin Cercotrichas quadrivirgata
487) Water Thick-Knee Burhinus vermiculatus

96) Red-Bellied Bush Squirrel Paraxerus palliatus
97) Harvey's Duiker Cephalophus harveyi
98) Kenya Coast Dwarf Galago Paragalago cocos

In addition to the above mammals, I also enjoyed seeing the endemic Tana River subspecies of Syke's Guenon—Pousargues' Monkey, C. a. albotorquatus—and the east coast subspecies of Garnett's Galago.

~Thylo
 
ThylacineAlive said:
Day 22 (July 30)

We spent half the day until around noon driving further around Ishaqbini, doing more birding and trying to spot get better views of the ever-elusive Hirola. In the end, we saw over a dozen individuals, but no sighting lasted more than a few moments and ultimately no decent photos were possible. Still, such a privilege to see even one of these animals.

469) Eastern Chanting Goshawk Melierax poliopterus
470) Violet-Breasted Sunbird Cinnyris chalcomelas
471) Pale Flycatcher Agricola pallidus
472) Green-Winged Pytilia Pytilia melba
473) Violet Wood-Hoopoe Phoeniculus damarensis
474) Golden Pipit Tmetothylacus tenellus
475) Pink-Breasted Lark Calendulauda poecilosterna
476) Red-Fronted Tinkerbird Pogoniulus pusillus
477) White-Browed Scrub-Robin Cercotrichas leucophrys

95) Unstriped Ground Squirrel Xerus rutilus

After finishing up mid-day at Ishaqbini, we made hast south to the Tana River Primate Conservancy. There, where we settled in at camp right along with river with further colobus playing the trees above us. The afternoon was primarily reserved for relaxing, however we did take advantage of a night drive, which produced plenty of galagos of both new and familiar types. My guide also found a genet, but it disappeared before I could spot it.

478) Abyssinian Scimitarbill Rhinopomastus minor
479) Black-Bellied Starling Notopholia corusca
480) African Green-Pigeon Treron calvus
481) Crowned Hornbill Lophoceros alboterminatus
482) Collared Sunbird Hedydipna collaris
483) Zanzibar Sombre Greenbul Andropadus (importunus) insularis
484) Trumpeter Hornbill Bycanistes bucinator
485) Olive Sunbird Cyanomitra olivacea
486) Eastern Bearded Scrub-Robin Cercotrichas quadrivirgata
487) Water Thick-Knee Burhinus vermiculatus

96) Red-Bellied Bush Squirrel Paraxerus palliatus
97) Harvey's Duiker Cephalophus harveyi
98) Kenya Coast Dwarf Galago Paragalago cocos

In addition to the above mammals, I also enjoyed seeing the endemic Tana River subspecies of Syke's Guenon—Pousargues' Monkey, C. a. albotorquatus—and the east coast subspecies of Garnett's Galago.

~Thylo
Click to expand...

Day 23 (July 31)

Starting bright and early, we made our way into the forest looking for mangabeys and forest birds.

488) Common Square-Tailed Drongo Dicrurus ludwigii
489) Little Yellow Flycatcher Erythrocercus holochlorus
490) Little Spotted Woodpecker Campethera cailliautii
491) Black Sparrowhawk Accipiter melanoleucus
492) Retz's Helmetshrike Prionops retzii
493) Broad-Billed Roller Eurystomus glaucurus
494) Fischer's Turaco Tauraco fischeri
495) Dark-Backed Weaver Ploceus bicolor
496) Brown-Hooded Kingfisher Halcyon albiventris
497) Mombasa Woodpecker Campethera mombassica
498) Magpie Starling Speculipastor bicolor

99) Tana River Crested Mangabey Cercocebus galeritus

The mangabeys have a bit of a fun story. After spending hours tracking a troop of mangabey, failing, and then switching to a different group and tracking them for an hour, we finally caught up with a larger troop moving through the forest slowly, on foot, feeding. Funny enough, this troop led us in a full circle and marched directly through the edge of our camp site, meaning if we'd just sat around long enough, the mangabeys would have come directly to us!

Long time mammal watchers may notice that I am missing the slit-faced bats of Tana River off my list. This is because, just some months ago, all the abandoned buildings they roosted in either collapsed in or were intentionally cleared out of the bats. Quite unfortunate for both us and especially the bats. There is one old bathroom which apparently sometimes gets the bats still, but we did not see any.

Following our morning in Tana River, we then made our way further south, past Malindi and onto Watamu and the Arabuko-Sokoke National Forest. It was late afternoon by the time we actually got into the forest which did not leave much time for birding, however we were able to locate one very special endemic species.

499) Eastern Golden Weaver Ploceus subaureus
500) Ethiopian Swallow Hirundo aethiopica
----
501) African Wood Owl Strix woodfordii
502) Chestnut-Fronted Helmetshrike Prionops scopifrons
503) Common Scimitarbill Rhinopomastus cyanomelas
504) Blue-Mantled Crested Flycatcher Trochocercus cyanomelas
505) Tambourine Dove Turtur tympanistria
506) Green-Backed Camaroptera Camaroptera brachyura
507) Sokoke Scops-Owl Otus ireneae
508) Plain-Backed Sunbird Anthreptes reichenowi

That evening, we made our way back to the A Rocha Eco Lodge. The site has a few acres of land with some native forest and walking trails. We explored them at night and visited a resident population of bats.

100) Heart-Nosed Bat Cardioderma cor

As fun as this was, it was not our initial intention for the evening. Originally, we'd planned a night drive through the forest for the endemic Sokoke Bushy-Tailed Mongoose, genets, sengis, and more. This is something my guide has done many times both alone and with guests. This time, however, the rangers were suddenly denying anyone access to the park after nightfall. There's been no explanation as to why and not evening the local park guides understand why they're doing this. We ultimately agreed to meet with the park warden the following afternoon to discuss the issue and try and obtain special permission to enter the forest after dark.

~Thylo
 
ThylacineAlive said:
Day 23 (July 31)

Starting bright and early, we made our way into the forest looking for mangabeys and forest birds.

488) Common Square-Tailed Drongo Dicrurus ludwigii
489) Little Yellow Flycatcher Erythrocercus holochlorus
490) Little Spotted Woodpecker Campethera cailliautii
491) Black Sparrowhawk Accipiter melanoleucus
492) Retz's Helmetshrike Prionops retzii
493) Broad-Billed Roller Eurystomus glaucurus
494) Fischer's Turaco Tauraco fischeri
495) Dark-Backed Weaver Ploceus bicolor
496) Brown-Hooded Kingfisher Halcyon albiventris
497) Mombasa Woodpecker Campethera mombassica
498) Magpie Starling Speculipastor bicolor

99) Tana River Crested Mangabey Cercocebus galeritus

The mangabeys have a bit of a fun story. After spending hours tracking a troop of mangabey, failing, and then switching to a different group and tracking them for an hour, we finally caught up with a larger troop moving through the forest slowly, on foot, feeding. Funny enough, this troop led us in a full circle and marched directly through the edge of our camp site, meaning if we'd just sat around long enough, the mangabeys would have come directly to us!

Long time mammal watchers may notice that I am missing the slit-faced bats of Tana River off my list. This is because, just some months ago, all the abandoned buildings they roosted in either collapsed in or were intentionally cleared out of the bats. Quite unfortunate for both us and especially the bats. There is one old bathroom which apparently sometimes gets the bats still, but we did not see any.

Following our morning in Tana River, we then made our way further south, past Malindi and onto Watamu and the Arabuko-Sokoke National Forest. It was late afternoon by the time we actually got into the forest which did not leave much time for birding, however we were able to locate one very special endemic species.

499) Eastern Golden Weaver Ploceus subaureus
500) Ethiopian Swallow Hirundo aethiopica
----
501) African Wood Owl Strix woodfordii
502) Chestnut-Fronted Helmetshrike Prionops scopifrons
503) Common Scimitarbill Rhinopomastus cyanomelas
504) Blue-Mantled Crested Flycatcher Trochocercus cyanomelas
505) Tambourine Dove Turtur tympanistria
506) Green-Backed Camaroptera Camaroptera brachyura
507) Sokoke Scops-Owl Otus ireneae
508) Plain-Backed Sunbird Anthreptes reichenowi

That evening, we made our way back to the A Rocha Eco Lodge. The site has a few acres of land with some native forest and walking trails. We explored them at night and visited a resident population of bats.

100) Heart-Nosed Bat Cardioderma cor

As fun as this was, it was not our initial intention for the evening. Originally, we'd planned a night drive through the forest for the endemic Sokoke Bushy-Tailed Mongoose, genets, sengis, and more. This is something my guide has done many times both alone and with guests. This time, however, the rangers were suddenly denying anyone access to the park after nightfall. There's been no explanation as to why and not evening the local park guides understand why they're doing this. We ultimately agreed to meet with the park warden the following afternoon to discuss the issue and try and obtain special permission to enter the forest after dark.

~Thylo
Click to expand...

Day 24 (August 1)

Early start today to look for giant sengi and endemic birds. Unfortunately, we ran into great difficulty with both. The sengi site is a known spot where even passive visitors to the forest will go and see them. For some reason, however, we had horrible time trying to locate any in what is apparently an unfortunate first for our guide. After this, we made our way into the open woodland forest to search for Sokoke Pipit, Clarke's Weaver, and Amani Sunbird. We heard both the pipit and the sunbird, but otherwise struck out on actual seeing all three species.

509) Red-Capped Robin-Chat Cossypha natalensis
510) Greater Honeyguide Indicator indicator
511) Terrestrial Brownbul Phyllastrephus terrestris
512) Ashy Flycatcher Fraseria caerulescens
513) Black-Headed Apalis Apalis melanocephala
514) Pale Batis Batis soror
515) Yellow-Bellied Greenbul Chlorocichla flaviventris
516) Green Barbet Stactolaema olivacea
517) Eastern Nicator Nicator gularis
518) Böhm's Spinetail Neafrapus boehmi

101) Suni Nesotragus moschatus

After our morning birding, we spent the afternoon visiting the famous Watamu bat caves. Coincidentally, our tour was accompanied by researchers from Bat Conservation International also touring the caves and conducting catch and release research on their inhabitants. One of the more exciting aspects of their research was the catching of an additional yet-to-be-identified Miniopterus species completely unknown to them from these cave systems.

519) Village Weaver Ploceus cucullatus

Kaboga Cave
102) African Sheath-Tailed Bat Coleura afra
103) Least Long-Fingered Bat Miniopterus minor
104) Striped Leaf-Nosed Bat Macronycteris vittatus

Makuruhu Cave
105) African Trident Bat Triaenops afer
106) Hildegarde's Tomb Bat Taphozous hildegardeae
107) Sundevall's Leaf-Nosed Bat Hipposideros caffer

The original plan for the late afternoon was to do some more birding, however with the researchers on our tour, it went on for much longer than expected and we had to abandon that plan in favor of searching for more sengis instead. With evening falling, we used our thermal scopes to try and pick out a sengi in the brush for us to get a better look at. We found some, but on visual observation, it turned out to be a very unexpected surprise species.

108) Four-Toed Sengi Petrodromus tetradactylus

This typically nocturnal find was quite fortuitous, as our planned meeting with the warden for our night drive never happened. The warden simply never showed up and told his staff to firmly deny us entry into the forest after dark again with no explanation to anyone as to why the change. As a result, several possible nocturnal mammals were left out of our grasp. Luckily that did not include the sengi in the end.

On our way out of the forest, we came across one final special bird.

520) Green Malkoha Ceuthmochares australis

With our night drive firmly cancelled, I spent the evening looking for ghost crabs on the beach and catching up on some much needed rest.

~Thylo
 
Giant Eland said:
Hey everyone! Sorry it's been a while since my last update. In June, I was lucky enough to be a tour leader for a Javan Rhino safari book-ended by stops in Singapore and Mainland Malaysia. Unfortunately, the safari was cut short due to unforeseen circumstances. Even in our limited time at the park, we managed to see Rhino evidence on most days ranging from fresh footprints, dung floating in the river, a Rhino crashing through the brush, and two Rhinos calling to each other in the night. Sadly no official sightings though. Luckily plenty of other mammals kept me busy throughout the trip.

As always wild lifers in bold.

Brooklyn, NY:
97. Eastern Chipmunk, Tamias striatus (May 2)
98. House Mouse, Mus musculus (May 4)

Singapore:
99. Common Tree Shrew, Tupaia glis (May 29)
100. Southeast Asian Palm Civet, Paradoxurus musangus
101. Malayan Colugo, Galeopterus variegatus
102. Banded Pig, Sus scrofa vittatus
103. Lesser Mouse Deer, Tragulus kanchil
104. Malayan Sambar Deer, Rusa unicolor equina
105. Raffles' Banded Langur, Presbytis femoralis (May 30)
106. Plantain Squirrel, Callosciurus notatus
107. Smooth-coated Otter, Lutrogale perspicillata
108. Slender Squirrel, Sundasciurus tenuis
109. Crab-eating Macaque, Macaca fascicularis
110. Lesser Short-nosed Fruit Bat, Cynopterus brachyotis
111. Indomalayan Lesser Bamboo Bat, Tylonycteris fulvida
112. Malayan Greater Bamboo Bat, Tylonycteris malayana
113. Cave Nectar Bat, Eonycteris spelaea

Java:
114. Large Flying Fox, Pteropus vampyrus (Jun 1)
115. Javan Mouse Deer, Tragulus javanicus (Jun 2)
116. Black Giant Squirrel, Ratufa bicolor
117. Black-striped Squirrel, Callosciurus nigrovittatus
118. Javan Tree Shrew, Tupaia javanica
119. Javan Mongoose, Urva javanica
120. Asian House Shrew, Suncus murinus (Jun 3)
121. West Javan Langur, Trachypithecus mauritius (Jun 6)
122. Javanese Flying Squirrel, Iomys horsfieldii
123. Lesser False Vampire Bat, Megaderma spasma (Jun 10)

Malaysia:
124. White-thighed Surili, Presbytis siamensis (June 13)
125. Grey-bellied Squirrel, Callosciurus caniceps
126. Black-bearded Tomb Bat, Taphozous melanopogon
127. Malayan Civet, Viverra tangalunga
128. Annandale's Rat, Sundamys annandalei
129. Malayan Woolly Horseshoe Bat, Rhinolophus morio
130. Southern Pig-tailed Macaque, Macaca nemestrina (Jun 14)
131. Dusky Leaf Monkey, Trachypithecus obscurus
132. Sunda Slow Loris, Nycticebus coucang
133. Mainland Leopard Cat, Prionailurus bengalensis
134. Gray Tree Rat, Lenothrix canus
135. Prevost's Squirrel, Callosciurus prevostii (Jun 15)

Hyde Park, Vt:
136. Woodchuck (Jul 22)
Click to expand...
What, no rhino?
 
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