Zoochat Big Year 2024

DesertRhino150 said:
Just realised that I missed a species that I saw yesterday - several of these gulls were visible on a playing field that I parked opposite, among larger numbers of black-headed gulls.

18. Common gull, Larus canus

I saw bird number nineteen and my third mammal this morning from my bedroom window. The other three were seen from the flooded fields down the road. Assuming the forecast heavy rain showers tomorrow don't completely flood our house, I will hopefully be able to get out walking more, as the weather is due to get better after that.

19. Long-tailed tit, Aegithalos caudatus
20. Mute swan, Cygnus olor
21. Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos
22. Ring-necked pheasant, Phasianus colchicus

3. European rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus
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Fortunately, the heavy rains didn't completely inundate our area, but it did mean that I was basically stuck indoors for two days. In that time, I have added just a single new bird to my list.

23. Common chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs

Heading to Colchester Zoo tomorrow, so I should get some new birds on the journey there and back, plus on the zoo grounds. I will also definitely try and fit in some time to do some more serious birding soon - as well as the obvious, the arrival of the UK's eighth Northern waterthrush by Heybridge Basin (one of my regular birding haunts), I have since learned that a field just a short walk down the road from me has, as well as a wintering marsh harrier, a first-year hen harrier that has been hanging around over the winter.
 
I arrived back in Finland yesterday at around 4 o'clock in the afternoon, so with the sun already going down along side me being tired and severely jetlagged, I didn't really have the time or the energy to go birding right away. This morning however I managed to take a short was around my neighbourhood. With the temperature being around -16 C (around 3 F) here, the bird roster was understandably not the greatest.

Mammals

4. Eurasian red squirrel, Sciurus vulgaris 6/1/24

Birds

67. Hooded crow, Corvus cornix 6/1/24
68. Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos 6/1/24
69. Great tit, Parus major 6/1/24
70. Common blackbird, Turdus merula 6/1/24
71. Eurasian blue tit, Cyanistes caetuleus 6/1/24
72. European greenfinch, Chloris chloris 6/1/24
73. Eurasian magpie, Pica pica 6/1/24
74. Feral pigeon, Columba livia 6/1/24
75. House sparrow, Passer domesticus 6/1/24
76. Eurasian bullfinch, Pyrrhula pyrrhula 6/1/24

Goal: 76/200
 
To finish for the day, dusk at Parkgate
66 Redwing Turdus iliacus
67 Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus
68 Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus
 
Tetzoo Quizzer said:
To finish for the day, dusk at Parkgate
66 Redwing Turdus iliacus
67 Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus
68 Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus
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No marshies coming in?


A late afternoon/evening walk on patch today acquired me four year ticks with one being a personal site first:

39) Grey heron Ardea cinerea
40) Little grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
41) Mandarin duck Aix galericulata
42) Grey wagtail Motacilla cinerea

In the next week or so I'll revisiting RSPB Burton Mere as well as Neston & Parkgate Marshes which will hopefully increase my totals and provide some good photography opportunities. Might pop into Sandbach Flashes in the coming days though.
 
Went for a spin around some of the local hotspots today, including (a very quiet) Shillito Wood, deer-spotting on Big Moor, the bridge at Hathersage for dipper, the main event at Carsington Water (where all but four of the birds and the stoat were added), and then a check of the Ogston gull roost on the way back.

One extra stop that didn't affect the total today was a call in to see the waxwings at Hassop and finally have a chance to take some photos this winter. :D

Although most of the specialist targets for that route were present and correct, there are still some very obvious gaps (Mute Swan? Greylag? Pied Wagtail..?) but the weekend's not over yet. :D

Mammals:
2. Red Deer - Cervus elaphus
3. Stoat - Mustela erminea

Birds:
40. Common Pheasant - Phasianus colchicus
41. White-throated Dipper - Cinclus cinclus
42. Great Cormorant - Phalacrocorax carbo
43. Barnacle Goose - Branta leucopsis
44. Common Teal - Anas crecca
45. European Pochard - Aythya ferina
46. Great Crested Grebe - Podiceps cristatus
47. Little Grebe - Tachybaptus ruficollis
48. Gadwall - Mareca strepera
49. Eurasian Wren - Troglodytes troglodytes
50. Common Goldeneye - Bucephala clangula
51. Common Redshank - Tringa totanus
52. European Herring Gull - Larus argentatus
53. Northern Lapwing - Vanellus vanellus
54. Great Northern Diver - Gavia immer
55. Willow Tit - Poecile montanus
56. Eurasian Tree Sparrow - Passer montanus
57. Greater Black-backed Gull - Larus marinus
58. Caspian Gull - Larus cachinnans

:)
 
Bisonblake said:
I just got home from my trip to Key West, so it's time to share what I saw. It was an amazing trip with a lot of amazing animals.

Day 3 - January 1st
I spend almost the entire day birding. In the morning I decided to do some observing for about 10 minutes before I left the condo. It was mainly birds I see everywhere on the island except for a ruddy turnstone on the beach. I then biked over to Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park. According to eBird, this is the best hotspot for birding on the island, and it did not disappoint. One of the first birds I saw was a painted bunting. I did 2 loops around the entire state park. Some of the species I saw on the first loop included a snowy egret, American kestrel, yellow-throated vireo, and prairie warbler. I then walked into the actual fort to get good views of the freshwater moat in front of it. I was happy to see a common gallinule swimming here, which is actually a species that got me interested in birding. I then proceeded to do my second loop around the park where I saw a black vulture, ovenbird, and blue-gray gnatcatcher.

After lunch my family wanted to take a photo at the southernmost point. I wanted to show my them the green iguanas because they haven't seen one yet, and there was a northern waterthrush hopping around the rocks. My last two stops for the day were right across from each other. The first one was the Key West Wildlife Center. The wildlife center rescues birds on Key West, and also has a small park to explore. I was able to find a yellow-bellied sapsucker. I struggled to find this bird all last year, so I was very excited to see one finally. I wanted to get a picture of it, but it always moved to the opposite side of the palm tree where I couldn't see it.

The fourth and final stop of the day was White St. Pier. I tried to spot some fish, but I could only see sergeant majors. When I was ready to call it a day I heard someone say "Woah, look at that!" I wasn't sure what to expect, but there was a spotted eagle ray swimming alongside the pier.

Birds:
1. Eurasian collared dove Streptopelia decaocto
2. Mourning dove Zenaida macroura
3. Ruddy turnstone Arenaria interpres
4. Laughing gull Leucophaeus atricilla
5. Sandwich tern Thalasseus sandvicensis
6. Brown pelican Pelecanus occidentalis
7. Palm warbler Setophaga palmarum
8. Turkey vulture Cathartes aura
9. Blue-winged teal Spatula discors
10. Rock pigeon Columba livia
11. Common ground dove Columbina passerina
12. White-winged dove Zenaida asiatica
13. Common gallinule Gallinula galeata
14. American coot Fulica americana
15. Snowy egret Egretta thula
16. Western cattle egret Bubulcus ibis
17. Great blue heron Ardea herodias
18. White ibis Eudocimus albus
19. Black vulture Coragyps atratus
20. Short-tailed hawk Buteo brachyurus
21. American kestrel Falco sparverius
22. Yellow-throated vireo Vireo flavifrons
23. Barn swallow Hirundo rustica
24. Blue-gray gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea
25. Gray catbird Dumetella carolinensis
26. Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla
27. Yellow-rumped warbler Setophaga coronata
28. Prairie warbler Setophaga discolor
29. Painted bunting Passerina ciris
30. Northern waterthrush Parkesia noveboracensis
31. Yellow-bellied sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius
32. Great egret Ardea alba
33. Willet Tringa semipalmata
34. Spotted sandpiper Actitis macularius

Reptiles:
1. Green iguana Iguana iguana
2. Cuban brown anole Anolis sagrei

Fish:
1. Sergeant major Abudefduf saxatilis
2. Spotted eagle ray Aetobatus narinari

Day 4 - January 2nd
I had a few more bird observations from the condo balcony to start the morning, but nothing too exciting. I went to the Key West Aquarium in the morning which is a small aquarium located at the northwest end of the island (will post pictures eventually). One exhibit of the aquarium is a fenced-off portion of the ocean with a sandbar shark, and a couple other Atlantic ocean fish. None of the fish count for this, but I did see a white-crowned pigeon.

After lunch I visited the Audubon House & Tropical Gardens. It's a beautiful house full of John James Audubon's amazing artwork. I explored the gardens for a few minutes and was able to spot a yellow-throated warbler. I went back to the area around the aquarium and saw some black skimmers and royal terns sitting on a huge concrete pillar. We drove over to the Key West Marina to walk along the water. The first animal I spotted was a West Indian manatee surfacing the water. This might already be my favorite mammal sighting of the year. I didn't see it for very long, but it was awesome. The birds around the marina weren't interesting, so I focused my eyes on the water for any fish. I saw a huge Atlantic tarpon swim under the dock before I eventually lost it in the reflection of the sun. There was also a stoplight parrotfish and a porkfish.

Birds:
35. Caspian tern Hydroprogne caspia
36. Double-crested cormorant Nannopterum auritum
37. Osprey Pandion haliaetus
38. White-crowned pigeon Patagioenas leucocephala
39. Northern mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
40. Northern parula Setophaga americana
41. Yellow-throated warbler Setophaga dominica
42. Black skimmer Rynchops niger
43. Royal tern Thalasseus maximus

Mammals:
1. West Indian manatee Trichechus manatus

Fish:
3. Atlantic tarpon Megalops atlanticus
4. Stoplight parrotfish Sparisoma viride
5. Porkfish Anisotremus virginicus

Day 5 - January 3rd
We woke up early to go on a fishing charter. As the boat was getting ready to leave, I spotted a pair of common mynas sitting atop a sign. I didn't do any birding this day, but I did spot a few magnificent frigatebirds, and a couple Bonaparte's gulls. Between 80-90% of the fish we caught were kept for food, and the rest were released. We caught probably close to 50 fish over 8 species. I was able to reel in a red grouper and grey triggerfish. Both were released due to being out of season. My brother caught a yellowtail snapper, which was also released due to it being undersized. I did have a large fish on my line, but it unfortunately snapped off before I could see it. I also spotted a few moon jellies while we were fishing. I'm not counting invertebrates for my list, but I figured I should at least mention it.

Birds:
44. Common myna Acridotheres tristis (Last seen in 2021, Hawaii)
45. Magnificent frigatebird Fregata magnificens
46. Bonaparte's gull Chroicocephalus philadelphia

Fish:
6. White grunt Haemulon plumierii
7. Bluestriped grunt Haemulon sciurus
8. Red Grouper Epinephelus morio
9. Grey triggerfish Balistes capriscus
10. Scup Stenotomus chrysops
11. Lane snapper Lutjanus synagris
12. Yellowtail snapper Ocyurus chrysurus
13. Blue runner Caranx crysos

Day 6 - January 4th
This was our last day in Key West before we flew out the next day. I had my dad drop me off at the Key West Botanical Gardens. I got there a little early before the gates opened, so I searched the area before the entrance. I was able to see a couple warblers and a common musk turtle. The first species I saw when I entered the garden was a Florida box turtle. I felt like the majority of birds I saw here were warblers. There is a golf course next to the gardens, and there were some Muscovy ducks walking around. Even though they were domestic variants, according to eBird these birds have naturalized in this area. I found a hidden trail at the northern end of the gardens. When I reached the end of it, I looked up and saw a peregrine falcon sitting on a tree branch.

I chose to walk home from the gardens instead of having a ride because I wanted check out the mangroves. As I was crossing the bridge from Stock Island to Key West, I was looking down at the water and spotted two nurse sharks sitting at the bottom. At the end of the bridge I was able to find an anhinga drying its wings. I didn't see anything for about another mile until I finally reached another area where I could see the water. I was able to see a great barracuda and a green heron both within a couple meters of each other. I stayed along the water spotting more barracudas, yellowfin mojarras, and Atlantic needlefish. The last lifer of the trip was a tricolored heron blending in well with the surrounding area. This was probably my most anticipated bird species for the entire trip. I think I saw the same bird when I cycled by this area on the first day, but there was little to no light at that time. My last stop of the trip was at the beach across from my condo to add some shorebirds to my year list. I'm not sure if I'm going to see any of those species again this year, so I figured I might as well get them while I'm here.

Birds:
47. Muscovy duck Cairina moschata
48. Peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus
49. Black-and-white warbler Mniotilta varia
50. Common yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas
51. Black-throated green warbler Setophaga virens
52. Northern cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis
53. Anhinga Anhinga anhinga
54. Green heron Butorides virescens
55. Tricolored heron Egretta tricolor
56. Sanderling Calidris alba
57. Black-bellied plover Pluvialis squatarola
58. Short-billed dowitcher Limnodromus griseus

Reptiles:
3. Common musk turtle Sternotherus odoratus
4. Common (Florida) box turtle Terrapene carolina

Fish:
14. Nurse shark Ginglymostoma cirratum
15. Great barracuda Sphyraena barracuda
16. Yellowfin mojarra Gerres cinereus
17. Atlantic needlefish Strongylura marina



Total Species: 80
Birds: 58
Mammals: 1
Reptiles: 4
Fish: 17
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I just took a walk around my neighborhood. With below freezing weather there wasn't much to see. I did get to see a red fox for the first time in years. He ran across the sidewalk before making eye-contact with me and running away.

I also forgot one reptile from my trip to Florida.

Birds:
59. Ring-billed gull Larus delawarensis
60. Red-bellied woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus
61. Downy woodpecker Dryobates pubescens
62. Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata
63. American goldfinch Spinus tristis
64. American tree sparrow Spizelloides arborea
65. Dark-eyed junco Junco hyemalis

Mammals:
2. Eastern grey squirrel Sciurus carolinensis
3. Red fox Vulpes vulpes

Reptiles:
5. Pond slider Trachemys scripta

Total Species: 90
Birds: 65
Mammals: 3
Reptiles: 5
Fish: 17
 
Lota lota said:
I have been sick and busy with schoolwork, so the birdwatching has mainly been from my window. The most exciting thing I saw was the Raven flyover. We live within walking distance of raven territory. But I rarely see them among all the houses; it was a nice addition to my yard list.

11 Common redpoll (Acanthis flamea)
12 European nuthatch (Sitta europaea)
13 Common raven (Corvus corax)
14 Great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
15 Long-tailed tit (Ageithalos caudatus)
16 Eurasian treecreeper (Certhia familiaris)
17 Western jackdaw (Coloeus monedula)
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It was a real winter day, a nice layer of snow, clear blue skies, no wind, and about −14°C. The snow laid deep on the ground, but it was light work to walk through since the low temperatures during and after the snowfall made the snow very powdery.

I was working today, so I only got out for about an hour during the last daylight. It was a nice walk on and around my local lake; it was surprisingly empty of birdlife. But the forest close to the lake managed to get me some nice additions to my yearlist.

18 Crested tit (Lophophanes cristatus)
19 Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius)
20 Black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius)
 
Osedax said:
Spoke too soon!

Birds
35. Scaly-breasted Lorikeet (Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus) - interestingly in the same flock as the Musk and Little Lorikeets from yesterday
36. Little Wattlebird (Anthocaera chrysoptera)

I can hear a koel nearby as I write this, but my chances of actually finding and seeing it are next to nothing. Let's just hope it doesn't keep calling all night...
Click to expand...
Well, the koel did go all night; and all morning. I tried to locate it Thursday morning but was unsuccessful.
Let's start with one I forgot from the 2nd:

Birds
37. Variegated Fairy Wren (Malurus lamberti)

Had a trip up to Newcastle which is why I've been inactive these past few days, and did some birding.

4/1/24

Mammals
2. Black Flying Fox (Pteropus alecto)
3. Grey-headed Flying Fox (Pteropus poliocephalus)

Birds
38. Fairy Martin (Petrochelidon ariel)
39. Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus)
40. Black Swan (Cygnus atratus)
41. Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
42. Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea)

5/1/24

Mammals
4. Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus)

Birds
43. Eastern Rosella (Platycercus eximius)
44. Black-shouldered Lapwing (Vanellus novaehollandiae)
45. Torresian Crow (Corvus orru)
46. Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis)

Fern Bay Oyster Farms & Stockton Sandspit:
47. Plumed Egret (Egretta plumifera)
48. Australasian Darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae)
49. Australasian Figbird (Sphecotheres viridis)
50. Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys)
51. White-breasted Woodswallow (Artamus leucorynchus)
52. Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis)
53. Red Knot (Calidris canutus)
54. Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis)
55. Great Egret (Ardea alba)
56. White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae)
57. Pied Stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus)
58. Australian Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus longirostris)
59. Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica)
60. Superb Fairy Wren (Malurus cyaneus)
61. Eurasian Starling (Sternus vulgaris)
62. Greater Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii)

Hunter Wetlands Centre
63. Oriental Dollarbird (Eurystomus orientalis)
64. Magpie Goose (Anseranas semipalmata)
65. Grey Teal (Anas gracilis)
66. Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra)
67. Chestnut Teal (Anas castanea)
68. Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosus)
69. Australasian Swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus)

70. Sooty Oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus)

6/1/24

Mammals

Hunter Wetlands Centre
5. Rakali (Hydromys chrysogaster)

Birds
71. Long-billed Corella (Cacatua tenuirostris)

Hunter Wetlands Centre
72. Nankeen Night Heron (Nycticorax caledonicus)
73. Wandering Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna arcuata)
74. Blue-faced Honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotus)
75. Pheasant Coucal (Centropus phasianinus)
76. Red-browed Finch (Neochmia temporalis)
77. Australasian Grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae)
78. Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa)
79. Yellow Thornbill (Acanthiza nana)
80. Large-billed Scrubwren (Sericornis magnirostris)
81. Weebill (Smicrornis brevirostris)
82. White-bellied Sea Eagle (Icthyophaga leucogaster)
83. Bar-shouldered Dove (Geopelia humeralis)
84. Bell Miner (Manorina melanophrys)
85. Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus)
86. Australian Golden Whistler (Phachycephala pectoralis)
87. Royal Spoonbill (Platalea regia)

88. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
89. Red Wattlebird (Anthocaera carunculata

Reptiles

Hunter Wetlands Centre
3. Eastern Water Skink (Eulamprus quoyii)
 
Work keeps getting in the way of birding unfortunately. I've got the next few days off so hopefully i can get out.
6/1/2024
98. White-necked Heron (Pacific heron)
 
A really slow start to this year - I am going to a state park tomorrow which will hopefully bump up my numbers, but so far it's just been the usual staples for this time of year in urban areas. Still, even seeing birds I've seen hundreds of times is exciting when I get to add them to a new list. Tomorrow I'll hopefully check off some chickadees, Carolina wrens, woodpeckers, mourning doves and nuthatches.


Mammals:
1. Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) – 1/1/24


Birds:
1. Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) – 1/1/24
2. House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) – 1/1/24
3. Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) – 1/1/24
4. American Robin (Turdus migratorius) – 1/1/24
5. Red-Tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) – 1/1/24
6. House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) – 1/2/24


Invertebrates:
1. Triangulate Cobweb (Steatoda triangulosa) – 1/1/24
 
Scarlet honeyeaters have turned into a bit of a nemesis species for me. Ever since seeing some at Featherdale over 30 years ago I have wanted to see them in the wild. I have had a few close calls but no luck. So I was excited to hear they had been seen at the local Langwarrin Fauna and Flora Reserve a couple of days ago and went down to look for myself this morning. I missed again but there were plenty of other honeyeaters.

55. Rainbow lorikeet Trichoglossus moluccanus
56. Eastern spinebill Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris
57. Yellow-faced honeyeater Caligavis chrysops
58. White-naped honeyeater Melithreptus lunatus
59. White-eared honeyeater Nesoptilotis leucotis
60. New Holland honeyeater Phylidonyris novaehollandiae
61. Dusky woodswallow Artamus cyanopterus
62. Grey currawong Strepera versicolor

Missed from the trip down the Peninsula mentioned last post, but in reality a species that turns up everywhere.

63. Willy wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys

A large and interesting insect seen at Moonlit.

1. sp. roundneck longhorn beetle Xystrocera virescens
 
I made a visit to Zealandia this morning ( a predator-fenced reserve in the suburbs of Wellington). I didn't manage to find any Stitchbirds, Brown Teal or Red-crowned Kakariki today, and I just missed a NZ Falcon when I heard one calling overhead - through a gap in the canopy I got a glimpse of a bird being chased by a group of Tui which must have been the falcon but it was too brief for me to count it.


16) Mallard Anas platyrhynchos (earlier in the week)
17) Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen (yesterday from my window)

18) New Zealand Pigeon Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
19) New Zealand Scaup Aythya novaeseelandiae
20) Black Shag (Great Cormorant) Phalacrocorax carbo
21) Pied Shag Phalacrocorax varius
22) Californian Quail Callipepla californica
23) Little Pied Shag Microcarbo melanoleucos
24) New Zealand Bellbird Anthornis melanura
25) Whitehead Mohoua albicilla
26) New Zealand Robin Petroica australis
27) Rifleman Acanthisitta chloris
28) Saddleback Philesturnus carunculatus
29) Paradise Duck Tadorna variegata
30) Sacred Kingfisher Todiramphus sanctus
 
Chlidonias said:
I made a visit to Zealandia this morning ( a predator-fenced reserve in the suburbs of Wellington). I didn't manage to find any Stitchbirds, Brown Teal or Red-crowned Kakariki today, and I just missed a NZ Falcon when I heard one calling overhead - through a gap in the canopy I got a glimpse of a bird being chased by a group of Tui which must have been the falcon but it was too brief for me to count it.


16) Mallard Anas platyrhynchos (earlier in the week)
17) Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen (yesterday from my window)

18) New Zealand Pigeon Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
19) New Zealand Scaup Aythya novaeseelandiae
20) Black Shag (Great Cormorant) Phalacrocorax carbo
21) Pied Shag Phalacrocorax varius
22) Californian Quail Callipepla californica
23) Little Pied Shag Microcarbo melanoleucos
24) New Zealand Bellbird Anthornis melanura
25) Whitehead Mohoua albicilla
26) New Zealand Robin Petroica australis
27) Rifleman Acanthisitta chloris
28) Saddleback Philesturnus carunculatus
29) Paradise Duck Tadorna variegata
30) Sacred Kingfisher Todiramphus sanctus
Click to expand...
Has the New Zealand robin not been split?
 
Bit of a late happy new year, haven't abandoned last years thread I just still need some invert ids sorted along with writing it all up and stuff, I'm getting this thread started at least as I'm attending a young birders camp down in the South Island tomorrow a long with a tad bit of extra travelling planned so I thought I may as well post my year so far.
Started off the new year on Motutapu, randomly waking up at 11:59, seeing the new year and promptly right back to sleep, finally starting off my day at around 3:30. The day previous had a lot of stuff happen but that'll have to wait until I write everything up. But right when I started off I had my first self-found harvestman which was some non-descript un-idable brown species (my first harvestmen last year were much more exciting) but still a nice thing to see, as well as the eerie cries and shrieks of oystercatchers and pukekos ringing around me. I was very much hoping for a kiwi as first bird of the year, but as I was just hiking across farmland to Rangitoto I wasn't really in the right habitat, seeing my first idable species in the form of a Garden Snail. I wanted to try get to the forest around the summit by dawn but I had left too late and didn't make it till maybe an hour or so post. Surprisingly the forest felt really quiet, there was no sign of my main target tomtit, and astonishingly not seeing any kakariki! After maybe an hour and a half around the summit I only had around 9 birds to show for myself.. Picking up Silvereye on the way down and birds 11-14 around the wharf. As I was pretty exhausted after the previous day and I wanted to still try squeeze in a high-tide trip to Mangere (I had been aiming to do a big day), I asked if I could get a ride back on the just arriving ferry which they thankfully allowed. Saw a lot less birds than the trip to the island although, a distant shearwater my first terns for the year and weirdly no gannets. Rest of the birds I saw on my way home, where arriving I promptly fell asleep and thus missed out on the remainder of the day...
On the second had a late afternoon trip to Mangere and the WTP maybe an hour or so post high-tide which went quite well, had my first lifer of the year in the form of a Brown Rat at the WTP (didn't get a good view of the guy, just a glimpse as it slid into the rocks that line the canal, but it had a pink tail and feet, and along with the terrestrial habitat I'm quite inclined to believe it as such).
The third was a trip to Manakapua which was *supposed* to be at high tide, judging off the tide timetable for Pouto Point as that was all that came up when I searched for it, unfortunately it seems it was completely off and the tide was possibly the lowest I had ever seen it.. On the entry road to Manakapua I saw my first female Ring-Necked Pheasant as my dad was driving, for some really it really struck me as 'grouse-like' (the overall plumage and the small raised crest at the back of the head I believe gave off that impression). Walking to the island I not only got my second lifer of the year some beautiful dark brown Migratory Locusts which had this really nice muted pink on their wings as they flushed, I also discovered what beach feet was, the hot sand near instantly forming a large blister on my heel which put me off travelling after this trip (to let it heal before the camp, which I believe it has). During low tide not only is the tide way far out leading to a lot more trudging but the shorebird numbers are definitely much lower, although the highlight of the day was seeing a big glob of 50 or so Ruddy Turnstones all neatly lined up which was very cute.

Mammals:
1. Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus) [Mangere] --1/1/24
2. European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) [Road] --2/1/24

Birds:
1. NZ Fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa)
2. Tui (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae)
3. Riroriro (Gerygone igata)
4. Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula)
5. Popokotea (Mohoua albicilla)
6. NI Tieke (Philesturnus rufusater)
7. Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)
8. Brown Quail (Synoicus ypsilophorus)
9. Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena)
10. Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis)
11. Karoro [Kelp Gull] (Larus dominicanus)
12. House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
13. Variable Oystercatcher (Haematopus unicolor)
14. Red-billed Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae)
15. White-fronted Tern (Sterna striata)
16. Feral Pigeon (Columba livia)
17. Eastern Rosella (Platycercus eximius)
18. Pied Shag (Phalacrocorax varius)
19. Common Mynah (Acridotheres tristis)
20. Spotted Dove (Spilopelia chinensis)
21. European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
22. Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos) --1/1/24
23. European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
24. Paradise Shelduck (Tadorna variegata)
25. White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae)
26. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
27. Pukeko (Porphyrio melanotus)
28. Pied Stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus)
29. Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica)
30. Red Knot (Calidris canutus)
31. Kotare [Sacred Kingfisher] (Todiramphus sanctus)
32. Black-billed Gull (Chroicocephalus bulleri)
33. Masked Lapwing [Spur-winged Plover] (Vanellus miles)
34. South Island Pied-Oystercatcher (Haematopus finschi)
35. NZ Dotterel [Red-Breasted Dotterel] (Anarhynchus obscurus)
36. Royal Spoonbill (Platalea regia)
37. Wrybill (Anarhynchus frontalis)
38. Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)
39. Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
40. Black Swan (Cygnus atratus)
41. NZ Scaup (Aythya novaeseelandiae)
42. Little Shag (Microcarbo melanoleucos)
43. Grey Teal (Anas gracilis)
44. Australasian Shoveler (Spatula rhynchotis)
45. NZ Dabchick (Poliocephalus rufopectus) --2/1/24
46. Swamp Harrier (Circus approximans)
47. Kereru (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae)
48. Ring-Necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
49. Skylark (Alauda arvensis)
50. Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)
51. Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella)
52. Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) --3/1/24

HERPS Tally: 1
Lepidosaurs:
1. Rainbow Skink (Lampropholis delicata) [House]

INVERT Tally: 6
Arthropods:
1. Phyllotocus macleayi (Flower Scarab) [Ferry]
2. Gisborne Cockroach (Drymaplaneta semivitta) [House]
3. Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) [Mangere]
4. Tunneling Mud-Crab (Austrohelice crassa) [Mangere]
5. Migratory Locust (Locusta migratoria) [Manakapua]
Molluscs:
1. Garden Snail (Cornu aspersum) [Motutapu]
 
Wicked blow for the last five days made it dangerous to be outside...every creature that doesn't already spend winter under the snow, certainly sought out a low spot to ride out the storm. Calm and clear tonight I ventured out and spotted my first mammal of the year:

Mammals:
1. Arctic Fox (Vulpes lagopus)
 
Went out yesterday to my local Wildlife Reserve for 4 hours, sadly the lakes had flooded due to the rain so areas of the forest were at least a good foot underwater! Managed to add some new birds to the list:

Birds
24. Garden Warbler (Sylvia borin)
25. Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis)
26. Eurasian Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
27. Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)
28. Scaup (Aythya marila)
29. Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis)
30. Eurasian Teal (Anas crecca)
31. Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius)
32. Eurasian Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus chloropus)
33. Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
34. Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
35. Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis ispida)
36. Eurasian Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus cristatus)
37. Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)
38. Shoveler (Spatula clypeata)
39. Dunnock (Prunella modularis)

Amphibians
1. Common Toad (Bufo bufo)
Invertebrates
2. Roman Snail (Helix pomatia)

Total Species: 43
Birds: 39
Mammals: 1
Amphibians: 1
Invertebrates: 2

Heading back out there today, see if I can spot anything new. Hopefully a Snipe or 2!
 
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