Zoochat Big Year 2024

A fantastic day at Idle Valley Nature Reserve today. The warm sunshine brought out many invertebrates (esp. butterflies) with a few lifers acquired. The site had many summer bird migrants with some year ticks obtained. 3 cuckoos in total were heard with one of those showing himself as he flew between the willows. A single bittern made an appearance which was also a treat.

Invertebrates:
44) European peacock butterfly Aglais io
45) Green shield bug Palomena prasina
46) 14-spot ladybird Propylea quatuordecimpunctata
47) Red and black froghopper Cercopis vulnerata
48) Nettle weevil Phyllobius pomaceus
49) Pied shield bug Tritomegas bicolor
50) Green-veined white butterfly Pieris napi
51) Common nettle-tap moth Anthophila fabriciana
52) Dark-edged bee fly Bombylius major
53) Small tortoiseshell butterfly Aglais urticae

Birds:
107) Eurasian bittern Botaurus stellaris
108) Common cuckoo Cuculus canorus
109) Common reed warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus

Mammals:
5) European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus
 
After more than a decade of living in a shed or a rundown farmhouse, we have finally purchased our "forever home". It is about 5 minutes drive from the Sanctuary, has some land for koala food plantations, and probably best of all about 3 acres of bushland. There is a small dam on the edge of the bush, and I look forward to early morning coffee watching birds there, which I will mention here as being "at home". We are currently in the repainting and other work stage before moving in, but have already identified 12 species, including these new ones for the year:

402. King parrot Alisterus scapularis
403. Crimson rosella Platycercus elegans
404. Pied currawong Strepera graculina
 
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Mr. Zootycoon said:
Of all the magnificent creatures that whatever god(s) you believe in decided to set loose in the Netherlands, the adder has retained the number one spot on the list of species I most wanted to see for a while. They're rare, range restricted and often occur in low densities, but they're also undeniably spectacular with their bold markings and venomous bite. Last week, I tried yet again to finally see one in the flesh.

As per usual the weather forecast for the day I'd chosen to search for adder was not particularly hopeful. Lots of clouds, little sun. Given the secretive nature of the species, one's best chance to see one is to visit their habitat early in the year, when the animals still spend a considerable time of their day sunning. But for them to do that, it should be sunny. My last few attempts were all under similar conditions, and each time the weather turned worse for reptiles than the forecast had predicted. This time it started quite similarly. Quite sunny on the road, but as soon as we - I was joined by a friend for this expedition - entered the area clouds appeared and the wind started tugging on our jackets.

Despite early signs that today was not going to be a great adder day, we persevered. It took a good long search before we found the first reptile - a short flash of what must have been a sand lizard, seen only by my friend and not by me. The sun disappeared beyond the clouds for increasingly long periods of time. But we kept going, discussing the ins and outs of adder-spotting along the way. As we were deep in a conversation about how adders position their bodies when sunning, my friend suddenly remarked quite calmly 'oh, there's one!' And indeed there was: a huge adult female adder, sunning just beside a large heather patch which shielded her from the wind. Her head moved, and she looked at us with her strikingly beautiful eyes. For a few wonderful moments we stared at each other, after which the adder decided it had been long enough and retreated within the heather bush. We were left breathless.

The weather turned around for the better, as the sun managed to free itself from the clouds. Much of the rest of the day was spend in the same area: listening to a loud chorus of frogs; watching larks and pipits dance through the sky; and observing mining bees digging their nests - attracting the attention of parasitic cuckoo bees. As for reptiles we managed to find several sand lizards which showed unexpectedly well. A very good day indeed.

A few of the species on the list were seen during a short say in Germany last week, before the adder search. Despite the full agenda I managed to get a little time at a spot I knew held a population of wall lizards. The kite and the serin were seen more or less opportunistically.

Birds
162. Red Kite, Milvus milvus
163. European Serin, Serinus serinus
164. Willow Warbler, Phylloscopus trochilus
165. Tree Pipit, Anthus trivialis

Amphibians
7. Smooth Newt, Lissotriton vulgaris

Reptiles
3. Wall Lizard, Podarcis muralis
4. European Adder, Vipera berus
5. Sand Lizard, Lacerta agilis

Butterflies
5. Holly Blue, Celastrina argiolus
6. Small White, Pieris rapae
7. Speckled Wood, Pararge aegeria

Moths
5. Common Heath, Ematurga atomaria

Bees
6. Lathbury's Nomad Bee, Nomada lathburiana
7. Grey-backed Mining Bee, Andrena vaga
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Congratulations. I imagine there is not much room for a venomous stake in the Netherlands, are there issues with human/adder conflict?
 
MRJ said:
Congratulations. I imagine there is not much room for a venomous stake in the Netherlands, are there issues with human/adder conflict?
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There is almost no direct conflict between adders and people in the Netherlands. Bites are very rare and I think no fatalities have been recorded since 1946. Adders tend to be shy and prefer to flee when disturbed.

However, it is true that there's not much room for them in our country, in the sense that there's little habitat left. Many populations are struggling. Isolation, habitat degradation and disturbance are major threads. Fortunately, adders are quite heavily protected and actions have been taken to help them - though our highly intensive land use (leading to major eutrophication and acidification even within the cores of our protected areas) is an issue not likely to be solved anytime soon.

Most Dutch people are barely aware there's any snakes in the wild in our country at all (or lizards, for that matter), which sometimes leads to interesting situations when people find out. A while ago a breeding site for completely harmless grass snakes was created near a residential area, and people lost their minds over it. In my own experience people act extremely surprised when I show them pictures of lizards, snakes, or even newts, and say they were taken in the Netherlands.
 
One of the most infuriating natural phenomenon's that Finland has to offer, is the multiple resurgences of winter every spring. These little atmospheric pranks are called "Takatalvi" here, which translates to "Back winter". I think this name perfectly captures the feeling of getting excited seeing the first blooming flowers, knowing that spring is just around the corner... only to be immediately stabbed in the Back with a hefty load of seasonal depression.

Early this weekend one of these back winters hit Finland (the third one this yea), and we were once again plunged into a snow covered winter wonderland. So with migration halted and with conditions being rough, there's only one logical thing to do: go birding. This morning I set out to find as many

I started out at Suomenoja, one of my favorite local spots due to it's status of being a safe haven to otherwise rare species in Southern Finland. Some of these species include common moorhens, common pochards and horned grebes, of which the latter two were targets today. Despite the weather conditions, the trip was successful and I decided to visit another spot in east Helsinki straight afterwards. There I saw a beautiful male garganey that had been reported earlier, and around 4 northern pintails. Both are lifers for me and seeing them was honestly amazing. :D

Birds

162. Horned grebe, Podiceps auritus 21/4/24
163. Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata 21/4/24
164. Common pochard, Aythya ferina 21/4/24
165. Garganey, Spatula querquedula 21/4/24 (My 100th finnish bird of this year! :D)
166. Northern pintail, Anas acuta 21/4/24
 
Bisonblake said:
4/18/24
Birds:
129. Nashville warbler Leiothlypis ruficapilla
130. Swamp sparrow Melospiza georgiana

Total Species: 166
Birds: 130
Mammals: 10
Reptiles: 8
Amphibians: 1
Fish: 17
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Rails have to be one of the most frustrating birds to find. I spent over an hour looking for soras in a small wetland habitat. After slowly pacing along the reeds, and being taunted by their calls, I finally had a brief view of one.

4/21/24
Birds:
131. Savannah sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis
132. Sora Porzana carolina

Total Species: 168
Birds: 132
Mammals: 10
Reptiles: 8
Amphibians: 1
Fish: 17
 
Glorious day of birding at Frampton Marsh today (with a quick wander at Langford Lowfields on the way back).

Frampton has a had a wave of excellent bird arrivals over the last few weeks and we were able to spot pretty much all the stars that were still around today (a report of Little Stint was one that evaded us, as were the resident breeding Corn Buntings) - in addition to the fantastic list below there were also Mediterranean Gulls, hundreds of Brent Geese, some feral Barnacle Geese, and avocets and godwits aplenty. Fantastic day.

A note on the Red-breasted Goose - I have seen free-living individuals of this species before in the UK but always in situations that suggested an escaped bird. This one today had no reason to think it wasn't genuine - hanging out with a big flock of wintering Brents on the east coast and with no rings or marks, and at a site where accepted genuine wild individuals have been recorded more than once in recent years in the same conditions. As such I'm counting it for now but will keep an eye on the BBRC report when the time comes just in case!

Also - a note on the Lesser Yellowlegs - this was my second-ever sighting of this species but actually still my first individual bird - this is the same vagrant bird I saw last year (now present over 200 days - interestingly, my first and 'second' Long-billed Dowitchers were also the same vagrant individual making an exceptionally long stay at Frampton).

Also - my first herp from my parents' garden pond..!

Birds:
147. Red-breasted Goose - Branta ruficollis
148. Black Tern - Chlidonias niger
149. Black-winged Stilt - Himantopus himantopus
150. Little Gull - Hydrocoloeus minutus
151. Sedge Warbler - Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
152. Common Greenshank - Tringa nebularia
153. Spotted Redshank - Tringa erythropus
154. Lesser Yellowlegs - Tringa flavipes
155. Eurasian Blackcap - Sylvia atricapilla
156. Willow Warbler - Phylloscopus trochilus

Amphibians:
1. Smooth Newt - Lissotriton vulgaris

Invertebrates:
9. European Honey Bee - Apis mellifera
10. Common Tiger Hoverfly - Helophilus pendulus
11. Common Carder Bee - Bombus pascuorum
12. Green-veined White - Pieris napi
13. Green Dock Beetle - Gastrophysa viridula
14. Red-tailed Bumblebee - Bombus lapidarius
15. Common Orange-tip - Anthocharis cardamines

:)
 
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KiwiBirb said:
The migrants just keep on coming!

Birds
97) Blue-Headed Vireo (Vireo solitarius)

Progress:
Mammals- 16
Birds- 97
Herptiles- 9
Total- 122
Heard-only Species- 6
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Got some late winter birds and some spring birds in Sandy Hook yesterday, pushing me a bit above 100 birds

Mammals
17) Eastern Meadow Vole (Pitymys pennsylvanicus)

Birds
98) Bonaparte’s Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)
99) Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
100) American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus)
101) Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythropthalmus)
102) Red-Throated Loon (Gavia stellata)
103) White-Winged Scoter (Melanitta deglandi)
104) Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata)

Heard Only
6) Forster’s Tern (Sterna forsteri)

Progress:
Mammals- 17
Birds- 97
Herptiles- 9
Total- 130
Heard-only Species- 6
 
Bactrian Deer said:
Went to Eagle Creek;
109- Field Sparrow, Spizella pusilla, 3-26-2024
110- Savannah Sparrow, Passerculus sandwichensis, 3-29-2024
111- American Pipit, Anthus rubescens, 3-29-2024
112- Hermit Thrush, Catharus guttatus, 3-29-2024
113- North Rough-Winged Swallow, Stelgidopteryx serripennis, 3-29-2024
114- Purple Martin, Progne subis, 3-29-2024
115- Red-Headed Woodpecker, Melanerpes erythrocephalus, 3-29-2024
116- Osprey, Pandion haliaetus, 3-29-2024
117- Double-Crested Cormorant, Nannopterum auritum, 3-29-2024
118- Red-Throated Loon, Gavia stellata, 3-29-2024
119- Caspian Tern, Hydroprogne caspia, 3-29-2024
120- Pectoral Sandpiper, Calidris melanotos, 3-29-2024
121- Greater Yellowlegs, Tringa melanoleuca, 3-29-2024
122- Surf Scoter, Melanitta perspicillata, 3-29-2024
123- Northern Pintail, Anas acuta, 3-29-2024
124- Ross’ Goose, Anser rossii, 3-29-2024
Total: 141
124 Birds
6 Mammals
1 Amphibian
1 Reptile
3 Invertebrates
6 Fish
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Birds:
125- Great Egret, Ardea alba, 3-31-2024
126- Tundra Swan, Cygnus columbianus, 3-31-2024
127- Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker, Sphyrapicus varius, 4-5-2024
128- Broad-Winged Hawk, Buteo platypterus, 4-6-2024
129- Red-Necked Grebe, Podiceps grisegena, 4-6-2024
130- Eurasian Collared-Dove, Streptopelia decaocto, 4-7-2024
131- Lesser Yellowlegs, Tringa flavipes, 4-7-2024
132- Barn Swallow, Hirundo rustica, 4-7-2024
133- Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Polioptila caerulea, 4-7-2024
134- Vesper Sparrow, Pooecetes gramineus, 4-7-2024
135- Louisiana Waterthrush, Parkesia motacilla, 4-7-2024
136- Green Heron, Butorides virescens, 4-13-2024
137- Yellow-Throated Warbler, Setophaga dominica, 4-14-2024
138- Northern Parula, Setophaga americana, 4-14-2024
139- Black-and-White Warbler, Mniotilta varia, 4-14-2024
140- Great Crested Flycatcher, Myiarchus crinitus, 4-16-2024
141- Palm Warbler, Setophaga palmarum, 4-17-2024
142- Yellow Warbler, Setophaga petechia, 4-17-2024
143- Nashville Warbler, Leiothlypis ruficapilla, 4-17-2024
144- Eastern Kingbird, Tyrannus tyrannus, 4-17-2024
145- Wood Thrush, Hylocichla mustelina, 4-18-2024
146- House Wren, Troglodytes aedon, 4-18-2024
147- White-Eyed Vireo, Vireo griseus, 4-18-2024
148- Warbling Vireo, Vireo gilvus, 4-20-2024
149- Red-Eyed Vireo, Vireo olivaceus, 4-20-2024
150- Blue-Winged Warbler, Vermivora cyanoptera, 4-21-2024
151- Wild Turkey, Meleagris gallopavo, 4-21-2024

Mammals:
7- Red Fox, Vulpes vulpes, 4-7-2024

Amphibians:
2- Gray Treefrog, Dryophytes versicolor, 4-16-2024

Reptiles:
2- Common Snapping Turtle, Chelydra serpentina, 4-14-2024

Inverts:
4- Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, Halyomorpha halys, 4-13-2024

Fish:
7- Largemouth Bass, Micropterus salmoides, 3-29-2024

Total: 173
151 Birds
7 Mammals
2 Amphibians
2 Reptiles
4 Inverts
7 Fish
 
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