Zoochat Big Year 2024

Birds
393 House Crow Corvus splendens
394 Cape Crow Corvus capensis
395 Pied Crow Corvus albus
396 White-necked Raven Corvus albicollis
397 Cape Rockjumper Chaetops frenatus (lifer)
398 Drakensberg Rockjumper Chaetops aurantius (lifer, new family)
399 Fairy Flycatcher Stenostira scita (lifer)
400 Southern Black Tit Melaniparus niger
401 Grey Tit Melaniparus afer
402 Grey Penduline Tit Anthoscopus caroli (lifer)
403 Cape Penduline Tit Anthoscopus minutus (lifer)
404 Eastern Nicator Nicator gularis (lifer, and completes the family!)
 
Birds (Larks, not sure if I will ever get 12 lifers from one family in the same country again!)
405 Spike-heeled Lark Chersomanes albofasciata (lifer)
406 Eastern Long-billed Lark Certhialauda semitorquata (lifer)
407 Black-eared Sparrow-Lark Eremopterix australis (lifer)
408 Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark Eremopterix leucotis (lifer)
409 Sabota Lark Calendulauda sabota (lifer)
410 Karoo Lark Calendulauda albescens (lifer)
411 Rudd’s Lark Heteromirafra ruddi (lifer)
412 Eastern Clapper Lark Mirafra fasciolata (lifer)
413 Cape Clapper Lark Mirafra apiata (lifer)
414 Rufous-naped Lark Mirafra africana
415 Pink-billed Lark Spizocorys conirostris (lifer)
416 Large-billed Lark Galerida magnirostris (lifer)
417 Red-capped Lark Calendrella cinerea (lifer)
 
Birds
418 Sombre Greenbul Andropadus importunus (lifer)
419 Yellow-bellied Greenbul Chlorocichla flaviventris
420 Terrestrial Brownbul Phyllastrephus tricolor
421 Dark-capped Bulbul Pycnonotus tricolor
422 Cape Bulbul Pynonotus capensis
423 Black Saw-wing Psalidoprocne pristoptera
424 Grey-rumped Swallow Pseudhirundo griseopyga
425 Banded Martin Neophedina cincta
426 Rock Martin Ptyonoprogne fuligula
427 Pearl-breasted Swallow Hirundo dimidiata (lifer)
428 White-throated Swallow Hirundo albigularis
429 Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii
430 Greater Striped Swallow Cecropis cucullata
431 Lesser Striped Swallow Cecropis abyssinica
432 Red-breasted Swallow Cecropis semirufa
433 Mosque Swallow Cecropis senegalensis
434 South African Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon spilodera (lifer)
435 Cape Grassbird Sphenoeacus afer
436 Long-billed Crombec Sylvietta rufescens (lifer)
438 Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler Phylloscopus ruficapilla (lifer)
439 Lesser Swamp Warbler Acrocephalus gracilirostris
440 African Yellow Warbler Iduna natalensis (lifer)
 
Birds
441 Little Rush Warbler Bradypterus baboecala (lifer)
442 Red-faced Cisticola Cisticola erythrops
443 Rattling Cisticola Cisticola chiniana
444 Grey-backed Cisticola Cisticola subruficapilla
445 Wailing Cisticola Cisticola lais
446 Rufous-winged Cisticola Cisticola galactotes
447 Levaillant’s Cisticola Cisticola tinniens
448 Croaking Cisticola Cisticola natalensis
449 Neddicky Cisticola fulvicapilla
450 Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis
451 Desert Cisticola Cisticola aridulus
452 Pale-crowned Cisticola Cisticola cinnamomeus (lifer)
453 Tawny-flanked Prinia Prinia subflava
454 Black-chested Prinia Prinia flavicans (lifer)
455 Karoo Prinia Prinia maculosa
456 Drakensberg Prinia Prinia hypoxantha (lifer)
457 Namaqua Warbler Phragmacia substriata
458 Bar-throated Apalis Apalis thoracica
459 Rudd’s Apalis Apalis ruddi (lifer)
460 Yellow-breasted Apalis Apalis flavida
461 Rufous-eared Warbler Malcorus pectoralis
462 Green-backed Camaroptera Camaroptera brachyura (lifer)
463 Cinnamon-breasted Warbler Euryptila subcinnamomea (lifer)
464 Yellow-bellied Eremomela Eremomela icteropygialis (lifer)
465 Karoo Eremomela Eremomela gregalis (lifer)
466 Burnt-necked Eremomela Eremomela usticollis (lifer)
467 Bush Blackcap Sylvia nigricapillus (lifer)
468 Layard’s Warbler Curruca layardi (lifer)
469 Chestnut-vented Warbler Curruca subcoerulea (lifer)
470 Cape White-eye Zosterops virens
471 Southern Yellow White-eye Zosterops anderssoni
472 Arrow-marked Babbler Turdoides jardineii
473 Southern Pied Babbler Turdoides bicolor (lifer)
474 Cape Sugarbird Promerops cafer
475 Gurney’s Sugarbird Promerops gurneyi (lifer, completing family)
 
Najade said:
16.10.24 - around Base Camp Kuikka, Kuhmo area, Finland

Mammals
35. Wolf (Canis lupus)
36. Brown Bear (Ursus arctos arctos)

Birds (non-passerines)
110. Hazel Grouse (Tetrastes bonasia)
111. Black Grouse (Lyrurus tetrix)
112. Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
Click to expand...
18.10.24 - Erä Eero, Lieksa area, Finland

Mammals
37. Wolverine (Gulo gulo)

Birds (non-passerines)
113. Western Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus karelicus)
 
Birds
476 Common Myna Acridotheres tristis
477 Black-bellied Starling Notopholia corusca
478 Cape Starling Lamprotornis nitens
479 Greater Blue-eared Starling Lamprotornis chalybeus
480 Burchell’s Starling Lamprotornis australis
481 Pied Starling Lamprotornis bicolor
482 Red-winged Starling Onychognathus moria
483 Pale-winged Starling Onychognathus nabouroup
484 Yellow-billed Oxpecker Buphagus africanus
485 Red-billed Oxpecker Buphagus erythrorynchus
486 Orange Ground Thrush Geokichla gurneyi (lifer)
487 Olive Thrush Turdus olivaceus
488 Karoo Thrush Turdus smithi (lifer)
489 Karoo Scrub Robin Cercotrichas coryphoeus (lifer)
490 Brown Scrub Robin Cercotrichas signata (lifer)
491 Bearded Scrub Robin Cercotrichas quadrivirgata (lifer)
492 Kalahari Scrub Robin Cercotrichas paena
493 White-browed Scrub Robin Cercotrichas leucophrys
494 Pale Flycatcher Agricola pallidus
495 Grey Tit-Flycatcher Fraseria plumbea
496 Ashy Flycatcher Fraseria caerulescens
497 Southern Black Flycatcher Melaenornis pammelaina
498 Fiscal Flycatcher Sigelus silens
499 Marico Flycatcher Bradornis mariquensis (lifer)
500 African Dusky Flycatcher Muscicapa adusta
501 White-starred Robin Pogonocichla stellata
502 White-browed Robin-Chat Cossypha heuglini
503 Chorister Robin-Chat Cossypha dichroa (lifer)
504 Red-capped Robin-Chat Cossypha natalensis
505 White-throated Robin-Chat Dessornis humeralis (lifer)
506 Cape Robin-Chat Dessornis caffer
507 Sentinel Rock Thrush Monticola explorator
508 Cape Rock Thrush Monticola rupestris (lifer)
509 African Stonechat Saxicola torquata
510 Buff-streaked Chat Campicoloides bifasciatus (lifer)
511 Karoo Chat Emarginata schlegelii
512 Tractrac Chat Emarginata tractrac
513 Sickle-winged Chat Emarginata sinuata
514 Mocking Cliff Chat Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris
515 Ant-eating Chat Myrmecocichla formicivora (lifer)
516 Mountain Wheatear Myrmecocichla monticola
517 Capped Wheatear Oenanthe pileata
518 Familiar Chat Oenanthe familiaris
519 Collared Sunbird Hedydipna collaris
520 Orange-breasted Sunbird Anthobaphes violacea
521 Olive Sunbird Cyanomitra olivacea
522 Amethyst Sunbird Chalcomitra amethystina
523 Scarlet-chested Sunbird Chalcomitra senegalensis
524 Malachite Sunbird Nectarinia famosa
525 Southern Double-collared Sunbird Cinnyris chalybeus
526 Neergaard’s Sunbird Cinnyris neergaardi (lifer)
527 Greater Double-collared Sunbird Cinnyris afer
528 Marico Sunbird Cinnyris mariquensis
529 Purple-banded Sunbird Cinnyris bifasciatus
530 White-bellied Sunbird Cinnyris talatala
531 Dusky Sunbird Cinnyris fuscus (lifer)
532 Yellow-throated Bush Sparrow Gymnoris superciliaris
533 Cape Sparrow Passer melanurus
534 Great Sparrow Passer motitensis (lifer)
535 Southern Grey-headed Sparrow Passer diffusus
 
Birds
536 Red-billed Buffalo Weaver Bubalornis niger
537 White-browed Sparrow-Weaver Plocepasser mahali
538 Scaly-feathered Weaver Sporopipes squamifrons
539 Thick-billed Weaver Amblyospiza albifrons
540 Spectacled Weaver Ploceus ocularis
541 Cape Weaver Ploceus capensis
542 Eastern Golden Weaver Ploceus subaureus
543 Holub’s Golden Weaver Ploceus xanthops
544 Southern Brown-throated Weaver Ploceus xanthopterus (lifer)
545 Southern Masked Weaver Ploceus velatus
546 Village Weaver Ploceus cucullatus
547 Dark-backed Weaver Ploceus bicolor
548 Red-headed Weaver Anaplectes rubriceps
549 Red-billed Quelea Quelea quelea
550 Southern Red Bishop Euplectes orix
551 Yellow Bishop Euplectes capensis
552 Fan-tailed Widowbird Euplectes axillaris
553 White-winged Widowbird Euplectes albonotatus
554 Long-tailed Widowbird Euplectes progne
555 Bronze Mannikin Spermestes cucullata
556 Black-and-white Mannikin Spermestes bicolor
557 Swee Waxbill Coccopygia melanotis (lifer)
558 Green Twinspot Mandingoa nitidula (lifer)
559 Black-faced Waxbill Brunhilda erythronotos (lifer)
560 Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild
561 Quailfinch Ortygospiza atricollis
562 Orange-breasted Waxbill Amandava subflava
563 Blue Waxbill Uraeginthus angolensis
564 Green-winged Pytilia Pytilia melba (lifer)
565 Pink-throated Twinspot Hypargos margaritatus (lifer)
566 Red-billed Firefinch Lagenosticta senegala
567 African Firefinch Lagenosticta rubricata
568 Jameson’s Firefinch Lagenosticta rhodopareia (lifer)
569 Pin-tailed Whydah Vidua macroura
570 Cape Wagtail Motacilla capensis
571 African Pied Wagtail Motacilla aguimp
572 Cape Longclaw Macronyx capensis
573 Yellow-throated Longclaw Macronyx croceus
574 African Pipit Anthus cinnamomeus
575 Nicholson’s Pipit Anthus nicholsoni
576 African Rock Pipit Anthus crenatus (lifer)
577 Bushvelt Pipit Anthus caffer
578 Yellow-breasted Pipit Anthus chloris (lifer)
579 Forest Canary Crithagra scotops
580 Yellow-fronted Canary Crithagra mozambica
581 Cape Siskin Crithagra totta
582 Drakensberg Siskin Crithagra symonsi (lifer)
583 Yellow Canary Crithagra flaviventris
584 Brimstone Canary Crithagra sulphurata
585 Streaky-headed Seedeater Crithagra gularis
586 White-throated Canary Crithagra albogularis (lifer)
587 Protea Canary Crithagra leucoptera (lifer)
588 Cape Canary Serinus canicollis
589 Black-headed Canary Serinus alaria
590 Lark-like Bunting Emberiza impetuani
591 Cape Bunting Emberiza capensis
592 Golden-breasted Bunting Emberiza flaviventris

Just a few invertebrates to try to sort out, plus a lizard and possibly a frog. A very enjoyable and successful trip.
Today I did see a free flying Snow Goose of unknown origin at Martin Mere; if it had been associating with Pink-footed Geese I would add it to the list, but sadly it was with Greylags.
 
birdsandbats said:
This weekend I traveled down to Illinois with some friends of mine on a wildlife trip. Our main focus was herping at the legendary Snake Road, but we made a couple other stops, too. I broke 500 year birds, which has been a goal of mine all year. I also broke 100 lifer herps, including my first Viperidae species in the US somehow.

Birds
500. Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus
501. Carolina Chickadee Poecile carolinensis

Herps
61. Northern Cottonmouth Agkistrodon piscivorus
62. American Green Tree Frog Dryophytes cinereus
63. Fowler's Toad Anaxyrus fowleri
64. Southern Leopard Frog Lithobates sphenocephalus
65. Gray Ratsnake Pantherophis spiloides
66. Blanchard's Cricket Frog Acris blanchardi
67. River Cooter Pseudemys concinna
68. Pond Slider Trachemys scripta
69. Rough Greensnake Opheodrys aestivus
70. Northern Zigzag Salamander Plethodon dorsalis
71. Cave Salamander Eurycea lucifuga
72. DeKay's Brownsnake Storeria dekayi
73. Plain-bellied Watersnake Nerodia erythrogaster
74. Mississippi Green Watersnake Nerodia cyclopion
75. Little Brown Skink Scincella lateralis
76. Diamond-backed Watersnake Nerodia rhombifer
77. Eastern Copperhead Agkistrodon contortrix
78. Common Box Turtle Terrapene carolina
79. Eastern Newt Notophthalmus viridescens
80. Western Ribbonsnake Thamnophis proximus
81. Mediterranean Gecko Hemidactylus turcicus
Click to expand...
This morning I was in Milwaukee on yet another chase for my nemesis bird, the European Goldfinch. I've seen this species once before, but it was a very unsatisfying flyover individual identified by call and the yellow stripe in the wind. I've always wanted to get excellent looks for the beautiful bird and keep trying multiple times a year, but I just keep missing them, their nomadic nature makes it difficult.

I had planned to make two stops in Milwaukee which are generally considered reliable for the bird. The first of these was the South Metro Fishing Pier, where the birds feed on large patches of teasel and Musk Thistle just before the pier. I get there and search extensively. There are huge flocks of finches feeding on the teasel - but not my targets. This includes common species like American Goldfinch and strangely large flocks of House Finches, but also some rarer finch species like Pine Siskin and Purple Finch.

I walked a small deer path into the teasel and was quite surprised to scare out a group of three Coyotes. That's not something you see every day! They posed well for photos and began calling, which they did for the rest of the time I was at the pier. On the pier, I had a low flyover Mute Swan, which is the rarest of Wisconsin's swan species and a species I've only seen a handful of times.

I was heading out, accepting that I'd missed the goldfinches, but got some other pretty satisfying species out of this excursion. But as I'm walking back op the hill full of teasel, a flash of bright yellow catches my eye:

Birds
502. European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis

A beautiful flock of four European Goldfinches feeding on the teasel! These are beautiful birds. I watched them for nearly half an hour feeding on teasel seeds, then later on the Musk Thistle. You guys who see this species regularly don't take nearly enough time to appreciate this stunning bird.

So that's it. I had planned to make a stop at Oak Creek Beach, which is within Grant Park. Oak Creek Beach is a place where European Goldfinch is occasionally seen, but it's otherwise kind of boring and given I had already gotten the best views of European Goldfinch I could have gotten, I decided to skip it. I instead went to a different part of Grant Park (it's a big park) where I didn't see very many birds but had a beautiful walk through a nice ravine (though I did see a flock of Hermit Thrushes, which is strange for that normally solitary species). Eventually I felt I had spent enough time at Grant Park and I began to head home.

Nearly an hour later, I briefly checked my phone and - I'M SORRY DOES THAT SAY THERE'S A PURPLE GALLINULE AT GRANT PARK!?!?! I checked the location - Oak Creek Beach. So I began to head back to Milwaukee...

Birds
503. Purple Gallinule Porphyrio martinica

Just a juvenile, so not the prettiest Purple Gallinule I've ever seen, but only Wisconsin's 8th record and the first since 2009. Interestingly five of those records are from Milwaukee County.
 
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One of the highlights of a good day at Slimbridge today, Golden Plovers are rather like buses in my experience; you wait for one and then loads turn up...

First really good views this year, with more than 300 flocking over the water beyond the estuary tower. Hopefully some nice shots of..many birds. That moment when a big flock turns and spins, white fronts shining in the sun and you can see nothing but birds and more birds in front of the backdrop of the hills and the water is brilliant.

97. Golden Plover, Pluvialis apricaria, 19/10/2024, WWT Slimbridge
 
KevinB said:
Mammals
1) Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)
2) Red fox (Vulpes vulpes)
3) Brown rat/Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus)
4) Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus)
5) Greater white-toothed shrew (Crocidura russula)
6) House mouse (Mus musculus)
7) Common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus)
8) European hare (Lepus europaeus)

Birds
1) Canada goose (Branta canadensis)
2) Carrion crow (Corvus corone)
3) Common buzzard (Buteo buteo)
4) Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
5) Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
6) Grey heron (Ardea cinerea)
7) House sparrow (Passer domesticus)
8) Common wood pigeon (Columba palumbus)
9) Common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
10) European robin (Erithacus rubecula)
11) Great tit (Parus major)
12) Black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
13) European herring gull (Larus argentatus)
14) Eurasian magpie (Pica pica)
15) Great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
16) Western jackdaw (Coloeus monedula)
17) Eurasian kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
18) Feral pigeon (Columba livia)
19) Eurasian blackbird (Turdus merula)
20) Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
21) Rook (Corvus frugilegus)
22) Common starling/European starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
23) European white stork (Ciconia ciconia)
24) Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca)
25) Eurasian coot (Fulica atra)
26) Northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
27) Great egret (Ardea alba)
28) Long-tailed tit (Aegithalos caudatus)
29) Ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
30) Greylag goose (Anser anser)
31) Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)
32) Grey wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)
33) Eurasian wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
34) Eurasian chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)
35) Mute swan (Cygnus olor)
36) Barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis)
37) Tufted duck (Aythya fuligula)
38) Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius)
39) Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)
40) Dunnock (Prunella modularis)
41) Mandarin duck (Aix galericulata)
42) Eurasian oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)
43) Bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica)
44) Western house martin (Delichon urbicum)
45) Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica)
46) Black kite (Milvus migrans)
47) European greenfinch (Chloris chloris)
48) Black redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)
49) Common swift (Apus apus)
50) Lesser black-backed gull (Larus fuscus)
51) Eurasian spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)
52) Song thrush (Turdus philomelos)
53) Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus)

Amphibians
1) Edible frog (Pelophylax kl. esculentus)

Invertebrates
1) Seven-spot ladybug (Coccinella septempunctata)
2) Common brimstone butterfly (Gonepteryx rhamni)
3) Firebug (Pyrrhocoris apterus)
4) Common earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris)
5) Small cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae)
6) Common carder bee (Bombus pascuorum)
7) Common house mosquito (Culex pipiens)
8) Housefly (Musca domestica)
9) Great grey slug/Leopard slug (Limax maximus)
10) Red slug (Arion rufus)
11) Common garden snail (Cornu aspersum)
12) Black garden ant (Lasius niger)
13) Honey bee (Apis mellifera)
14) Lemon snail (Cepaea nemoralis)
15) Black field slug (Arion hortensis)
16) Box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis)
17) Large white butterfly (Pieris brassicae)
18) Black-headed cardinal beetle (Pyrochroa coccinea)
19) Northern damselfly or Spearhead blue (Coenagrion hastulatum)
20) Black-tailed skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum)
21) Hummingbird hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum)
22) Common rough woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
23) Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
24) Yellow meadow ant (Lasius flavus)
25) Common gooseberry sawfly (Nematus ribesii)
26) Common red soldier beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)
27) House centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata)
28) Red admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
29) European peacock (Aglais io)
30) Common darter (Sympetrum striolatum)
31) Speckled wood butterfly (Pararge aegeria)
32) Map butterfly (Araschnia levana)
Click to expand...

Mammals
1) Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)
2) Red fox (Vulpes vulpes)
3) Brown rat/Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus)
4) Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus)
5) Greater white-toothed shrew (Crocidura russula)
6) House mouse (Mus musculus)
7) Common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus)
8) European hare (Lepus europaeus)

Birds
1) Canada goose (Branta canadensis)
2) Carrion crow (Corvus corone)
3) Common buzzard (Buteo buteo)
4) Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
5) Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
6) Grey heron (Ardea cinerea)
7) House sparrow (Passer domesticus)
8) Common wood pigeon (Columba palumbus)
9) Common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
10) European robin (Erithacus rubecula)
11) Great tit (Parus major)
12) Black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
13) European herring gull (Larus argentatus)
14) Eurasian magpie (Pica pica)
15) Great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
16) Western jackdaw (Coloeus monedula)
17) Eurasian kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
18) Feral pigeon (Columba livia)
19) Eurasian blackbird (Turdus merula)
20) Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
21) Rook (Corvus frugilegus)
22) Common starling/European starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
23) European white stork (Ciconia ciconia)
24) Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca)
25) Eurasian coot (Fulica atra)
26) Northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
27) Great egret (Ardea alba)
28) Long-tailed tit (Aegithalos caudatus)
29) Ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
30) Greylag goose (Anser anser)
31) Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)
32) Grey wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)
33) Eurasian wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
34) Eurasian chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)
35) Mute swan (Cygnus olor)
36) Barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis)
37) Tufted duck (Aythya fuligula)
38) Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius)
39) Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)
40) Dunnock (Prunella modularis)
41) Mandarin duck (Aix galericulata)
42) Eurasian oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)
43) Bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica)
44) Western house martin (Delichon urbicum)
45) Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica)
46) Black kite (Milvus migrans)
47) European greenfinch (Chloris chloris)
48) Black redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)
49) Common swift (Apus apus)
50) Lesser black-backed gull (Larus fuscus)
51) Eurasian spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)
52) Song thrush (Turdus philomelos)
53) Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus)
54) Eurasian nuthatch (Sitta europaea)

Amphibians
1) Edible frog (Pelophylax kl. esculentus)

Invertebrates
1) Seven-spot ladybug (Coccinella septempunctata)
2) Common brimstone butterfly (Gonepteryx rhamni)
3) Firebug (Pyrrhocoris apterus)
4) Common earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris)
5) Small cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae)
6) Common carder bee (Bombus pascuorum)
7) Common house mosquito (Culex pipiens)
8) Housefly (Musca domestica)
9) Great grey slug/Leopard slug (Limax maximus)
10) Red slug (Arion rufus)
11) Common garden snail (Cornu aspersum)
12) Black garden ant (Lasius niger)
13) Honey bee (Apis mellifera)
14) Lemon snail (Cepaea nemoralis)
15) Black field slug (Arion hortensis)
16) Box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis)
17) Large white butterfly (Pieris brassicae)
18) Black-headed cardinal beetle (Pyrochroa coccinea)
19) Northern damselfly or Spearhead blue (Coenagrion hastulatum)
20) Black-tailed skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum)
21) Hummingbird hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum)
22) Common rough woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
23) Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
24) Yellow meadow ant (Lasius flavus)
25) Common gooseberry sawfly (Nematus ribesii)
26) Common red soldier beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)
27) House centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata)
28) Red admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
29) European peacock (Aglais io)
30) Common darter (Sympetrum striolatum)
31) Speckled wood butterfly (Pararge aegeria)
32) Map butterfly (Araschnia levana)
 
Najade said:
18.10.24 - Erä Eero, Lieksa area, Finland

Mammals
37. Wolverine (Gulo gulo)

Birds (non-passerines)
113. Western Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus karelicus)
Click to expand...
19.10.24 - Porkkala, Finland

Mammals
38. Fallow Deer (Dama dama)
39. White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Also close encounter with a Woodcock and Waxwings, Yellowhammers and male Capercaillie on the way down from Lieksa.
 
Najade said:
19.10.24 - Porkkala, Finland

Mammals
38. Fallow Deer (Dama dama)
39. White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Also close encounter with a Woodcock and Waxwings, Yellowhammers and male Capercaillie on the way down from Lieksa.
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20.10.24 - Lahemaa NP area, Estonia

Mammals
40. Raccoon Dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides)
41. Wild Boar (Sus scrofa)
 
birdsandbats said:
This morning I was in Milwaukee on yet another chase for my nemesis bird, the European Goldfinch. I've seen this species once before, but it was a very unsatisfying flyover individual identified by call and the yellow stripe in the wind. I've always wanted to get excellent looks for the beautiful bird and keep trying multiple times a year, but I just keep missing them, their nomadic nature makes it difficult.

I had planned to make two stops in Milwaukee which are generally considered reliable for the bird. The first of these was the South Metro Fishing Pier, where the birds feed on large patches of teasel and Musk Thistle just before the pier. I get there and search extensively. There are huge flocks of finches feeding on the teasel - but not my targets. This includes common species like American Goldfinch and strangely large flocks of House Finches, but also some rarer finch species like Pine Siskin and Purple Finch.

I walked a small deer path into the teasel and was quite surprised to scare out a group of three Coyotes. That's not something you see every day! They posed well for photos and began calling, which they did for the rest of the time I was at the pier. On the pier, I had a low flyover Mute Swan, which is the rarest of Wisconsin's swan species and a species I've only seen a handful of times.

I was heading out, accepting that I'd missed the goldfinches, but got some other pretty satisfying species out of this excursion. But as I'm walking back op the hill full of teasel, a flash of bright yellow catches my eye:

Birds
502. European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis

A beautiful flock of four European Goldfinches feeding on the teasel! These are beautiful birds. I watched them for nearly half an hour feeding on teasel seeds, then later on the Musk Thistle. You guys who see this species regularly don't take nearly enough time to appreciate this stunning bird.

So that's it. I had planned to make a stop at Oak Creek Beach, which is within Grant Park. Oak Creek Beach is a place where European Goldfinch is occasionally seen, but it's otherwise kind of boring and given I had already gotten the best views of European Goldfinch I could have gotten, I decided to skip it. I instead went to a different part of Grant Park (it's a big park) where I didn't see very many birds but had a beautiful walk through a nice ravine (though I did see a flock of Hermit Thrushes, which is strange for that normally solitary species). Eventually I felt I had spent enough time at Grant Park and I began to head home.

Nearly an hour later, I briefly checked my phone and - I'M SORRY DOES THAT SAY THERE'S A PURPLE GALLINULE AT GRANT PARK!?!?! I checked the location - Oak Creek Beach. So I began to head back to Milwaukee...

Birds
503. Purple Gallinule Porphyrio martinica

Just a juvenile, so not the prettiest Purple Gallinule I've ever seen, but only Wisconsin's 8th record and the first since 2009. Interestingly five of those records are from Milwaukee County.
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An unexpected rarity that a friend and I found today! This is actually the second time I've self-found this species in this specific county!:

Birds
504. Eurasian Wigeon Mareca penelope
 
I spent most of last week in a trade show in Perth, promoting the attractions of Moonlit to travel agents from around the world. After it finished, I drove down on Friday to the Dryandra Woodland, about 2.5 hours south-east of Perth, for some wildlife watching. Dryandra is famous for the termite-eating numbat, which is the sole member of its family. Unfortunately, that was a miss.

I saw very few birds in Perth, certainly none that was new for the year, and the first new bird was seen at Caversham Wildlife Park:
444. White-cheeked honeyeater Phylidonyris niger

I did not pass through a single town after leaving the Perth suburbs, and only saw only wheat fields and sheep, and a couple of birds.
445. Nankeen kestrel Falco cenchroides
446. Carnaby's black cockatoo Zanda latirostris

I stayed at Narrogin, which was about 20 minutes from Dryandra. It was bigger than I expected, and I stayed opposite a nice bushland park. All sightings were at Dryandra or Narrogin.
Mammals
42. Western grey kangaroo Macropus fuliginosus
Birds
447. Bush stone-curlew Burhinus grallarius
448. Square-tailed kite Lophoictinia isura
449. Rainbow bee-eater Merops ornatus
450. Australian ringneck Barnardius zonarius
451. Red-capped parrot Purpureicephalus spurius
452. Rufous treecreeper Climacteris rufus
453. Western wattlebird Anthochaera lumaluta
454. Gilbert's honeyeater Melithreptus chloropsis
455. Yellow-plumed honeyeater Ptilotula ornata
456. Striated pardalote Pardalotus striatus
457. Western thornbill Acanthiza inornata
458. Western gerygone Gerygone fusca
459. Spotted scrub bird Sericornis maculatus
460. Western whistler Pachycephala fuliginosa
461. Black-faced woodswallow Artamus cinereus
462. Jackie winter Microeca fascinans
Invertebrates
61. Black-headed sugar ant Camponotus nigriceps
62. Christmas jewel spider Austracantha minax

On my way back to the airport on Sunday I managed to add a couple more species.
463. Laughing dove Spilopelia senegalensis (introduced)
464. Western corella Cacatua pastinator
465. Red-tailed black cockatoo Calyptorhynchus banksii
 
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