Zoochat Big Year 2025

Luck found me attending a morning meeting only 10km from Frampton Marsh. Took the afternoon off and had some good bird views on a very windy reserve.

Birds

47. Shoveler, Anas clypeata, 24/01/2025, RSPB Frampton Marsh
48. Avocet, Recurvirostra avosetta, 24/01/2025, RSPB Frampton Marsh
 
Firstly, my number is inaccurate, I should be on 20 birds. I also missed two birds from the zoo:
Birds
21. Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus
22. Laughing Dove Spilopelia senegalensis

Now, more importantly, the birds from my recent trip to the Western Ghats. The place we went was kind of in the middle of nowhere, in a district called Kodagu. This region is nowadays part of Karnataka state, but for the longest time was an independent region separate from the Kingdom of Mysore that preceded Karnataka. We were really quite far south, bordering on the Brahmagiri hill range (and wildlife sanctuary). The closest place most of you will know is probably Tholpetty which Chlidonias visited back in 2016. Considering the shortness of the trip (just two days including travel) and the difficulty of spotting birds in the rainforest vegetation I would say in was a very successful trip, with more than 50 species spotted overall. We also saw a fairly representative selection of the region’s near-endemics.
Birds
23. Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer
24. White-cheeked Barbet Psilopogon viridis
25. White-browned Wagtail Motacilla maderaspatensis
26. Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela
27. Lesser Goldenback Dinopium benghalense
28. Greater Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus paradiseus
29, Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus
30, Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans
31. Malabar Barbet Psilopogon malabaricus
32. Malabar Parakeet Psittacula columboides
33. Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus
34. Crimson-backed Sunbird Leptocoma minima
35. Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa dauurica
36 Long-billed Sunbird Cinnyris lotenius
37. Little Egret Egretta garzetta
38. Eastern Cattle Egret Ardea coromanda
39. White-bellied Treepie Dendrocitta leucogastra
40. Grey-fronted Green-pigeon Treron affinis
41. Chestnut-headed Bee-eater Merops leschenaultii
42. Vernal Hanging-parrot Loriculus vernalis
43. Orange Minivet Pericrocotus flammeus
44. Indian Golden Oriole Oriolus kundoo
45. Yellow-browned Bulbul Acritillas indica
46. Southern Hill Myna Gracula indica
47. Asian Fairy Bluebird Irena puella
48. Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
49. Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus (cristatus)
50. Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach
51. Eastern Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica
52. White-rumped Munia Lonchura striata
53. Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus
54. Jungle Myna Acridotheres fuscus
Mammals
3. Jungle Striped Squirrel Funambulus tristriatus

I have stated my ethical issues with to tiger reserves and how they are managed on this forum before, and nowadays I don’t feel really comfortable going on safaris regularly used to before. However, my friend’s dad, who we were travelling with, had managed to get special permission for a safari in Nagarhole forest, and I didn’t really want to refuse after he put in so much effort. It turned out to be of benefit to this year’s list: many of the species we saw we completely missed while driving back through the forest to get back home. Note that this isn’t the more famous Antharasanthe range near the Kabini river where most tourists come, but Nagarahole range proper, near Kutta, at the opposite end of the national park. The people we were going on safari with had the bizarre idea of starting the safari at some godforsaken hour of the morning before the sun had rise, and since spotlighting isn’t allowed so we couldn’t really see anything, for the first one-third or so of the drive. Nonetheless we saw most of the common herbivores as well as the somewhat rarer barking deer. There was a complete dearth of mammalian carnivores however.
(Technically these species should come before those above in the numbering, since we went on the safari on the way there. but since this wasn’t the main focus of the trip I am listing them after)
Mammals
4. Chital Axis axis
5. Black-naped Hare Lepus nigricollis (nigricollis) (perhaps the one benefit of starting the safari while it was dark was seeing this nocturnal species)
6. Sambar Cervus unicolor
7. Gaur Bos gaurus (resting in the early morning chill near the roads - didn’t see them in the way back)
8. Asian Elephant Elephas maximus (a herd of females with a very young babies, and the poor things were properly terrified of the safari jeep and kept mocking-charging and trumpeting - strangely didn’t see any elephants on the way back)
9. Indian Wild Pig Sus (scrofa) cristatus
10. Malabar Red Muntjac Muntiacus malabaricus (strangely rare for this national park)
11. Black-footed Grey Langur Semnopithecus hypoleucos
12. Indian Giant Squirrel Ratufa indica
Birds
55. Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus
56. Changeable Hawk-eagle Nisaetus cirrhatus
57. Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus
58. White-bellied Woodpecker Dryocopus javensis
59. Plum-headed Parakeet Psittacula cyanocephala
 
Bisonblake said:
I'm starting to branch out to other spots around the city because I've only gone to two spots most of the time I've been here. I went to two more spots today that I'm definitely gonna put into rotation, and I got great insight on some other spots in the county.

1/23/25
Birds:
29. Red-headed woodpecker Melanerpes erythrocephalus
30. Carolina chickadee Poecile carolinensis
31. Mourning dove Zenaida macroura
32. Pileated woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus
33. House finch Haemorhous mexicanus
34. American tree sparrow Spizelloides arborea
35. Fox sparrow Passerella iliaca
36. White-crowned sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys
37. Eastern towhee Pipilo erythrophthalmus

Mammals:
4. American red squirrel Tamiasciurus hudsonicus

Total species: 41
Birds: 37
Mammals: 4
Click to expand...
1/26/25
Birds:
38. Hooded merganser Lophodytes cucullatus
39. Pied-billed grebe Podilymbus podiceps
40. Sharp-shinned hawk Accipiter striatus
41. Yellow-bellied sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius
42. Brown creeper Certhia americana

Mammals:
5. White-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus

Total species: 47
Birds: 42
Mammals: 5
 
Birds - although my companion saw this morning’s target bird in flight (Smew), I missed it.
However Crosby Marina and Seaforth did fill some gaps as follows
52 Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula
53 Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus
54 Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus
55 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus
56 Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris.
 
Braved the weather for a day at Slimbridge and just about go away with it, despite the rain and the fact the Zeiss hide and whole South Finger were closed due to wind - so hides were limited to those on South Lake and the path to the Estuary Tower. Fortunately, that didn't hurt us too much (at least, not in any way we will ever know about), as we were able to spot all the main targets in those areas, with the bonus of an ibis on the entrance road. White-fronted Goose came closest to evading us as they spent most of the day in the closed area - and indeed most stayed there - but a group of 7 flew over the Tack Piece and dropped into the field behind mid-afternoon to give us leave to depart. :D

Birds:
91. Glossy Ibis - Plegadis falcinellus
92. Bewick's Swan - Cygnus columbianus
93. Common Crane - Grus grus
94. Eurasian Spoonbill - Platalea leucorodia
95. Eurasian Skylark - Alauda arvensis
96. Little Stint - Calidris minutus
97. Greater White-fronted Goose - Anser albifrons

:)
 
Last edited:
MOG2012 said:
I visited a local nature sanctuary (a pond) and saw little waterfowl due to the frozen pond.

January 19, 2025
BIRDS
14. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
15. Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)

Mammal: 2 species
Bird: 15 species
Invertebrates: 1 species
Total: 18 species
Click to expand...
I was in Stoneham today to go to Stone Zoo and there was a crow that flew over the pond near it.

January 26, 2025
BIRDS:
16. American Raven (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

Mammals: 2 species
Birds: 16 species
Invertebrates: 1 species
Total: 19 species
 
CarnotaurusSastrei said:
Only 3 birds so far, though I hope to try and go out to the lakefront at some point soon to look for ducks and gulls

1. Feral Pigeon (Columba livia)
2. House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
3. Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
Click to expand...
1/26 - Bloomington-Normal IL

Birds
4. American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
5. Red-Tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

Mammals
1. Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)

Running Total: 5 birds, 1 mammal
 
WhistlingKite24 said:
Summer has been very pleasant in terms of weather (though it's going to heat up later in the week with rain) so the birds have been out and about with a large boom of inverts including a few nice lifers. Fine rainforest birding provided three pitta sightings, all three local bowerbirds and lots of rainforest pigeons.

Mammals:
02) Red-legged Pademelon Thylogale stigmatica
03) Grey-headed Flying Fox Pteropus poliocephalus
04) Black Flying Fox Pteropus alecto
05) Common Brushtail Possum Trichosurus vulpecula

Birds:
67) Spangled Drongo Dicrurus bracteatus
68) Rufous Shrike-thrush Colluricincla rufogaster
69) Eastern Yellow Robin Eopsaltria australis
70) Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae
71) Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Coracina novaehollandiae
72) Brown Cuckoo-dove Macropygia phasianella
73) Wompoo Fruit-dove Ptilinopus magnificus
74) Topknot Pigeon Lopholaimus antarcticus
75) Eastern Spinebill Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris
76) Brown Gerygone Gerygone mouki
77) Grey Fantail Rhipidura albiscapa
78) Yellow-throated Scrubwren Sericornis citreogularis
79) Black-faced Monarch Monarcha melanopsis
80) Regent Bowerbird Sericulus chrysocephalus
81) Satin Bowerbird Ptilonorhynchus violaceus
82) Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita
83) Pied Currawong Strepera graculina
84) Large-billed Scrubwren Sericornis magnirostra
85) Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa
86) Pale-Yellow Robin Tregellasia capito
87) Australian Logrunner Orthonyx temminckii
88) Australian Wood-Duck Chenonetta jubata
89) White-headed Pigeon Columba leucomela
90) Eastern Whipbird Psophodes olivaceus
91) White-browed Scrubwren Sericornis frontalis
92) Noisy Pitta Pitta versicolor
93) Galah Eolophus roseicapilla
94) Australian Spectacled Monarch Symposiachrus trivirgatus
95) Scaly-breasted Lorikeet Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus
96) Grey Butcherbird Cracticus torquatus
97) Pied Butcherbird Cracticus nigrogularis

Herptiles:
04) Murray’s Skink Silvascincus murrayi
05) Carpet Python Morelia spilota
06) Shade Gullyskink Saproscinus spectabilis
07) Bar-sided Skink Concinnia tenuis

Fish:
01)Longfin Eel Anguilla reinhardtii

Inverts:
28) Chalky Percher Diplacodes trivialis
29) Bordered Rustic Cupha prosope
30) Purple Crow Euploea tulliolus
31) Splendid Orche Trapezites symmomus
32) Baehr's Cosmophasis Cosmophasis baehrae
33) Grey House Spider Zosis geniculata
34) Common Flatwing Austroargiolestes icteromelas
35) Little Black-Knees Methiolopsis geniculata
36) White Garland House Jumper Maratus scutulatus
37) Monarch Danaus plexippus
38) Blue Triangle Graphium choredon
39) Macleay’s Swallowtail Graphium macleayanus
40) Brown Ringlet Hypocysta metirius
41) Slender Green Orbweaver Araneus talipedatus
42) Large Grass-Yellow Eurema hecabe
43) Stomorhina discolor [nose fly]
44) Iridescent Semi-Slug Ubiquitarion iridis
45) Pale Hunter Austrogomphus amphiclitus
46) Colepia ingloria [robber fly]
47) Small Green-banded Blue Psychonotis caelius
48) Jumping Jack Ant Myrmecia nigrocincta
49) Jezebel Nymph Mynes geoffroyi
50) Chauliognathus imperialis [beetle]
51) Golden Flatwing Austroargiolestes chrysoides
52) Large Purple Line-Blue Nacaduba berenice
53) Pale Triangle Graphium eurypylus
54) Snake Mantis Kongobatha diademata
55) Richmond Birdwing Ornithoptera richmondia
56) Black Jezebel Delias nigrina
57) Fiery Skimmer Orthetrum villosovittatum
58) Rhytidoponera croesus [ant]
59) Common Aeroplane Phaedyma shepherdi
60) Narrow-banded Awl Hasora khoda
61) Whitewater Rockmaster Diphlebia lestoides
62) Razor Grinder Henicopsaltria eydouxii
63) Glasswing Acraea andromacha
64) Lyramna vigil [millipede assassin bug]
65) Oides seminigra [leaf beetle]
66) Wandering Percher Diplacodes bipunctata
67) Blue-eyes Lacewing Nymphes myrmeleonides
68) Australian Cockroach Periplaneta australasiae
69) Mocis trifasciata [moth]
70) Yellow Albatross Appias paulina
71) Glistening Pencil-Blue Candalides absimilis
72) Brown Huntsman Heteropoda jugulans
73) Yellow-blotched Pearl Moth Eurrhyparodes bracteolalis
Click to expand...
Lots of summer activity with a good blend of new sightings along with familiar ones. A nice flush of migratory waders for the birds with accompanying terns. I have been on the hunt for Little Tern multiple times but instead got a flock of fifty White-winged Black Terns. Can’t complain with that one but the hunt continues. Sooty oystercatchers, avocets and turnstones were lovely to see today at Scarborough. A few little bush birds in the Sunshine Coast as well including a Restless Flycatcher which I haven’t added to the year list in a good couple of years. Glossy Black Cockatoos have also been another recent highlight while I further enjoyed a good range of rockpool fish including Snowflake Moray at Caloundra. Inverts have included an amazing start; three butterfly lifers taking me to three away from 100 species of wild butterfly finally. A bright red Common Triangular Spider, Spiny Leaf Insect and an influx of dragonflies have been great.

Birds:
98) Green Catbird Ailuroedus crassirostris
99) White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae
100) Mangrove Gerygone Gerygone levigaster
101) White-necked Heron Ardea pacifica
102) White-bellied Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster
103) Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus
104) Eastern Osprey Pandion cristatus
105) Mangrove Honeyeater Gavicalis fasciogularis
106) Red-browed Firetail Neochmia temporalis
107) Tree Martin Petrochelidon nigricans
108) Australasian Grebe Tachybaptus novaehollandiae
109) Australian Reed-Warbler Acrocephalus australis
110) Oriental Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis
111) Pacific Reef Heron Egretta sacra
112) Little Wattlebird Anthochaera chrysoptera
113) Buff-banded Rail Gallirallus philippensis
114) Pied Oystercatcher Haematopus longirostris
115) Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica
116) Australian Tern Gelochelidon macrotarsa
117) Siberian Sand-Plover Anarhynchus mongolus
118) Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea
119) Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris
120) Far-Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis
121) Glossy Black Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus lathami
122) Pale-headed Rosella Platycercus adscitus
123) Bush Stone-Curlew Burhinus grallarius
124) Straw-necked Ibis Threskiornis spinicollis
125) Forest Kingfisher Todiramphus macleayii
126) White-throated Treecreeper Cormobates leucophaea
127) Scarlet Honeyeater Myzomela sanguinolenta
128) Restless Flycatcher Myiagra inquieta
129) Brown Thornbill Acanthiza pusilla
130) Black-fronted Dotterel Elseyornis melanops
131) Hardhead Aythya australis
132) White-winged Black Tern Chlidonias leucopterus
133) Red-necked Avocet Recurvirostra novaehollandiae
134) Sooty Oystercatcher Haematopus fuliginosus
135) Pacific Golden-Plover Pluvialis fulva
136) Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
137) Common Tern Sterna hirundo

Herptiles:
08) Red-bellied Black Snake Pseudechis porphyriacus
09) Elegant Snake-eyed Skink Cryptoblepharus pulcher
10) Green Turtle Chelonia mydas
11) Asian House Gecko Hemidactylus frenatus
12) Robust Ctenotus Ctenotus robustus
13) Eastern Water Skink Eulamprus quoyii
14) Murray River Turtle Emydura macquarii

Fish:
02) Yellowfin Bream Acanthopagrus australis
03) Snowflake Moray Echidna nebulosa
04) Convict Surgeonfish Acanthurus triostegus
05) Raccoon Butterflyfish Chaetodon lunula
06) Stripey Microcanthus strigatus
07) Dusky Frillgoby Bathygobius fuscus
08) Green Swordtail Xiphophorus hellerii
09) Peacock Rockskipper Istiblennius meleagris
10) Rippled Rockskipper Istiblennius edentulous
11) Lined Rockskipper Istiblennius lineatus
12) Yellowmask Surgeonfish Acanthurus xanthopterus
13) Cocos Frillgoby Bathygobius cocosensis
14) Starry Goby Asterropteryx semipunctata
15) Bengal Sergeant Abudefduf bengalensis

Invertebrates:
74) Blue Tiger Tirumala hamata
75) Dainty Swallowtail Papilio anactus
76) Orange Ringlet Hypocysta adiante
77) Common Assassin Bug Pristhesancus plagipennis
78) Harlequin Hibiscus Bug Tectocoris diophthalmus
79) Imperial Hairstreak Jalmenus evagoras
80) Leafwing Doleschallia bisaltide
81) Floury Baker Aleeta curvicosta
82) 28-spotted Potato Ladybird Epilachna vigintioctopunctata
83) Native Drone Fly Eristalinus punctulatus
84) Golden-tail Sugar Ant Camponotus aeneopilosus
85) Varied Dusky-Blue Erina hyacinthina
86) Bark Squeaker Atrapsalta corticina
87) Muscleman Tree Ant Podomyrma gratiosa
88) Daemel's Spiny Ant Polyrhachis daemeli
89) Orange Swift Parnara amalia
90) Amyotea hamata [stink bug]
91) Yellow Tussock Euproctis lutea
92) Meadow Argus Junonia villida
93) Chequered Swallowtail Papilio demoleus
94) Orchid Dupe Wasp Lissopimpla excelsa
95) Giant Grasshopper Valanga irregularis
96) Black Sea Cucumber Holothuria atra
97) Mulberry Whelk Tenguella marginalba
98) Zebra Top Shell Austrocochlea porcata
99) Mottled Lightfoot Crab Grapsus albolineatus
100) Catasphactes coprias [assassin bug]
101) Common Glider Tramea loewii
102) Yellow-footed Hermit Crab Clibanarius virescens
103) Variegated Limpet Cellana tramoserica
104) Vase Cell Mub Dauber Wasp Sceliphron formosum
105) Tropical Periwinkle Planaxis sulcatus
106) Palaemon dolospinus [shrimp}
107) Neon Cuckoo Bee Thyreus nitidulus
108) Blue-banded Bee Amegilla cingulata
109) Orange Bronze Bug Musgraveia sulciventris
110) Hawaiian Beet Webworm Moth Spoladea recurvalis
111) Purple Cerulean Jamides phaseli
112) Bromocoris souefi [bug]
113) Coral Hermit Crab Clibanarius corallinus
114) Aurora Bluetail Ischnura aurora
115) Treehopper Mimicking Fly Cephaloconus cyprinus
116) Scarlet Percher Diplacodes haematodes
117) Chrysosoma leucopogon [long-legged fly]
118) Scarlet Three-spined Mangrove Crab Neosarmatium trispinosum
119) Tiger Longhorn Aridaeus thoracicus
120) Evening Brown Melanitis leda
121) Poecilometis apicalis [stink bug]
122) Orange-clawed Fiddler Crab Gelasimus vomeris
123) Green Grass-Dart Ocybadistes walkeri
124) No-Brand Grass-Yellow Eurema brigitta
125) Teddy Bear Bee Amegilla bombiformis
126) Leaf-curling Spider Phonognatha graeffei
127) Common Triangular Spider Arkys lancearius
128) Australian Golden Orb-weaver Nephila edulis
129) Cycad Blue Theclinesthes onycha
130) Asian Tramp Snail Bradybaena similaris
131) Wandering Ringtail Austrolestes leda
132) Saint Andrew’s Cross Spider Argiope keyserlingi
133) Black-headed Strobe Ant Opisthopsis rufithorax
134) Toxorhynchites speciosus [elephant mosquito]
135) Asian Magpie Moth Nyctemera baulus
136) Eight-spotted Leaf Beetle Paropsisterna sexpustulata
137) Common Bluetail Ischnura heterosticta
138) Cephaloconus tenebrosus [fly]
139) Polyrhachis aurea [spiny ant]
140) Lecomyia cyanea [fly]
141) Green Jumping Spider Mopsus mormon
142) Pacific Damsel Bug Nabis kinbergi
143) Brown Bean Bug Riptortus serripes
144) Amorbus atomarius [leaf-footed bug]
145) White-spotted Swift Spider Nyssus albopunctatus
146) Varied Sword-grass Brown Tisiphone abeona
147) Red-thighed Spiny Ant Polyrhachis rufifemur
148) Spiny Leaf Insect Extatosoma tiaratum
149) Short-tailed Duskdarter Zyxomma elgneri
150) Small Dusky-Blue Erina erina
151) Bronze Tree-Buzzer Palapsalta circumdata
152) Blue Riverdamsel Pseudagrion microcephalum
153) Red Arrow Rhodothemis lieftincki
 
Maguari said:
92. Bewick's Swan - Cygnus columbianus

:)
Click to expand...

The wintering Bewicks are much reduced these days aren't they. I went last year and there were something like 70 though we only saw a small percentage of them. I think there are less again this year? I can remember the days when the tally was in the hundreds(?). Global warming/rising temps is the usual reason given for a change in migration patterns, same with the Whitefronts- I can remember hundreds of them there.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top