Zoochat Big Year 2025

[Ituri]

37 Northern Shoveler - Spatula clypeata
38 American Wigeon - Mareca americana
39 Redhead - Aythya americana
40 Ring-necked Duck - Aythya collaris
41 Killdeer - Charadrius vociferus

Found the counting error. Northern Shoveler should habe been 36

 

[MOG2012]

February 2, 2025
I saw one fly under a street lamp tonight, despite the cold

Mammals:
3) Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus)

Mammals: 3 species
Birds: 18 species
Invertebrates: 1 species
Total: 22 species

February 8, 2025
When I was in Somerville today, I saw a flack of these ducks mixed with some mallards and gulls over a semi-frozen pond

BIRDS:
19) American Black Duck Anas rubripes

Mammals: 3 species
Birds: 19 species
Invertebrates: 1 species
Total: 23 species

 

[BerdNerd]

2/7/25

45. Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus)
46. Blue-Headed Vireo (Vireo solitarius)
47. Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)
48. Red-Shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)

2/8/25

Charleston, SC

49. Double-Crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)
50. Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla)
51. Bonaparte’s Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)
52. Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)
53. Boat-Tailed Grackle (Quiscalus major)


Total:

Mammals: 3
Birds: 53

 

[Platypusboy]

I did a bit of speed twitching for some winter ducks. In hindsight I definitely should have reserved more time for them, as running up and down the long peninsula that they were around was quite exhausting.

Birds

60. Smew, Mergellus albellus 9/2/25
61. Greater scaup, Aythya marila 9/2/25

 

[komodoskar]

We are now a month in to 2025, but I have been meaning to join this challenge for a while, so better late than never.

My list of birds is based on my ebird yearlist and whilst the order might not be 100% accurate, it definitely accounts for all the birds I have seen this year. I started the year off in Turkey, on the tail-end of a two week trip, which unfortunately means that most of the birds I saw on that trip aren't elligable for this challenge, but here is what I saw in the first and final 3 days:

Istanbul (01-02/01/25)
1. Eurasian Coot Fulica atra
2. Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
3. Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans
4. Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
5. Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
6. European Shag Gulosus aristotelis
7. Common Gull Larus canus
8. Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis
9. Yelkouan Shearwater Puffinus yelkouan
10. Pygmy Cormorant Microcarbo pygmaeus

Antalya (03/01/25)
11 Laughing Dove Spilopelia senegalensis
12 Hooded Crow Corvus cornix
13 White-spectacled Bulbul Pycnonotus xanthopygos
14 Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros
15 House Sparrow Passer domesticus
16 Pied Wagtail/White Wagtail Motacilla alba

and then back in the UK...

Severn Estuary (11/01/25)
17 Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna
18 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
19 Eurasian/Green-winged Teal Anas crecca
20 Common Woodpigeon Columba palumbus
21 Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus
22 Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
23 Common Redshank Tringa totanus
24 Dunlin Calidris alpina
25 European Herring Gull Larus argentatus
26 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
27 Carrion Crow Corvus corone
28 Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris
29 Dunnock Prunella modularis
30 Canada Goose Branta canadensis
31 Mute Swan Cygnus olor
32 Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata
33 Gadwall Mareca strepera
34 Eurasian Wigeon Mareca penelope
35 Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
36 Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus
37 Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata
38 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
39 Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
40 Common Magpie Pica pica
41 Eurasian Wren Troglodytes troglodytes
42 Song Thrush Turdus philomelos
43 Redwing Turdus iliacus
44 Eurasian Blackbird Turdus merula
45 Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus
46 European Robin Erithacus rubecula

Birding Around Bristol (18/01/25)
47 Rock Dove Columba livia
48 Eurasian Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus
49 Great Tit Parus major
50 Goldcrest Regulus regulus
(01/02/25)
51 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus
52 Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major
53 Eurasian Jackdaw Coloeus monedula
54 Coal Tit Periparus ater
55 European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
(04/02/25)
56 Water Rail Rallus aquaticus
57 Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago
58 Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus
59 Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
60 Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti
61 Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis
62 Common Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus
63 Common Pochard Aythya ferina
64 Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
65 Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus
66 Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus
68 Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
69 Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus
70 Great Northern Diver Gavia immer
71 Common Buzzard Buteo buteo
72 Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
73 Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius
(05/02/25)
74 Stock Dove Columba oenas
75 Eurasian Green Woodpecker Picus viridis
76 Ring-necked Parakeet Psittacula krameri
77 Common Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla
78 Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea
79 Eurasian Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula
80 European Greenfinch Chloris chloris
81 Fieldfare Turdus pilaris
82 Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs
83 Eurasian Siskin Spinus spinus

Somerset Wetlands (08/02/25)
84 Red Kite Milvus milvus
85 Greylag Goose Anser anser
86 Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris
87 Great White Egret Ardea alba
88 Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus
89 Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
90 Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita
91 Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus
92 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
93 Northern Pintail Anas acuta
94 Eurasian Treecreeper Certhia familiaris
95 European Stonechat Saxicola rubicola

As for mammals my current count is much weaker:
1. Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
2. European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
3. Reeves'
Muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi)
4. Western Roe Deer
(Capreolus capreolus)


Total Count:
Birds: 95
Mammals: 4
Herptiles: 0

 

[Bisonblake]

2/3/25
Birds:
48. Red-winged blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
49. American kestrel Falco sparverius
50. Mute swan Cygnus olor

Total species: 56
Birds: 50
Mammals: 6

2/7/25
Birds:
51. Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura

Total species: 57
Birds: 51
Mammals: 6

 

[birdsandbats]

Birds
75. Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator
76. Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus
77. Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater
78. Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris
79. Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis
80. Townsend's Solitare Myadestes townsendi
81. Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos

Birds
82. Greater Prairie-Chicken Tympanchus cupido

Also a surprise second Golden Eagle just a few minutes later. First time I've ever seen more than one Golden Eagle in a year, and they were only a week apart!

 

[BerdNerd]

2/9/25


Reptiles:

1. Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis)


Total:

Mammals: 3
Birds: 53
Reptiles: 1

 

[Mr. Zootycoon]

A couple of additions, from, again, all over the place. The birds are almost all species that occur in my local patch so there's little to say about those. My first (countable) alexandrine parakeets were neat: given that I saw several flocks within their known hotspot in Amsterdam made me confident enough to consider them part of the feral population and not just escaped cage birds.

Last weekend I also joined two friends to do one of the most eccentric things I have done in a long time - and from a self-proclaimed naturalist that's saying something! We explored an area of drifting sand on the Veluwe in search of snow fleas - which is like a teeny tiny wingless scorpionfly. It can be found in winter on moss beds at the edges of the sand, and so we spend much of the day laying on the ground searching through moss. Despite our best efforts, no snow fleas showed themselves. However, our search was not entirely in vein: we found a bunch of other critters, with several IDs still pending, with the highlight being a false scorpion! False scorpions or pseudoscorpions are neat little arachnids that look like tiny scorpions without their tail. They are really small, live under bark and in leaf litter, and are therefore not often seen. I've been wanting to see one for years so I was very happy indeed. We are almost - almost! - certain it was Neobisium carcinoides, but I'll leave it off the list unless we become entirely certain. Very good sighting nonetheless.

I have for now decided to also keep track of a couple of other invert groups. I'll see how far I get with those. I won't keep track of lifers for those groups which I haven't registered in detail in previous years.

Birds
108. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Dryobates minor
109. Mistle Thrush, Turdus viscivorus
110. Alexandrine parakeet, Psittacula eupatria
111. Ruddy Shelduck, Tadorna ferruginea
112. Northern Goshawk, Accipiter gentilis
113. Woodlark, Lullula arborea

Beetles (Coleoptera)
1. Seven-spot Ladybird, Coccinella septempunctata
2. Orange-spotted Scaphidium, Scaphidium quadrimaculatum
3. Nalassus laevioctostriatus

Woodlice/Isopods
1. Common Rough Woodlouse, Porcellio scaber
2. Common Striped Woodlouse, Philoscia muscorum

 

[MOG2012]

February 8, 2025
When I was in Somerville today, I saw a flack of these ducks mixed with some mallards and gulls over a semi-frozen pond

BIRDS:
19) American Black Duck Anas rubripes

Mammals: 3 species
Birds: 19 species
Invertebrates: 1 species
Total: 23 species

February 10, 2025
Today, I saw a mourning Dove in my garden which is a rare sight for me despite being extremely common in the region.

BIRDS:
20) Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura

Mammals: 3 species
Birds: 20 species
Invertebrates: 1 species
Total: 24 species

Is there an easy way to see more animals in the city as it's only mostly the common animals (pigeons, squirrels, robins, etc.)?

 

[CarnotaurusSastrei]

Just about doubled the length of my list over the course of one day
1/28 - Chicago IL

Birds
6. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
7. Red-Breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)
8. Greater Scaup (Aythya marila)
9. White-Throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)
10. Ring-Billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)
11. American Robin (Turdus migratorius)

Mammals
2. Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
3. Norway Rat (Rattus norvegicus)

Only one species to add to my list from earlier today, though I did also see a Mallard x American wigeon hybrid in the wild, which I'd say was rather neat

Birds
12. American Black Duck (Anas rubripes)

 

[birdsandbats]

Birds
82. Greater Prairie-Chicken Tympanchus cupido

Also a surprise second Golden Eagle just a few minutes later. First time I've ever seen more than one Golden Eagle in a year, and they were only a week apart!

Birds
83. Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia

 

[Dr. Wolverine]

Gadwall

Mammals

2. Taiwan Squirrel

Birds:

13. Gadwall

14. Falcated Duck

15. Eastern Spot Billed Duck

16. Mallard

17. Common Pochard

18. Tufted Duck

19. Eurasian Jay

20. Coal Tit

21. Brown Eared Bulbul

22. Goldcrest

23. Eurasian Tree Creeper

24. Japanese Grosbeak

25. Rustic Bunting

26. Eurasian Tree Sparrow

27. Rock Pigeon

28. Rose Ringed Parakeet

29. Vega Gull

30. Red Breasted Flycatcher

31. Oriental Turtle Dove

32. Ruddy Breasted Crake

33. Eurasian Woodcock

34. Common Snipe

35. Bull Headed Shrike

36. Oriental Crow

37. Large Billed Crow

38. Japanese Bush Warbler

39. Chinese Hwamei

40. Brown Headed Thrush

41. Daurian Redstart

42. Masked Bunting

43. Ring Necked Duck

44. Common Kingfisher

45. Eurasian Wigeon

46. American Teal

47. House Swift

48. Eurasian Moorhen

49. Eurasian Coot

50. Long Billed Plover

51. Common Sandpiper

52. Black Headed Gull

53. Little grebe

54. Great Cormorant

55. Little Egret

56. Great Egret

57. Grey Heron

58. Osprey

59. Eurasian Goshawk

60. Eastern Marsh Harrier

61. Black Eared Kite

62. Eurasian Kestrel

63. Peregrine Falcon

64. Zitting Cisticola

65. Masked Laughingthrush

66. White Cheeked Starling

67. Grey Wagtail

68. Buff-Bellied Pipit

69. Oriental Greenfinch

70. Chestnut Eared Bunting

71. Meadow Bunting

72. Blue Rock Thrush

73. Northern Shoveler

74. Greater Scaup

75. Red Breasted Merganser

76. Kentish Plover

77. Dunlin

78. Slaty Backed Gull

79. Horned Grebe

80. Great Crested Grebe

81. Eared grebe

82. Black Faced Spoonbill

83. Eurasian Sparrowhawk

84. Eastern Buzzard

85. Azure Winged Magpie

86. Northern Pintail

87. Eurasian Curlew

88. Saunder’s Gull

89. Kamchatka Gull

90. Japanese Cormorant

91. White’s Thrush

Mammals: 2
Birds: 91

1. Japanese Tit
2. Varied Tit
3. Long Tailed Tit
4. Eurasian Nuthatch
5. Japanese Woodpecker
6. Great Spotted Woodpecker
7. Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker
8. Red Flanked Bluetail
9. Japanese Wagtail
10. Eurasian Wren
11. Pale Thrush
12. Willow Tit
13. White Wagtail
14. Brown Dipper
15. Gadwall
16. Falcated Duck
17. Eastern Spot Billed Duck
18. Mallard
19. Common Pochard
20. Tufted Duck
21. Eurasian Jay
22. Coal Tit
23. Brown Eared Bulbul
24. Goldcrest
25. Eurasian Tree Creeper
26. Japanese Grosbeak
27. Rustic Bunting
28. Eurasian Tree Sparrow
29. Rock Pigeon
30. Rose Ringed Parakeet
31. Vega Gull
32. Red Breasted Flycatcher
33. Oriental Turtle Dove
34. Ruddy Breasted Crake
35. Eurasian Woodcock
36. Common Snipe
37. Bull Headed Shrike
38. Carrion Crow
39. Large Billed Crow
40. Japanese Bush Warbler
41. Chinese Hwamei
42. Brown Headed Thrush
43. Daurian Redstart
44. Masked Bunting
45. Ring Necked Duck
46. Common Kingfisher
47. Eurasian Wigeon
48. American Teal
49. House Swift
50. Eurasian Moorhen
51. Eurasian Coot
52. Long Billed Plover
53. Common Sandpiper
54. Black Headed Gull
55. Little grebe
56. Great Cormorant
57. Little Egret
58. Great Egret
59. Grey Heron
60. Osprey
61. Eurasian Goshawk
62. Eastern Marsh Harrier
63. Black Kite
64. Eurasian Kestrel
65. Peregrine Falcon
66. Zitting Cisticola
67. Masked Laughingthrush
68. White cheeked Starling
69. Grey Wagtail
70. Buff-Bellied Pipit
71. Oriental Greenfinch
72. Chestnut Eared Bunting
73. Meadow Bunting
74. Blue Rock Thrush
75. Northern Shoveler
76. Greater Scaup
77. Red Breasted Merganser
78. Kentish Plover
79. Dunlin
80. Slaty Backed Gull
81. Horned Grebe
82. Great Crested Grebe
83. Eared grebe
84. Black Faced Spoonbill
85. Eurasian Sparrowhawk
86. Eastern Buzzard
87. Azure Winged Magpie
88. Pale Thrush
89. Northern Pintail
90. Eurasian Curlew
91. Saunder’s Gull
92. Common Gull
93. Japanese Cormorant
94. White’s Thrush
95. Siberian Sand Plover
96. Eurasian Skylark
97. Olive Backed Pipit
98. Grey Bunting
99. Ural Owl
100. Ferruginous Duck
101. Smew
102. Green Pheasant
103. Northern Lapwing
104. Oriental Stork
105. Long Eared Owl
106. Long Tailed Rosefinch
107. Dusky Thrush
108. Common Reed Bunting
109. Whooper Swan
     

Mammals: 2
Birds: 109

 

[MOG2012]

February 10, 2025
Today, I saw a mourning Dove in my garden which is a rare sight for me despite being extremely common in the region.

BIRDS:
20) Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura

Mammals: 3 species
Birds: 20 species
Invertebrates: 1 species
Total: 24 species

Is there an easy way to see more animals in the city as it's only mostly the common animals (pigeons, squirrels, robins, etc.)?

February 12, 2025
This morning, I saw a solitary cardinal on a tree

BIRDS:
21) Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis

Mammals: 3 species
Birds: 21 species
Invertebrates: 1 species
Total: 25 species

 

[CMP]

1. Japanese Tit
2. Varied Tit
3. Long Tailed Tit
4. Eurasian Nuthatch
5. Japanese Woodpecker
6. Great Spotted Woodpecker
7. Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker
8. Red Flanked Bluetail
9. Japanese Wagtail
10. Eurasian Wren
11. Pale Thrush
12. Willow Tit
13. White Wagtail
14. Brown Dipper
15. Gadwall
16. Falcated Duck
17. Eastern Spot Billed Duck
18. Mallard
19. Common Pochard
20. Tufted Duck
21. Eurasian Jay
22. Coal Tit
23. Brown Eared Bulbul
24. Goldcrest
25. Eurasian Tree Creeper
26. Japanese Grosbeak
27. Rustic Bunting
28. Eurasian Tree Sparrow
29. Rock Pigeon
30. Rose Ringed Parakeet
31. Vega Gull
32. Red Breasted Flycatcher
33. Oriental Turtle Dove
34. Ruddy Breasted Crake
35. Eurasian Woodcock
36. Common Snipe
37. Bull Headed Shrike
38. Carrion Crow
39. Large Billed Crow
40. Japanese Bush Warbler
41. Chinese Hwamei
42. Brown Headed Thrush
43. Daurian Redstart
44. Masked Bunting
45. Ring Necked Duck
46. Common Kingfisher
47. Eurasian Wigeon
48. American Teal
49. House Swift
50. Eurasian Moorhen
51. Eurasian Coot
52. Long Billed Plover
53. Common Sandpiper
54. Black Headed Gull
55. Little grebe
56. Great Cormorant
57. Little Egret
58. Great Egret
59. Grey Heron
60. Osprey
61. Eurasian Goshawk
62. Eastern Marsh Harrier
63. Black Kite
64. Eurasian Kestrel
65. Peregrine Falcon
66. Zitting Cisticola
67. Masked Laughingthrush
68. White cheeked Starling
69. Grey Wagtail
70. Buff-Bellied Pipit
71. Oriental Greenfinch
72. Chestnut Eared Bunting
73. Meadow Bunting
74. Blue Rock Thrush
75. Northern Shoveler
76. Greater Scaup
77. Red Breasted Merganser
78. Kentish Plover
79. Dunlin
80. Slaty Backed Gull
81. Horned Grebe
82. Great Crested Grebe
83. Eared grebe
84. Black Faced Spoonbill
85. Eurasian Sparrowhawk
86. Eastern Buzzard
87. Azure Winged Magpie
88. Pale Thrush
89. Northern Pintail
90. Eurasian Curlew
91. Saunder’s Gull
92. Common Gull
93. Japanese Cormorant
94. White’s Thrush
95. Siberian Sand Plover
96. Eurasian Skylark
97. Olive Backed Pipit
98. Grey Bunting
99. Ural Owl
100. Ferruginous Duck
101. Smew
102. Green Pheasant
103. Northern Lapwing
104. Oriental Stork
105. Long Eared Owl
106. Long Tailed Rosefinch
107. Dusky Thrush
108. Common Reed Bunting
109. Whooper Swan

Mammals: 2
Birds: 109

Very nice list! I can't quite make out where else, but surely this isn't all from just around Tokyo?

 

[MRJ]

February 10, 2025
Today, I saw a mourning Dove in my garden which is a rare sight for me despite being extremely common in the region.

BIRDS:
20) Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura

Mammals: 3 species
Birds: 20 species
Invertebrates: 1 species
Total: 24 species

Is there an easy way to see more animals in the city as it's only mostly the common animals (pigeons, squirrels, robins, etc.)?

Look for waste areas, remnant vegetation, large "wild" parks, lake and river fringes, etc. But the count in cities is always going to be low.

 

[Dr. Wolverine]

Very nice list! I can't quite make out where else, but surely this isn't all from just around Tokyo?

The first couple species were observed during my trip to Karuizawa, and a couple of them are from Kanagawa, however most have been in Tokyo! The most recent species, from 100-109 have been on my day trip to Tochigi!

 

[CMP]

The first couple species were observed during my trip to Karuizawa, and a couple of them are from Kanagawa, however most have been in Tokyo! The most recent species, from 100-109 have been on my day trip to Tochigi!

Chuzenji, or somewhere similar?

 

[Dr. Wolverine]

Chuzenji, or somewhere similar?

Watarase Retention ponds! A breeding site for storks, and a bunch of other great birds. Sadly the winds were incredibly strong on my visit and I almost got blown away, so I was unable to see a couple of my target species such as the hen harrier and short eared owl. Still, I managed to get a load of great species and 6 lifers!!

 

[oflory]

And some more from an early morning trip to Staines Reservoirs.

63. Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)
64. Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)
65. Slavonian Grebe (Podiceps auritus)
66. Black-necked Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis)
67. Great Northern Diver (Gavia immer)
68. Red Kite (Milvus milvus)
69. Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
70. Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis)

A mammal and two birds from a walk in Regent's Park yesterday. Now getting excited about some 'abroad' birding in the UAE at the end of the month.

Mammals
5. Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus)

Birds
71. Coal Tit (Periparus ater)
72. Water Rail (Rallus aquaticus)