My first wild scorpion!
BIRDS
223 - Rufous Owl Ninox rufa
INVERTS
124 - Big-headed Cricket Mjobergella warra
125 - Australian Lichen Spider Pandercetes gracilis
126 - Little Mottled Scorpion Lychas marmoreus
Zoochat Big Year 2025
- Thread starter Chlidonias
- Start date
BIRDS
223 - Rufous Owl Ninox rufa
INVERTS
124 - Big-headed Cricket Mjobergella warra
125 - Australian Lichen Spider Pandercetes gracilis
126 - Little Mottled Scorpion Lychas marmoreus
Oops, this is likely a misidentification - that should be:
126 - Mottled Scorpion Lychas variatus
FISHES
189 - Redfin Emperor Monotaxis heterodon
190 - Red-ribbon Wrasse Thalassoma quinquevittatum
191 - Smallspotted Dart Trachinotus baillonii
to be continued...
I have been trying to get onto Simon Starr's plains wanderer tour for about three years, and last Friday night was the night. The tours are conducted out of Pyramid Hill, a small town about three and a half hours drive from here, and an hour north of Bendigo. The land around Pyramid Hill is flat for miles, and the hill the town is named after is obvious from a long distance to anybody approaching it,
On the way up we stopped at a small reserve at Dingee where we saw nine bird species but nothing new for the year, but climbing around the hill itself we saw the following new birds for the year:
268. Long-billed corella Cacatua tenuirostris
269. Singing honeyeater Gavicalis virescens
Although the plains wanderer have been shown to be diurnal, they are impossible to find during the day and best seen at night. They can only be found in paddocks that have not been plowed for many decades, and where we were taken was a private property where the farmer had put a covernent on a couple of such paddocks. (Each paddock was over 300 acres). We found four wanderers, including a female displaying to two males, she was calling, but the call was more like a whisper, and could barely be heard at two metres.
270. Stubble quail Coturnix pectoralis
271. Plains wanderer Pedionomus torquatus EN (new Family)
272. Australian pipit Anthus australis
273. Horsfield's (singing) bush lark Mirafra javanica
Next, we drove local roads and walked some of the national park looking for buttonquails, nightjars and owls, but all we got was a tawny frogmouth and some frogs.
2. Pobblebonk Limnodynastes dumerilii
3. Common spadefoot toad Neobatrachus sudelli
Next morning on the way home we stopped at Terrick-Terrick National Park for an hour or so, where we saw 12 bird species.
274. Australian ringneck Barnardius zonarius
275. Red-rumped parrot Psephotus haematonotus
276. White-browed treecreeper Climacteris affinis
277. White-plumed honeyeater Ptilotula penicillata
278. White-browed babbler Pomatostomus superciliosus
279. Hooded robin Melanodryas cucullata
On the way up we stopped at a small reserve at Dingee where we saw nine bird species but nothing new for the year, but climbing around the hill itself we saw the following new birds for the year:
268. Long-billed corella Cacatua tenuirostris
269. Singing honeyeater Gavicalis virescens
Although the plains wanderer have been shown to be diurnal, they are impossible to find during the day and best seen at night. They can only be found in paddocks that have not been plowed for many decades, and where we were taken was a private property where the farmer had put a covernent on a couple of such paddocks. (Each paddock was over 300 acres). We found four wanderers, including a female displaying to two males, she was calling, but the call was more like a whisper, and could barely be heard at two metres.
270. Stubble quail Coturnix pectoralis
271. Plains wanderer Pedionomus torquatus EN (new Family)
272. Australian pipit Anthus australis
273. Horsfield's (singing) bush lark Mirafra javanica
Next, we drove local roads and walked some of the national park looking for buttonquails, nightjars and owls, but all we got was a tawny frogmouth and some frogs.
2. Pobblebonk Limnodynastes dumerilii
3. Common spadefoot toad Neobatrachus sudelli
Next morning on the way home we stopped at Terrick-Terrick National Park for an hour or so, where we saw 12 bird species.
274. Australian ringneck Barnardius zonarius
275. Red-rumped parrot Psephotus haematonotus
276. White-browed treecreeper Climacteris affinis
277. White-plumed honeyeater Ptilotula penicillata
278. White-browed babbler Pomatostomus superciliosus
279. Hooded robin Melanodryas cucullata
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This is also a misidentification, I've been corrected on iNaturalist. That should be:
126 - a scorpion, Reddyanus melanodactylus
KiwiBirb
Well-Known Member
Finished my trip to the Adirondacks and now I’m on my way down south (already got a lifer, but that’s for another post.) I started by going the Saratoga National Historical Park in search of Clay-Colored Sparrow along with several other grassland species. Unfortunately the Clay-Colored Sparrow was a no-show along with the Meadowlarks (someone saw them just a minute before I arrived) However, I did see Bobolink in breeding plumage for the first time so it wasn’t a total loss. Once I got up by Lake George I spent most of my vacation relaxing on the shore of the lake, finally seeing Least Flycatcher less then a day after I got there. Besides that the lake wasn’t as eventful in terms of birds this year. No American Bittern, no Merlin, although a loon family from last year had returned and I got North American Beaver on my mammal list, however things really picked up when I took a day trip to Lake Placid. My first stop was Chappel Pond in the mountains which is one of the only known breeding locations of Philadelphia Vireo in the United States. Sure enough less then a minute after getting out of the car we spotted a Philadelphia Vireo hanging out in the trees above the parking lot. Next I went to Bloomingdale Bog Trail in search of birds like Canada Jay, Black-Backed Woodpecker, and Boreal Chickadee. Unfortunately none of the 3 decided to show up. However Red-Breasted Nuthatches were abundant, at least a dozen for my first ones of the year. There were quite a few Lincoln’s Sparrow in the bog too, something I only saw one of last year, and I was quite pleased to see an Alder Flycatcher, something that was hard to catch down in New Jersey. However the highlight was a very common bird- the Black-Capped Chickadee as thanks to people feeding them, there were several curious and charismatic groups and a few individuals even landed in my hand! Something I will never forget!
Mammals
15) North American Beaver (Castor canadensis)
Birds
227) Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)
228) Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus)
229) Philadelphia Vireo (Vireo philadelphicus)
230) Red-Breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)
231) Lincoln’s Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii)
232) Alder Flycatcher (Empidonax alnorum)
Progress:
Mammals- 15
Birds- 232
Herptiles- 6
Total- 253
It’s about time I post updates from my trip down south before fall migration really gets into full swing. I started out going to the Shenandoah National Park and Harrisonburg area, however before even reach there I stopped near the Rodale Experimental Farm just outside Allentown, PA to look for Dickcissel, a know location for them. It wasn’t long before I saw a Dickcissel singing on a powerline overlooking its habitat. Unfortunately Shenandoah National Park didn’t have too much in terms of birds, besides all the Indigo Buntings, Eastern Towhee, and American Goldfinch a man could want, although I was beating myself up after I believe I walked by a singing Eastern Meadowlark in Harrisonburg, although after visiting Duke (and missing out on the Lemur Center 
) on the way to stay at a harvest host, I spotted an Eastern Meadowlark up on a powerline of a farm road. Once getting to the Alpaca Farm I was staying at, I enjoyed plentiful birds including a singing Blue Grosbeak and a pair of lifer Grasshopper Sparrows fluttering in some tall grass. After doing the North Carolina Zoo the next stop was Columbia, South Carolina however Waze told us to go a different direction and I was not planning on the fact that we were passing by Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge, a great place to see the main target of the trip: a Red-Cockaded Woodpecker. However we went unprepared and saw nothing but a pair of Brown-Headed Nuthatches high up in some pines, and almost as soon as we left the bounties of the refuge an unmistakable Red-Headed Woodpecker flew across the road. Once getting to Columbia it didn’t take long to get a Mississippi Kite which is as common as any other raptor by that point in the trip. The next day we went to Congaree National Park where despite no new birds I got nice looks at several ones I already got including my first good looks at a Barred Owl, a mutitude of Red-Headed Woodpeckers and Acadian Flycatchers, a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers, a Prothonotary Warbler, and calls but no sighting of a Yellow-Billed Cuckoo. This is however, the only place on the trip I got new Herptiles (no Salamanders in the smokies sadly) as I got 2 lizards in the Brown-Headed Skink and the Common Five-Lined Skink along with an American Alligator rolling up to a viewing deck along with a new mammal in a black Eastern Fox Squirrel. After doing Congaree and the Riverbanks Zoo, I did a wildlife loop just outside Columbia where I was able to pick up some more Otters and my first Anhinga since starting birding, although it’s not a lifer as I saw one in Disney World back in 2023. After Columbia, we went to the coast for a very brief stop in Charleston where it wasn’t hard to see a Brown Pelican just sitting in the water along with a Roseate Spoonbill just outside the city on the side of the road. Before going to Savanna we stopped at the Webb Wildlife Center to try for the Red-Cockaded one more time. Despite several close calls, I couldn’t confirm a sighting of one, however I did pick up Painted Bunting, Western Cattle-Egret and another super habitat-specific bird in the Bachman’s Sparrow. Finally the Pinacle of the trip in terms of Birds, Savannah. It didn’t take long for them to start rolling in as in a Waffle House parking lot of all places I spotted my first for the country Eurasian Collared-Dove and a Loggerhead Shrike. We then went to Tybee Island, first Fort Pulaski where there were nothing but common birds inside the fort but a Black Tern flying outside of it. After getting to Tybee Island I was hoping for Black Skimmers among other things but only got a couple Sandwich Terns, my first for the country. After being done with Tybee by noon, we went to the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge wildlife drive. It didn’t take long before seeing a Wood Stork flying by and a flock of Mississippi Kites, Turkey Vultures, and Swallow-Tailed Kites flying overhead along with a Purple Gallinule down lower. Continuing on the drive, there were Alligators, Anhingas, and Herons for days however one bird I didn’t expect were some Common Nighthawks flying around shortly before the sun set. While it was getting dark and all the egrets and herons were flying in to roost, I finally saw a pair of Black-Bellied Whistling-Ducks whistling by. The next day was Wednesday which meant it was the only day I could go to the Onslow Island unit of the Savannah NWR, a place reportedly good for shorebirds. Despite a bunch of Black-Necked Stilts, it seemed a bit early for many of my optimistic targets like Wilson’s Phalarope, Stilit Sanpiper, and American Avocet, and even Mottled Duck which seemed plentiful here. It didn’t help that it was raining, buggy, and the grass on the trail went higher then my knees in some spots, although I did walk away with another (overdue) lifer in the Least Bittern. After that experience I went to Pinckney Island NWR near Hilton Head, SC. While I got no new birds I got much better looks at ones I’ve seen including my best looks at Brown-Headed Nuthatch and Wood Stork, along with an unexpected Whimbrel. I didn’t walk away without an addition to a life list though as I finally saw a Nine-Banded Armadillo scurrying around. It was unfortunately time to say goodbye to Savannah and the coast, and time to head west then north. After visiting Georgia Southern University we stopped at a Sod Farm outside Macon, GA where I hopped for Upland Sandpiper. I first saw what I’m 95% sure was a really rare Sandhill Crane flying by. Luckily I don’t have to deal with the delima of if my looks were good enough to count it as I already saw one earlier this year 
After driving around for a while I found only a Pectoral Sandpiper but eventually found a Horned Lark along with what I believe was a Common Ground Dove although I’m not sure enough to count it. After nothing in Alabama including the Eufaula NWR where I got rained out, and nothing in Atlanta where I didn’t do much birding anyway, my next stop was just outside UGA across the South Carolina border. I had gone to a spot a Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher family. I had held up hope that we would see one despite not being seen in almost 2 weeks. It seemed like a bust at first but I eventually spotted both the Scissor-Tailed Flycatchers flying around. Additionally I finally saw a pair of Yellow-Billed Cuckoos at our campsite after they had been evading me all year. After that the final major stop was the Smokies. After going across the mountains to stay in Gatlinburg, disaster struck. Overnight a minor storm had come through, however with the land being weakened by Hurricane Helene last year a mudslide took out Rt 441 which goes across the mountains. I did everything there was to do on the Tennessee side including seeing a local American Black Bear. Luckily by my last day there the road to the top had reopened on the North Carolina side so we went all the way around to I-40 which was only 1 lane after Helene took it out. Once arriving at the visitor center we got to see a herd of female Elk from a distance. After getting nice photos of the elk, we went up the mountain where it’s namesake was on full display. The fog made it difficult to bird as I kept hearing Juncos and Crossbills fly over but couldn’t see them. Luckily some Hummingbirds made me stay long enough to see a Red Crossbill fly by. That marks the end of my trip in terms of new animals despite hopes of Swainson’s Warbler in New River Gorge National Park and stopping to try and see a Red-Necked Phalarope on the way back outside Easton, PA. Additionally I added American Bullfrog and Fowler’s Toad off previous IDs.
) on the way to stay at a harvest host, I spotted an Eastern Meadowlark up on a powerline of a farm road. Once getting to the Alpaca Farm I was staying at, I enjoyed plentiful birds including a singing Blue Grosbeak and a pair of lifer Grasshopper Sparrows fluttering in some tall grass. After doing the North Carolina Zoo the next stop was Columbia, South Carolina however Waze told us to go a different direction and I was not planning on the fact that we were passing by Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge, a great place to see the main target of the trip: a Red-Cockaded Woodpecker. However we went unprepared and saw nothing but a pair of Brown-Headed Nuthatches high up in some pines, and almost as soon as we left the bounties of the refuge an unmistakable Red-Headed Woodpecker flew across the road. Once getting to Columbia it didn’t take long to get a Mississippi Kite which is as common as any other raptor by that point in the trip. The next day we went to Congaree National Park where despite no new birds I got nice looks at several ones I already got including my first good looks at a Barred Owl, a mutitude of Red-Headed Woodpeckers and Acadian Flycatchers, a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers, a Prothonotary Warbler, and calls but no sighting of a Yellow-Billed Cuckoo. This is however, the only place on the trip I got new Herptiles (no Salamanders in the smokies sadly) as I got 2 lizards in the Brown-Headed Skink and the Common Five-Lined Skink along with an American Alligator rolling up to a viewing deck along with a new mammal in a black Eastern Fox Squirrel. After doing Congaree and the Riverbanks Zoo, I did a wildlife loop just outside Columbia where I was able to pick up some more Otters and my first Anhinga since starting birding, although it’s not a lifer as I saw one in Disney World back in 2023. After Columbia, we went to the coast for a very brief stop in Charleston where it wasn’t hard to see a Brown Pelican just sitting in the water along with a Roseate Spoonbill just outside the city on the side of the road. Before going to Savanna we stopped at the Webb Wildlife Center to try for the Red-Cockaded one more time. Despite several close calls, I couldn’t confirm a sighting of one, however I did pick up Painted Bunting, Western Cattle-Egret and another super habitat-specific bird in the Bachman’s Sparrow. Finally the Pinacle of the trip in terms of Birds, Savannah. It didn’t take long for them to start rolling in as in a Waffle House parking lot of all places I spotted my first for the country Eurasian Collared-Dove and a Loggerhead Shrike. We then went to Tybee Island, first Fort Pulaski where there were nothing but common birds inside the fort but a Black Tern flying outside of it. After getting to Tybee Island I was hoping for Black Skimmers among other things but only got a couple Sandwich Terns, my first for the country. After being done with Tybee by noon, we went to the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge wildlife drive. It didn’t take long before seeing a Wood Stork flying by and a flock of Mississippi Kites, Turkey Vultures, and Swallow-Tailed Kites flying overhead along with a Purple Gallinule down lower. Continuing on the drive, there were Alligators, Anhingas, and Herons for days however one bird I didn’t expect were some Common Nighthawks flying around shortly before the sun set. While it was getting dark and all the egrets and herons were flying in to roost, I finally saw a pair of Black-Bellied Whistling-Ducks whistling by. The next day was Wednesday which meant it was the only day I could go to the Onslow Island unit of the Savannah NWR, a place reportedly good for shorebirds. Despite a bunch of Black-Necked Stilts, it seemed a bit early for many of my optimistic targets like Wilson’s Phalarope, Stilit Sanpiper, and American Avocet, and even Mottled Duck which seemed plentiful here. It didn’t help that it was raining, buggy, and the grass on the trail went higher then my knees in some spots, although I did walk away with another (overdue) lifer in the Least Bittern. After that experience I went to Pinckney Island NWR near Hilton Head, SC. While I got no new birds I got much better looks at ones I’ve seen including my best looks at Brown-Headed Nuthatch and Wood Stork, along with an unexpected Whimbrel. I didn’t walk away without an addition to a life list though as I finally saw a Nine-Banded Armadillo scurrying around. It was unfortunately time to say goodbye to Savannah and the coast, and time to head west then north. After visiting Georgia Southern University we stopped at a Sod Farm outside Macon, GA where I hopped for Upland Sandpiper. I first saw what I’m 95% sure was a really rare Sandhill Crane flying by. Luckily I don’t have to deal with the delima of if my looks were good enough to count it as I already saw one earlier this year After driving around for a while I found only a Pectoral Sandpiper but eventually found a Horned Lark along with what I believe was a Common Ground Dove although I’m not sure enough to count it. After nothing in Alabama including the Eufaula NWR where I got rained out, and nothing in Atlanta where I didn’t do much birding anyway, my next stop was just outside UGA across the South Carolina border. I had gone to a spot a Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher family. I had held up hope that we would see one despite not being seen in almost 2 weeks. It seemed like a bust at first but I eventually spotted both the Scissor-Tailed Flycatchers flying around. Additionally I finally saw a pair of Yellow-Billed Cuckoos at our campsite after they had been evading me all year. After that the final major stop was the Smokies. After going across the mountains to stay in Gatlinburg, disaster struck. Overnight a minor storm had come through, however with the land being weakened by Hurricane Helene last year a mudslide took out Rt 441 which goes across the mountains. I did everything there was to do on the Tennessee side including seeing a local American Black Bear. Luckily by my last day there the road to the top had reopened on the North Carolina side so we went all the way around to I-40 which was only 1 lane after Helene took it out. Once arriving at the visitor center we got to see a herd of female Elk from a distance. After getting nice photos of the elk, we went up the mountain where it’s namesake was on full display. The fog made it difficult to bird as I kept hearing Juncos and Crossbills fly over but couldn’t see them. Luckily some Hummingbirds made me stay long enough to see a Red Crossbill fly by. That marks the end of my trip in terms of new animals despite hopes of Swainson’s Warbler in New River Gorge National Park and stopping to try and see a Red-Necked Phalarope on the way back outside Easton, PA. Additionally I added American Bullfrog and Fowler’s Toad off previous IDs.Mammals
16) Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)
17) Nine-Banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)
18) American Black Bear (Ursus americanus)
19) Wapiti (Cervus canadensis)
Birds
233) Dickcissel (Spiza americana)
234) Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)
235) Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum)
236) Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea)
237) Brown-Headed Nuthatch (Sitta pusilla)
238) Red-Headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)
239) Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis)
240) Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga)
241) Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)
242) Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja)
243) Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris)
244) Bachman’s Sparrow (Peucaea aestivalis)
245) Western Cattle-Egret (Ardea ibis)
246) Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
247) Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)
248) Black Tern (Chlidonias niger)
249) Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis)
250) Wood Stork (Mycteria americana)
251) Swallow-Tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus)
252) Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica)
253) Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor)
254) Black-Bellied Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis)
255) Black-Necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)
256) Least Bittern (Botaurus exilis)
257) Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)
258) Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus)
259) Yellow-Billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)
260) Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra)
Herptiles
7) Fowler’s Toad (Anaxyrus fowleri)
8) American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus)
9) Broad-Headed Skink (Plestiodon laticeps)
10) American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)
11) American Five-Lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus)
Progress:
Mammals- 19
Birds- 260
Herptiles- 11
Total- 290
My mammal list so far in 2025:
First time wild, First time ever
First time wild, First time ever
- Plantain Squirrel (Callosciurus notatus)
- Slender Squirrel (Sundasciurus tenuis)
- Crab-Eating Macaque (Macaca fascicularis)
- Raffles’ Banded Langur (Presbytis femoralis)
- Common Tree Shrew (Tupaia glis)
- Oriental House Rat (Rattus tanezumi)
- Lesser Short-Nosed Fruit Bat (Cynopterus brachyotis)
- Sunda Colugo (Galeopterus variegatus)
- Pallas’s Squirrel (Callosciurus erythraeus)
- Masked Palm Civet (Paguma larvata)
- Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)
- Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus)
- Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
- Groundhog (Marmota monax)
- White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
- House Mouse (Mus musculus)
- Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus)
- Round-Tailed Ground Squirrel (Xerospermophilus tereticaudus)
- Desert Cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii)
- Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus)
- Ringtail (Bassariscus astutus)
- Hooded Skunk (Mephitis macroura)
- Arizona Gray Squirrel (Sciurus arizonensis)
- Rock Squirrel (Otospermophilus variegatus)
- White-Throated Woodrat (Neotoma albigula)
- Raccoon (Procyon lotor)
- Muskrat (Ondatra zibethica)
- Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus)
- Pygmy Sperm Whale (Kogia breviceps)
- Dwarf Sperm Whale (Kogia sima)
- Sowerby’s Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon bidens)
- Northern Bottlenose Whale (Hyperoodon ampullatus)
- False Killer Whale (Pseudorca crassidens)
- Short-Finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus)
- Risso’s Dolphin (Grampus griseus)
- Atlantic Spotted Dolphin (Stenella frontalis)
- Striped Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba)
- Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis)
- Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)
- Azores Noctule (Nyctalus azoreum)
- White-Tailed Antelope Squirrel (Ammospermophilus leucurus)
- Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis)
- Ticul’s Desert Shrew (Notiosorex tataticuli)
- Hoary Bat (Lasiurus cinereus)
- North American Beaver (Castor canadensis)
- Coyote (Canis latrans)
- Black-Tailed Jackrabbit (Lepus californicus)
- Bobcat (Lynx rufus)
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Probably my last additions from Singapore, and not a bad few species at all! Last target species is Oriental darter, so will have a look around early sometime this week for them.
Started in Pulau Ubin, an island off the coast of Singapore. It feels nothing like Singapore to be honest. It's almost entirely covered in rainforest (and is quite sizeable - dimensions of about 30 mins by 80 mins (in time taken to walk end to end). Roads around are a mix of tarmac and gravel, but the wildlife infrastructure is pretty good - boardwalks around the mangrove and coastal areas to the East of the island for example. Getting there involves a 'bumboat' from the area around Changi Beach park.
The wetlands to the East yielded a bunch of crabs (including the surprisingly large Scylla serrata), archerfish, sandpipers, Greater crested tern and a few other birds. The second pass had a chevrotain shoot out from the undergrowth nearby - otherwise I saw no trace of these elsewhere on the island. The size differential between greater and lesser is pretty noticeable, and this mousedeer was far more skittish than any of the lesser ones I'd seen on the 'mainland'. I have a few fairly shoddy photos of its backside but it was up the hill very quickly. Seems they're almost always seen in a nocturnal setting, so really quite happy with that one.
Then I went to the Northern side of the island, where I eventually found three false vampire bats in a chimney stack but unfortunately also many Aedes mosquitos too...
Then back on the mainland, passed by the beach park to see the Tanimbar corellas, and then spent a little while watching the planes landing, as the approach is right over the park. Took the train down to Bidadari park, where I had a look for Finlayson's squirrel (successfully) and hoped for dollarbird and koel (still not seen somehow), but neither of the birds showed up. Then down to Marina barrage for the Pacific reef heron. Overall, lovely (42k step) day.
Mammals
17. Greater Oriental chevrotain, Tragulus napu (!)
18. Lesser false vampire bat, Megaderma spasma (New Family, thanks to @Giant Eland for the tip for this one)
Birds
157. Greater crested tern, Thalasseus bergii
158. Tanimbar corella, Cacatua goffiniana
159. Pacific reef heron, Egretta sacra
And the last update from Singapore (am now back in London):
Mammals
19. Nepalese whiskered myotis, Myotis muricola
Birds
160. Dollarbird, Eurystomus orientalis
161. Scarlet backed flowerpecker, Dicaeum cruentatum
Reptiles
14. Green crested lizard, Bronchocela cristatella
Bringing an end to my most successful trip wildlife-wise yet. 14 new mammal species, something like 84 new bird species, 14 new herps. Looking forward to being back, maybe with a little less work on my hands with any luck. Would love to dip into the slightly wilder regions of its neighbours as well as I'm guessing they'll be even more fruitful.
A trip to the tropics will do that for you.
CarnotaurusSastrei
Well-Known Member
Birds
96. Tennessee Warbler (Leiothlypis peregrina)
97. Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria)
Reptiles
3. Spiny Softshell Turtle (Apalone spinifera)
Invertebrates
17. Red-Spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis)
Totals: 97 Birds, 14 Mammals, 3 Reptiles, 2 Amphibians, 5 Fishes, 17 Invertebrates (138 Total)
Apologies but just wanted to ask did you take any photos? White-Browed Treecreepers are mallee/mulga specialists and don't really range out of it, having a check on eBird the nearest records to the Terricks would be the mallee in Wyperfeld NP, Brown Treecreepers are also in the Terricks and wouldn't be a ridiculous confusion species if not seen well.
KiwiBirb
Well-Known Member
I had a great Labor Day Weekend in terms of birding! My weekend started on Saturday when I went down the shore (with surprisingly little traffic) to Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. It didn’t take long to get going as I quickly got nice finds in Seaside Sparrow, Peregrine Falcon, Northern Waterthrush (which I’ve saw a lot of in August,) and a pair of Virginia Rail, although a Sora didn’t want to show its face when I was present.It’s about time I post updates from my trip down south before fall migration really gets into full swing. I started out going to the Shenandoah National Park and Harrisonburg area, however before even reach there I stopped near the Rodale Experimental Farm just outside Allentown, PA to look for Dickcissel, a know location for them. It wasn’t long before I saw a Dickcissel singing on a powerline overlooking its habitat. Unfortunately Shenandoah National Park didn’t have too much in terms of birds, besides all the Indigo Buntings, Eastern Towhee, and American Goldfinch a man could want, although I was beating myself up after I believe I walked by a singing Eastern Meadowlark in Harrisonburg, although after visiting Duke (and missing out on the Lemur Center
Mammals
16) Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)
17) Nine-Banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)
18) American Black Bear (Ursus americanus)
19) Wapiti (Cervus canadensis)
Birds
233) Dickcissel (Spiza americana)
234) Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)
235) Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum)
236) Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea)
237) Brown-Headed Nuthatch (Sitta pusilla)
238) Red-Headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)
239) Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis)
240) Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga)
241) Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)
242) Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja)
243) Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris)
244) Bachman’s Sparrow (Peucaea aestivalis)
245) Western Cattle-Egret (Ardea ibis)
246) Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
247) Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)
248) Black Tern (Chlidonias niger)
249) Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis)
250) Wood Stork (Mycteria americana)
251) Swallow-Tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus)
252) Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica)
253) Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor)
254) Black-Bellied Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis)
255) Black-Necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)
256) Least Bittern (Botaurus exilis)
257) Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)
258) Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus)
259) Yellow-Billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)
260) Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra)
Herptiles
7) Fowler’s Toad (Anaxyrus fowleri)
8) American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus)
9) Broad-Headed Skink (Plestiodon laticeps)
10) American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)
11) American Five-Lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus)
Progress:
Mammals- 19
Birds- 260
Herptiles- 11
Total- 290
It didn’t take long for a Caspian Tern to flyover followed by a large flock of Black Skimmers, a bird that had evaded me this year. While a search for Black-Headed Gull turned up empty I did see my state first Cattle-Egret nearby. After scanning another large flock of gulls, terns, and sandpipers I spotted an American Avocet on the end! It didn’t take much more driving until I saw a lone Western Sandpiper, with no other peeps nearby. It took a while for activity to pick up again, thanks in part due to illegal jetskiers, although probably in the worst lifer moment yet a pair of American Golden-Plovers were flushed from where they were hiding thanks to the criminals. Areas where Godwits, Red-Necked Phalarope, and Buff-Breasted Sandpipers turned up mostly empty although I did finally get a lifer Stilt Sandpiper along with a White-Rumped Sandpiper I retroactively IDed through photos. As the sun was setting I was able to see a few Wilson’s Phalaropes thanks to some other birders, another lifer on an outing that produced 64 species, a personal best for me. Today was my last day of birding before I got back to school and I took a trip down to the Meadowlands to kill 2 birds with 1 stone. First was for a Brown Booby reported in Newark Bay. After a while of searching I finally found the Brown Booby on a buoy before seeing it fly around and hunt. While I missed them in Forsythe, I was able to find a continuing Buff-Breasted Sandpiper just outside DeKorte Park, the first in the Meadowlands in 30 years, and the first for Bergen County in 15. The Buff-Breasted Sandpiper and Brown Booby today also put me at 270 birds, beating my total last year on the first of September and without an international trip! I also picked up another mammal, I just wish I didn’t find it in my house.
Mammals
20) White-Footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus)
Birds
261) Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)
262) Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger)
263) American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana)
264) Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri)
265) White-Rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis)
266) Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus)
267) American Golden Plover (Pluvialis dominica)
268) Wilson’s Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor)
269) Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster)
270) Buff-Breasted Sandpiper (Calidris subruficollis)
Progress:
Mammals- 20
Birds- 270 (New Record!)
Herptiles- 11
Total- 301
MOG2012
Well-Known Member
I took a little trip to Cape Cod and saw many things in the tide pools.
August 30th and 31st, 2025
FISH:
14) Mummichog Fundulus heteroclitus
15) American Eel Anguilla rostrata [WILD LIFER!]
INVERTEBRATES:
42) Long-claw Hermit Crab Pagurus longicarpus
43) European Green Crab Carcinus maenas
44) Atlantic Rock Crab Cancer irroratus
BIRDS: 77 species
MAMMALS: 11 species
REPTILES: 6 species
AMPHIBIANS: 2 species
FISH: 15 species
INVERTEBRATES: 44 species
TOTAL: 154 species
A couple of late August birds - a passage tern from Thrybergh Country Park and my missing 'normal' Tringa from Blacktoft Sands.
Also a mammal and marine invertebrate from an outing to Anglesey today - actually a rare full day of UK mammalwatching, starting with getting my UK European Red Squirrel fix for the year at The Dingle/Nant y Pandy (a visit that was a casualty of bad weather earlier in the year) and up to one of my favourite places in the world at Point Lynas for dolphin season. Glorious stuff.
Side note - three cetaceans this year (Harbour Porpoise, Common Bottlenose Dolphin, Risso's Dolphin) is a personal best for a year where I've not boarded a boat to search for them - all were seen from the shore.
Mammals:
27. Risso's Dolphin - Grampus griseus
Birds:
187. Black Tern - Chlidonias niger
188. Spotted Redshank - Tringa erythropus
(UK: 183)
Invertebrates:
59. Lion's Mane Jellyfish - Cyanea capillata
Also a mammal and marine invertebrate from an outing to Anglesey today - actually a rare full day of UK mammalwatching, starting with getting my UK European Red Squirrel fix for the year at The Dingle/Nant y Pandy (a visit that was a casualty of bad weather earlier in the year) and up to one of my favourite places in the world at Point Lynas for dolphin season. Glorious stuff.
Side note - three cetaceans this year (Harbour Porpoise, Common Bottlenose Dolphin, Risso's Dolphin) is a personal best for a year where I've not boarded a boat to search for them - all were seen from the shore.
Mammals:
27. Risso's Dolphin - Grampus griseus
Birds:
187. Black Tern - Chlidonias niger
188. Spotted Redshank - Tringa erythropus
(UK: 183)
Invertebrates:
59. Lion's Mane Jellyfish - Cyanea capillata
Birds
347. Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus
DesertTortoise
Well-Known Member
Birds
Marais des Cygnes Wildlife Area, Kansas - August 9
273. Wood stork (Mycteria americana)
Michigan Valley Park, Kansas - August 13
274. Piping plover (Charadrius melodus)
SW Contrary Creek Road, Missouri - August 15
275. Buff-breasted sandpiper (Calidris subruficollis)
Smithville Lake, Missouri - August 18
276. Neotropic cormorant (Nannopterum brasilianum)
Cooley Lake Conservation Area, Missouri - August 30
277. Swallow-tailed kite (Elanoides forficatus)
278. Olive-sided flycatcher (Contopus cooperi)
Reptiles
Weston Bend State Park, Missouri - August 3
20. Eastern copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix)
Don't apologize and thank you for pointing that out. Reviewing it on ebird just now only browns are mentioned. The map on the app I was using seemed to have the white-browed a lot further east than other range maps I have just been looking at. So, an identification made in haste, I have to admit. Still a new species for the year but sadly not a new species for me!
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Dr. Wolverine
Well-Known Member
On a recent trip to Hokkaido, I managed to get a couple nice mammals and birds!
Mammals:
19) Brown Bear
20) Grey Red Backed Vole
21) Laxmann’s Shrew
22) Sperm Whale
23) Dall’s Porpoise
24) Sato’s Beaked Whale
25) Harbor Seal
26) Sea Otter
Birds:
224) White tailed Eagle
225) Blakiston’s Fish Owl
226) Marsh Tit
227) Mandarin Duck
228) Amur Stonechat
229) Pacific Swallow
230) Harlequin Duck
231) Northern Fulmar
232) Fleshy Footed Shearwater
233) Fork Tailed Storm Petrel
234) Black Footed Albatross
235) Red Necked Pharalope
236) Streaked Shearwater
237) Short Tailed Shearwater
238) Spectacled Gulliemot
239) Pelagic Cormorant
240) Rhinoceros Auklet
241) Japanese Murrlett
242) Red Faced Cormorant
243) Wood Sandpiper
244) Red Crowned Crane
255) Siberian Rubythroat
266) Common Cuckoo
Mammals:
19) Brown Bear
20) Grey Red Backed Vole
21) Laxmann’s Shrew
22) Sperm Whale
23) Dall’s Porpoise
24) Sato’s Beaked Whale
25) Harbor Seal
26) Sea Otter
Birds:
224) White tailed Eagle
225) Blakiston’s Fish Owl
226) Marsh Tit
227) Mandarin Duck
228) Amur Stonechat
229) Pacific Swallow
230) Harlequin Duck
231) Northern Fulmar
232) Fleshy Footed Shearwater
233) Fork Tailed Storm Petrel
234) Black Footed Albatross
235) Red Necked Pharalope
236) Streaked Shearwater
237) Short Tailed Shearwater
238) Spectacled Gulliemot
239) Pelagic Cormorant
240) Rhinoceros Auklet
241) Japanese Murrlett
242) Red Faced Cormorant
243) Wood Sandpiper
244) Red Crowned Crane
255) Siberian Rubythroat
266) Common Cuckoo
I'll put you at 246...