ZooChat Big Year 2013

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I've only been following this thread with a little bit of interest as I'm not a birder but today I heard and then saw a woodpecker, in urban Birmingham! I'm only mentioning this because I've never seen one in the city and wanted to know if this was as unusual as I think it is?
 
Hmm... I guess I'll join for fun but will definetly never reach the numbers some others like jbn will. I guess I'm at one species (:() so far with the Canada Geese flock (first of the year!) I saw yesterday.

~Thylo:cool:
 
ThylacineAlive said:
Hmm... I guess I'll join for fun but will definetly never reach the numbers some others like jbn will. I guess I'm at one species (:() so far with the Canada Geese flock (first of the year!) I saw yesterday.

~Thylo:cool:
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Make sure there isn't a Cackling Goose mixed in the flock.
 
jbnbsn99 said:
Make sure there isn't a Cackling Goose mixed in the flock.
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There isn't much of a way to tell when the flock is flying way up in the sky at dusk. It won't be long before I see them, though. Both species are everywhere in my town. I was even chased by a Cackling Goose when I was younger!

The area where my house is should bring me many interesting bird species. Living by a lake I commonly see things like Bald Eagles, Great Blue Heron, and American Pelicans. Also the large protected forest bring all kinds of wildlife around. If I count I may actual get a semi-large list!

~Thylo:cool:
 
I'm up to twenty bird species now, although I'm still missing a few very easy species that I should have seen by now (e.g. pukeko, paradise duck, etc.).

1 Tui Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae
2 NZ Wood Pigeon Hemiphaga novaseelandiae
3 Blackbird Turdus merula
4 House Sparrow Passer domesticus
5 Song Thrush Turdus philomelos
6 Indian Myna Acridotheres tristis
7 Black-backed Gull Larus dominicanus
8 Red-billed Gull Chroicocephalus scopulinus
9 White-fronted Tern Sterna striata
10 Harrier Hawk Circus approximans
11 Silvereye Zosterops lateralis
12 European Starling Sturnus vulgaris
13 Little Pied Shag Phalacrocorax melanoleucos
14 Mallard Anas platyrhynchus
15 Canada Goose Branta canadensis
16 White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae
17 Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena
18 Pied Stilt Himantopus leucocephalus
19 NZ Scaup Aythya novaeseelandiae
20 Yellowhammer Emberiza citronella

There was also a grey shearwater/petrel that I saw in large numbers near the coast last night, but I'm not sure what they were, they kind of looked like the Grey Petrels on wikipedia, but I'm not sure how likely that is.

And I'm now up to 2 mammals, having now seen a rabbit :D
 
nanoboy said:
We are counting mammals too?

Rabbit
Brush tail possum
Feral cat - if that counts
Click to expand...

Well a few people have been counting mammals too, and I don't see why not - the counts are never going to get as high as for birds.

Feral Cat would count, assuming we follow the same rules as for birds, but only if you were sure it was definitely a feral cat, and not someone's pet.
 
Oh we're posting entire lists here? I'll join in. I'm currently at 117 bird species.

1 Canada Goose - Branta canadensis
2 Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos
3 Cinnamon Teal - Anas cyanoptera
4 Northern Shoveler - Anas clypeata
5 Northern Pintail - Anas acuta
6 Green-winged Teal - Anas crecca
7 Ring-necked Duck - Aythya collaris
8 Lesser Scaup - Aythya affinis
9 Hooded Merganser - Lophodytes cucullatus
10 Pied-billed Grebe - Podilymbus podiceps
11 Neotropic Cormorant - Phalacrocorax brasilianus
12 American White Pelican - Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
13 Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias
14 Great Egret - Ardea alba
15 Snowy Egret - Egretta thula
16 Green Heron - Butorides virescens
17 Black-crowned Night-Heron - Nycticorax nycticorax
18 Osprey - Pandion haliaetus
19 Harris's Hawk - Parabuteo unicinctus
20 Common Gallinule - Gallinula galeata
21 American Coot - Fulica americana
22 Killdeer - Charadrius vociferus
23 Black-necked Stilt - Himantopus mexicanus
24 American Avocet - Recurvirostra americana
25 Greater Yellowlegs - Tringa melanoleuca
26 Least Sandpiper - Calidris minutilla
27 Long-billed Dowitcher - Limnodromus scolopaceus
28 Wilson's Snipe - Gallinago delicata
29 Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura
30 Inca Dove - Columbina inca
31 Anna's Hummingbird - Calypte anna
32 Belted Kingfisher - Megaceryle alcyon
33 Gila Woodpecker - Melanerpes uropygialis
34 Rosy-faced Lovebird - Agapornis roseicollis
35 Black Phoebe - Sayornis nigricans
36 Say's Phoebe - Sayornis saya
37 Verdin - Auriparus flaviceps
38 Marsh Wren - Cistothorus palustris
39 Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos
40 Curve-billed Thrasher - Toxostoma curvirostre
41 European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris
42 Orange-crowned Warbler - Oreothlypis celata
43 Common Yellowthroat - Geothlypis trichas
44 Yellow-rumped Warbler - Setophaga coronata
45 Abert's Towhee - Melozone aberti
46 Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodia
47 White-crowned Sparrow - Zonotrichia leucophrys
48 Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus
49 Great-tailed Grackle - Quiscalus mexicanus
50 House Finch - Haemorhous mexicanus
51 House Sparrow - Passer domesticus
52 Rock Pigeon - Columba livia
53 Gadwall - Anas strepera
54 Cooper's Hawk - Accipiter cooperii
55 Loggerhead Shrike - Lanius ludovicianus
56 Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Regulus calendula
57 Northern Parula - Setophaga americana
58 American Wigeon - Anas americana
59 Ruddy Duck - Oxyura jamaicensis
60 Gambel's Quail - Callipepla gambelii
61 Eared Grebe - Podiceps nigricollis
62 Western Grebe - Aechmophorus occidentalis
63 Brown Pelican - Pelecanus occidentalis
64 Cactus Wren - Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
65 Cedar Waxwing - Bombycilla cedrorum
66 Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis
67 Common Raven - Corvus corax
68 Common Merganser - Mergus merganser
69 Sora - Porzana carolina
70 Hermit Thrush - Catharus guttatus
71 Rufous-backed Robin - Turdus rufopalliatus
72 Black-billed Magpie - Pica hudsonia
73 Northern Flicker - Colaptes auratus
74 American Robin - Turdus migratorius
75 American Kestrel - Falco sparverius
76 Dark-eyed Junco - Junco hyemalis
77 American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos
78 Eurasian Collared-Dove - Streptopelia decaocto
79 Bohemian Waxwing - Bombycilla garrulus
80 Brown Creeper - Certhia americana
81 California Quail - Callipepla californica
82 Lesser Goldfinch - Spinus psaltria
83 Northern Shrike - Lanius excubitor
84 Rough-legged Hawk - Buteo lagopus
85 Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch - Leucosticte tephrocotis
86 Ring-necked Pheasant - Phasianus colchicus
87 Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus
88 Pine Grosbeak - Pinicola enucleator
89 Pine Siskin - Spinus pinus
90 Mountain Chickadee - Poecile gambeli
91 Red-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta canadensis
92 Northern Saw-whet Owl - Aegolius acadicus
93 Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata
94 Red Crossbill - Loxia curvirostra
95 Horned Lark - Eremophila alpestris
96 Bald Eagle - Haliaeetus leucocephalus
97 Hairy Woodpecker - Picoides villosus
98 Steller's Jay - Cyanocitta stelleri
99 Chestnut-backed Chickadee - Poecile rufescens
100 Evening Grosbeak - Coccothraustes vespertinus
101 Wild Turkey - Meleagris gallopavo
102 Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens
103 White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis
104 Pygmy Nuthatch - Sitta pygmaea
105 American Goldfinch - Spinus tristis
106 Wood Duck - Aix sponsa
107 Eurasian Wigeon - Anas penelope
108 Bufflehead - Bucephala albeola
109 Double-crested Cormorant - Phalacrocorax auritus
110 Ring-billed Gull - Larus delawarensis
111 Common Loon - Gavia immer
112 Northern Harrier - Circus cyaneus
113 Herring Gull - Larus argentatus
114 Great Horned Owl - Bubo virginianus
115 Rock Wren - Salpinctes obsoletus
116 Golden-crowned Kinglet - Regulus satrapa
117 Savannah Sparrow - Passerculus sandwichensis

Mammal List:
Mule Deer (desert and Rocky Mountain subsp.)
White-tailed Deer
Coyote
Harris's Antelope Squirrel
Rock Squirrel
Eastern Fox Squirrel
American Red Squirrel
Desert Cottontail
 
I managed to see another 17 bird species yesterday, bringing my total count up to 55:

39) Little grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
40) Greylag goose Anser anser
41) Canada goose Branta canadensis
42) Common shelduck Tadorna tadorna
43) Eurasian wigeon Anas penelope
44) Common teal Anas crecca
45) Tufted duck Aythya fuligula
46) Common goldeneye Bucephala clangula
47) Eurasian coot Fulica atra
48) Pied avocet Recurvirostra avosetta
49) Northern lapwing Vanellus vanellus
50) Red knot Calidris canutus
51) Common redshank Tringa totanus
52) Eurasian curlew Numenius arquata
53) Lesser black-backed gull Larus fuscus
54) Meadow pipit Anthus pratensis
55) Reed bunting Emberiza schoeniclus

EDIT: And one other very nice new species seen flying over my house this evening:

56) Barn owl Tyto alba
 
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Would a dingo count? Technically it is a feral dog I suppose, especially the loads of hybrids out there.....

Ituri, that is a very very impressive list, and I would be quite chuffed if I got to 117 by the end of 2013.
 
Brum said:
I've only been following this thread with a little bit of interest as I'm not a birder but today I heard and then saw a woodpecker, in urban Birmingham! I'm only mentioning this because I've never seen one in the city and wanted to know if this was as unusual as I think it is?
Click to expand...

Well I spend about half the year living in the centre of Cambridge and we see quite a lot of Green Woodpeckers as there are large areas of grass were noone is allowed to walk!

The rest of the year I live in central Coventry and it was only a couple of days ago that my Mum text to say they had seen a Greater spotted on the bird feeder for the first time. I would imagine that the cold weather is forcing some woodpeckers into the cities- not only as food is more readily avalaible but also becuase the temperature maybe +1 or 2 degrees warmer.

Although its probably unusual to see a woodpeck in the city I found imagine it will become much more common as the weather changes and cities keep expanding :)
 
I guess I throw my hat in the ring. I am doing a specific big year in the state of Kansas. So far I am at 93, 3 of which are new state birds for me (American Black Duck, Common Redpoll, Brewer's Blackbird)

  1. Snow Goose
  2. Cackling Goose
  3. Canada Goose
  4. Gadwall
  5. American Wigeon
  6. American Black Duck
  7. Mallard
  8. Northern Shoveler
  9. Green-winged Teal
  10. Canvasback
  11. Redhead
  12. Ring-necked Duck
  13. Lesser Scaup
  14. Bufflehead
  15. Common Goldeneye
  16. Hooded Merganser
  17. Common Merganser
  18. Red-breasted Merganser
  19. Ruddy Duck
  20. Northern Bobwhite
  21. Wild Turkey
  22. Pied-billed Grebe
  23. American White Pelican
  24. Great Blue Heron
  25. Northern Harrier
  26. Sharp-shinned Hawk
  27. Cooper's Hawk
  28. Bald Eagle
  29. Red-shouldered Hawk
  30. Red-tailed Hawk
  31. Rough-legged Hawk
  32. American Coot
  33. Sandhill Crane
  34. Killdeer
  35. Ring-billed Gull
  36. Herring Gull
  37. Rock Pigeon
  38. Eurasian Collared-Dove
  39. Mourning Dove
  40. Great Horned Owl
  41. Long-eared Owl
  42. Belted Kingfisher
  43. Red-headed Woodpecker
  44. Red-bellied Woodpecker
  45. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
  46. Downy Woodpecker
  47. Hairy Woodpecker
  48. Northern Flicker
  49. Pileated Woodpecker
  50. American Kestrel
  51. Merlin
  52. Blue Jay
  53. American Crow
  54. Horned Lark
  55. Black-capped Chickadee
  56. Tufted Titmouse
  57. Red-breasted Nuthatch
  58. White-breasted Nuthatch
  59. Brown Creeper
  60. Rock Wren
  61. Winter Wren
  62. Carolina Wren
  63. Eastern Bluebird
  64. American Robin
  65. Northern Mockingbird
  66. European Starling
  67. Cedar Waxwing
  68. Lapland Longspur
  69. Smith's Longspur
  70. Yellow-rumped Warbler
  71. American Tree Sparrow
  72. Fox Sparrow
  73. Song Sparrow
  74. Lincoln's Sparrow
  75. Swamp Sparrow
  76. White-throated Sparrow
  77. Harris's Sparrow
  78. White-crowned Sparrow
  79. Dark-eyed Junco
  80. Northern Cardinal
  81. Red-winged Blackbird
  82. Western Meadowlark
  83. Osage
  84. Rusty Blackbird
  85. Brewer's Blackbird
  86. Common Grackle
  87. Brown-headed Cowbird
  88. Purple Finch
  89. House Finch
  90. Red Crossbill
  91. Common Redpoll
  92. Pine Siskin
  93. American Goldfinch
  94. House Sparrow

I have got 5 species in Missouri only (Greater White-fronted Goose, Ross's Goose, Trumpeter Swan, Thayer's Gull, and White-winged Crossbill)
 
Today I had a very nice sighting of 9 long eared owls on their roosting spot :)

this gives me now the following list:
1. crested grebe
2. Eurasian cormorant
3. great egret
4. blue heron
5. Bewicks swan
6. Mute swan
7. Greater white fronted goose
8. greylag goose
9. Mallard
10. Eurasian pintail
11. Eurasian wigeon
12. tufted duck
13. Goshawk
14. Common buzzard
15. Common kestrel
16. Common moorhen
17. Eurasian coot
18. Lapwing
19. Sanderling
20. Eurasian curlew
21. Black-headed gull
22. Herring gull
23. Lesser black backed gull
24. Wood pigeon
25. Eurasian collared dove
26. Long eared owl
27. Black woodpecker
28. green woodpecker
29. Great spotter woodpecker
30. Dunnock
31. European robin
32. Mistle trush
33. Blackbird
34. Goldcrest
34. Black tit
35. Great tit
36. Blue tit
37. Long tailed-tit
38. Eurasian nuthatch
39. Eurasian treecreeper
40. Grey shrike
41. Eurasian magpie
42. Eurasian jay
43. Western jackdaw
44. Black crow
45. House sparrow
46. Common starling
47. Common staffinch
48. European greenfinch


and 3 mammals: rabbit, red squirrel and roe deer
 
Common Raven is now my fourth bird species and I've finally seen my first wild mammal of the year- a White-Tailed Deer (ssp. borealis).

NOTE: Early I meant American Crow, not Common Crow as 'Common Crow' is the name of a butterfly.

~Thylo:cool:
 
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