ZooChat Big Year 2014

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Thanks for that Maguari the grazing field around here have been very empty this year,I like field fares more they are a very attractive species close too I like the way the all move forward acros the ground like locusts in a sort of rhythmic advance.
 
today at the Kolkata Botanical Gardens in the rain:

BIRDS:
192) Black-hooded oriole Oriolus xanthornus
193) Common sandpiper Actitis hypoleuca
194) Indian ringneck Psittacula krameri
195) Yellow-footed green pigeon Treron phoenicoptera

196) Lesser coucal Centropus bengalensis
197) Moustached parakeet Psittacula alexandri
198) Lesser goldenback woodpecker Dinopium benghalense

MAMMALS:
19) Small Indian mongoose Herpestes auropunctatus
 
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Very enjoyable tramp across the moors today but light on wildlife (except for many, many Red Grouse) - just the one new addition:

72. Common Raven - Corvus corax


Upped the animal count with an hour or two at the Chestnut Centre afterwards. :D
 
Just one addition for me today too: Common Crossbill (#80) in the Wyre Forest.
 
Got out to do a few hours of birding today. I first hit the small pond/lake near a small airport. Doesn't sound like much, but it's a hot spot for marsh birds. Then I hit the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge for some feeder watch and hiking by the lake. Ended up with three year birds.

124 American Bittern - Botaurus lentiginosus
125 Western Meadowlark - Sturnella neglecta
126 Brown-headed Cowbird - Molothrus ater
 
With all the snow snow and more snow I haven't been birding too much but here's a couple more.

Birds
8) Canada Goose Branta canadensis
9) Common Raven Corvus corax

Mammals
1) Eastern Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis

~Thylo:cool:

Birds
10) Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis

~Thylo:cool:
 
Birds
140. Koel

Also, one of my previous identifications needs correcting - #128 is not a Pectoral Sandpiper, but a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper. AS I haven't seen a Sharpie yet this year, it doesn't affect the numbering (but a pedantic Mod might like to edit it for me, and then remove the bold from it).

:p

Hix
 
Birds
140. Koel

Also, one of my previous identifications needs correcting - #128 is not a Pectoral Sandpiper, but a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper. AS I haven't seen a Sharpie yet this year, it doesn't affect the numbering (but a pedantic Mod might like to edit it for me, and then remove the bold from it).

:p

Hix

I've been pedantic for you. :D

I didn't realise Koels were in Australia, did you just see it in your backyard? Is there anywhere they can be seen easily or is it fairly random?
 
I already have a candidate that could beat the fossa:

13. Broad striped mongoose/vontsira

also some birds:
45. Madagascar pygmy kingfisher
46. Madagascar green pigeon
 
I've been pedantic for you. :D

I didn't realise Koels were in Australia, did you just see it in your backyard? Is there anywhere they can be seen easily or is it fairly random?

Thanks!

Koels are reasonably common up and down the east coast and across the top end. In Sydney they're here mainly in Summer, and you often hear them only, and from a distance.

I was having dinner with my sister and her family near Wollongong, we were outside and two stated calling from a large tree growing in the school next door. Some of the branches overhang the backyard so I wandered over and had a look. One of my nieces got her first look at the "werr werr bird" as she called it.

:p

Hix
 
100. Red-flanked bluetail
101. Green-winged teal
102. Marsh harrier
103. Lesser redpoll
104. Pintail
105. Cetti's warbler
106. Little gull

I'm just hoping the Yellow-rumped warbler stays in Durham until the weekend.

The yellow-rumped warbler did stay and was my second lifer of the year on saturday. I also managed to add a few more to my year list around Cleveland on saturday and Nottinghamshire on sunday.

107. Yellow-rumped Warbler
108. Eider
109. Barnacle Goose
110. Siskin
111. Green woodpecker
112. Woodlark
113. Chiffchaff
 
I didn't realise Koels were in Australia, did you just see it in your backyard? Is there anywhere they can be seen easily or is it fairly random?

the little wattlebirds that nest in my yard raised one last month. It's constant begging for food was driving me insane. They're a lovely bird but. The male is beautiful.
 
Zooboy, there is a male that comes down to Melbourne Botanic Gardens pretty much every summer. They normally don't come that far south, but he's been reliable for the past few years.
Also I'm now on 193 with a Powerful Owl that I called into my backyard.
 
Thread opinions sought! (UK birders in particular)

Attached is an appalling-quality photo showing three Canada Geese and a goose I couldn't figure out in the field at Avenue Washlands on the 1st Feb. I took it in the hope of working the goose out when I was out of the wind and I completely forgot about it until today.

Looking at the photo it looks very like a Pink-footed Goose to me - what do we reckon? There are other shots, but they're even worse!
 

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I've been pedantic for you. :D

I didn't realise Koels were in Australia, did you just see it in your backyard? Is there anywhere they can be seen easily or is it fairly random?

Yeah, they seem to be travelling further south and west in recent years. Late last year, we tried to find the koel in the botanic gardens, but we missed it by a few hours.

On a side note, have you joined the Victorian Birders Facebook group? You get sightings and pics hot off the press, and they're always meeting up to go birding. This website is also very informative, and is regularly updated: Birdline Victoria Recent Sightings
 
Yeah, they seem to be travelling further south and west in recent years. Late last year, we tried to find the koel in the botanic gardens, but we missed it by a few hours.

On a side note, have you joined the Victorian Birders Facebook group? You get sightings and pics hot off the press, and they're always meeting up to go birding. This website is also very informative, and is regularly updated: Birdline Victoria Recent Sightings

I'll have to try and find it sometime! I'll check out the website and facebook page sometime too. I haven't done any birding at all this month, been super busy. Might get a chance this weekend.
 
Looking at the photo it looks very like a Pink-footed Goose to me - what do we reckon?

Can't say for sure, but it looks right to me: greyish wings, brown head and a broad white tip to the tail (and it's too small for a Greylag).
 
143. Grey Butcherbird.

I've had a bit of a quiet week. This is one of the birds that are always around but it's taken me 7 weeks to spot. I've heard them plenty of times and it was just a matter of time before I spotted one.
I'm off on a holiday to Darwin in three weeks. I'm hoping to really add to this list as well as pick up a heap of lifers. I'll be happy with 10 lifers and should get them fingers crossed. It's still very wet up there so I will not get to go to as many places as I would have liked.
 
This website is also very informative, and is regularly updated: Birdline Victoria Recent Sightings

If you sign up to the website you can have the Birdline sightings emailed to you.

They also have functions (for member's only) that identify birding sites in your area, with lists of birds seen there. I'm sure has already used it to work out which sites in and around Darwin to visit!

:p

Hix
 
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