ZooChat Big Year 2014

[Maguari]

OK, well, there will probably be a few late additions to this, but here is the start of the full list for Costa Rica - a few corrected IDs from the earlier days:

San Jose, Poas Volcano and grounds of Zoologico Simon Bolivar:

90. Great-tailed Grackle - Quiscalus mexicanus
91. American Black Vulture - Coragyps atratus
92. Crimson-fronted Conure - Aratinga finschii
93. White-winged Dove - Zenaida asiatica
94. Great Kiskadee - Pitangus sulphuratus
95. Clay-coloured Robin - Turdus grayi
96. Bronzed Cowbird - Molothrus aeneus
97. Rufous-collared Sparrow - Zonotrichia capensis
98. Yellow-thighed Finch - Pselliophorus tibialis
99. Western Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis
100. Black Guan - Chamaepetes unicolor
101. Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura
102. Baltimore Oriole - Icterus galbula
103. Blue-crowned Motmot - Momotus momota
104. Grey-necked Wood Rail - Aramides cajaneus
105. Blue-Grey Tanager - Thraupis episcopus
106. Green Kingfisher - Chloroceryle americana
107. Rufous-tailed Hummingbird - Amazilia tzatcatl
108. Grey Catbird - Dumetella carolinensis
109. Northern Waterthrush - Seiurus noveboracensis
110. Green Heron - Buteroides virescens
111. House Wren - Troglodytes aedon
112. Hoffmann's Woodpecker - Melanerpes hoffmannii

8. Variegated Squirrel -Sciurus variegatoides dorsalis (also later ssp. thomasi in Arenal)
9. Poas Squirrel - Syntheosciurus brochus
10. Red-tailed Squirrel - Sciurus granatensis


Tortuguero:

113. Short-billed Pigeon - Patagioenas nigrirostris
114. Spotted Sandpiper - Actitis macularius
115. Royal Tern - Thalasseus maximus
116. Montezuma Oropendola - Psarocolius montezuma
117. Variable Seedeater - Sporophila americana
118. Bare-throated Tiger Heron - Tigrisoma mexicanum
119. Social Flycatcher - Myiozetetes similis
120. Tropical Kingbird - Tyrannus melancholicus
121. Tropical Pewee - Contopus cinereus
122. Mangrove Swallow - Tachycineta albilinea
123. Sand Martin - Riparia riparia
124. Anhinga - Anhinga anhinga
125. Common Black-Hawk - Buteogallus anthracinus
126. Great White Egret - Ardea alba
127. Little Blue Heron - Egretta caerulea
128. Keel-billed Toucan - Ramphastos sulfuratus
129. Chestnut-mandibled Toucan - Ramphastos swainsonii
130. Collared Araçari - Pteroglossus torquatus
131. White-crowned Parrot - Pionus senilis
132. Ringed Kingfisher - Ceryle torquatus
133. Laughing Gull - Leucophaeus atricilla
134. Sandwich Tern - Thalasseus sandvicensis
135. Magnificent Frigatebird - Fregata magnificens
136. Northern Jacana - Jacana spinosa
137. Purple Gallinule - Porphyrio martinicensis
138. Red-lored Amazon - Amazona autumnalis
139. Sungrebe - Heliornis fulica
140. White-collared Manakin - Manacus candei
141. Neotropical Cormorant - Phalacrocorax brasilianus
142. Tricoloured Heron - Egretta tricolor
143. Snowy Egret - Egretta thula
144. Amazon Kingfisher - Chloroceryle amazona
145. Plain-brown Woodcreeper - Dendrocincla fuliginosa
146. Chestnut-coloured Woodpecker - Celeus castaneus
147. Pale-billed Woodpecker - Campephilus guatemalensis
148. Lineated Woodpecker - Dryocopos lineatus
149. Palm Tanager - Thraupis palmarum
150. Roadside Hawk - Buteo magnirostris
151. White-flanked Antwren - Myrmotherula axillaris
152. Slaty-tailed Trogon - Trogon massena
153. Chestnut-sided Warbler - Dendroica pensylvanica
154. Bright-rumped Attila - Attila spadiceus
155. Great Green Macaw - Ara ambiguus
156. Least Flycatcher - Empidonax minimus
157. Western Osprey - Pandion haliaetus
158. Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica
159. Pale-vented Pigeon - Patagioenas cayennensis
160. Common Tody-Flycatcher - Todirostrum cinereum
161. Yellow-crowned Night Heron - Nyctanassa violacea
162. Olive-throated Conure - Aratinga nana
163. Boat-billed Heron - Cochlearius cochlearius
164. Chimney Swift - Chaetura pelagica
165. Summer Tanager - Piranga rubra
166. Olive-backed Euphonia - Euphonia gouldii

11. Mexican Prehensile-tailed Porcupine - Sphiggurus mexicanus
12. Mantled Howler Monkey - Alouatta palliata
13. Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth - Bradypus variegatus
14. White-throated Capuchin - Cebus capucinus
15. Brazilian Long-nosed Bat - Rhynchonycteris naso
16. Geoffroy's Spider Monkey - Ateles geoffroyi ornatus
17. Neotropical River Otter - Lontra longicaudis
18. Kinkajou - Potos flavus

1. Green Iguana - Iguana iguana
2. Plumed (Emerald) Basilisk - Basiliscus plumifrons
3. Four-lined Ameiva - Ameiva quadrilineata
4. Spectacled Caiman - Caiman crocodilus
5. Black Wood Turtle - Rhinoclemmys funerea
6. Common House Gecko - Hemidactylus frenatus
7. Ground Anole - Norops humilis
8. Slender Anole - Norops limifrons
9. Brown Wood Turtle - Rhinoclemmys annulata
10. Brown Basilisk - Basiliscus vittatus
11. Mesoamerican Slider - Trachemys venusta
12. Northern Cat-eyed Snake - Leptodeira septentrionalis

3. Marine Toad - Rhinella marina
4. Strawberry Poison Arrow Frog - Oophaga pumilio
5. Savage's Jungle Frog - Leptodactylus savageii
6. Red-eyed Tree Frog - Agalychnis callidryas
7. Common Dink Frog - Diasporus diastema
8. Mexican Tree Frog - Smilisca baudinii
9. Scarlet-webbed Tree Frog - Hypsiboas rufitelus



Arenal and Monteverde to follow...

 

[Maguari]

Costa Rica, Part Two:

Arenal, La Fortuna and Cano Negro:

167. Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus
168. Ruddy Ground-Dove - Columbina talpacoti
169. Passerini's Tanager - Ramphocelus passerinii
170. White-collared Swift - Streptoprocne zonaris
171. White Hawk - Leucopternis albicollis
172. Black-cowled Oriole - Icterus prosthemelos
173. Streak-headed Woodcreeper - Lepidocolaptes souleyetii
174. Buff-rumped Warbler - Phaeothlypis fulvicauda
175. Great Potoo - Nyctibius grandis
176. Black-collared Hawk - Busarellus nigricollis
177. Yellow Warbler - Dendroida petechia
178. Yellow-faced Grassquit - Tiaris olivaceus
179. White-tipped Dove - Leptotila verreauxii
180. Greyish Saltator - Saltator coerulescens
181. Black-cheeked Woodpecker - Melanerpes pucherani
182. Northern Rough-winged Swallow - Stelgidopteryx serripennis
183. Vaux's Swift - Chaetura vauxi
184. Blue-and-White Swallow - Pygochelidon cyanoleuca
185. White-throated Magpie Jay - Calocitta formosa
186. White-collared Seedeater - Sporophila torqueola
187. Long-billed Hermit - Phaethornis longirostris
188. Least Grebe - Tachybaptus dominicus
189. Grey-headed Chachalaca - Ortalis cinereiceps
190. Black-striped Sparrow - Arremonops conirostris
191. Bay Wren - Thryothorus nigricapillus
192. Stripe-breasted Wren - Thryothorus thoracicus
193. Squirrel Cuckoo - Piaya cayana
194. Crested Guan - Penelope purpurascens

13. Central American Ameiva - Ameiva festiva
14. Nicaraguan Slider - Trachemys emolli

10. Wet Forest Toad - Incilius melanochlorus
11. Fitzinger's Rain Frog - Craugastor fitzingeri
12. Masked Tree Frog - Smilisca phaeota
13. Vaillant's Web-footed Frog - Lithobates vaillanti


Monteverde:

195. White-eared Ground Sparrow - Melozone leucotis
196. Swallow-tailed Kite - Elanoides forficatus
197. Orange-bellied Trogon - Trogon aurantiiventris
198. Rufous-and-White Wren - Thryothrorus rufalbus
199. Mountain Elaenia - Elaenia frantzii
200. Swainson's Thrush - Catharus ustulatus
201. Golden-olive Woodpecker - Piculus rubiginosus
202. Emerald Toucanet - Aulacorhynchus prasinus
203. Steely-tailed Hummingbird - Amazilia saucerrottei
204. Canivet's Emerald - Chlorostilbon canivetii
205. Yellowish Flycatcher - Empidonax flavescens
206. Chestnut-headed Oropendola - Psarocolius wagleri
207. Masked Tityra - Tityra semifasciata
208. Slate-throated Redstart - Myioborus miniatus
209. Resplendent Quetzal - Pharomachrus mocinno
210. White-throated Robin - Turdus assimilis
211. Silver-throated Tanager - Tangara icterocephala
212. Red-legged Honeycreeper - Cyanerpes cyaneus
213. Green Hermit - Phaethornis guy
214. Violet Sabrewing - Campylopterus hemileucurus
215. Green Violet-ear - Colibri thalassinus
216. Green-crowned Brilliant - Heliodoxa jacula
217. Striped-tailed Hummingbird - Eupherusa eximia
218. Coppery-headed Emerald - Elvira cupreiceps
219. Magenta-throated Woodstar - Calliphlox bryantae
220. Black-breasted Wood-Quail - Odontophorus leucolaemus
221. Northern Barred-Woodcreeper - Dendrocolaptes sanctithomae
222. Brown Jay - Cyanocorax morio
223. Grey-breasted Wood-Wren - Henicorhina leucophrys
224. White-necked Jacobin - Florisuga mellivora
225. Sooty Robin - Turdus nigrescens
226. Purple-throated Mountain Gem - Lampornis calolaemus
227. Scarlet-thighed Dacnis - Dacnis venusta

19. Central American Agouti - Dasyprocta punctata
20. White-nosed Coati - Nasua narica
21. Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth - Choloepus hoffmanni
22. Collared Peccary - Tayassu tajacu
23. Northern Raccoon - Procyon lotor

14. Pygmy Robber Frog - Pristimantis ridens


Also, a couple of bonuses from the journey home:

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport:

228. Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura

M1 (somewhere in Bedfordshire!):

229. Red Kite - Milvus milvus


And we're up to date. Back to short, UK-based updates for the next few months!

 

[Chlidonias]

very nice indeed Maguari. I always like going to a new place and having a long list all in bold!

 

[Maguari]

very nice indeed Maguari. I always like going to a new place and having a long list all in bold!

It is! Many, many new things.


Despite the look of that list (and the undeniable very good luck we did have!) it didn't quite go all our way - we had some traditional wildlife 'misses' as well, you'll be relieved to hear:

a) we didn't find a sea turtle at Tortuguero (and it was Leatherback season...)
b) one of our guides saw a Long-tailed Weasel and we all missed it
c) someone about 500 yards ahead of us on one of the night walks saw an Olingo (that I rather wish they hadn't told us about! )
d) despite much searching, I couldn't find an American Crocodile or Green Ibis

So unfinished business on those fronts if ever I go back - but it seems rather churlish to dwell on them, so this is me exorcising them!

 

[Chlidonias]

It is! Many, many new things.


Despite the look of that list (and the undeniable very good luck we did have!) it didn't quite go all our way - we had some traditional wildlife 'misses' as well, you'll be relieved to hear:

a) we didn't find a sea turtle at Tortuguero (and it was Leatherback season...)
b) one of our guides saw a Long-tailed Weasel and we all missed it
c) someone about 500 yards ahead of us on one of the night walks saw an Olingo (that I rather wish they hadn't told us about! )
d) despite much searching, I couldn't find an American Crocodile or Green Ibis

So unfinished business on those fronts if ever I go back - but it seems rather churlish to dwell on them, so this is me exorcising them!

a) leatherback is the sea turtle I'd most like to see. I've only seen green turtles (Fiji and Queensland).
b) don't worry about that one. It's only a mustelid.
c) that really sucks! The problem with large groups on night walks (and same with daytime to a lesser extent) is that there is too much opportunity to miss out. The person at the front might see something the others don't before it vanishes, or the person at the back might see something spooked out by the preceding people. There's no "best" place to be in the line!
d) I guess crocs can be hard if they have a history of being hunted (night time would be the best bet, but then you really only get eye-shine and not a proper look). I just googled green ibis; it looks like a green-glossed glossy ibis!


Unfinished business is what keeps me coming back to Asia!! And the problem is, it will never be finished!

 

[Maguari]

c) that really sucks! The problem with large groups on night walks (and same with daytime to a lesser extent) is that there is too much opportunity to miss out. The person at the front might see something the others don't before it vanishes, or the person at the back might see something spooked out by the preceding people. There's no "best" place to be in the line!

The group that saw it were a completely separate party with a different guide, so we were well out of it, sadly!

We were lucky on the organised wildlife tours/walks we did - excluding the turtle walk, as group size is pretty irrelevant for that - after three boat trips, three forest night walks and one guide hired effectively to help us find quetzals, only twice did we have more than one other party/family with us, and on two of them it was just us. The groups were pretty manageable, except for the night walk at the rather tamed Arenal Natura, where the group was ridiculous.

 

[Chlidonias]

SINGAPORE

BIRDS:

406) Asian glossy starling Aplonis panayensis (in Malaysia, on way to Singapore)
407) Javan mynah Acridotheres javanicus (in Malaysia, on way to Singapore)
408) Pink-necked green pigeon Treron vernans
409) Olive-winged bulbul Pycnonotus plumosus
410) Straw-headed bulbul Pycnonotus zeylanicus
411) Great-billed heron Ardea sumatrana
412) Chinese egret Egretta eulophotes
413) Laced woodpecker Picus vittatus
414) Copper-throated sunbird Nectarinia calcostetha
415) Brown-throated sunbird Anthreptes malacensis


MAMMALS:

53) Colugo Cynocephalus variegatus

 

[TeaLovingDave]

a) leatherback is the sea turtle I'd most like to see. I've only seen green turtles (Fiji and Queensland).

Seen one

 

[Chlidonias]

Seen one

you lucky b.... wait, where have you seen one?

 

[Maguari]

you lucky b.... wait, where have you seen one?

Somewhere off the British coast, presumably, unless he's keeping an exotic trip secret - I know they occur in Cardigan Bay (west Wales coast). Always meant to find out if there's any trips specifically to look for them.

 

[Chlidonias]

ah I remembered he has indeed seen a wild one off your frigid coastline somewhere, along with basking shark on the same day no less.

So, despite it having become a Zoochat meme, a "you lucky bastard" is hereby officially granted to TLD from me.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

If it is any consolation I have never seen any other sea turtle species; not even in captivity!

 

[Maguari]

One of my photo ID subjects has been settled:

15. Talamanca Rain Frog - Craugastor talamancae

 

[Pertinax]

So, despite it having become a Zoochat meme, a "you lucky bastard" is hereby officially granted to TLD from me.

Have you thought of marketing these as official stickers (or badges perhaps) for ZooChat? Members could collect them....

 

[TeaLovingDave]

Have you thought of marketing these as official stickers (or badges perhaps) for ZooChat? Members could collect them....

Chli could extend his travels around Asia indefinitely by earning, and then selling for hard cash, all the Lucky Bastard badges he would be liable to pick up

 

[mstickmanp]

So the bird that I was waiting for confirmation of ID turned out to be just an Ash-throated Flycatcher when I hoping for a Brown-crested Flycatcher, which are much rarer in Southern California.

181. Ash-throated Flycatcher

Yesterday I went birding again and I was not sure if I would get some new birds, but I did! The jay was a complete surprise because they are mainly found in the mountains and not the foothills where I was birding.

182. Steller's Jay
183. Lazuli Bunting

So today I joined the local Audubon society on a trip to the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, which is a riparian and marsh oasis in the middle of the desert that attracts many local and migrating species. Overall it was a great day for me getting 12 new species.

184. Gambel's Quail
185. White-winged Dove
186. Ladder-backed Woodpecker
187. Western Wood-Pewee
188. Hammond's Flycatcher
189. Brown-crested Flycatcher
190. Bell's Vireo
191. Cassin's Vireo
192. Verdin
193. Summer Tanager
194. Gray Flycatcher
195. Vermilion Flycatcher

It was a good day for Flycatchers and my group still missed Ash-throated, Willow, Pacific-slope, and Olive-sided Flycatchers seen by other birders!

 

[Ituri]

More signs of spring

158 Baird's Sandpiper
159 Least Sandpiper
160 Nashville Warbler

161 Semipalmated Plover
162 Lesser Yellowlegs
163 Western Sandpiper
164 Wilson's Phalarope
165 Snowy Plover
166 Marbled Godwit
167 Calliope Hummingbird
168 House Wren
169 Bank Swallow
170 Greater Yellowlegs
171 Franklin's Gull
172 Common Yellowthroat
173 Blue-winged Teal
174 Semipalmated Sandpiper
175 Long-billed Dowitcher
176 White-throated Swift
177 Western Kingbird
178 Yellow Warbler
179 Solitary Sandpiper

 

[jbnbsn99]

I did another trip to High Island/Anahuac/Galveston yesterday for an end of migrant season push. Not a bad day. The migrants weren't falling out of the sky like I hoped as the weather was absolutely beautiful.

256 Chimney Swift - Chaetura pelagica
257 Crested Caracara - Caracara cheriway
258 Gray Catbird - Dumetella carolinensis
259 Chestnut-sided Warbler - Setophaga pensylvanica
260 Scarlet Tanager - Piranga olivacea
261 Rose-breasted Grosbeak - Pheucticus ludovicianus
262 Baltimore Oriole - Icterus galbula
263 Common Nighthawk - Chordeiles minor
264 Sandwich Tern - Thalasseus sandvicensis
265 Least Bittern - Ixobrychus exilis
266 King Rail - Rallus elegans
267 Ruff - Calidris pugnax ABA RARE BIRD
268 Hudsonian Godwit - Limosa haemastica
269 Marbled Godwit - Limosa fedoa
270 Least Tern - Sternula antillarum

There's one more bird from the trip I'm awaiting confirmation on.

 

[jbnbsn99]

To show how far ahead I am of last year's total, I hit 270 on December 29th in 2013.

 

[BeardsleyZooFan]

BIRDS:
19. Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
20. White-Throated Sparrow

MAMMALS:
3. Eastern Cottontail

REPTILES:
1. Common Garter Snake
2. Black Rat Snake
(Oddly enough, both of the snakes were seen within one minute of each other. Anyways, my trip to Florida will hopefully result in some new sightings!)

BIRDS:
21. Eurasian Collared Dove
22. Great Egret
23. Green Heron
24. Little Blue Heron
25. American White Ibis
26. Brown Thrasher
27. Rock Dove
28. Cattle Egret
29. Boat-Tailed Grackle
30. Black Vulture
31. Wood Stork
32. Brown Pelican
33. Roseate Spoonbill
34. Osprey
35. Fish Crow
36. Red-Shouldered Hawk
37. Song Sparrow

REPTILES:
3. Cuban Brown Anole
4. Southern Black Racer
5. Large-Headed Anole
6. American Alligator
7. Southeastern Five-Lined Skink