A Nerdy Neophyte to the World of Zoos

[Prochilodus246]

Hello all,

Much inspired by the excellent thread @Mo Hassan I have decided to create a similar thread however, it has a certain twist as I am from the opposite end of the spectrum as someone who has always enjoyed zoos but only recently become engrossed and the species which inhabit them.

Compared to many others on this forum I am quite the novice when it comes to serious zoo visiting. I have only been actively seeking new zoos to visit for the last three years or so. This thread talks about how my interest for zoos has grown exponentially over this time and also my thirst for the unusual and rare species that one can find in captivity. Each zoo visited in the given year will be discussed as well as the inclusion of photographs of particular taxa and exhibitry. In addition, highlights from the given year such as wild species and also acquisitions in the forms of literature will also be included where sees fits.

The thread will begin from when I had decided to join the forum in November 2021 to ever expand my knowledge of zoos and animals in general as well as coming across people who also share the passion of zoo visiting and species hunting.

I hope you enjoy reading!

 

[Prochilodus246]

Firstly I would like to apologise for not starting this thread earlier as life has gotten in the way and is very likely to again so I will try and keep the postings frequent as much as I can.

January 2022:
The first visit of 2022 was one that would encompass two things I love dearly, birdwatching and waterfowl. For anyone who has these two passions the best place to visit is a WWT and given the site is at its best during winter I thought a trip was very overdue.

I chose to visit the Martin Mere site mainly due to it being the only WWT that is less than 2 hours from me but also due to my fond memories of the site as a small child. I think it is likely my love of waterfowl came from these sites as it spurred me to own lots of ducks and geese myself such as Harlequins, Muscovies & Mandarins as well as a number of unique domestic duck & goose breeds. One of my favourite memories was watching the feeding of the vast numbers of wild Whooper Swans who come to winter at the site and just the deafening cacophony of their wonderous calls.

Onto some photos from the day out:


The dapperness of a male Ring-necked Duck
Two West Indian Whistling Ducks

A pair of Western Marsh Harrier twirling in the fading light (Not exactly a quality image )