ZooChat Big Year 2016

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LaughingDove said:
Some more additions from today:

Seen in the morning in my accommodation in Nairobi:

83) Egyptian Goose
84) African Paradise Flycatcher
85) Ring-necked Dove
86) Red-rumped Swallow
87) Hadada Ibis
88) White-headed Barbet
89) White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher
90) Red-billed Firefinch
91) Baglafecht weaver
92) Olive Thrush

Drive from Nairobi (+lunch stop) :
93) Long-tailed Fiscal
94) Village Weaver
95) White-rumped Swift
96) Variable Sunbird
97) Cape Crow

12) Rock Hyrax
13) Common Zebra
14) Wildebeest

In Hell's Gate National Park:

98) Grey-crowned Crane
99) Schalow's Wheatear
100) Helmeted Guineafowl
101) Greater Blue-eared Glossy-starling
102) Northern Anteater Chat
103) Ruppel's Griffon Vulture
104) White-backed Vulture
105) Tawny Eagle
106) Augur Buzzard
107) Grey-crested Helmetshrike
108) Black-headed Oriole
109) Common Drongo
110) Red-billed Oxpecker
111) (Northern) Kori Bustard
112) Red-winged Starling

15) Olive Baboon
16) Eland
17) Grant's Gazelle
18) Coke's Hartebeest
19) Impala
20) Thomson's Gazelle
21) Warthog
22) Defassa Waterbuck
23) Cape Buffalo

And I also have a few birds that I need to ID which I will upload pictures of to the gallery when I can.

And this will probably be my last update for a few days since I'm heading into the middle of nowhere with no internet access.
Click to expand...

Somehow missed a mammal from Hell's Gate:

24) Black-backed Jackal
 
So surprising myself even, I realize I have a good chunk of critters hahaha:
Mammals (3 Species)
1. California Ground Squirrel Otospermophilus beecheyi
2. Western Grey Squirrel Sciurus griseus
3. Black-tailed Jackrabbit Lepus californicus

Birds (33 Species)
1. Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
2. Northern Pintail Anas acuta
3. American Coot Fulica americana
4. Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
5. White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi
6. Great Egret Ardea alba
7. Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias
8. Canada Goose Branta canadensis
9. Cackling Goose Branta hutchinsii
10. Snow Goose Chen caerulescens
11. Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis
12. Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
13. Brewer's Blackbird Euphagus cyanocephalus
14. American Crow Corvus brachyrynchos
15. House Sparrow Passer domesticus
16. Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta
17. American Robin Turdus migratorius
18. Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo
19. Rock Dove Columba livia
20. Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
21. Western Scrub Jay Aphelocoma californica
22. Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
23. Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis
24. Red-shafted Flicker Colaptes auratesp
25. Acorn Woodpecker Melanerpes formicivorus
26. Killdeer Charadrius vociferus
27. Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
28. Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis
29. White-tailed Kite Elanus leucerus
30. American Kestrel Falco sparverius
 
savethelephant said:
Same with coyotes in North America but that doesn't make them any less interesting:p
Click to expand...

Coyotes are doubly so to me; there are only 2 or 3 individuals on this side of the pond, and they are all in Ukraine or Russia!

And of course, American Mink are vermin right here in the UK - yet I have never actually seen one and as such, considering my liking for small carnivores, would like to do so regardless of their status as invasive vermin :p
 
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Hix said:
Invertebrates
7. Banded Coral Shrimp
8. Christmas Tree Worms
9. Bennett's Featherstar
10. Redspotted Starfish
Click to expand...
Invertebrates
11. Yellow Nipper Crab
12. Ghost Crab
13. Horned Ghost Crab
14. Shingle Urchin
15. Black Sea Urchin
16. Christmas Island Paper Wasp
17. Pink-and-Black Sea Cucumber
18. Tawny Hermit Crab

Fish
206. Elegant Unicornfish
207. Peppered Moray
208. Blue Trevally
209. Reef-flat Cardinalfish
210. Ambon Toby

:p

Hix
 
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113 Golden-fronted Woodpecker - Melanerpes aurifrons
114 Common Raven - Corvus corax
115 Spotted Towhee - Pipilo maculatus
116 Western Scrub-Jay - Aphelocoma californica
117 Black-crested Titmouse - Baeolophus atricristatus
118 Lesser Goldfinch - Spinus psaltria
 
LaughingDove said:
Got to Nairobi earlier this afternoon and I haven't started the safari yet, but I have managed to see a few things anyway:

Drive from the airport to accommodation:
67) Hooded Crow
68) Yellow-billed Kite
69) Superb Starling
70) Little Swift
71) Marabou Stork
72) Cattle Egret
73) Sacred Ibis

In the grounds of my accommodation:
74) Speckled Mousebird
75) African Pied Wagtail
76) Common Bulbul
77) Common Fiscal
78) Cinnamon-Chested Bee-eater
79) African Grey Flycatcher
80) Bronze Sunbird (not completely sure on this. I have uploaded some pictures for an ID confirmation)
81) Red-eyed Dove
82) White-browed Robin-chat

11) Maasai Giraffe (seen in Nairobi National Park while driving past)
Click to expand...

Number 67 should, of course, be Pied Crow!
 
LaughingDove said:
Some more additions from today:

Seen in the morning in my accommodation in Nairobi:

83) Egyptian Goose
84) African Paradise Flycatcher
85) Ring-necked Dove
86) Red-rumped Swallow
87) Hadada Ibis
88) White-headed Barbet
89) White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher
90) Red-billed Firefinch
91) Baglafecht weaver
92) Olive Thrush

Drive from Nairobi (+lunch stop) :
93) Long-tailed Fiscal
94) Village Weaver
95) White-rumped Swift
96) Variable Sunbird
97) Cape Crow

12) Rock Hyrax
13) Common Zebra
14) Wildebeest

In Hell's Gate National Park:

98) Grey-crowned Crane
99) Schalow's Wheatear
100) Helmeted Guineafowl
101) Greater Blue-eared Glossy-starling
102) Northern Anteater Chat
103) Ruppel's Griffon Vulture
104) White-backed Vulture
105) Tawny Eagle
106) Augur Buzzard
107) Grey-crested Helmetshrike
108) Black-headed Oriole
109) Common Drongo
110) Red-billed Oxpecker
111) (Northern) Kori Bustard
112) Red-winged Starling

15) Olive Baboon
16) Eland
17) Grant's Gazelle
18) Coke's Hartebeest
19) Impala
20) Thomson's Gazelle
21) Warthog
22) Defassa Waterbuck
23) Cape Buffalo
24) Black-backed Jackal

And I also have a few birds that I need to ID which I will upload pictures of to the gallery when I can.

And this will probably be my last update for a few days since I'm heading into the middle of nowhere with no internet access.
Click to expand...

I am now back in Nairobi so I can now post an update:

Missed from Nairobi:
113) White-browed Sparrow-weaver

At Lake Naivasha:
114) White-fronted Bee-eater
115) Hamerkop
116) Blacksmith Plover
117) Yellow-billed Stork
118) Black-headed Heron
119) African Spoonbill
120) Spur-winged Lapwing
121) African Fish-eagle
122) Long-tailed Cormorant
123) Pied Kingfisher
124) Squacco Heron
125) Yellow-billed Egret
126) Little Egret
127) Giant Kingfisher
128) Red-knobbed Coot
129) Pink-backed Pelican
130) African Mourning Dove
131) Black-crowned Night-heron
132) Grey-headed Gull
133) White-winged Tern
134) Mottled Swift
135) Nyanza Swift (both swifts probably seen in Hell’s Gate National Park where they breed apparently, however only identified in Naivasha with the help of the boat guide)
136) Lesser Flamingo
137) African Jacana
138) Great White Pelican
139) Little Grebe
140) Speke’s Weaver
141) Green-backed Heron

25) Common Hippo


Drive from Naivasha to Maasai Mara:
142) White-naped Raven
143) Abdim’s Stork
144) White Stork
145) Barn Swallow
146) Spur-winged Goose


Dirt road of last 70kms to Maasai Mara:
147) Gabar Goshawk
148) Northern Wheatear
149) Grey-headed Sparrow
150) Lilac-breasted Roller
151) Purple Grenadier
152) D’arnaud’s Barbet
153) Holub’s Golden Weaver
154) Bataleur

In the Maasai Mara (including on camp) :
155) Scarlet-chested Sunbird
156) European Roller
157) White-winged Widowbird
158) Common Waxbill
159) African Wattled Plover
160) Yellow-billed Oxpecker
161) Secretary Bird
162) Von Der Decken’s Hornbill
163) Capped Wheatear
164) Brown Parrot
165) Sooty Chat
166) Jackson’s Widowbird
167) Martial Eagle
168) Wood Sandpiper
169) Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu
170) Crimson-rumped Waxbill
171) Yellow-throated Longclaw
172) Lappet-faced Vulture
173) Northern White-crowned Shrike
174) Grey-backed Fiscal
175) Red-collared Widowbird
176) Steppe Buzzard
177) Maasai Ostrich
178) Dark Chanting Goshawk
179) Ruppel’s Long-tailed Glossy-starling
180) Yellow Bishop
181) Little Bee-eater
182) Hildebrandt’s Starling
183) White-bellied Bustard
184) Pin-tailed Whydah
185) Bare-faced Go-away Bird
186) Violet-backed Starling
187) Black-bellied Bustard
188) Red-necked Spurfowl
189) Wire-tailed Swallow
190) African Grey Hornbill
191) Quail-finch
192) Fawn-coloured Lark
193) Emerald-spotted Wood-dove
194) Steppe Eagle
195) Greater Kestrel
196) Crested Guineafowl



1) Nile Crocodile


26) Topi
27) Lion
28) Cheetah
29) Vervet
30) Elephant
31) Spotted Hyaena
32) Dik-dik (is it Kirk's in the Maasai Mara?)


Drive Maasai Mara to Nakuru (including a 5 hour wait while the car was badly suck in mud):

197) Common Rock Thrush
198) Wahlberg's Eagle
199) African Wooly-necked Stork
200) Black-chested Snake-eagle

In Nakuru NP:

201) Long-crested Eagle
202) African Black Duck
203) Marsh Sandpiper
204) Greater Flamingo
205) Black-winged Stilt
206) African Darter
207) Spotted Redshank
208) Common Greenshank
209) Cardinal Woodpecker
210) Cliff Chat
211) Grey Wagtail
212) Great White Egret
213) Grey-headed Kingfisher
214) Hoopoe
215) Ruff
216) Red-billed Teal
217) Yellow-billed Duck
218) Red-throated Wryneck

33) Rothschild's Giraffe (do these count? I believe these were brought to Nakuru, but live wild. They are certainly not captive)
34) White Rhino (same as with giraffes)
 
laughingdove said:
32) Dik-dik (is it Kirk's in the Maasai Mara?)
Click to expand...

It should be.

And as for the Giraffe and Rhino, if they've been translocated and released then yes, they should be countable (I certainly would).

:p

Hix
 
LaughingDove said:
I am now back in Nairobi so I can now post an update:

Missed from Nairobi:
113) White-browed Sparrow-weaver

At Lake Naivasha:
114) White-fronted Bee-eater
115) Hamerkop
116) Blacksmith Plover
117) Yellow-billed Stork
118) Black-headed Heron
119) African Spoonbill
120) Spur-winged Lapwing
121) African Fish-eagle
122) Long-tailed Cormorant
123) Pied Kingfisher
124) Squacco Heron
125) Yellow-billed Egret
126) Little Egret
127) Giant Kingfisher
128) Red-knobbed Coot
129) Pink-backed Pelican
130) African Mourning Dove
131) Black-crowned Night-heron
132) Grey-headed Gull
133) White-winged Tern
134) Mottled Swift
135) Nyanza Swift (both swifts probably seen in Hell’s Gate National Park where they breed apparently, however only identified in Naivasha with the help of the boat guide)
136) Lesser Flamingo
137) African Jacana
138) Great White Pelican
139) Little Grebe
140) Speke’s Weaver
141) Green-backed Heron

25) Common Hippo


Drive from Naivasha to Maasai Mara:
142) White-naped Raven
143) Abdim’s Stork
144) White Stork
145) Barn Swallow
146) Spur-winged Goose


Dirt road of last 70kms to Maasai Mara:
147) Gabar Goshawk
148) Northern Wheatear
149) Grey-headed Sparrow
150) Lilac-breasted Roller
151) Purple Grenadier
152) D’arnaud’s Barbet
153) Holub’s Golden Weaver
154) Bataleur

In the Maasai Mara (including on camp) :
155) Scarlet-chested Sunbird
156) European Roller
157) White-winged Widowbird
158) Common Waxbill
159) African Wattled Plover
160) Yellow-billed Oxpecker
161) Secretary Bird
162) Von Der Decken’s Hornbill
163) Capped Wheatear
164) Brown Parrot
165) Sooty Chat
166) Jackson’s Widowbird
167) Martial Eagle
168) Wood Sandpiper
169) Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu
170) Crimson-rumped Waxbill
171) Yellow-throated Longclaw
172) Lappet-faced Vulture
173) Northern White-crowned Shrike
174) Grey-backed Fiscal
175) Red-collared Widowbird
176) Steppe Buzzard
177) Maasai Ostrich
178) Dark Chanting Goshawk
179) Ruppel’s Long-tailed Glossy-starling
180) Yellow Bishop
181) Little Bee-eater
182) Hildebrandt’s Starling
183) White-bellied Bustard
184) Pin-tailed Whydah
185) Bare-faced Go-away Bird
186) Violet-backed Starling
187) Black-bellied Bustard
188) Red-necked Spurfowl
189) Wire-tailed Swallow
190) African Grey Hornbill
191) Quail-finch
192) Fawn-coloured Lark
193) Emerald-spotted Wood-dove
194) Steppe Eagle
195) Greater Kestrel
196) Crested Guineafowl



1) Nile Crocodile


26) Topi
27) Lion
28) Cheetah
29) Vervet
30) Elephant
31) Spotted Hyaena
32) Dik-dik (is it Kirk's in the Maasai Mara?)


Drive Maasai Mara to Nakuru (including a 5 hour wait while the car was badly suck in mud):

197) Common Rock Thrush
198) Wahlberg's Eagle
199) African Wooly-necked Stork
200) Black-chested Snake-eagle

In Nakuru NP:

201) Long-crested Eagle
202) African Black Duck
203) Marsh Sandpiper
204) Greater Flamingo
205) Black-winged Stilt
206) African Darter
207) Spotted Redshank
208) Common Greenshank
209) Cardinal Woodpecker
210) Cliff Chat
211) Grey Wagtail
212) Great White Egret
213) Grey-headed Kingfisher
214) Hoopoe
215) Ruff
216) Red-billed Teal
217) Yellow-billed Duck
218) Red-throated Wryneck

33) Rothschild's Giraffe (do these count? I believe these were brought to Nakuru, but live wild. They are certainly not captive)
34) White Rhino (same as with giraffes)
Click to expand...

Species that have been IDed:

219) Grey-backed Camaroptera
220) Green-backed Camaroptera
221) Grassland Pipit
222) Common Sandpiper

2) Agama lionotus

Wild in Nairobi Safari Walk:

223) Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird
224) Amethyst Sunbird
225) Black Sparrowhawk
 
Back from Scotland with a very good haul of new species. The obvious omission is Capercaillie which have been very thin on the ground this year (our guide had only had two sightings). Expect a very similar list from Maguari in the near future!

107. Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis)
108. Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata)
109. Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris)
110. Eider (Somateria mollissima)
111. Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis)
112. Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa)
113. Red Grouse (Lagopus lagopus)
114. Ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) LIFER
115. Black Grouse (Tetrao tetrix)
116. Grey Partridge (Perdix perdix)
117. Black-throated Diver (Gavia arctica) LIFER
118. Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis)
119. White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) LIFER
120. Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)
121. Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) LIFER
122. Merlin (Falco columbarius)
123. Golden Plover (Pluvialis apricaria)
124. Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica)
125. Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima)
126. Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola)
127. Razorbill (Alca torda)
128. Guillemot (Uria aalge)
129. Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides)
130. Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus) LIFER
131. Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix)
132. Crested Tit (Lophophanes cristatus)
133. Skylark (Alauda arvensis)
134. Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus)
135. Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis)
136. Lesser Redpoll (Carduelis cabaret)
137. Common Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra)
138. Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis)
139. Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella)
 
Bit of a slow start, have only been keeping track since late January.

MAMMALS
1. Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus)
2. European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
3. European Hare (Lepus europaeus)

BIRDS
1. Short-toed Treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla)
2. Great Tit (Parus major)
3. Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula)
4. European Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
5. Common Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)
6. European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
7. House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
8. Common Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus)
9. Feral Pigeon (Columba livia)
10. Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
11. Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
12. White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)
13. Great White Egret (Ardea alba)
14. Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus)
15. Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiacus)
16. Canadian Goose (Branta canadensis)
17. Greylag Goose (Anser anser)
18. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
19. Gadwall (Anas strepera)
20. Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)
21. Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
22. Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra)
23. Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
24. Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
25. Eurasian Magpie (Pica pica)
26. Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)
27. Eurasian Jackdaw (Corvus monedula)
28. Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
29. European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)
30. Eurasian Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
31. Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)
 
robmv said:
Back from Scotland with a very good haul of new species. The obvious omission is Capercaillie which have been very thin on the ground this year (our guide had only had two sightings). Expect a very similar list from Maguari in the near future!
Click to expand...

I'm not sure which surprises me more; the fact that I picked up all five of your lifers from this batch long ago despite not being a birder in the slightest, or the fact that you had already seen Iceland Gull but not the significantly more-common Glaucous Gull!
 
LaughingDove said:
Species that have been IDed:

219) Grey-backed Camaroptera
220) Green-backed Camaroptera
221) Grassland Pipit
222) Common Sandpiper

2) Agama lionotus

Wild in Nairobi Safari Walk:

223) Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird
224) Amethyst Sunbird
225) Black Sparrowhawk
Click to expand...

From Nairobi National Park:

3) Green Mamba

226) Green-headed Sunbird
227) Zitting Cisticola
228) Red-billed Quelea
229) Speckled Pigeon
230) Whinchat
231) Black-shouldered Kite
232) Crowned Lapwing
233) Isabelline Wheatear
234) Red-backed Shrike
235) Eurasian Bee-eater
236) Tawny-flanked Prinia
237) White-bellied Go-away
238) Northern Pied Babbler


35) Striped Ground Squirrel


I am posting this from Dubai airport on my way back to Warsaw, so this will be my last lot of Kenyan birds for this year, apart from some pictures that I need to ID and some things that I may have missed off.
 
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119 Osprey - Pandion haliaetus
120 White-tailed Hawk - Geranoaetus albicaudatus
121 Crested Caracara - Caracara cheriway
122 Vermilion Flycatcher - Pyrocephalus rubinus
123 Sandhill Crane - Grus canadensis
124 Anhinga - Anhinga anhinga
125 Greater Pewee - Contopus pertinax
126 Blue-headed Vireo - Vireo solitarius
127 Wilson's Warbler - Cardellina pusilla
128 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck - Dendrocygna autumnalis
129 Least Grebe - Tachybaptus dominicus
130 Brown Pelican - Pelecanus occidentalis
131 Snowy Egret - Egretta thula
132 Sora - Porzana carolina
133 Whooping Crane - Grus americana
134 Black-bellied Plover - Pluvialis squatarola
135 Long-billed Curlew - Numenius americanus
136 Marbled Godwit - Limosa fedoa
137 Herring Gull - Larus argentatus
138 Caspian Tern - Hydroprogne caspia
139 Royal Tern - Thalasseus maximus
140 Palm Warbler - Setophaga palmarum
141 Merlin - Falco columbarius
 
LaughingDove said:
From Nairobi National Park:

3) Green Mamba

226) Green-headed Sunbird
227) Zitting Cisticola
228) Red-billed Quelea
229) Speckled Pigeon
230) Whinchat
231) Black-shouldered Kite
232) Crowned Lapwing
233) Isabelline Wheatear
234) Red-backed Shrike
235) Eurasian Bee-eater
236) Tawny-flanked Prinia
237) White-bellied Go-away
238) Northern Pied Babbler


35) Reticulated Giraffe (I originally counted these as Maasai when I saw them briefly on the first day, however it turns out they are Reticulated. I have however seen actual Maasai Giraffes in the Maasai Mara)
36) Striped Ground Squirrel


I am posting this from Dubai airport on my way back to Warsaw, so this will be my last lot of Kenyan birds for this year, apart from some pictures that I need to ID and some things that I may have missed off.
Click to expand...

A couple of things that I have managed to ID:

36) Wahlberg's Epauletted Fruit Bat
38) Ochre Bush Squirrel (just judging by the distribution on these, and I *think* they're the only tree squirrels in Nairobi. I have uploaded some pictures if anyone wants to confirm)

239) White-browed Scrub-robin
 
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