ZooChat Big Year 2016

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The rest of the new species from a week in Afar.

325. Chestnut weaver
326. Somali fiscal
327. Arabian bustard
328. Somali ostrich
329. Straw-tailed whydah
330. Lappet-faced vulture
331. Nile-valley sunbird
332. Black-billed barbet
333. White-bellied bustard
334. Rueppel’s weaver

Mammals

43. Soemmerings gazelle
44. Beisa oryx

Now a week of meetings in Adama, so I do not expect much new...

335. White-eyed slaty flycatcher
336. African dusky flycatcher
337. Abyssinian white-eye
338. Little sparrowhawk
339. Eastern plantain eater
340. Shining sunbird
341. Yellow-throated sandgrouse



Mammals

45. Greater kudu


The slaty flycatcher I had already seen on my first day in Nairobi, but it is missing from the list.
 
A few additions this morning:

397) Eastern Reef Egret
398) Caspian Tern
399) Osprey

Does anyone know the taxonomic status of the Australian Great Cormorant? Is it a valid split?

Still not got any White-faced Herons or Cuckooshrikes which should both be really common around here.

My first day in Queensland didn't have as many additions as would be expected due to unforeseen circumstances about public transport cutting out birding time.

Anyway, some additions from in and the bushland/mangroves around David Fleay Wildlife Park:

400) Spotted Dove
401) Crested Pigeon
402) Torresian Crow
403) Pied Currawong
404) Australian Brush Turkey
405) Noisy Miner
406) Azure Kingfisher
407) Plumed Whistling Duck
(I thought these were part of the Zoo's collection at first until some flew off)
408) Royal Spoonbill
409) Brahminy Kite
410) Lewin's Honeyeater
411) Mangrove Gerygone
412) Little Wattlebird
 
Sunshine and showers at Padley Gorge this morning, but in the wake of the storms when the brightness came through the wildlife put on a pretty decent show, and I got two new year birds and two butterflies. Both birds are ones I missed out on last year, too (despite numerous trips to this site looking for them!).

Birds:
319. Common Redstart - Phoenicurus phoenicurus
320. European Pied Flycatcher - Ficedula hypoleuca

Invertebrates:
55. Small Heath - Coenonympha pamphilus
56. Painted Lady - Vanessa cardui

:)
 
402) Torresian Crow
411) Mangrove Gerygone

Are you sure about these? Australian Raven and Brown Gerygone are probably more likely candidates, and are almost identical.

:p

Hix
 
Fish
269. Manta Ray
270. Green Queenfish
271. Lunar Fusilier

272. Three-spot Angelfish
273. Mackerel Tuna
274. Bigeye Trevally
275. Pastel Slender Wrasse

:p

Hix
 
Are you sure about these? Australian Raven and Brown Gerygone are probably more likely candidates, and are almost identical.
Torresian crow is the most common species in the Gold Coast/Brisbane area.
 
Are you sure about these? Australian Raven and Brown Gerygone are probably more likely candidates, and are almost identical.

:p

Hix

I'm pretty sure about them. (as Chli says, Torresian is the more common one anyway)
The Gerygone was in its ideal habitat according to my field guide ('narrow strip of Mangroves around most of N and E Aust') and it says 'common within core habitat'. It also had a very nice call which at the time I thought fitted mangrove better than brown, however I can't really remember the call clearly.
(Brown Gerygone would be a year bird, and a lifer too anyway)
 
My first day in Queensland didn't have as many additions as would be expected due to unforeseen circumstances about public transport cutting out birding time.

Anyway, some additions from in and the bushland/mangroves around David Fleay Wildlife Park:

400) Spotted Dove
401) Crested Pigeon
402) Torresian Crow
403) Pied Currawong
404) Australian Brush Turkey
405) Noisy Miner
406) Azure Kingfisher
407) Plumed Whistling Duck
(I thought these were part of the Zoo's collection at first until some flew off)
408) Royal Spoonbill
409) Brahminy Kite
410) Lewin's Honeyeater
411) Mangrove Gerygone
412) Little Wattlebird

A few updates from in Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary including their 'forest walk' through an area of bushland:

413) Scaly-breasted Lorikeet
414) Brown Cuckoo-dove
415) Little Lorikeet
416) Bar-shouldered Dove
417) Pied Butcherbird
418) Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

Now that I have seen them in person, I have decided that I will count the Eastern Australian Purple Swamphen (P. (p.) melanotus) separately from the Western Australian (P. (p.) bellus) as they do look quite different, more than seems from illustrations.
419) Eastern Australian Purple Swamphen

I will not be counting the Australian Great Cormorants (as mentioned a few days ago) as they look near-identical to the European ones I have already counted.
 
Torresian crow is the most common species in the Gold Coast/Brisbane area.

Something I was unaware of. Good to know!

Laughing Dove said:
I'm pretty sure about them. (as Chli says, Torresian is the more common one anyway)
The Gerygone was in its ideal habitat according to my field guide ... and it says 'common within core habitat'. It also had a very nice call which at the time I thought fitted mangrove better than brown, however I can't really remember the call clearly.

Fair enough.

:p

Hix
 
A few updates from in Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary including their 'forest walk' through an area of bushland:

413) Scaly-breasted Lorikeet
414) Brown Cuckoo-dove
415) Little Lorikeet
416) Bar-shouldered Dove
417) Pied Butcherbird
418) Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

Now that I have seen them in person, I have decided that I will count the Eastern Australian Purple Swamphen (P. (p.) melanotus) separately from the Western Australian (P. (p.) bellus) as they do look quite different, more than seems from illustrations.
419) Eastern Australian Purple Swamphen

I will not be counting the Australian Great Cormorants (as mentioned a few days ago) as they look near-identical to the European ones I have already counted.

Only a small number of additions today:

420) Masked Lapwing
421) Kelp Gull
422) Wedge-tailed Shearwater


Tomorrow I am going to Lamington National Park
 
335. White-eyed slaty flycatcher
336. African dusky flycatcher
337. Abyssinian white-eye
338. Little sparrowhawk
339. Eastern plantain eater
340. Shining sunbird
341. Yellow-throated sandgrouse



Mammals

45. Greater kudu


The slaty flycatcher I had already seen on my first day in Nairobi, but it is missing from the list.


342. Variable sunbird
343. Red-collared widowbird
344. Harlequin quail
345. Somali crow
346. Rueppels robin-chat
347. White-rumped babbler

348. Black-crowned tschagra
349. Blue-spotted wood dove
350. White-winged cliff chat
351. Blue-breasted bee-eater


Mammals:
46. Abyssinian rock hyrax

Now I started working in the Ethiopian highlands, I am finally able to add some of the Ethiopian endemics :)
 
Only a small number of additions today:

420) Masked Lapwing
421) Kelp Gull
422) Wedge-tailed Shearwater


Tomorrow I am going to Lamington National Park

One final bird from Gold Coast, perched on the balcony of my hotel room just 10 minutes before I go downstairs to check out :p

423) Blue-faced Honeyeater
 
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One final bird from Gold Coast, perched on the balcony of my hotel room just 10 minutes before I go downstairs to check out :p

423) Blue-faced Honeyeater

So far have had two days in Lamington National Park as I arrived fairly early yesterday morning. The accommodation where I am staying (O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat) has bird/wildlife guides who have been great for giving advice on where to see things and what things are.

424) Magpie Goose (saw these in Currumbin and thought they were captive, but I now think they may have been wild after seeing loads in fields on the drive up)
425) Spangled Drongo
426) Red-browed Finch
427) Lewin's Honeyeater
428) Eastern Yellow Robin
429) White-headed Pigeon
430) Regent Bowerbird
431) King Parrot
432) Eastern Spinebill
434) Logrunner
435) Eastern Whipbird
436) White-browed Scrubwren
437) Crimson Rosella
438) White-throated Treecreeper
439) Brown Thornbill
440) Large-billed Scrubwren
441) Brown Gerygone
442) Green Catbird
443) Albert's Lyrebird (so far only one very poor view deep in the dense vegatation, a good view and maybe a picture is (one of) tomorrow's main target)
444) Russet-tailed Thrush
445) Yellow-browed Scrubwren
446) Grey Shrike-thrush
447) Satin Bowerbird
448) Superb Fairy-wren
449) Paradise Riflebird
450) Rufous Scrub-bird
451) Topknot Pigeon
452) Fan-tailed Cuckoo
453) Pale-yellow Robin
455) Grey Goshawk

456) Southern Boobook

42) Red-necked Pademelon
43) Red-legged Pademelon
44) Common Ringtail Possum
45) Short-eared Brushtail Possum
(both the all-black and grey with yellow belly forms, I thought these would be much more difficult to find but they feed them at O'Reilly's!)
46) Brown Antechinus
47) Long-nosed Bandicoot
48) White-striped Freetail Bat


I have one more full day in Lamington tomorrow and I leave to go to Brisbane the morning of the next day. Not sure how many more new additions I will get though, as I have already got most of the stuff I was hoping for! :p The wildlife guides have proved very useful. I have lots of pictures but I will probably not upload any until I get back to Perth.
 
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