ZooChat Big Year 2018

First wild animal of 2018, outside my window this mourning:

Birds
1. Black-Capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus
 
birdsandbats said:
First wild animal of 2018, outside my window this mourning:

Birds
1. Black-Capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus
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And now, half an hour later, I have my second animal, also from outside my window:

Birds
2. American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos

Kind of slow so far today, but I am going birdwatching soon, so I hope that will change.
 
Birds
13. European Goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis
14. Black-headed Gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus
 
Had a pretty good first day of birding - saw one more species than I did on the 1st January last year. Also got two mammals and one surprising early insect:

1. European blackbird Turdus merula
2. Black-headed gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
3. European magpie Pica pica
4. Carrion crow Corvus corone
5. Great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
6. Woodpigeon Columba palumbus
7. Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
8. Blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus
9. European robin Erithacus rubecula
10. Long-tailed tit Aegithalos caudatus
11. Coal tit Periparus ater
12. House sparrow Passer domesticus
13. Great tit Parus major
14. Green woodpecker Picus viridis
15. Common chaffinch Fringilla coelebs
16. Eurasian sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus
17. Fieldfare Turdus pilaris
18. Dunnock Prunella modularis
19. Song thrush Turdus philomelos
20. Eurasian jay Garrulus glandarius
21. European goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
22. Red-legged partridge Alectoris rufa
23. Common pheasant Phasianus colchicus
24. Stock dove Columba oenas
25. Collared dove Streptopelia decaocto
26. Rook Corvus frugilegus
27. Common kestrel Falco tinnunculus
28. Tufted duck Aythya fuligula
29. Eurasian coot Fulica atra
30. Common moorhen Gallinula chloropus
31. Redwing Turdus iliacus (NT)
32. Eurasian wren Troglodytes troglodytes
33. Canada goose Branta canadensis
34. Greylag goose Anser anser
35. Mute swan Cygnus olor
36. Common starling Sturnus vulgaris
37. Western jackdaw Coloeus monedula
38. European herring gull Larus argentatus
39. Lesser black-backed gull Larus fuscus
40. Common buzzard Buteo buteo
41. Great spotted woodpecker Dendrocopos major
42. Little egret Egretta garzetta
43. Grey heron Ardea cinerea

1. Eastern grey squirrel Sciurus carolinensis
2. European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus (NT)

1. Buff-tailed bumblebee Bombus terrestris
 
Gentle start from birds outside the window and a wander around a local park - group of five Goosander the standout.

1. Black-headed Gull - Chroicocephalus ridibundus
2. Common Wood Pigeon - Columa palumbus
3. House Sparrow - Passer domesticus
4. European Blue Tit - Cyanistes caeruleus
5. European Robin - Erithacus rubecula
6. European Magpie - Pica pica
7. European Blackbird - Turdus merula merula
8. European Goldfinch - Carduelis carduelis
9. Rook - Corvus frugilegus
10. Western Jackdaw - Coloeus monedula
11. Eurasian Collared Dove - Streptopelia decaocto
12. Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos
13. European Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus
14. Greater Canada Goose - Branta canadensis
15. European Coot - Fulica atra
16. Goosander - Mergus merganser
17. Mute Swan - Cygnus olor
18. Carrion Crow - Corvus corone
19. European Herring Gull - Larus argentatus
20. Great Tit - Parus major
21. Great Cormorant - Phalacrocorax carbo

Birding in earnest will start on Wednesday. :)
 
Chlidonias said:
That isn't a question which has come up before. I would say no.
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Arguably if the fish is released in your presence you could probably count it (on the 'bird-ringing' principle).

If it's kept as take-home then I would say not, as you've only seen it in 'captivity'.
 
birdsandbats said:
Since this will be my first new year on Zoochat, I will participate this year. Today is Saturday in my part of the world, (a few more days to the New Year!), and got my lifer Rough-Legged Hawk today!

Here is a little bit about the classification systems I will be using:

Mammals - I don't know of any good mammal checklists, so I will be counting mammals the way I learned their taxonomy (except for some splits and lumps that I think make sents.)

Birds - I will be using Clemont's Checklist of Birds of the World (common names may vary a bit.)

Herptiles - Same as mammals.

Fish - Again same as mammals and herpitiles, but one question, Do species cough on hook and line count for the total?

Inverts - I can't ID them very well, but the few I can I will be counting.
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For mammals I use Handbook of the Mammals of the World where applicable.

For other groups:

Birds - IOC - IOC World Bird List (though I do also use the occasional variation common name!)
Reptiles - Reptile Database - THE REPTILE DATABASE
Amphibians - AmphibiaWeb - AmphibiaWeb
Fish - FishBase - Search FishBase
Invertebrates - the field guide or ID resource used

:)
 
Starting off with birds from my garden (and around) :P :

BIRDS
1) Barbary dove (Streptopelia risoria)
2) Yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis)
3) Feral pigeon (Columba livia domestica)
4) Spotless starling (Sturnus unicolor)
5) Common sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Weirdly no magpies yet...
 
I started the year with a tour around some reliable local spots:

1. Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
2. Greylag Goose (Anser anser)
3. Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
4. Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)
5. Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata)
6. Shoveler (Spatula clypeata)
7. Gadwall (Mareca strepera)
8. Wigeon (Mareca penelope)
9. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
10. Teal (Anas crecca)
11. Pochard (Aythya ferina)
12. Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)
13. Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)
14. Goosander (Mergus merganser)
15. Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
16. Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus)
17. Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
18. Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
19. Red Kite (Milvus milvus)
20. Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
21. Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
22. Coot (Fulica atra)
23. Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
24. Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
25. Common Gull (Larus canus)
26. Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)
27. Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus)
28. Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus)
29. Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
30. Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
31. Peregrine (Falco peregrinus)
32. Jay (Garrulus glandarius)
33. Magpie (Pica pica)
34. Jackdaw (Coloeus monedula)
35. Rook (Corvus frugilegus)
36. Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)
37. Raven (Corvus corax)
38. Coal Tit (Periparus ater)
39. Marsh Tit (Poecile palustris)
40. Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)
41. Great Tit (Parus major)
42. Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus)
43. Goldcrest (Regulus regulus)
44. Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
45. Nuthatch (Sitta europaea)
46. Treecreeper (Certhia familiaris)
47. Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
48. Blackbird (Turdus merula)
49. Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos)
50. Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
51. House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
52. Dunnock (Prunella modularis)
53. Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)
54. Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes)
55. Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)
56. Greenfinch (Chloris chloris)
57. Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
58. Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella)
59. Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus)
 
birdsandbats said:
And now, half an hour later, I have my second animal, also from outside my window:

Birds
2. American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos

Kind of slow so far today, but I am going birdwatching soon, so I hope that will change.
Click to expand...
Went birdwatching at several local nature preserves that are usually reliable. However, I didn't see as much as I hoped.

Birds
3. American Goldfinch Spinus tristis
4. Red-Tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis
5. Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula
6. Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus
7. Herring Gull Larus argentatus
8. Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii
9. Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
10. Dark-Eyed Junco Junco hyemalis

Mammals
1. Eastern Gray Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis
2. White-Tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus
3. Meadow Vole Microtus pennsylvanicus

Weird, I have a duck on my list, but not a Mallard.

[EDIT: Looks like I am winning mammals so far!]
 
After reaching 200 birds in 2017 my goal for this year will be 225 species. I may of may not go abroad a few times this year and I may or may not have opportunities for serious birding if I go. So my goal can turn out to be very easy or very challenging and everything in between. I use the list from Observation.org/Obsmapp, which is very easy to use but accepts some more or less "controversial" splits when it comes to waterfowl (both on genus and species level).

Today I had to work so no real birding for me, but working outside meant I could pick up some common species.

Birds
1. Great tit [Parus major]
2. Common chaffinch [Fringilla coelebs]
3. Eurasian collared dove [Streptopelia decaocto]
4. Common blackbird [Turdus merula]
5. House sparrow [Passer domesticus]
6. Common wood pigeon [Columba palumbus]
7. Western jackdaw [Coloeus monedula]
8. Eurasian magpie [Pica pica]
9. Carrion crow [Corvus corone]
10. Common buzzard [Buteo buteo]
11. Black-headed gull [Chroicocephalus ridibundus]
12. Common starling [Sturnus vulgaris]
13. Great spotted woodpecker [Dendrocopos major]
14. European goldfinch [Carduelis carduelis]

 
Moorish said:
I saw all of these species while diving in Bonaire in March.
I can remember them because my dive guide took photos of every species we saw.
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Either you have posted in the wrong thread and intended to post in the 2017 thread, or you are a time traveller from the future :p which is it?
 
TeaLovingDave said:
Either you have posted in the wrong thread and intended to post in the 2017 thread, or you are a time traveller from the future :p which is it?
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Sorry, I think I got confused. Are you supposed to name species you saw in 2017 or intend to see in 2018? Or something else? Im new to the concept of Big Year posts.
 
You are supposed to name species you *have* seen - so in this thread people are posting those few species they have seen in 2018 thus far, whilst in the 2017 thread they posted the species seen in that year.
 
TeaLovingDave said:
You are supposed to name species you *have* seen - so in this thread people are posting those few species they have seen in 2018 thus far, whilst in the 2017 thread they posted the species seen in that year.
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Ohhh, I see. Thank you.
 
An addition seen in a bathroom today:

Inverts
1. Long-Bodied Cellar Spider Pholcus phalangioides

Do species seen caught in a live trap count? Because if they do, I have one more mammal.
 
birdsandbats said:
An addition seen in a bathroom today:

Inverts
1. Long-Bodied Cellar Spider Pholcus phalangioides

Do species seen caught in a live trap count? Because if they do, I have one more mammal.
Click to expand...
Big-time mammal-watchers get most of their species by trapping. I personally don't trap mammals simply to see them (I'm just a small-time mammal-watcher). But yes they can count.
 
Chlidonias said:
Big-time mammal-watchers get most of their species by trapping. I personally don't trap mammals simply to see them (I'm just a small-time mammal-watcher). But yes they can count.
Click to expand...
In that case...

Mammals
4. North American Deer Mouse Peromyscus maniculatus

I am not a big-time mammal watcher either, but I just live traped 3 of these in my house.
 
Well, today was pretty pitiful. I might go birding sometime soon, but a) I’m not good at it and b) it’s really cold here right now. Anyways, I decided to participate this year, and I do have a fun trip planned...

Mammals:
1. Eastern grey squirrel Sciurus carolinensis carolinensis
 
I have decided to also participate this year, as I think this year's travels could give me some hefty counts... alas, today was even worse for me than Jay, as I have not left my apartment and thus have seen nothing.

There's always tomorrow, I guess.
 
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