ZooChat Big Year 2018

Birds (passerines)
276. Crimson Chat

Birds
277. Common Kestrel
278. Common Buzzard
279. Carrion Crow
280. Eurasian Magpie
281. Common Wood Pigeon
282. European Robin
283. Eurasian Bullfinch
284. Great Tit
285. Common Blackbird
286. Grey Heron
287. Common Chaffinch
 
Went to Crocoparc Agadir today, and along with the nice Madagascar nile crocodiles and Central American green iguanas kept; I can add a few additions to my list including an unfortunately invasive fish.

BIRDS:
66 - Common moorhen, Gallinula chloropus

HERPS:
3 - Sahara frog, Pelophylax saharicus

FISH:
1 - Western mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis

EDIT:

Forgot one species I saw last week that someone identified for me:

INVERTEBRATES:

11 - Stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans

The 3 insects were identified (and I uploaded one to be identified in the gallery) by an entomologist friend and are from my garden, the bird is from yesterday at my regular birding spot where I also missed an Egyptian mongoose. :(

BIRDS:
67 - Fulvous babbler, Turdoides fulva

INVERTEBRATES:
12 - American cockroach, Periplaneta americana
13 - German cockroach, Blattella germanica (probably saw this one before but I can't be sure since my invertebrate identification skills are limited)
14 - Firebug, Pyrrhocoris apterus
 
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Birds:
73. Black-faced Cuckooshrike (Coracina novaehollandiae)
74. Australian Darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae)

Invertabrates:
10. St Andrew's Cross Spider (Argiope keyserlingi)
 
I know this is a long post. See it more like a one-post travel blog than a regular Big Year post.

I've been to France. Again. This time it was the very south, again on a field excursion. Along the way, the first lifers were seen from the bus. We spend the first days near the coast, and during the excursions and afterwards I was able to note down a surprising list of Mediterranean species. Highlights include the Great spotted cuckoo and shearwaters who's identity never became completely clear (either Cory's or Scopoli's). Being in a region I had never been before meant a lot of species were lifers.

As we proceeded to higher terrain the mountainous species started to appear. Crag martins and serins were everywhere. During trips to Andorra and various French mountains and valleys, I was able to add a few species that rarely occur in the lowlands. I hardly ever dreamed to see these species, and the absolute highlight was a Lammergeier flying right over our heads. That species had become almost mythical to us, and proved elusive until the very last days. The number of raptors was absolutely unbelievable. Daily totals like 5 eagles and 10 vultures plus a fair number of buzzards, kites and falcons were not rare at all.

Naturally I was keen to see some mountain mammals, and it was only in the last days that my target species, the chamois, was seen. Reptiles and frogs were often left unidentified, but I was still able to add 4 species to my life list. The invert list is a mix of distinctive species I identified myself, as well a few more difficult ones identified by people more knowledgeable than me. I’ve also a list of about 130 plant species I saw, which is a little beyond the scope of this thread. In case anyone is interested (although I doubt it), the highlights include Anacamptis coriophora, Gentiana verna, Adonis pyrenaica and Erodium glandulosum.

So, without further ado:

Birds
182. Short-toed snake eagle [Circaetus gallicus]

183. Black kite [Milvus migrans]
184. Glossy ibis [Plegadis falcinellus]
185. European roller [Coracias garrulus]

186. Griffon vulture [Gyps fulvus]
187. Pallid swift [Apus pallidus]
188. Spotless starling [Sturnus unicolor]
189. Eurasian hoopoe [Upupa epops]
190. Crested lark [Galerida cristata]
191. Sardinian warbler [Sylvia melanocephala]
192. Little tern [Sternula albiforns]
193. European serin [Serinus serinus]

194. Tawny pipit [Anthus campestris]
195. Black stork [Ciconia nigra]
196. Little egret [Egretta garzetta]
197. Great spotted cuckoo [Clamator glandarius]
198. Alpine swift [Tachymarptis melba]
199. Red-billed chough [Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax]

200. Eurasian crag martin [Ptyonoprogne rupestris]
201. Subalpine warbler [Sylvia cantillans]
202. Melodious warbler [Hippolais polyglotta]
203. Eurasian golden oriole [Oriolus oriolus]

204. Red crossbill [Loxia curvirostra]
205. Citril finch [Carduelis citrinella]
206. Common rock thrush [Monticola saxatilis]
207. Yellow-billed chough [Pyrrhocorax graculus]

208. Golden eagle [Aquila chrysaetos]
209. Lammergeier [Gypaetus barbatus]

Mammals
14. Alpine marmot [Marmota marmota]
15. Pyrenean chamois [Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica]*


Herptiles
8. Iberian wall lizard [Podarcis hispanicus]
9. Moorish wall gecko [Tarentola mauritanica]
10. Agile frog [Rana dalmatina]
11. Mediterranean painted frog [Discoglossus pictus]


Invertebrates
112. Marbled white [Melanargia galathea]
113. Red-veined darter [Sympetrum fonscolombii]
114. Wall brown [Lasiommata megera]
115. Old World swallowtail [Papilio machaon]
116. Egyptian locust [Anacridium aegyptium]
117. Bath white [Pontia daplidice]
118. Ruddy darter [Sympetrum sanguineum]
119. Spurge hawk-moth [Hyles euphorbiae]
120. Iberian marbled white [Melanagria lachesis]
121. White Featherleg [Platycnemis latipes]
122. Azure damselfly [Coenagrion puella]
123. European mantis [Mantis religiosa]
124. Scarabaeid beetle [Hoplia coerulea]

125. Seven-spotted ladybird [Coccinella septempunctata]
126. Leopard moth [Zeuzera pyrina]
127. Wasp beetle [Clytus arietis]
128. Violet copper [Lycaena helle]
129. Small copper [Lycaena phlaeas]
130. Large pincertail [Onychogomphus uncatus]
131. Orange featherleg [Platycnemis acutipennis]
132. Southern white admiral [Limenitis reducta]
133. Southern skimmer [Orthetrum brunneum]
134. Beautiful demoiselle [Calopteryx virgo]
135. Cleopatra [Gonepteryx cleopatra]
136. Hummingbird hawk-moth [Macroglossum stellatarum]
137. Black-veined white [Aporia crataegi]
138. Wood white [Leptidae sinapis]
139. Tawny-barred angle [Macaria liturata]
140. Four-spotted chaser [Libellula quadrimaculata]
141. Scarce swallowtail [Iphiclides podalirius]
142. Provence orange tip [Anthocharis euphenoides]
143. European rhinoceros beetle [Oryctes nasicornis]
144. Sloe bug [Dolycoris baccarum]
145. Silver Y [Autographa gamma]
146. Owly sulphur [Libelloides coccajus]
147. Adonis blue [Polyommatus bellargus]
148. Clouded yellow [Colias croceus]
149. Apollo [Parnassius Apollo]
150. Clouded Apollo [Parnassius mnemosyne]
151. Osiris blue [Cupido osiris]
152. Red-underwing skipper [Spialia Sertorius]

153. Garden chafer [Phyllopertha horticola]

I think I stand a decent chance to reach the top 3 with inverts.

* I shall wait for @lintworm to cover the chamois before elevating the subspecies to species level. :p
 
The 3 insects were identified (and I uploaded one to be identified in the gallery) by an entomologist friend and are from my garden, the bird is from yesterday at my regular birding spot where I also missed an Egyptian mongoose. :(

BIRDS:
67 - Fulvous babbler, Turdoides fulva

INVERTEBRATES:
12 - American cockroach, Periplaneta americana
13 - German cockroach, Blattella germanica (probably saw this one before but I can't be sure since my invertebrate identification skills are limited)
14 - Firebug, Pyrrhocoris apterus

It has been a while I haven't been to Souss Massa National Park and clearly I should get back as soon as possible, I only had an hour or so in the park (and its surroundings) today but what a wonderful day it was! All the species excluding the Little egret and the butterfly are from the park.

MAMMALS:
2 - Red fox, Vulpes vulpes

BIRDS:
68 - Little owl, Athene noctua
69 - European serin, Serinus serinus
70 - Moroccan great cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo maroccanus
71 - Common redshank, Tringa totanus
72 - Common ringed plover, Charadrius hiaticula

73 - Eurasian curlew, Numenius arquata
74 - Audouin's gull, Ichthyaetus audouinii
75 - Northern bald ibis, Geronticus eremita
76 - Eurasian skylark, Alauda arvensis
77 - Little egret, Egretta garzetta

INVERTEBRATES:
15 - Clouded yellow, Colias croceus

So to summarize, my first plover species ever (or at least the first one I can remember of :p ), a nearly endemic critically endangered species (of which I'll probably upload some pictures of); 2 lifers and a few other animals to identify still (mainly crabs).
 
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Mammals
63. Black Flying-fox (Pteropus alecto)


Birds
277. Common Kestrel
278. Common Buzzard
279. Carrion Crow
280. Eurasian Magpie
281. Common Wood Pigeon
282. European Robin
283. Eurasian Bullfinch
284. Great Tit
285. Common Blackbird
286. Grey Heron
287. Common Chaffinch
Mammals
64. Coypu (Myocastor coypus)

Birds
288. Common Swift
289. Black-headed Gull
290. Mallard
291. Western Jackdaw
292. Common Moorhen
293. Canada Goose
294. Greylag Goose
295. Egyptian Goose
296. Mandarin Duck
 
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Birds
277. Common Kestrel
278. Common Buzzard
279. Carrion Crow
280. Eurasian Magpie
281. Common Wood Pigeon
282. European Robin
283. Eurasian Bullfinch
284. Great Tit
285. Common Blackbird
286. Grey Heron
287. Common Chaffinch
Mammals
64. Coypu (Myocastor coypus)

Birds
288. Common Swift
289. Black-headed Gull
290. Mallard
291. Western Jackdaw
292. Common Moorhen
293. Canada Goose
294. Greylag Goose
295. Egyptian Goose
296. Mandarin Duck
These seem more like German lists than Australian lists...
 
A few new ones courtesy of an evening at one of my favourite local spots, Cromford Canal:

Mammals:
24. Eurasian Water Vole - Arvicola amphibious

Fishes:
2. Northern Pike - Esox Lucius

Invertebrates:
59. Meadow Brown - Manolia jurtina

:)
 
Herptiles
8. Iberian wall lizard [Podarcis hispanicus]
9. Moorish wall gecko [Tarentola mauritanica]
10. Agile frog [Rana dalmatina]
11. Mediterranean painted frog [Discoglossus pictus]
I had you on 6 herptiles before (1 reptile, 5 amphibians) - did you forget to list number 7 somewhere?

I think I stand a decent chance to reach the top 3 with inverts.
Top three for invertebrates as of right now:

Mr. Zootycoon – 153
Maguari – 59
DesertRhino150 – 50
 
These seem more like German lists than Australian lists...
Yeah, I wanted to join the multiple continents club.
(Just went back for a week for my sisters wedding.)

Though it looks like my July plans for Aus are going to ****, so it don’t really matter anymore anyway.
 
From Five Nights at Danum Valley:

New birds:

(Note: I need to cross-check this list, as well as previous lists, with my notebooks for any species that I may have missed off as well as any that I have absent-mindedly double-listed. There are likely to be a few of each category so the total may adjust very slightly up or down)

469) Rufous-tailed Shama
470) Helmeted Hornbill
471) Whiskered Treeswift
472) Grested Goshawk
473) Spotted Fantail
474) Blue-rumped Parrot
475) Bornean Crested Fireback
476) Chestnut-bellied Malkoha
477) Bornean Wren-babbler
478) Great Slaty Woodpecker
479) Rufous Piculet
480) Bar-bellied Cuckooshrike
481) Rufous-fronted Babbler
482) White-necked Babbler
483) Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher
484) Chestnut-naped Forktail
485) Banded Broadbill
486) Dark-throated Oriole
488) Scarlet-rumped Trogon
489) Blue-crowned Pitta
490) Maroon-chested Philentoma
491) Moustached Hawk Cuckoo
492) Malaysian Honeyguide
493) Red Throated Barbet

494) Dusky Broadbill


Mammals:
84) Sambar
85) Thomas’ Giant Flying Squirrel
86) Bornean Yellow Muntjac
87) Bornean Gibbon
88) Hose’s Langur
89) Slender Treeshrew
90) Masked Palm Civet
91) Cantor’s Roundleaf Bat
92) Short-nosed Fruit-bat
93) Long-tongued Nectar-bat
94) Western Tarsier

Full Kinabalu Park List


495) Bornean Treepie
496) Bornean Whistler
497) Black-capped White-eye
498) Grey-throated Babbler
499) Chestnut-crested Yuhina
500) Bornean Whistling-thrush
501)Sunda Laughingthrush
502) Bornean Flowerpecker
503) Sunda Bush-warbler
504) Eyebrowed Jungle Flycatcher
505) Bornean Green Magpie
506) Bornean Bald Laughingthrush
507) Temminck's Babbler
"Kinabalu" Mountain Leaf Warbler (endemic Kinabalu subspecies, possible future split and armchair tick)
508) Pygmy Blue Flycatcher
509) Whitehead's Broadbill

510) Ashy Drongo
511) Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrush
512) Sunda Cuckoo
513) Hair-crested Drongo
514) Black-and-crimson Oriole
515) Fruithunter
516) Sunda cuckooshrike
517) Bornean Stubtail
518) Indigo Flycatcher
519) Mountain Barbet
520) Montane Blackeye
521) Golden-naped Barbet
522) Snowy-browed Flycatcher
523) Little Pied Flycatcher
524) Olive-winged Woodpecker
525) Island Thrush (unusual at this altitude)
526) Dark Hawk-cuckoo
527) Mountain Wren-babbler
528) Whitehead's Trogon
529) Blyth's Shrike-babbler
530) Velvet-fronted Nuthatch
531) Crimson-headed Partridge
532) Whitehead’s Spiderhunter
533) Pale-faced Bulbul
534) Bornean Leafbird
535) Everett’s Thrush
536) Bornean (White-browed) Shortwing
537) Kinabalu Serpent-eagle


95) Bornean Black-banded Squirrel
96) Brooke's Squirrel
97) Whitehead's Pygmy Squirrel
98) Jentinck's Squirrel
99) Bornean Mountain Ground Squirrel
100) Smooth-tailed Treeshrew
101) Mountain Treeshrew
102) Red-bellied Sculptor Squirrel
103) Lesser Gymnure
104) Kinabalu Squirrel
 
537) Kinabalu Serpent-eagle

104) Kinabalu Squirrel
With this update you've officially gotten as many mammals in half a year as I have in my entire life, and in two bird additions you'll have done the same for birds too!
And I thought I was doing pretty well. Asia isn't fair. :p

INVERTEBRATES:
50) Common field grasshopper, Chorthippus brunneus
 
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Fish
309 Green Birdnose Wrasse
310 Violetlined Wrasse
311 Bigtail Fusilier
312 Banded Moray
313 Orange Anemonefish
314 Coral Beauty
315 Clown Coris
316 Whitetail Damsel
317 Leaf Scorpionfish
318 Pinklined Coris
319 Sixspot Glidergoby
320 Twospot Goby

Inverts
30. Tiger Cowrie
31. Nudibranch Phyllidia varicosa
32. Amberfish Sea Cucumber
33. Squat Shrimp

So, after six months, I have beaten my previous year's total by one fish species, of which 26 were lifers.

Fish
321. Keyhole Angelfish
322. Reticulated Dascyllus
323. Bluebarred Parrotfish
324. Finelined Surgeonfish
325. Spotted Rabbitfish
326. Red Mouth Rockcod
327. Hammerhead Shark
328. Smallscale Scorpionfish
329. Coral Grouper
330. Strawberry Rockcod
331. Orange Basslet
332. Largemouth Triplefin
333. Blueside Wrasse
334. Leaping Blenny

Birds
28. Java Sparrow

Inverts
37. Painted Spiny Lobster
38. Starfish - Leiaster speciosus

:p

Hix
 
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It has been a while I haven't been to Souss Massa National Park and clearly I should get back as soon as possible, I only had an hour or so in the park (and its surroundings) today but what a wonderful day it was! All the species excluding the Little egret and the butterfly are from the park.

MAMMALS:
2 - Red fox, Vulpes vulpes

BIRDS:
68 - Little owl, Athene noctua
69 - European serin, Serinus serinus
70 - Moroccan great cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo maroccanus
71 - Common redshank, Tringa totanus
72 - Common ringed plover, Charadrius hiaticula

73 - Eurasian curlew, Numenius arquata
74 - Audouin's gull, Ichthyaetus audouinii
75 - Northern bald ibis, Geronticus eremita
76 - Eurasian skylark, Alauda arvensis
77 - Little egret, Egretta garzetta

INVERTEBRATES:
15 - Clouded yellow, Colias croceus

So to summarize, my first plover species ever (or at least the first one I can remember of :p ), a nearly endemic critically endangered species (of which I'll probably upload some pictures of); 2 lifers and a few other animals to identify still (mainly crabs).

Went to Oued Souss (just near my house) to look for Greater flamingos, of course I've seen none of those but instead I've got a lifer (which makes up for three Charadriiformes lifers in two days) and one more addition! The crab however is from Souss-Massa.

MAMMALS:
3 - Brown rat, Rattus norvegicus

BIRDS:
78 - Eurasian oystercatcher, Haematopus ostralegus

INVERTEBRATES:
16 - Mediterranean green crab, Carcinus aestuarii
 
Just back from a successful bout of that rare pursuit, nocturnal birding, at Budby, on the edge of Sherwood Forest, with a couple of new additions:

Birds:
190. Eurasian Woodcock - Scolopax rusticola
191. European Nightjar - Caprimulgus europaeus

(UK: 186)

:)
 
Full Kinabalu Park List


495) Bornean Treepie
496) Bornean Whistler
497) Black-capped White-eye
498) Grey-throated Babbler
499) Chestnut-crested Yuhina
500) Bornean Whistling-thrush
501)Sunda Laughingthrush
502) Bornean Flowerpecker
503) Sunda Bush-warbler
504) Eyebrowed Jungle Flycatcher
505) Bornean Green Magpie
506) Bornean Bald Laughingthrush
507) Temminck's Babbler
"Kinabalu" Mountain Leaf Warbler (endemic Kinabalu subspecies, possible future split and armchair tick)
508) Pygmy Blue Flycatcher
509) Whitehead's Broadbill

510) Ashy Drongo
511) Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrush
512) Sunda Cuckoo
513) Hair-crested Drongo
514) Black-and-crimson Oriole
515) Fruithunter
516) Sunda cuckooshrike
517) Bornean Stubtail
518) Indigo Flycatcher
519) Mountain Barbet
520) Montane Blackeye
521) Golden-naped Barbet
522) Snowy-browed Flycatcher
523) Little Pied Flycatcher
524) Olive-winged Woodpecker
525) Island Thrush (unusual at this altitude)
526) Dark Hawk-cuckoo
527) Mountain Wren-babbler
528) Whitehead's Trogon
529) Blyth's Shrike-babbler
530) Velvet-fronted Nuthatch
531) Crimson-headed Partridge
532) Whitehead’s Spiderhunter
533) Pale-faced Bulbul
534) Bornean Leafbird
535) Everett’s Thrush
536) Bornean (White-browed) Shortwing
537) Kinabalu Serpent-eagle


95) Bornean Black-banded Squirrel
96) Brooke's Squirrel
97) Whitehead's Pygmy Squirrel
98) Jentinck's Squirrel
99) Bornean Mountain Ground Squirrel
100) Smooth-tailed Treeshrew
101) Mountain Treeshrew
102) Red-bellied Sculptor Squirrel
103) Lesser Gymnure
104) Kinabalu Squirrel

Missed a mammal:

105) Bornean Montane Niviventer

And I have a feeling I missed a bird as well which I identified at the same time but I can't remember what so I'll have to check later.
 
An addition seen at school today:

Mammals
12. Northern Raccoon Procyon lotor

I was keeping an eye out for this bird my entire time in St. Louis, and then finnaly saw it during the drive back home:

Birds
133. Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus
Mammals
13. North American River Otter Lontra canadensis

Birds
134. Clay-Colored Sparrow Spizella pallida

*Also several terns. I know the species that occur in the area, and the terns I saw were likely a mix of two species, both of which would be new to my year list. But, I forgot my binoculars, and wasn't able to confirm identification.
 
I had you on 6 herptiles before (1 reptile, 5 amphibians) - did you forget to list number 7 somewhere?

Indeed. I never listed it, I only mentioned it briefly:

* What to do with the edible frog, given that it is a klepton?

I decided to follow @Maguari's example on this one and list it seperately. I forgot to mention that, so here goes:

Herptiles
7. Edible frog [Pelophylax kl. esculentus]
 
Half-year round-up time:


BIRDS:

LaughingDove – 537
lintworm – 323
Najade – 296
Coelacanth18 – 265
Vision – 241
Mr. Zootycoon – 209
Dannelboyz – 205
Maguari – 191
boof – 185
robmv – 184
TeaLovingDave – 173
KevinVar – 165
ThylacineAlive – 159
Ituri – 140
birdsandbats – 134
Swampy – 107
DesertRhino150 – 102
jayjds2 – 100
Zoo Tycooner FR – 78
Macaw16 – 76
animal_expert01 – 74
Chlidonias – 55
Pleistohorse – 54
Hix – 28
d1am0ndback – 19
Fresco3 – 2


MAMMALS:

LaughingDove – 105
Najade – 64
lintworm – 53
Coelacanth18 – 46
TeaLovingDave – 33
ThylacineAlive – 31
Dannelboyz – 24
Maguari – 24
Pleistohorse – 20
Mr. Zootycoon – 15
birdsandbats – 13
Vision – 13
Swampy – 10
Ituri – 9
DesertRhino150 – 8
KevinVar – 8
animal_expert01 – 7
Macaw16 – 6
jayjds2 – 5
Hix – 3
Chlidonias – 3
Zoo Tycooner FR – 3
Fresco3 – 2
d1am0ndback – 1


HERPTILES:

Najade – 33 Herptiles total (22 Reptiles, 11 Amphibians)
Dannelboyz – 17 Herptiles total (15 Reptiles, 2 Amphibians)
animal_expert01 – 13 Herptiles total (10 Reptiles, 3 Amphibians)
jayjds2 – 12 Herptiles total (11 Reptiles, 1 Amphibians)
TeaLovingDave – 11 Herptiles total (4 Reptiles, 7 Amphibians)
LaughingDove – 10 Herptiles total (4 Reptiles, 6 Amphibians)
Mr. Zootycoon – 11 Herptiles total (3 Reptiles, 8 Amphibians)
Maguari – 10 Herptiles total (4 Reptiles, 6 Amphibians)
Swampy – 9 Herptiles total (4 Reptiles, 5 Amphibians)
birdsandbats – 9 Herptiles total (5 Reptiles, 4 Amphibians)
KevinVar – 8 Herptiles total (4 Reptiles, 4 Amphibians)
Vision – 7 Herptiles total (5 Reptiles, 2 Amphibians)
ThylacineAlive – 6 Herptiles total (5 Reptiles, 1 Amphibians)
Hix – 3 Herptiles total (3 Reptiles, 0 Amphibians)
Zoo Tycooner FR – 3 Herptiles total (2 Reptiles, 1 Amphibians)
lintworm – 2 Herptiles total (1 Reptiles, 1 Amphibians)
DesertRhino150 – 2 Herptiles total (2 Reptiles, 0 Amphibians)
Macaw16 – 1 Herptiles total (0 Reptiles, 1 Amphibians)


FISH:

Hix – 334
animal_expert01 – 22
jayjds2 – 12
Dannelboyz – 7
Vision – 4
DesertRhino150 – 3
birdsandbats – 3
Maguari – 2
Mr. Zootycoon – 1
Zoo Tycooner FR – 1


INVERTEBRATES:

Mr. Zootycoon – 153 assorted
Maguari – 59 assorted
DesertRhino150 – 50 assorted
Vision – 50 assorted
KevinVar – 46 assorted
lintworm – 39 assorted
Hix – 38 assorted (12 Crustaceans, 12 Echinoderms. 7 molluscs, 5 other marine inverts, 2 insects).
Zoo Tycooner FR – 16 assorted
birdsandbats – 15 assorted
jayjds2 – 10 assorted
animal_expert01 – 10 assorted
 
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