ZooChat Big Year 2019

An excursion to Bempton Cliffs yesterday (via a quick stop at North Cave Wetlands for stintish purposes) gained a handful of new bird species from among the thousands of seabirds present and a couple of common butterflies:

Birds:
218. Temminck's Stint - Calidris temminckii
219. Black-legged Kittiwake - Rissa tridactyla
220. Atlantic Puffin - Fratcula arctica

Invertebrates:
36. Small Copper - Lycaena phlaeus
37. Large White - Pieris brassicae

In addition, an evening trip to Padley Gorge earlier in the week produced UK sightings of Common Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher, European Pied Flycatcher and Common Cuckoo, which together with Common Terns at North Cave moves the UK bird sub-list on to 166.

:)
 
DesertRhino150 said:
Adding a couple more birds, one mammal and three invertebrates I have seen recently.

98. Cetti's warbler Cettia cetti
99. Red kite Milvus milvus (NT)

16. Red-tailed bumblebee Bombus lapidarius
17. Two-spot ladybird Adalia bipunctata
18. Yellow dungfly Scathophaga stercoraria
Click to expand...

Since my last update I have added two new birds and identified twelve new invertebrates for the year list:

100. Common swift Apus apus
101. Common house martin Delichon urbicum

19. Cranefly Tipula vernalis
20. Fencepost jumping spider Marpissa muscosa
21. Common blue damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum
22. Soldier beetle Cantharis rustica
23. Common blue butterfly Polyommatus icarus
24. Small heath butterfly Coenonympha pamphilus
25. Large red damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula
26. Broad-bodied chaser dragonfly Libellula depressa
27. Tree bumblebee Bombus hypnorum
28. Small black ant Lasius niger
29. 22-spot ladybird Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata
30. Blue-tailed damselfly Ischnura elegans
 
ThylacineAlive said:
So I just spent a week in tornado alley:

Mammals
10) Fox Squirrel Sciurus niger
11) American Beaver Castor canadensis
12) American Bison Bos bison
13) American Elk Cervus canadensis
14) Franklin's Ground Squirrel Poliocitellus franklinii

Birds
35) Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe
36) Great-Tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus
37) Neotropical Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus
38) Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis
39) Painted Bunting Passerina ciris
40) White-Eyed Vireo Vireo griseus
41) Great Crested Flycatcher Myiarchus crinitus
42) Red-Shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus
43) Snowy Egret Egretta thula
44) Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna
45) Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias
46) Double-Crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus
47) Mississippi Kite Ictinia mississippiensis
48) Least Flycatcher Empidonax minimus
49) Summer Tanager Piranga rubra
50) Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron Nyctanassa violacea
51) Black-Crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
52) Eastern Kingbird Tyrannus tyrannus
53) Yellow-Shafted Flicker Colaptes auratus
54) Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum
55) Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula
56) Yellow-Billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus
57) Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis
58) Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus
59) Fish Crow Corvus ossifragus
60) Yellow-Throated Warbler Setophaga dominica
61) Killdeer Charadrius vociferus
62) Red-Winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
63) Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris alpestris
64) Great Egret Ardea alba
65) Warbling Vireo Vireo gilvus
66) Red-Eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus
67) Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea
68) Magnolia Warbler Dendroica magnolia
69) Dickcissel Spiza americana
70) American Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
71) Yellow Warbler Setophaga petechia
72) Purple Martin Progne subis
73) Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
74) Collared Sand Martin Riparia riparia
75) Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius
76) Green Heron Butorides virescens
77) Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon
78) Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo
79) Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus
80) Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas
81) Red-Headed Woodpecker Melanerpes erythrocephalus
82) Eastern Wood-Pewee Contopus virens
83) Brown-Headed Cowbird Molothrus ater
84) Grasshopper Sparrow Ammodramus savannarum
85) Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor
86) Field Sparrow Spizella pusilla
87) Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor
88) Bell's Vireo Vireo bellii
89) Upland Sandpiper Bartramia longicauda
90) Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea
91) Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator

Reptiles
1) Common Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
2) Six-Lined Racerunner Aspidoscelis sexlineatus
3) Italian Wall Lizard Podarcis siculus
4) American Five-Lined Skink Plestiodon fasciatus
5) Pond Slider Trachemys scripta
6) Painted Turtle Chrysemys picta
7) Spiny Softshell Turtle Apalone spinifera
8) Common Snapping Turtle Chelydra serpentina

Amphibians
1) Blanchard's Cricket Frog Acris crepitans blanchardi
2) Woodhouse's Toad Anaxyrus woodhousii

I did a lot better than I was expecting considering I just missed Spring migration and I was dodging torrential downpours, flash flooding, and tornado watches for most of the trip. I still did have to either call short or cancel a few expeditions due to weather, such as searching for rattlesnakes. I did look for prairie-chickens, but I was barely in their range and one wrong turn down a muddy road, a few hours stranded in rural Kansas, and a couple hundred dollars spent getting me out killed that dream...

~Thylo
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One more from my March trip:

Reptile
9) Eastern River Cooter Pseudemys concinna

~Thylo
 
Zoo Tycooner FR said:
Just noticed I forgot to list Great comorant which is a species I've seen a while ago and see often so I should be on 95 instead of 94.

To increase the total a bit, I spent 3 hours in Souss-Massa National Park on the 1st of May and as usual what a delight it was!

27/04/2019 (Issen)
HERPS:
3 - Berber toad, Sclerophrys mauritanica

01/05/2019 (Oued Massa Estuary & Réserve Animalière de Roukeïn)
BIRDS:
96 - Little owl, Athene noctua
97 - Sanderling, Calidris alba
98 - Short-toed snake-eagle, Circaetus gallicus
99 - Barbary partridge, Alectoris barbara
100 - Booted eagle, Hieraaetus pennatus

Also noteworthy is that all three lifers were very high on my list and all are relatively common species in my area but that I had kept on missing before that day and also that said day I registered my highest species total during a birding session at 47 species in 3 hours which is quite good, in my opinion.
Click to expand...

I didn't really have time to bird at all in May but I did get an addition yesterday while visiting a friend (and quite the nice bird at that)

26/05/2019 (Agadir, Morocco)
BIRDS:
101 - African blue tit, Cyanistes teneriffae
 
birdsandbats said:
You haven't really experienced the full joys (and challenges) of birding until you experience a mixed-species flock of new world warblers:

Birds
126. Cape May Warbler Setophaga tigrina
127. Red-Eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus
128. Least Flycatcher Empidonax minimus
129. Blackburnian Warbler Setophaga fusca
130. Bay-Breasted Warbler Setophaga castanea
131. Eastern Kingbird Tyrannus tyrannus
132. Magnolia Warbler Setophaga magnolia
133. Wilson's Warbler Cardellina pusilla
Click to expand...
Birds
134. Eastern Wood-Pewee Contopus virens
135. Upland Sandpiper Bartramia longicauda
 
ThylacineAlive said:
Well for one, I do not go birding in my neck of the woods nearly as much as I should.. As a result I sometimes spot new birds while birding in other regions that I probably should have found in CT by now. The woodpecker is supposedly found in CT, and I think I saw one once but they're actually pretty rare (at least in the area I grew up in) and seeing as I'm not 100% sure on my previous sighting I'm counting it as a proper lifer now.

~Thylo
Click to expand...

This is why I don't really bother counting lifers. I had already traveled around the U.S. before I started birding, so I've probably seen most of the species before and just didn't know them. Meanwhile, nearly every bird I see abroad is a lifer so it seems unnecessary to label them as such. If I kept a life list it might be useful, but I'd have a hard time of it I think.
 
Coelacanth18 said:
This is why I don't really bother counting lifers. I had already traveled around the U.S. before I started birding, so I've probably seen most of the species before and just didn't know them. Meanwhile, nearly every bird I see abroad is a lifer so it seems unnecessary to label them as such. If I kept a life list it might be useful, but I'd have a hard time of it I think.
Click to expand...

Proving this point, yesterday I was going through some old photos I took while birding in 2013 that I'd completely forgotten about, and I found a bunch of photos I took of multiple pewees :p

~Thylo
 
Macaw16 said:
Some updates from month or so, the last 14 are from today as it was the first time I've been birding this year (and the first zoo was only yesterday, I really need to care less about studying...).

4. Bank Vole Myodes glareolus

28. Canada Goose Branta canadensis
29. Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
30. Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus
31. Greenfinch Chloris chloris
32. Barn Owl Tyto alba
33. Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula
34. Common Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus
35. Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
36. Mute Swan Cygnus olor
37. Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis
38. Skylark Alauda arvensis
39. Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
40. Northern Pintail Anas acuta
41. Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata
42. Eurasian Wigeon Mareca penelope
43. Eurasian Coot Fulica atra
44. Eurasian Teal Anas crecca
45. Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
46. Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata
47. Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus
48. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
49. Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula
50. Gadwall Mareca strepera
51. Common Pochard Aythya ferina
52. Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
Click to expand...

Some additions from the past couple of months. I haven't really been out much and therefore haven't seen much!

5. Brown Hare Lepus europaeus
6. European Hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus

53. Song Thrush Turdus philomelos
54. Tree Sparrow Passer montanus
55. Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus
56. Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus
57. Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa
58. Red Kite Milvus milvus
59. Stock Dove Columba oenas
60. Peregrine Falco peregrinus
61. Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus
62. Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna
63. Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
64. House Martin Delichon urbicum
65. Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea
66. Great-spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major
67. Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla
68. Common Swift Apus apus

Amphibians
1. Common Frog Rana temporaria
 
There are currently three rare gulls (Laughing, Little, and California) not too far from me, and I may or may not go see them - not because I'm worried I might not see them, rather because I don't think I could pick them out from all the common gulls! I am very bad with Laridae.
 
Coelacanth18 said:
Spent the weekend going to different sites in Kern County looking for migratory birds. Had mixed success (no summer tanager or blue grosbeak) but did add quite a few good birds to my list including two focals: an owl species (great horned, including nearly-fledged chicks!) and roadrunner. Also saw two mammals by chance that I wasn't even counting on.

Birds
158. Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni)
159. Hermit Warbler (Setophaga occidentalis)
160. Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus)
161. Pacific-slope Flycatcher (Empidonax difficilis)
162. Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)
163. Vaux’s Swift (Chaetura vauxi)
164. Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Dryobates scalaris)
165. Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena)
166. Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)
167. Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)
168. Nashville Warbler (Oreothlypis ruficapilla)
169. Rock Wren (Salpinctes obsoletus)
170. Hammond’s Flycatcher (Empidonax hammondii)
171. Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
172. Scott’s Oriole (Icterus parisorum)
173. Brewer’s Sparrow (Spizella breweri)
174. Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)
175. Tricolored Blackbird (Agelaius tricolor) (EN)
176. Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus)
177. Bullock’s Oriole (Icterus bullockii)
178. Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta thalassina)
179. Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
180. Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus)
181. Gray Flycatcher (Empidonax wrightii)
182. Lawrence’s Goldfinch (Spinus lawrencei)
183. Cassin’s Vireo (Vireo cassinii)

Mammals
19. Kit Fox (Vulpes macrotis)
20. Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis)

And then last night I went out to the beach to do a grunion run and saw another focal species for the year, along with a small group of hungry night herons:

Birds
184. Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger)
Click to expand...

After a week of traveling, I have relocated back to Virginia for the time being. Wasn't able to do much birding along the way, besides a solid stop at Wichita Mountains NWR in Oklahoma for bison and a rare vireo, as well as a brief hour of birding at a nature center in Illinois. Even so, I managed to add quite a few to my list before I've even had the chance to bird in this area.

Birds
192. White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)
193. Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)
194. Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
195. Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
196. Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus)
197. Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
198. Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
199. Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica)
200. Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
201. Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)
202. Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis)
203. Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra)
204. Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris)
205. Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)
206. Black-capped Vireo (Vireo atricapilla) (VU)
207. Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)
208. Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)
209. Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)
210. Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)
211. Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)
212. Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)

Mammals
23. American Bison (Bison bison) (NT)
24. Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus)
25. White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
26. Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
27. Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)
28. Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus)
 
Yesterday I went to see a group of flamingos that were found on my local pond - a part of the Zwillbrocker Venn group (they occasionally wander around Western Europe). Originally 18 were found, of which at least 8 Chilean and 1 Greater, but upon my arrival only 4 Chileans remained. Technically they are self-sustaining as they have been there since 1982 and produce enough young each year to keep the population alive, but because they are very low in number I don't think I'm going to count them. Definitely a weird sight, though!
Today, in the same place, a male ring-necked duck was found, so I had to go back!

BIRDS:
XXX) Chilean flamingo, Phoenicopterus chilensis
410) Ring-necked duck, Aythya collaris

INVERTS:
44) Domestic house spider, Tegenaria domestica
 
Vision said:
Yesterday I went to see a group of flamingos that were found on my local pond - a part of the Zwillbrocker Venn group (they occasionally wander around Western Europe). Originally 18 were found, of which at least 8 Chilean and 1 Greater, but upon my arrival only 4 Chileans remained. Technically they are self-sustaining as they have been there since 1982 and produce enough young each year to keep the population alive, but because they are very low in number I don't think I'm going to count them. Definitely a weird sight, though!
Today, in the same place, a male ring-necked duck was found, so I had to go back!

BIRDS:
XXX) Chilean flamingo, Phoenicopterus chilensis
410) Ring-necked duck, Aythya collaris

INVERTS:
44) Domestic house spider, Tegenaria domestica
Click to expand...
I didn't know about those flamingos! That's cool!
 
birdsandbats said:
There are currently three rare gulls (Laughing, Little, and California) not too far from me, and I may or may not go see them - not because I'm worried I might not see them, rather because I don't think I could pick them out from all the common gulls! I am very bad with Laridae.
Click to expand...

Laughing and Little should be easy enough this time of year with their dark hoods! ;) California might be more of a challenge.
 
Great Argus said:
Laughing and Little should be easy enough this time of year with their dark hoods! ;) California might be more of a challenge.
Click to expand...
Bonaparte's would a common species that would be present in large numbers, so I don't know if I could even pick out Little and Laughing among them.
 
Coelacanth18 said:
After a week of traveling, I have relocated back to Virginia for the time being. Wasn't able to do much birding along the way, besides a solid stop at Wichita Mountains NWR in Oklahoma for bison and a rare vireo, as well as a brief hour of birding at a nature center in Illinois. Even so, I managed to add quite a few to my list before I've even had the chance to bird in this area.

Birds
192. White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)
193. Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)
194. Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
195. Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
196. Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus)
197. Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
198. Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
199. Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica)
200. Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
201. Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)
202. Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis)
203. Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra)
204. Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris)
205. Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)
206. Black-capped Vireo (Vireo atricapilla) (VU)
207. Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)
208. Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)
209. Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)
210. Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)
211. Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)
212. Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)

Mammals
23. American Bison (Bison bison) (NT)
24. Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus)
25. White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
26. Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
27. Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)
28. Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus)
Click to expand...

Got my first Virginia bird and mammal walking around the neighborhood yesterday:

Birds
213. Purple Martin (Progne subis)

Mammals
29. Groundhog (Marmota monax)
 
DesertRhino150 said:
Since my last update I have added two new birds and identified twelve new invertebrates for the year list:

100. Common swift Apus apus
101. Common house martin Delichon urbicum

19. Cranefly Tipula vernalis
20. Fencepost jumping spider Marpissa muscosa
21. Common blue damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum
22. Soldier beetle Cantharis rustica
23. Common blue butterfly Polyommatus icarus
24. Small heath butterfly Coenonympha pamphilus
25. Large red damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula
26. Broad-bodied chaser dragonfly Libellula depressa
27. Tree bumblebee Bombus hypnorum
28. Small black ant Lasius niger
29. 22-spot ladybird Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata
30. Blue-tailed damselfly Ischnura elegans
Click to expand...

Had another two-day visit to Minsmere, where I managed to add six new birds, two new fishes and two invertebrates:

102. Common reed warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus
103. Little tern Sternula albifrons
104. Dartford warbler Sylvia undata (NT)
105. Sedge warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
106. Common hobby Falco subbuteo
107. Eurasian bittern Botaurus stellaris

Also saw a pair of bar-headed geese (Anser indicus) with at least four goslings on the reserve. Even though the goslings are definitely wild-born birds, I probably will still not count them.

3. European eel Anguilla anguilla (CR)
4. Three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus

31. Horse leech Haemopis sanguisuga
32. Nursery-web spider Pisaura mirabilis
 
Just forgot that I had identified a third invertebrate at Minsmere, albeit in caterpillar form:

33. Garden tiger moth Arctia caja
 
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