ZooChat Big Year 2020
- Thread starter Chlidonias
- Start date
Albert Park Lake
the goal, to see motor racing.
but life decided that I would see an unexpected lifer
86. Little Pied Cormorant
87. Pied Stilt
Only one species? Four times?
drill
Well-Known Member
oh didn't realize sorry.Only one species? Four times?
While I was in Spain, a very rare bird (for Morocco) was reported about 170km away from my home city: namely the 7th record of Laughing gull for the country. I wanted to go twitch it as soon as I arrived back here but as I have no car, and thus have to rely on people picking me up, no opportunity presented itself until today.
I deemed my chances of seeing it pretty slim because it had been nearly a month since it was reported and it was seen roosting near hundreds of gulls so the search for it would probably prove to be very hard but there was still a lot to see in the city it was reported at (Essaouira) that could potentially warrant a 3 hour drive round trip on one of the worst roads I know and better try than not I guess?
Well, that turned out to be not such a bad decision...
08/03/2020 (Road from Agadir to Essaouira, Morocco)
BIRDS:
78 - Northern bald ibis, Geronticus eremita
79 - Common house-martin, Delichon urbicum
80 - Red-rumped swallow, Cecropis daurica
81 - Black wheatear, Oenanthe leucura
82 - Woodchat shrike, Lanius senator
(Oued Ksob, Morocco)
83 - Western yellow wagtail, Motacilla flava
84 - Little ringed plover, Charadrius dubius
85 - Slender-billed gull, Larus genei
86 - Eurasian coot, Fulica atra
87 - Little grebe, Tachybaptus ruficollis
88 - Sedge warbler, Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
89 - Sanderling, Calidris alba
90 - Northern shoveler, Anas clypeata
91 - Ruddy shelduck, Tadorna ferruginea
92 - Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres
93 - Kentish plover, Charadrius alexandrinus
94 - Black-tailed godwit, Limosa limosa
(Port d'Essaouira, Morocco)
95 - Laughing gull, Leucophaeus atricilla
(Road from Essaouira to Agadir, Morocco)
96 - Northern raven, Corvus corax
HERPS:
(Road from Essaouira to Agadir, Morocco)
2 - Greek tortoise, Testudo graeca
(Oued Ksob, Morocco)
3 - Spiny-footed lizard, Acanthodactylus erythrurus
INVERTS:
(Oued Ksob, Morocco)
2 - Painted lady, Vanessa cardui
Made two stops: one at Oued Ksob to check if the gull hadn't moved from its original position but also to get all the local species I had been missing and then the real "twitching" spot at Essaouira's fishing harbour. The first yielded 46 species of birds in just an hour, which is my second biggest total at a single location ever and included a very awaited lifer.
The second stop was much more stressful as there were gulls everywhere and trying to get one of out hundreds is hard, especially as similar looking Mediterranean gulls were flying far away. Only got the gull at the very end, as I was about to give up!
All-in-all, an amazing day capped off by my second ever "countable" vagrant, another lifer and in general some amazing fauna with 59 species of birds seen in the day including 19 new species for my yearlist!
Seen today inside the city:
12/03/2020 (Agadir, Morocco)
BIRDS:
97 - Eurasian hoopoe, Upupa epops
I'm never going to be a big shot at this big year thing, but here are some wildlife sightings I would like to report on - and I may again on future occassions.
12/03/2020 - Genk - Bokrijk, Limburg, Flanders, Belgium
I visited a nature reserve with large ponds, reeds, open areas with grassland and heath and moist or wet forest areas near the provincial park and open air museum Bokrijk and a recreational area with more large ponds and grassy areas on the park domain just outside the museum grounds.
MAMMALS
1 - European Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) [Note: Individual in ill health and/or injured, poor coat condition and noticeable limping]
BIRDS
1 - Great egret (Ardea alba)
2 - Mute swan (Cygnus olor)
3 - Tufted duck (Aythya fuligula)
4 - Common pochard (Aythya ferina)
5 - Gadwall (Mareca strepera)
6 - Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
7 - Eurasian coot (Fulica atra)
8 - Greylag goose (Anser anser)
9 - Grey heron (Ardea cinerea)
10 - Common buzzard (Buteo buteo)
AMPHIBIANS
1 - European common toad (Bufo bufo)
TRACES (Presumably not counting towards tally)
MAMMALS
- European wild boar (Sus scrofa). Although the area apparently has plenty of them none were seen (maybe a good thing), but there at least a dozen locations with foot prints and/or tracks of digging and rooting as well as several trails. They sure make there presence known in that area.
BIRDS
- A nesting site of the common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) was seen between fallen tree roots in a forest area near open water. No kingfishers seen though.
- Nest of a Northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) seen.
AMPHIBIANS
- Frog spawn jelly seen in between reed at the edge of a pond. No frogs seen, so species unidentified. Probably either European common frog (Rana temporaria) or one of the green frog complex species (Marsh frog Pelophylax ridibundus, pool frog P. lessonae and edible frog P. kl. esculentus). Also several sites with star jelly (frog spawn eaten and regurgitated by predators) seen.
12/03/2020 - Genk - Bokrijk, Limburg, Flanders, Belgium
I visited a nature reserve with large ponds, reeds, open areas with grassland and heath and moist or wet forest areas near the provincial park and open air museum Bokrijk and a recreational area with more large ponds and grassy areas on the park domain just outside the museum grounds.
MAMMALS
1 - European Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) [Note: Individual in ill health and/or injured, poor coat condition and noticeable limping]
BIRDS
1 - Great egret (Ardea alba)
2 - Mute swan (Cygnus olor)
3 - Tufted duck (Aythya fuligula)
4 - Common pochard (Aythya ferina)
5 - Gadwall (Mareca strepera)
6 - Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
7 - Eurasian coot (Fulica atra)
8 - Greylag goose (Anser anser)
9 - Grey heron (Ardea cinerea)
10 - Common buzzard (Buteo buteo)
AMPHIBIANS
1 - European common toad (Bufo bufo)
TRACES (Presumably not counting towards tally)
MAMMALS
- European wild boar (Sus scrofa). Although the area apparently has plenty of them none were seen (maybe a good thing), but there at least a dozen locations with foot prints and/or tracks of digging and rooting as well as several trails. They sure make there presence known in that area.
BIRDS
- A nesting site of the common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) was seen between fallen tree roots in a forest area near open water. No kingfishers seen though.
- Nest of a Northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) seen.
AMPHIBIANS
- Frog spawn jelly seen in between reed at the edge of a pond. No frogs seen, so species unidentified. Probably either European common frog (Rana temporaria) or one of the green frog complex species (Marsh frog Pelophylax ridibundus, pool frog P. lessonae and edible frog P. kl. esculentus). Also several sites with star jelly (frog spawn eaten and regurgitated by predators) seen.
Luca Bronzi
Well-Known Member
Today, outside the window...
Birds
18. Blue Tit - Cyanistes caeruleus
Birds
18. Blue Tit - Cyanistes caeruleus
I normally go birding at my school, but since it's sadly closed because of COVID-19, I decided to go instead to a lake.
Birds
89.Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus
90. Bronze-winged Jacana Metopidius indicus
91. Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
92. Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
Also, a few corrections;
10. Intermediate Egret Ardea intermedia
19. Grey-headed Swamphen Porphyrio poliocephalus
Birds
89.Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus
90. Bronze-winged Jacana Metopidius indicus
91. Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
92. Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
Also, a few corrections;
10. Intermediate Egret Ardea intermedia
19. Grey-headed Swamphen Porphyrio poliocephalus
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BirdsBirds
102. Bar-shouldered Dove
103. Little Egret
104. Blue-winged Kookaburra
105. Dusky Honeyeater
106. Olive-backed Sunbird
107. Chestnut-breasted Mannikin
108. Radjah Shelduck
109. Spangled Drongo
110. Eastern Reef Egret
Hix
111. Caspian Tern
Boigu Island
112. Eurasian Tree Sparrow
113. Singing Starling
114. Metallic Starling
115. Golden-headed Cisticola
116. Torresian Crow
117. Shining Flycatcher
118. Varied Triller
119. Tawny-breasted Honeyeater
120. Varied Honeyeater
121. White-bellied sea-Eagle
122. Whistling Kite
123. Striated Heron
124. Pied Heron
125. Lesser Frigatebird
126. Little tern
127. Marsh Sandpiper
128. Pacific Golden Plover
129. Uniform Swiftlet
130. Little Bronze Cuckoo
131. Collared Imperial Pigeon
132. Broad-billed Flycatcher
133. Great Egret
134. Common Sandpiper
135. House Swift
136. Pacific Swift
137. Black Butcherbird
138. Red-headed Honeyeater
139. Rufous-banded Honeyeater
140. Dollarbird
141. Sharptailed Sandpiper
142. Lesser Sand Plover
143. Common Greenshank
Saibai Island
144. White-belied Cuckoo-shrike
145. Coconut Lorikeet
146. Brown Goshawk
147. Brolga
148. Red-capped Flowerpecker
149. Peregrine Falcon
150. Lesser Crested Tern
151. Orangefooted Scrubfowl
152. Wandering Whistleduck
153. Long-tailed Honey Buzzard
154. Gurney's Eagle
Campbell Island
155. Black Noddy
156. Roseate tern
157. Pale White-eye
158. Great Frigatebird
159. Common Tern
160. Black-naped Tern
161. Great Knot
162. Greater Sand Plover
163. Grey Plover
164. Beach Stone Curlew
Reptiles
6. Mangrove Monitor
Mammals
8. Big-eared Fruit Bat
Fish
1. Blue spotted Ribbon Ray
2. Black-blotched Porcupinefish
Hix
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Mammals:
5. Black Rat (Rattus rattus)
6. Long Tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis)
Birds:
97. Indian Roller (Coracias benghalensis)
98. Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis)
99. Asian Openbill (Anastomus oscitans)
100. House Crow (Corvus splendens)
Fish:
22. Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus)
Reptile:
7. Asian Water Monitor (Varanus salvator)
The last three birds are from Malaysia, the rest are from Thailand. In a few hours I fly back to Australia. It’s been absolutely fantastic, and I’ve seen heaps of great wildlife that I’ve always wanted to see.
Also are there black swans that have been introduced to Malaysia?
No. Where did you see them?
In a small pond behind someone’s house on the train line between the airport and Kuala Lumpur. Could it possibly have been a pet?
Today I saw my first Black-tailed Godwits of the year, a flock of over a 100 individuals. Always good to see our national bird again!
Birds
133. Red Kite, Milvus milvus
134. Northern Goshawk, Accipiter gentilis
135. Garganey, Spatula querquedula
136. Black-taild Godwit, Limosa limosa
Mammals
10. House mouse, Mus musculus
Invertebrates
6. Common Quaker, Orthosia cerasi
7. Early Bumblebee, Bombus pratorum
Birds
133. Red Kite, Milvus milvus
134. Northern Goshawk, Accipiter gentilis
135. Garganey, Spatula querquedula
136. Black-taild Godwit, Limosa limosa
Mammals
10. House mouse, Mus musculus
Invertebrates
6. Common Quaker, Orthosia cerasi
7. Early Bumblebee, Bombus pratorum
A national bird that unfortunately isn't doing too well, so a flock of 100 individuals is definitely nice to see.
14/03/2020 - Heist-op-den-Berg, Antwerp, Flanders, Belgium
Today I spotted a European robin in my own backyard, within one of my chicken aviaries.
BIRDS
11 - European robin (Erithacus rubecula)
One time I saw a flock of over 400 Black-tailed Godwits on a mudflat in the Biesbosch, in late spring. At first I was happy, but then I realised all these birds were either failed breeders or had not attempted to breed at all.
With the all the trouble this bird has throughout it's range - with the new Lisbon airport possibly being the final blow - I fear the godwits will not be "king of the meadows" (as it is known in Dutch) for much longer, and neither are the equally fast disappearing curlew, redshank, snipe, garganey or lapwing. There's some sadness in seeing the lapwings tumble through the air in their display flights, knowing most of their efforts will be in vein.
7. European Red Squirrel
And spring has started, Chiffchaffs have started calling and I finally saw the first butterfly of the year:
1. Common Brimstone
I should have been on the plane now, but spent it gardening in the sun, and I am glad I am not in the US.
Yes, absolutely.
A pretty uneventful session at Oued Souss gave me a very nice lifer!
14/03/2020 (Oued Souss, Morocco)
BIRDS:
98 - Eurasian siskin, Spinus spinus
HERPS:
5 - Acanthodactylus margaritae
(Accidentally counted n°2 twice hence why I am at 5 herps right now when I was at 3 at my last post)
i wisit to the coast today
173 long tailed duck Clangula hyemalis about 50
173 long tailed duck Clangula hyemalis about 50