ZooChat Big Year 2020

birds
first time in years i have sen the nigthingale. most of the time i just hear them
229. little gull
230. common grennshank
231. common kestrel
232. thruhs nigthingale
 
Took another walk to what I shall now be calling 'Tree Pipit Corner' yesterday, via a slightly different route to see a bit more of the river. Well worth it!

Birds:
152. White-breasted Dipper - Cinclus cinclus
153. Common Cuckoo - Cuculus canorus
154. Northern Wheatear - Oenanthe oenanthe

:)
 
Sometimes there are these days where every bird you would want to see there, shows itself well and you get some goodies too. Such days aren't very common ;), sightings are from a small wetland next to the Dutch coast:

139. Mediterranean Gull
140. Little Gull
141. Little Tern
142. Ruddy Shellduck
143. Lesser Whitethroat
144. Peregrine Falcon
145. Grey Plover

On the way back home we decided to stop at a small reed-fringed wetland to look for 2 birds I have never seen: Savi's Warbler and Cetti's Warbler. Though the Cetti's Warbler was heard multiple times, non seen, but the other warbler wasn't singing. We did pick up two other birds though

146. Bearded Reedling
147. Common Tern

And when arriving home we noticed an owl sitting in a conifer around the corner.

148. Long-eared Owl

Highlight of the past days was however a mammal, we saw really well, only the second time I see one in the Netherlands:

Mammals
11. Stoat

Invertebrates
19. Orange-tip

Some recent additions, both common birds that are now back in numbers. Icterine Warbler and Nightingale remained heard-only, just like more Cetti's Warblers.

149. Lesser Reed Warbler
150. Marsh Warbler

Mammals

12. Brown Rat
13. Common Noctule

Invertebrates

20. Green-veined white
21. Tau Emperor
 
This week I had planned to go to the Island of Texel with a friend, but it was cancelled due to the Covid-19 outbreak. So instead we had two one-day trips.

The first day we tried to find over 100 bird species in one day in one province (Noord-Brabant). The morning started out great, with lots of sightings of songsbirds, waders and gulls that were still missing from my year lists, including several rather scarce species. Highlights were undoubtly a huntig Osprey and a rather short but countable view of a bittern. It was a warm day, and the heat had unfortunately smothered almost all bird activity after noon, so we had several very unproductive hours. In the end we saw 102 species and heard 7 more.

The second day we went to the Veluwe, where we tried to find a few specialities, including large mammals. This day was more quality over quantity, and we managed great views of our two bird targets, Wood Warbler and Wryneck. The latter especially was high on my wishlist this year. We also had some great herp sightings, including fanastic views of no less than 5 grass snakes, several lizards and only one frog. I just keep seeing reptiles this year but almost no amphibians!

On both days I also added several inverts, including two very long-awaited butterfly lifers - Brown Argus and Green Hairstreak.

Birds
168. Common Sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos
169. Lesser Whitethroat, Sylvia curruca
170. Eurasian Spoonbill, Platalea leucorodia
171. Wood Sandpiper, Tringa glareola
172. Sedge Warbler, Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
173. Garder Warbler, Sylvia borin
174. Eurasian Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus scirpaceus
175. Common Nightingale, Luscinia megarhynchos
176. Mediterranean Gull, Ichthyaetus melanocephalus
177. Black Tern, Chlidonias niger
178. Dunlin, Calidris alpina
179. Little Gull, Hydrocoloeus minutus
180. Western Osprey, Pandion haliaetus
181. Little Stint, Calidris minuta
182. Great Bittern, Botaurus stellaris
183. Eurasian Wryneck, Jynx torquilla
184. Spotted Flycatcher, Muscicapa striata
185. Wood Warbler, Phylloscopus sibilatrix

Herptiles
4. Moor frog, Rana arvalis

Mammals
12. West European Hedgehog, Erinaceus europaeus
13. Red Deer, Cervus elaphus
14. European Mouflon, Ovis orientalis

Invertebrates
37. Grove Snail, Cepaea nemoralis
38. Bordered White, Bupalus piniaria
39. Deporaus betulae
40. Brown Argus, Aricia agestis

41. Common Blue, Polyommatus icarus
42. Old-world Swallowtail, Papilio machaon
43. Cockchafer, Melolontha melolontha
44. Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta
45. Small Heath, Coenonympha pamphilus
46. Agrypnus murinus
47. Green Hairstreak, Callophrys rubi
48. European Field Cricket, Gryllus campestris
49. Rhabdomiris striatellus
50. Four-spotted Chaser, Libellula quadrimaculata
51. Large Red Damselfly, Phyrrosoma nymphula
52. Northern Dune Tiger Beetle, Cicindela hybrida
 
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Birds
174. Gray-cheeked Thrush Catharus minimus

175. Bobolink Dolichonyx oryzivorus
176. Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica
Birds
177. Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus
178. Wood Thrush Hylocichla mustelina
179. Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla
180. Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
181. Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii
 
A jaunt to get my flu shot ended up with two rare birds one of which new for the year.

90. Silvereye

The other species was funnily enough new Holland honeyeaters so it looks like none for 4 years then one in the Otways and 6 months later I’m seeing New Holland Honeyeaters all over the place.
 
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Haven't kept track of any animal this year, and haven't tried the challenges on ZooChat, so I suppose it's time to give it a go :).

Mammals:

1. Meadow Vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus)

Birds:

1. American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
2. Red-Winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
3. Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescents)
 
I've been out surveying for Giant Burrowing Frog tadpoles in east Gippsland, and have been successful! :)

BIRDS

221 - Brown-headed Honeyeater (Melithreptus brevirostris)

REPTILES
13 - Black Rock Skink (Egernia saxatilis)

14 - Delicate Skink (Lampropholis delicata)

AMPHIBIANS
11 - Giant Burrowing Frog (Heleioporus australiacus)
BIRDS
222 - Noisy Friarbird (Philemon corniculatus)
223 - Yellow-tufted Honeyeater (Lichenostomus melanops)
 
The blue-winged teal I saw in February was rejected, so that puts me at 172 and not 173 before today. Some quick quality birding today got me a few nice species though, and more than made up for that! Melodious warblers seem to become more and more regular, but there's still only ever a handful in Flanders each year, so definitely a fun species to see!

BIRDS:
173) Black redstart, Phoenicurus ochruros
174) Garden warbler, Sylvia borin
175) Black tern, Chlidonias niger
176) Little gull, Hydrocoloeus minutus
177) Melodious warbler, Hippolais polyglotta
 
Birds
177. Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus
178. Wood Thrush Hylocichla mustelina
179. Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla
180. Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
181. Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii
Birds
182. Blackpoll Warbler Setophaga striata
183. White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys
 
mammals
40. Yellow necked mouse Apodemus flavicollis

birds
233. common swift
234. lesser whitetroath

reptiles
5. common gras snake
6. greean sea turtle
7. orienatal garden lizard
last two are from bornio
 
Cranbourne Botanic Gardens bushwalk

Mammals

34. Swamp wallaby Wallabia bicolor
 
The blue-winged teal I saw in February was rejected, so that puts me at 172 and not 173 before today. Some quick quality birding today got me a few nice species though, and more than made up for that! Melodious warblers seem to become more and more regular, but there's still only ever a handful in Flanders each year, so definitely a fun species to see!

BIRDS:
173) Black redstart, Phoenicurus ochruros
174) Garden warbler, Sylvia borin
175) Black tern, Chlidonias niger
176) Little gull, Hydrocoloeus minutus
177) Melodious warbler, Hippolais polyglotta
More spring arrivals! School is keeping me very busy at the moment so unfortunately I haven't had much time to enjoy the spring much, but a report of a pallid harrier nearby did get me to go outside again. No harrier (or well, no pallid...) but I did get a few other goodies. It's fun to see stilts becoming more and more regular in my area over the past few years! These were three pairs, of which two were already building nests.

BIRDS:
178) Ruddy shelduck, Tadorna ferruginea
179) Wood sandpiper, Tringa glareola
180) Black-winged stilt, Himantopus himantopus
 
So obviously I haven't really been participating this year but I went birding for the first time today so figured I'd share my results, as well as one special vagrant I twitched a few weeks ago (along with an obvious vagrant I got today):

Birds
1) Sandhill Crane Antigone canadensis

2) American Herring Gull Larus smithsonianus
3) Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor
4) Purple Martin Progne subis
5) Mute Swan Cygnus olor
6) Double-Crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus
7) Grey Catbird Dumetella carolinensis
8) Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
9) Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus
10) Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
11) Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea
12) Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius
13) Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes
14) Red-Bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus
15) Boat-Tailed Grackle Quiscalus major
16) Common Tern Sterna hirundo
17) Great Black-Backed Gull Larus marinus
18) Brant Goose Branta bernicla
19) Black-Bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola
20) Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus
21) Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
22) Dunlin Calidris alpina
23) Common Loon Gavia immer
24) Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis
25) Field Sparrow Spizella pusilla
26) Clapper Rail Rallus crepitans
27) Wilson's Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor
28) Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla
29) Great Egret Ardea alba

~Thylo
 
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So obviously I haven't really been participating this year but I went birding for the first time today so figured I'd share my results, as well as one special vagrant I twitched a few weeks ago (along with an obvious vagrant I got today):

Birds
1) Sandhill Crane Antigone canadensis

2) American Herring Gull Larus smithsonianus
3) Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor
4) Purple Martin Progne subis
5) Mute Swan Cygnus olor
6) Double-Crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus
7) Grey Catbird Dumetella carolinensis
8) Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
9) Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus
10) Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
11) Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea
12) Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius
13) Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes
14) Red-Bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus
15) Boat-Tailed Grackle Quiscalus major
16) Common Tern Sterna hirundo
17) Great Black-Backed Gull Larus marinus
18) Brant Goose Branta bernicla
19) Black-Bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola
20) Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla
21) Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
22) Dunlin Calidris alpina
23) Common Loon Gavia immer
24) Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis
25) Field Sparrow Spizella pusilla
26) Clapper Rail Rallus crepitans
27) Wilson's Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor
28) Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla
29) Great Egret Ardea alba

~Thylo

#20 should actually be Semipalmated Plover, which is a lifer!

~Thylo
 
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