ZooChat Big Year 2020

Busy day at work today (by recent standards..!) so took a evening stroll on the moors to clear the mind. And look for a certain summer visitor, of course.

Birds:
162. Ring Ouzel - Turdus torquatus

:)
 
Saw one running across the kitchen floor. Bugger. Now I am going to have to hunt it down and kill it.

Mammals

35. House mouse Mus musculus
 
It's madness in my local patch this year! Another rarity was discovered yesterday, a Melodious Warbler. They're one of the species that occurs further and further north each year (probably due to climate change), but they're still very rare in the Netherlands.

Birds
188. Melodious Warbler, Hippolais polyglotta
 
lintworm said:
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
Click to expand...

Yesterday I blundered on what appears to be a very reliable location to see a mammal I hadn't seen before.

14. European Beaver

Beaver are increasingly common in the Netherlands, with many new territories established in the past years. Until 15 years ago Beavers were restricted to a few areas in the country, but not anymore. Even a small ditch at the forest edge in a relatively busy area now holds them. Incidentally this was my 50th wild mammal species in the Netherlands (not counting Mouflon). Otter, Porpoise and Polecat would be the easiest next species to see. Apart from that, I am still missing 4 Bats, 4 rodents, 1 Shrew, Wild Cat and some cetaceans. 8 of those species I have seen abroad. Castoridae was also a completely new family to see in the wild: number 79, so I have now seen over 50% of all mammal families in the wild.

Additionally I saw some birds in recent days

151. European Honey Buzzard
152. Mandarin Duck
153. Icterine Warbler
 
KevinVar said:
BIRDS
94. Common Goosander (Mergus merganser)
95. Smew (Mergellus albellus)
96. Greater Scaup (Aythya marila)
97. Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis)
98. Stock Dove (Columba oenas)
99. Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos)
100. Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus)
101. Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)
102. Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)

MAMMALS
7. Bank Vole (Myodes glareolus)
Click to expand...
Long-overdue update.

BIRDS
103. Eurasian Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)
104. European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola)
105. Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica)
106. Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)
107. Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)
108. Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)
109. Eurasian Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)
110. Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus)
111. Common House Martin (Delichon urbicum)
112. Northern Raven (Corvus corax)
113. Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea)
114. Mediterranean Gull (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus)
115. Grasshopper Warbler (Locustella naevia)
116. Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus)
117. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dryobates minor)
118. Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
119. Little Owl (Athene noctua)
120. Common Swift (Apus apus)
121. Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)
122. Common Whitethroat (Sylvia communis)
123. Eurasian Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus)
124. Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus)
125. Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca)
126. Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)
127. Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)
128. Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius)
129. Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)
130. Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago)
131. Eurasian Bittern (Botaurus stellaris)
132. Water Rail (Rallus aquaticus)
133. Bearded Reedling (Panurus biarmicus)
134. Sand Martin (Riparia riparia)
135. Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis)
136. Woodlark (Lullula arborea)
137. Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus)
138. Common Linnet (Linaria cannabina)
139. Eurasian Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)
140. Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)
141. Cetti's Warbler (Cettia cetti)
142. Common Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos)
143. Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)
 
Another attempt at a longer-staying but further pallid harrier was also frustratingly unsuccessful, but I did get two other good birds. This was the first time I've been to the breeding range of corn bunting in Belgium, so it was cool to see and hear them singing for the first time!

BIRDS:
184) Corn bunting, Emberiza calandra
185) Tawny owl, Strix aluco
 
birdsandbats said:
Birds
123. Field Sparrow Spizella pusilla
124. Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus
125. American Bittern Botaurus lentiginosus
126. Forster's Tern Sterna forsteri
127. Yellow-headed Blackbird Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

Herps
4. Northern Leopard Frog Lithobates pipiens
Click to expand...
Herps
5. Green Frog Lithobates clamitans
 
Vision said:
This was the first time I've been to the breeding range of corn bunting in Belgium, so it was cool to see and hear them singing for the first time!

BIRDS:
184) Corn bunting, Emberiza calandra
185) Tawny owl, Strix aluco
Click to expand...

Corn Buntings are great. I'm lucky enough to be able to hear/see them regularly here on the coast where I live in Southern England- they seem to be doing better again now and even expanding slightly.
 
Pertinax said:
Corn Buntings are great. I'm lucky enough to be able to hear/see them regularly here on the coast where I live in Southern England- they seem to be doing better again now and even expanding slightly.
Click to expand...
Indeed, definitely great birds! In Belgium they're limited to a fairly small range in the Central-Eastern part of the country, where they seem to be quite numerous but where I don't go very often because of the far drive and a lack of other good birds. Very good to finally see them in their breeding range, though.
 
More disappointing missed birds (a rosefinch this time), but also more other quality birds to partially make up for it!

BIRDS:
186) Icterine warbler, Hippolais icterina
187) Spotted flycatcher, Muscicapa striata
188) Red-backed shrike, Lanius collurio

INVERTS:
20) Welsch chafer, Hoplia philanthus
 
ThylacineAlive said:
Alright fine I'll do all my birds.

Birds
30) Killdeer Charadrius vociferus
31) Willet Tringa semipalmata
32) Fish Crow Corvus ossifragus

33) Red-Winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
34) Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata
35) Common Grackle Quiscalus quiscula
36) House Sparrow Passer domesticus
37) Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
38) American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos
39) Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo
40) Dark-Eyed Junco Junco hyemalis
41) American Robin Turdus migratorius
42) Red-Tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis
43) Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
44) Canada Goose Branta canadensis
45) Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias
46) Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris

~Thylo
Click to expand...

Picked up another one while on a walk today :)

47) Red-Shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus

~Thylo
 
Coelacanth18 said:
Quick update with everything else seen so far:

Birds
36. Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)
37. Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
38. Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)
39. Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)
40. Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus)
41. Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)
42. American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)
43. Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)
44. Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)

Mammals
4. Groundhog (Marmota monax)
5. Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana)
Click to expand...

Another update:

Birds
45. Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)
46. Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)
47. Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)
48. Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)
49. Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)
50. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)
51. Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)
52. Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)

Mammals
6. Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridianus)
7. Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus)
8. American Black Bear (Ursus americanus)
 
Another good bunch of spring migrants in my local spots today!

BIRDS:
189) Marsh warbler, Acrocephalus palustris
190) Common nightingale, Luscinia megarhynchos
191) Eurasian bittern, Botaurus stellaris
192) Lesser whitethroat, Sylvia curruca
193) European honey buzzard, Pernis apivorus

MAMMALS:
9) Common pipistrelle, Pipistrellus pipistrellus
 
Pertinax said:
Another of my favourite species. Have you ever seen them displaying?
Click to expand...
Not yet, unfortunately, though that's definitely a big goal of mine! They only really pass through my area as far as I know, so I sadly don't see them as often as I'd want to.
 
Dannelboyz said:
In recent weeks, a few Glossy Black Cockatoos have been recorded in Melbourne. This is several hundred kilometres outside their normal range and likely represents a few fire refugees, considering most of their habitat in eastern Victoria has been burnt.

BIRDS
224 - Glossy Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami)
Click to expand...
From between Bairnsdale and Lakes Entrance :)

BIRDS
225 - Little Eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides)
226 - Black-faced Cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscescens)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top