ZooChat Big Year 2020

lintworm said:
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
Click to expand...

I spent a few days near the coast and while I did some birding it was definately quality over quantity, with no less then 2 lifers. It could have been three, but a Phalarope that was hanging out nearby didn't show up... It started when I noticed a night heron flying over my head while cycling, which is very unexpected in the NL. I have seen this species on 4 continents, but they are very rare in the Netherlands. Turns out the local heronry has a small group, we saw 5 within a few minutes there. I also picked up two small brown birds I hadn't seen before.

154. Savi's Warbler
155. Temminck's Stint
156. Black-crowned Night Heron
157. Black-winged Stilt
158. Common Redstart

European Turtle Dove joins the heard only list, where it is together with Cetti's Warbler, European Quail, Black Woodpecker & Common Nightingale.

Mammals

15. Fallow Deer

Invertebrates

22. Icarus Blue
23. Old World Swallowtail
24.Small Heath
25. Large White
26. Early Bumblebee (Bombus pasquorum)
 
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About a week ago I helped with a woodcock census nearby. We managed to see and/or hear ten woodcock displays. The rest are late spring arrivals from a small tour through my local patch.

Birds
189. Eurasian Woodcock, Scolopax rusticola
190. Marsh Warbler, Acrocephalus palustris
191. Red-backed Shrike, Lanius collurio
192. European Honey Buzzard, Pernis apivorus

I'll update the invert list later, there's a couple of species that require ID confirmation.
 
Yoshistar888 said:
A day out fishing produced some excellent wildlife results. Note: not all fish were caught, some such as the stingaree and the flathead were seen from the boat.


Mammals

8. Common Dolphin


Birds

93. Kelp Gull
94. Australian Pelican
95 Little Black Cormorant
96. Australian Little Penguin
97. Australasian Gannet
98, Black Faced Cormorant
99. Pacific Gull
100. Southern Giant Petrel
101. Great Cormorant
102. Fairy Tern
103. Intermediate Egret

fish

7. King George Whiting
8. Little Weed Whiting
9. Snapper
10. Sparsely Spotted Stingaree
11. Southern Sand Flathead
12. Smooth Toadfish
Click to expand...

Fish.

13. Southern Gurnard Perch


Fun facts about this fish are that it was only described in 2006! It was also a pain to identify.
 
Kinda forgot to update in an age...

BIRDS:
1 Cooper's Hawk - Accipiter cooperii
2 American Kestrel - Falco sparverius
3 Eurasian Collared-Dove - Streptopelia decaocto
4 Ring-billed Gull - Larus delawarensis
5 American White Pelican - Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
6 Bald Eagle - Haliaeetus leucocephalus
7 Northern Flicker - Colaptes auratus
8 American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos
9 Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus
10 Carolina Wren - Thryothorus ludovicianus
11 Eastern Bluebird - Sialia sialis
12 American Robin - Turdus migratorius
13 Dark-eyed Junco - Junco hyemalis
14 Common Goldeneye - Bucephala clangula
15 Northern Harrier - Circus hudsonius
16 Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis
17 Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus
18 European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris
19 American Goldfinch - Spinus tristis
20 American Tree Sparrow - Spizelloides arborea
21 Northern Shoveler - Spatula clypeata
22 Gadwall - Mareca strepera
23 Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias
24 Eastern Meadowlark - Sturnella magna
25 Rock Pigeon - Columba livia
26 Cackling Goose - Branta hutchinsii
27 Canada Goose - Branta canadensis
28 Wood Duck - Aix sponsa
29 Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos
30 Downy Woodpecker - Dryobates pubescens
31 Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata
32 Yellow-rumped Warbler - Setophaga coronata
33 Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis
34 Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura
35 Greater White-fronted Goose - Anser albifrons
36 Redhead - Aythya americana
37 Greater Scaup - Aythya marila
38 Bufflehead - Bucephala albeola
39 Hooded Merganser - Lophodytes cucullatus
40 Ruddy Duck - Oxyura jamaicensis
41 Pied-billed Grebe - Podilymbus podiceps
42 Double-crested Cormorant - Phalacrocorax auritus
43 Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodia
44 Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus
45 Loggerhead Shrike - Lanius ludovicianus
46 White-crowned Sparrow - Zonotrichia leucophrys
47 Harris's Sparrow - Zonotrichia querula
48 Spotted Towhee - Pipilo maculatus
49 Brewer's Blackbird - Euphagus cyanocephalus
50 Great Egret - Ardea alba
51 American Coot - Fulica americana
52 Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura
53 Great-tailed Grackle - Quiscalus mexicanus
54 White-throated Sparrow - Zonotrichia albicollis
55 Sharp-shinned Hawk - Accipiter striatus
56 House Finch - Haemorhous mexicanus
57 Hairy Woodpecker - Dryobates villosus
58 Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor
59 White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis
60 Winter Wren - Troglodytes hiemalis
61 Killdeer - Charadrius vociferus
62 House Sparrow - Passer domesticus
63 Lesser Scaup - Aythya affinis
64 Horned Lark - Eremophila alpestris
65 Herring Gull - Larus argentatus
66 Black-crowned Night-Heron - Nycticorax nycticorax
67 Golden-crowned Kinglet - Regulus satrapa
68 Snow Goose - Anser caerulescens
69 Short-eared Owl - Asio flammeus
70 Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos
71 Common Merganser - Mergus merganser
72 Canvasback - Aythya valisineria
73 Red-breasted Merganser - Mergus serrator
74 Belted Kingfisher - Megaceryle alcyon
75 Cedar Waxwing - Bombycilla cedrorum
76 American Wigeon - Mareca americana
77 Great Horned Owl - Bubo virginianus
78 Hermit Thrush - Catharus guttatus
79 Long-eared Owl - Asio otus
80 Western Meadowlark - Sturnella neglecta
81 Ross's Goose - Anser rossii
82 Northern Pintail - Anas acuta
83 Green-winged Teal - Anas crecca
84 Ring-necked Duck - Aythya collaris
85 Barred Owl - Strix varia
86 Brown Creeper - Certhia americana
87 Field Sparrow - Spizella pusilla
88 Ring-necked Pheasant - Phasianus colchicus
89 Barn Owl - Tyto alba
90 Marsh Wren - Cistothorus palustris
91 Sandhill Crane - Antigone canadensis
92 Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Regulus calendula
93 Red-shouldered Hawk - Buteo lineatus
94 Eastern Phoebe - Sayornis phoebe
95 Fox Sparrow - Passerella iliaca
96 Blue-winged Teal - Spatula discors
97 Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula
98 Purple Martin - Progne subis
99 Neotropic Cormorant - Phalacrocorax brasilianus
100 Common Loon - Gavia immer
101 Vesper Sparrow - Pooecetes gramineus
102 Greater Yellowlegs - Tringa melanoleuca
103 Brown-headed Cowbird - Molothrus ater
104 Horned Grebe - Podiceps auritus
105 Eared Grebe - Podiceps nigricollis
106 Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis
107 Little Blue Heron - Egretta caerulea
108 Black-necked Stilt - Himantopus mexicanus
109 American Avocet - Recurvirostra americana
110 Baird's Sandpiper - Calidris bairdii
111 Least Sandpiper - Calidris minutilla
112 Long-billed Dowitcher - Limnodromus scolopaceus
113 Wilson's Phalarope - Phalaropus tricolor
114 Lesser Yellowlegs - Tringa flavipes
115 Bonaparte's Gull - Chroicocephalus philadelphia
116 Brown Thrasher - Toxostoma rufum
117 Savannah Sparrow - Passerculus sandwichensis
118 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Polioptila caerulea
119 Pectoral Sandpiper - Calidris melanotos
120 Upland Sandpiper - Bartramia longicauda
121 Franklin's Gull - Leucophaeus pipixcan
122 Fish Crow - Corvus ossifragus
123 Semipalmated Plover - Charadrius semipalmatus
124 White-faced Ibis - Plegadis chihi
125 Osprey - Pandion haliaetus
126 Marbled Godwit - Limosa fedoa
127 Willet - Tringa semipalmata
128 Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica
129 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher - Tyrannus forficatus
130 Orange-crowned Warbler - Leiothlypis celata
131 Semipalmated Sandpiper - Calidris pusilla
132 Spotted Sandpiper - Actitis macularius
133 Wild Turkey - Meleagris gallopavo
134 Snowy Egret - Egretta thula
135 Chipping Sparrow - Spizella passerina
136 Merlin - Falco columbarius
137 American Pipit - Anthus rubescens
138 Grasshopper Sparrow - Ammodramus savannarum
139 Lark Sparrow - Chondestes grammacus
140 Yellow-headed Blackbird - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus
141 Solitary Sandpiper - Tringa solitaria
142 Great Crested Flycatcher - Myiarchus crinitus
143 Warbling Vireo - Vireo gilvus
144 Swainson's Thrush - Catharus ustulatus
145 Summer Tanager - Piranga rubra
146 Least Flycatcher - Empidonax minimus
147 Lincoln's Sparrow - Melospiza lincolnii
148 Cliff Swallow - Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
149 House Wren - Troglodytes aedon
150 Tree Swallow - Tachycineta bicolor
151 Chimney Swift - Chaetura pelagica
152 Prothonotary Warbler - Protonotaria citrea
153 Nashville Warbler - Leiothlypis ruficapilla
154 Northern Parula - Setophaga americana
155 Red-eyed Vireo - Vireo olivaceus
156 Yellow Warbler - Setophaga petechia
157 Dickcissel - Spiza americana
158 Hudsonian Godwit - Limosa haemastica
159 Gray Catbird - Dumetella carolinensis
160 Baltimore Oriole - Icterus galbula
161 Northern Bobwhite - Colinus virginianus
162 Western Kingbird - Tyrannus verticalis
163 Eastern Kingbird - Tyrannus tyrannus
164 Orchard Oriole - Icterus spurius
165 Ruby-throated Hummingbird - Archilochus colubris
166 Black-and-white Warbler - Mniotilta varia
167 Mississippi Kite - Ictinia mississippiensis
168 Tennessee Warbler - Leiothlypis peregrina
169 Blackpoll Warbler - Setophaga striata
170 Black-headed Grosbeak - Pheucticus melanocephalus
171 Indigo Bunting - Passerina cyanea
172 Stilt Sandpiper - Calidris himantopus
173 White-rumped Sandpiper - Calidris fuscicollis
174 Bell's Vireo - Vireo bellii
175 Common Yellowthroat - Geothlypis trichas
176 Clay-colored Sparrow - Spizella pallida
177 White-eyed Vireo - Vireo griseus
178 Ovenbird - Seiurus aurocapilla
179 American Redstart - Setophaga ruticilla
180 Rose-breasted Grosbeak - Pheucticus ludovicianus
181 Bobolink - Dolichonyx oryzivorus
182 Black Tern - Chlidonias niger
183 Painted Bunting - Passerina ciris
184 Wilson's Warbler - Cardellina pusilla
185 Buff-breasted Sandpiper - Calidris subruficollis
186 Sora - Porzana carolina
187 Yellow-breasted Chat - Icteria virens
188 Yellow-billed Cuckoo - Coccyzus americanus
189 Common Nighthawk - Chordeiles minor
190 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron - Nyctanassa violacea
191 Eastern Wood-Pewee - Contopus virens
192 Magnolia Warbler - Setophaga magnolia
193 Black-throated Green Warbler - Setophaga virens
194 Gray-cheeked Thrush - Catharus minimus
 
At Moonlit today

302. Yellow-rumped thornbill Acanthiza chrysorrhoa
 
ThylacineAlive said:
Picked up another one while on a walk today :)

47) Red-Shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus

~Thylo
Click to expand...

Not been out birding again (yet) but picked up three more common springtime birds that used to be easier for me:

Birds
48) American Goldfinch Carduelis tristis
49) House Finch Haemorhous mexicanus
50) Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis

~Thylo
 
Finally got the pallid harrier, right after I had given up and started driving away it flew away from the grass next to the road! I didn't head there before checking out another wonderful area (Nationaal Park Hoge Kempen) though. Came for the vagrant Iberian chiffchaff, but stayed for my first ever singing wood warbler! Love myself a good Phyllo. :)

BIRDS:
196) Iberian chiffchaff, Phylloscopus ibericus
197) Whinchat, Saxicola rubetra
198) European pied flycatcher, Ficedula hypoleuca
199) Wood warbler, Phylloscopus sibilatrix
200) Tree pipit, Anthus trivialis
201) Pallid harrier, Circus macrourus
 
Not a new species for the year but a cool find I thought I'd share here - I think there is a pair of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds nesting in my backyard. Despite filling my yard with native plants they like, such as Wild Columbine and Great Blue Lobelia, until this year sighting a hummer in my yard was a rare occurrence. For the past couple days there has been a pair visiting my nectar feeder every five minutes or so. I think they are nesting somewhere in my lilac tree but I haven't found the nest.
 
lintworm said:
I spent a few days near the coast and while I did some birding it was definately quality over quantity, with no less then 2 lifers. It could have been three, but a Phalarope that was hanging out nearby didn't show up... It started when I noticed a night heron flying over my head while cycling, which is very unexpected in the NL. I have seen this species on 4 continents, but they are very rare in the Netherlands. Turns out the local heronry has a small group, we saw 5 within a few minutes there. I also picked up two small brown birds I hadn't seen before.

154. Savi's Warbler
155. Temminck's Stint
156. Black-crowned Night Heron
157. Black-winged Stilt
158. Common Redstart

European Turtle Dove joins the heard only list, where it is together with Cetti's Warbler, European Quail, Black Woodpecker & Common Nightingale.

Mammals

15. Fallow Deer

Invertebrates

22. Icarus Blue
23. Old World Swallowtail
24.Small Heath
25. Large White
26. Early Bumblebee (Bombus pasquorum)
Click to expand...

More quality over quantity these days. I went looking for a Red-backed Shrike, but did not find it, but I did find a Black Woodpecker, which is probably my favourite bird in the Netherlands. At more or less the exact same spot where I saw the woodpecker I also found a nest of Little Spotted Woodpecker and a Red Fox walked by there too. Yesterday I decided to cycle around a large heathland/forest area nearby to find another favourite bird: European Nightjar. Their song is just amazing, as are their display flights. I found some as well as many large mammals.

159. Black Woodpecker
160. European Nightjar

Mammals

16. Red Fox
17. Wild Boar
18. Red Deer
 
animal_expert01 said:
Birds:
111. Blue-tailed Bee Eater (Merops philippinus)
112. Double Barred Finch (Taeniopygia bichenovii)
113. Brown Cuckoo Dove (Macropygia phasianella)
114. Peaceful Dove (Geopelia placida)
115. Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis)

Blue-tailed Bee Eater is from Thailand. Also does anyone know if the grey form and black form ashy drongos ranges overlap?
Click to expand...
Mammals:
8. Swamp Wallaby (Wallabia bicolor)
9. Brush Tailed Rock Wallaby (Petrogale penicillata)

Birds:
116. Azure Kingfisher (Alcedo azurea)
117. Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus)
118. Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis)
119. Horsefield's Bronze Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx basalis)
120. White Throated Tree Creeper (Cormobates leucophaea)
121. Little Eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides)
122. Little Cormorant (Microcarbo niger)
123. Swamp Harrier (Circus assimilis)
124. Asian Glossy Starling (Aplonis panayensis)
125. Yellow Rumped Flycatcher (Ficedula zanthopygia)
126. Lesser Frigatebird (Fregata ariel)

Reptiles:
8. Eastern Water Skink (Eulamprus quoyii)
9. Dtella Gecko (Gehyra dubia)
10. Oriental Garden Lizard (Petrogale penicillata)

Fish:
23. Crimson Spotted Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia duboulayi)
24. Fly-specked Hardyhead (Craterocephalus stercusmuscarum)


Amphibians:
3. Asian Toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus)
4. Common Tree Frog (Polypedates leucomystax)
5. Guangdong Frog (Hylarana macrodactyla)
6. Chinese Edible Frog (Hoplobatrachus rugulosus)

Lately I have seen a fantastic amount of wildlife. Note that many of these animals are ones I have identified from Thailand. Also Blue-headed Bee-eaters were in fact misidentified Chestnut-headed Bee-eaters (Merops leschenaulti).
 
Always fun to see little owls in the area! Only very poor views today unfortunately, but definitely a fun species and one of the last ones I needed to complete the set of 'gettable' Belgian owls! Just barn owl left now, which I have heard a few times.

BIRDS:
202) Little owl, Athene noctua

INVERTS:
21) Emperor dragonfly, Anax imperator
 
DesertRhino150 said:
I have not had much time or opportunity to birdwatch recently - hence why since my last update on 20th January I have literally seen just three new birds. The latter two were both seen today on the way to and from Colchester Zoo:

66. Great spotted woodpecker Dendrocopos major
67. Red-legged partridge Alectoris rufa
68. Red kite Milvus milvus (NT)
Click to expand...

Since my last post, I have been in almost total lockdown and likely will remain so for the foreseeable future (as I live with a parent in the highly vulnerable category). All the additions to my list therefore are things seen in or from my back garden (comprising five birds, a mammal, a reptile and twenty-two invertebrates - one of them a lifer):

69. Common chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita
70. Barn swallow Hirundo rustica
71. Common tern Sterna hirundo
72. Common whitethroat Sylvia communis
73. Green woodpecker Picus viridis

6. Bank vole Myodes glareolus

1. Slow worm Anguis fragilis

2. Seven-spot ladybird Coccinella septempunctata
3. European honeybee Apis mellifera
4. Brimstone butterfly Gonepteryx rhamni
5. Small white butterfly Pieris rapae
6. Peacock butterfly Aglais io
7. Cinnabar moth Tyria jacobaeae
8. Holly blue butterfly Celastrina argiolus
9. Orange-tip butterfly Anthocharis cardamines
10. Lackey moth Malacosoma neustria
11. Swift ant Formica fusca
12. Black garden ant Lasius niger
13. Common red ant Myrmica rubra
14. Green nettle weevil Phyllobius pomaceus
15. White-legged damselfly Platycnemis pennipes
16. Wasp beetle Clytus arietis
17. Red-headed cardinal beetle Pyrochroa serraticornis
18. Soldier beetle Cantharis rustica
19. Swollen-thighed beetle Oedemera nobilis
20. Common malachite beetle Malachius bipustulatus
21. White-tailed bumblebee
22. Tree bumblebee
23. Green shieldbug Palomena prasina
 
had a great afternon biriding today with 1,5 lifers
242. Great red warbler (only heard it before)
243. Eurasian reed warbler
244. sege warbler
245 .Broad-billed sandpiper
 
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