Phillip Island todayBIRDS
231 - Beautiful Firetail (Stagonopleura bella)
That went easier than expected! A trip to Belgium's second field observation of Blyth's reed warbler was unfortunately unsuccessful, but on the way there I got a barn owl and while there I got a few other great birds, and finally also some good inverts! Some moth IDs still pending.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
that are new birds to meStill one or two more to ID, but here's already a few more!
BIRDS:
43) Isle of Wight piercer, Grapholita gemmiferana
44) European firebug, Pyrrhocoris apterus
45) Small heath, Coenonympha pamphilus
46) Small emperor moth, Saturnia pavonia
Haha, oops! Edited the post, and also added in a bird I seem to have forgotten earlier!that are new birds to me![]()
BirdsBirds
199. Forest Kingfisher
200. Bower's Shrike-thrush
201. Double-eyed Fig Parrot
202. Australasian Pipit
203. Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo
Fish
4. Cornetfish
Hix
BirdsBirds
211. Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla
BirdsBirds
212. Brewer's Blackbird Euphagus cyanocephalus
213. Grasshopper Sparrow Ammodramus savannarum
214. Henslow's Sparrow Ammodramus henslowii
215. Common Raven Corvus corax
I haven't been counting inverts on this thread this year, but I also saw a Karner Blue yesterday. This is an endangered and difficult to find butterfly that I search for every year - and until now, I still hadn't seen one.
Some more inverts, including at least one rarity from two days ago!Still one or two more to ID, but here's already a few more!
BIRDS:
207) Common grasshopper warbler, Locustella naevia
INVERTS:
43) Isle of Wight piercer, Grapholita gemmiferana
44) European firebug, Pyrrhocoris apterus
45) Small heath, Coenonympha pamphilus
46) Small emperor moth, Saturnia pavonia
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
247 spotted flycatcherbirds
246 arctic tearn
a possible oriental plover has bean found in the south of sweaden. new for sweden and 3 ever for wp. i wood go ther if not for the not loger then 2 houers travel ban
plus ther is one mor lifer for me thare
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
Interesting! I never knew this. I'll have to make sure to look for them next time, then!I went to Apenheul last weekend and it proved again to be the easiest place for zoonerds to see Grass Snakes. There is a large population living in the moats around most of the islands, especially around the Bonobo and Gorilla islands.
4. Grass Snake