ZooChat Big Year 2020

Vision said:
Interesting! I never knew this. I'll have to make sure to look for them next time, then!
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The Gorilla presentation is especially good, as is the Bonobo moat when seen from the walking bridge, but I have seen them in various other places as well.
 
lintworm said:
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.
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Did you get to see Black Woodpecker perched, or just in flight?, Like most woodpeckers it seems they are very chancy to come across but I believe you can track them by call sometimes( also by drumming in spring).
 
Dannelboyz said:
Phillip Island today :)

MAMMALS
28 - Australian Fur Seal (Arctocephallus pusillus)

BIRDS
232 - Shy Albatross (Thalassarche cauta)
233 - Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus)
234 - Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor)
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BIRDS
235 - Speckled Warbler (Pyrrholaemus sagittatus)
 
Pertinax said:
Did you get to see Black Woodpecker perched, or just in flight?, Like most woodpeckers it seems they are very chancy to come across but I believe you can track them by call sometimes( also by drumming in spring).
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It was perched, I located it by the distinctive call they make when perched (they have a different call when flying), but this individual was rather shy, so flew away rather quickly. Black Woodpeckers occur in much lower densities than the other woodpeckers here, so indeed much more of a chance occurence. Fortunately they can be rather noisy, so if close enough they can be easy to locate. On the other hand it seems that both Middle and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers are much more silent and I mainly see them by tracking movement. Great Spotted Woodpeckers are very abundant around here and easy to see, especially currently when every other tree hole seems to have a nest of them with calling chicks.
 
lintworm said:
It was perched, I located it by the distinctive call they make when perched (they have a different call when flying), but this individual was rather shy, so flew away rather quickly. Black Woodpeckers occur in much lower densities than the other woodpeckers here, so indeed much more of a chance occurence. Fortunately they can be rather noisy, so if close enough they can be easy to locate. On the other hand it seems that both Middle and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers are much more silent and I mainly see them by tracking movement. Great Spotted Woodpeckers are very abundant around here and easy to see, especially currently when every other tree hole seems to have a nest of them with calling chicks.
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Yes I heard one several times in France two years ago. The noise is a bit like a toy trumpet I think. And the flight call I know 'Kirrick Kirrick', something like that. The bird I heard calling in France later actually flew to a tree right near me but a fir tree obscured it and so I couldn't see it properly as a result before it flew away! Hence my desire to still see one properly. The UK woodpeckers(Great, Lesser and Green) I've seen many times of course, even the Lesser Spotted which is easier to find once you know where/how/when to look. I once even saw the mating display- like a hovering butterfly- was very lucky to see that.
 
Vision said:
Looking for nightjars is always one of the most exciting birding days each year! I don't get them anywhere super closeby so I always have to make a dedicated evening trip if I want to see them, and they truly never disappoint. Such fantastic birds.

BIRDS:
208) European nightjar, Caprimulgus europaeus

INVERTS:
51) Summer chafer, Amphimallon solstitiale
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Since the previous one didn't end up counting, and this one was found on my local pond, I'll give this one a go as well! Seems to have better papers, having been seen in multiple ponds and wetlands across Belgium over the past month together with garganeys, and being unringed.

BIRDS:
209) Blue-winged teal, Spatula discors
 
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A family meetup yesterday gave me the chance to piggyback on a visit to the coast for the first time in months (and quite possibly the last time for months as well - not least because I'm going to be supporting as many zoos as I can once they open, so birding may be reduced to a sideshow for a few weeks..!). Hit the cliffs just south of Bempton very early just in case but the clifftop paths stayed really quiet and the huge numbers of birds and the glorious place have lifted my spirits like little else could.

Birds:
168. Western Barn Owl - Tyto alba
169. Northern Gannet - Morus bassanus
170. Black-legged Kittiwake - Rissa tridactyla
171. Razorbill - Alca torda
172. Atlantic Puffin - Fratercula arctica
173. Northern Fulmar - Fulmarus glacialis

Mammals:
19. Grey Seal - Halichoerus grypus

Invertebrates:
45. Large Skipper - Ocholodes venata

:)
 
Mehdi said:
Can't bird as even my local spot is too far away to go by foot so this is my first addition since confinement, two individuals seen from my balcony:

12/04/2020 (Agadir, Morocco)
BIRDS:
101 - Eurasian thick-knee, Burhinus oedicnemus
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Still no birding as we're still under lockdown (and sadly it looks like it will be extended for 2 more weeks at least...) but I got this cute little summer addition while walking in my garden!

05/06/2020 (Agadir, Morocco)
BIRDS:
102 - Little swift, Apus affinis

INVERTS:
4 - Amata mogadorensis
5 - Xylocopa pubescens
 
As I have mentioned previously, all the public transport in Wellington (where I live) has been free for the last couple of months. Recently I discovered that this included the train to Masterton which is a town a couple of hours north of Wellington, so that's where I went today. There's not much in Masterton but I haven't been there before and there is one birding spot within town (Henley Lake), as well as an aviary in Queen Elizabeth Park.

I saw 35 bird species while there, as well as some rabbits, but only one of the birds was a new addition for the year list.


60) Black-fronted Dotterel Elseyornis melanops
 
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Mehdi said:
Still no birding as we're still under lockdown (and sadly it looks like it will be extended for 2 more weeks at least...) but I got this cute little summer addition while walking in my garden!

05/06/2020 (Agadir, Morocco)
BIRDS:
102 - Little swift, Apus affinis

INVERTS:
4 - Amata mogadorensis
5 - Xylocopa pubescens
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06/06/2020 (Agadir, Morocco)
INVERTS:
6 - Beet webworm moth, Spoladea recurvalis
 
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A hike at an amazing national park only half an hour from the CBD (Organ Pipe National Park), granted a few new species. The birding at this place is extremely tricky, there aren’t many birds, and they are usually very hard to spot but the ones you do successfully sight are usually quite rewarding.

Birds

104. Brown Falcon
105. Rufous Whistler
106. Buff Rumped Thornbill
107. Rufous Fantail
108. Brown Headed Honeyeater
109. Eastern Spinebill
110: Yellow Rumped Thornbill.


Apart from these year list birds I saw Little Raven, Dusky Moorhen, Superb Fairy Wren etc.

Apart from the birds and the amazing million year old volcanic rock formation this trip was a failure on all other fronts, no mammals, reptiles or amphibians were seen despite them being the parks specialty. Mammal targets included the swamp wallaby (I’ve seen them many times but not this year), Echidna (:mad: nemesis animal), and of course the Platypus which are supposed to be quite common in the creek but it ended up not having any rewards.

The herptile front was even worse as I had many more targets, firstly the unrealistic targets, the growling Grass frog and Striped Legless Lizard, two endangered species which can be seen in the park. The other targets were nemesis species, snakes, spotted Grass frog, banjo frog etc. this place also has Wild Eastern Bearded Dragons and wild Shinglebacks but unfortunately to no avail.

I’ll definitely be visiting again.
 
birdsandbats said:
Birds
216. Prothonotary Warbler Protonotaria citrea
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birdsandbats said:
Seen the talons of an Osprey. Not sure if it was alive, but it was intact so I'm counting it anyway:

Fish:
5. Feral Goldfish Carassius auratus

Note: I jumped from 3 to 5 because it turns out I had two number ones.
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Birds
217. Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
218. White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi
219. Yellow-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus

Fish
6. Shortnose Gar Lepisosteus platostomus
7. Longnose Gar Lepisosteus osseus
 
My local area keeps giving this year! I saw a Red-necked grebe in full summer plumage at a regional birding spot, and the same day a very rare Woodchat shrike was found close to home. Both gave very good views, and remain two of my favourite birds I've seen so far.

A short walk today yielded no less than three new amphibian species, one of which is a rather shamefull addition this late! I've also (finally) updated the inverts list.

Birds
193. Red-necked Grebe, Podiceps grisegena
194. Woodchat Shrike, Lanius senator
195. Icterine Warbler, Hippolais icterina

Herptiles
7. Natterjack Toad, Epidalea calamita
8. Edible Frog, Pelophylax kl. esculentus
9. Common Frog, Rana temporaria

Invertebrates
55. Eupeodes corollae
56. Broad-bodied Chaser, Libellula depressa
57. Asian Ladybeetle, Harmonia axyridis
58. Garden Chafer, Phyllopertha horticula
59. Odiellus spinosus
60. Scolopostethus decoratus
61. Nettle Ground Bug, Heterogaster urticae
62. Yellow Shell, Camptogramma bilineata
63. Brown House Moth, Hofmannophila pseudospretella
64. Dingy Footman, Collita griseola
65. Gypsy Moth, Lymantria dispar
66. Galeruca tanaceti
67. European Oak Leafroller, Tortrix viridana
68. Phalangium opilio
69. Small Dusty Wave, Idaea seriata
70. Garden Snail, Cornu aspersum
71. Lesser Tawny Crescent, Batia lunaris
72. Meadow Grasshopper, Pseudochorthippus parallelus
73. Miris striatus
 
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