Birds
252. Bohemian Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus
ZooChat Big Year 2020
- Thread starter Chlidonias
- Start date
252. Bohemian Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus
Now to finally update some more inverts, I’ve seen plenty of inverts over the last couple days especially today.
Also to note I had forgotten a bird from earlier in the year being the Shy Albatross, I initially thought it was a Black Browed, on the day however, I changed my ID a couple days after the sighting and have forgotten to add it since.
Another note is the misidentification of an invert on the list, the spider Isodpella pesseleri will be removed from the list because I idiotically searches up Isodpella instead of Isopeda what it really is. My total however stays the same as it will be replaced by the re identified Isopeda montana (Montane Hunstman Spider)
Birds
128. Shy Albatross (Thalassarche cauta)
Invertebrates
175. Steel Blue Sawfly (Perga affinis)
176. Australian House Centipede (Allothereua maculata)
177. Meal Moth (Pyralis farinalis)
178. Black Noctuid (Neumichtis nigerrima)
179. Jovial Jumping Spider (Apricia jovialis)
Also to note I had forgotten a bird from earlier in the year being the Shy Albatross, I initially thought it was a Black Browed, on the day however, I changed my ID a couple days after the sighting and have forgotten to add it since.
Another note is the misidentification of an invert on the list, the spider Isodpella pesseleri will be removed from the list because I idiotically searches up Isodpella instead of Isopeda what it really is. My total however stays the same as it will be replaced by the re identified Isopeda montana (Montane Hunstman Spider)
Birds
128. Shy Albatross (Thalassarche cauta)
Invertebrates
175. Steel Blue Sawfly (Perga affinis)
176. Australian House Centipede (Allothereua maculata)
177. Meal Moth (Pyralis farinalis)
178. Black Noctuid (Neumichtis nigerrima)
179. Jovial Jumping Spider (Apricia jovialis)
I saved this cockroaches life from my cockroach hating family.
180. Common Shining Cockroach (Drymaplaneta communis)
During the last few years I've explored much of the Netherlands in terms of birding, and cleaned up most of the reasonably common species that occur in the country. The ones I'm still missing are all either pelagic, very secretive, or, while locally common, have a very limited distribution. A few months ago I had the sudden realization that two of the last category - both specialties of early winter in the northern provinces - could quite easily be combined on one trip.
So last weekend I was off to the province of Friesland. First we went to the coast to search for coastal passerines. It took a lot of effort but eventually we found the species we where after: Twite. A flock of no less than 70 of them! As a bonus we found other wintering coastal passerines like longspurs and Horned Larks, along with a good number of waders and raptors.
The next target was Pink-footed Goose. We started by trying to twitch a group of 300 had been staying in the same area for some time, but to no avail, so we had to find them ourselves. We drove around the Friesland countryside until we stumbled upon a large flock of geese on a meadow. It was a mixed flock but the far majority (over a 1000 individuals) where Pink-footed Geese. Mission accomplished! With 75 species seen, including both targets, it was a very successful day to say the least.
Birds
227. Twite, Linaria flavirostris
228. Snow Bunting, Plectrophenax nivalis
229. Purple Sandpiper, Calidris maritima
230. Pink-footed Goose. Anser brachyrhynchus
So last weekend I was off to the province of Friesland. First we went to the coast to search for coastal passerines. It took a lot of effort but eventually we found the species we where after: Twite. A flock of no less than 70 of them! As a bonus we found other wintering coastal passerines like longspurs and Horned Larks, along with a good number of waders and raptors.
The next target was Pink-footed Goose. We started by trying to twitch a group of 300 had been staying in the same area for some time, but to no avail, so we had to find them ourselves. We drove around the Friesland countryside until we stumbled upon a large flock of geese on a meadow. It was a mixed flock but the far majority (over a 1000 individuals) where Pink-footed Geese. Mission accomplished! With 75 species seen, including both targets, it was a very successful day to say the least.
Birds
227. Twite, Linaria flavirostris
228. Snow Bunting, Plectrophenax nivalis
229. Purple Sandpiper, Calidris maritima
230. Pink-footed Goose. Anser brachyrhynchus
First day we have been allowed to travel more than 25km, so went spotlighting for two targets I was pursuing back in June. Got one, the other, the greater glider, will have to wait.
Bunyip State Park.
Mammals
41. Yellow-bellied glider Petaurus australis
Also saw:
Bunyip State Park.
Mammals
41. Yellow-bellied glider Petaurus australis
Also saw:
- Swamp wallaby
- Common wombat
- Sambar deer
- heard a number of Southern boobock owls
After way too long of not properly birding, a day at the coast made up for much of that! Crag martin is a very rare vagrant here, one was found yesterday that spent the night on a building in Oostende, where I saw it very early this morning. Other than that it seemed to be a good time of the year for Eastern warblers, with many Dusky warblers, Pallas' warblers and Siberian chiffchaffs still popping up. I managed to connect with a Dusky and a Pallas', so alongside a more common but late Yellow-browed warbler and Common chiffchaff that made for a 4-Phyllo day, on top of the martin! A small group of pink-foots flying over was a very nice conclusion. 
BIRDS:
276) Eurasian crag martin, Ptyonoprogne rupestris
277) Pallas' leaf warbler, Phylloscopus proregulus
278) Pink-footed goose, Anser brachyrhynchus
BIRDS:
276) Eurasian crag martin, Ptyonoprogne rupestris
277) Pallas' leaf warbler, Phylloscopus proregulus
278) Pink-footed goose, Anser brachyrhynchus
Mammals
19. American Beaver Castor canadensis
Didn't you skip one? (passed from 17 to 19 directly)
I accidentally counted two 17s, so 19 is the correct number.
Today was very successful, despite it being a school day tons of inverts were seen at and around school.
181: Knobbed Orb Weaver (Eriophora pustulosa)
182: Diana's Badge Hunstman (Neosparassus diana)
183. Wolf Spider (Venatrix pseudospeciosa)
I went to the Araucaria Track (Enoggera Reservoir) today and found a very pleasant surprise – a female Koala with her joey! They were snoozing only a few metres off the ground in full view. I would have walked straight past them if it wasn’t for a delightful little treecreeper that was ‘treecreeping’ up their tree. Since I started my life list only in 2018 and don’t have any memories of seeing wild koalas when I was younger, it’s a lifer for me.There I was minding my own business at a local park when I suddenly realised there was a bird perched on a nearby branch, staring right at me. Probably the easiest lifer I have ticked off for 2020 so far.
Birds
114. Little Wattlebird Anthochaera chrysoptera
I also saw four bird lifers today; the kingfisher was a nice surprise but my favourite bird would have to be the Varied Triller – loved the bold black and white colouration with the touch of rufous under the tail.Mammals
9. Koala Phascolarctos cinereus
10. Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus
Birds
115. Forest Kingfisher Todiramphus macleayii
116. Fork-tailed Swift Apus pacificus
117. Tawny Frogmouth Podargus strigoides
118. Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus funereus
119. Varied Triller Lalage leucomela
120. White-throated Treecreeper Cormobates leucophaea
121. Barred Cuckoo-shrike Coracina lineata
Herptiles
11. Dark Bar-sided Skink Concinnia martini
What a day of fishing at Mornington pier! Note: only a few of the fish listed were actually caught, most were seen in the water. All fish were released. Also both Eastern and Western Australian salmon are in PPB they can be readily distinguished though.
Invertebrates
185. 11 Armed Sea Star (Coscinasterias calamaria)
Fish
18. Blue Throated Wrasse (Notolabrus tetricus(
19. Southern Hulafish (Trachinops caudimaculatus)
20. Blue Weed Whiting (Haletta semifasciata)
21. Blue Spotted Goatfish (Upeneichthys lineatus)
22. Luderick (Paore) (Girella tricuspidata)
23. Toothbrush Leatherjacket (Acanthaluteres vittiger)
24. Western Australian Salmon (Arripis truttacea)
25. Oyster Blenny (Omobranchus anolius)
26. Moonlighter (Tilodon sexfasciatus)
27. Old Wife (Enoplosus armatus)
28. Sand Grey Mullet (Myxus elongatus)
29. Yellow Eyed Mullet (Aldrichetta forsteri)
30. Longsnout Boarfish (Pentaceropsis recurvirostris)
31. Dusky Morowong (Dactylophora nigricans)
Also a leatherjacket and wrasse in the process of being ID’ed.
I’m a little disappointed that I’m in the lead with 31 fish, I expected a little more of a challenge.
EDIT A: the mystery wrasse was a male little weed whiting
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I don’t know how I forgot these as they were probably the highlight of the day. Stingaree’s! I’ve now seen all four species of Stingaree found in Port Phillip and Western Port Bay!
32. Eastern Shovelnose Stingaree (Trygonoptera imitata)
33. Spotted Stingaree (Urolophus gigas)
The latter species in particular is noted as an astounding find, both really cool and quite uncommon.
EDIT: the leatherjacket has been identified
34. Blue Lined Leatherjacket (Meuschenia galii)
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i dipped on a brant gosse today but at least i got bad veivs of a seal
mammals
43 grey seal Halichoerus grypus
mammals
43 grey seal Halichoerus grypus
A few bits and pieces from here and there. Especially happy with the phalarope, as this is a genus I had never seen before and was high on the wishlist for quite some time.
186. Common Redpoll
187. Eurasian Dotterel
188. Woodlark
189. Red Phalarope
190. Common Scoter
I expect max another 3 bird additions for the year. This will be the last year I'll contribute due to a job change, which means most of my observations won't be for sharing and I won't be doing any separate listings...
Dannelboyz
Well-Known Member
Left East Gippsland to head up to the mallee for a week now that restrictions have eased (Cicadabird was in Gippsland but the rest are mallee species). Travelling in a loop from Little Desert up to Murray-Sunset and finishing up in the Terricks, I got some excellent birds for the trip including four lifer birds and several rare Vic birds I've only seen once or twice before. I was targeting the family of Ground Cuckooshrikes that had been reported in Wyperfeld NP throughout the lockdown and was stoked to get excellent views of both adults and all three fledglings. Striated Grasswren was another highlight - this bird is highly sought after and I had previously only seen the back end of a bird running rodent-like along the ground from me. After searching through the Triodia-dominated mallee in Hattah for over five hours on Thursday with no luck, I spotted one from the car on the way back. We all hopped out and managed views of a grasswren carrying a spider in its bill running towards us!!! We were all within metres of the bird watching it out in the open. One of the most prominent birdwatchers in Australia was with us at at the time and he described it as best grasswren encounter he had ever experienced.
With 310 birds in Victoria for the year including two heard-onlies, I have passed last year's Victorian total of 303! I have also reached a total life list of 359 Victorian birds, all seen.
BIRDS
294 - Common Cicadabird (Edolisoma tenuirostre)
295 - Bush Stone-Curlew (Burhinus grallarius)
296 - Slender-billed Thornbill (Acanthiza iredalei)
-- Little Buttonquail (Turnix velox) [heard only]
297 - Masked Woodswallow (Artamus personatus)
298 - Regent Parrot (Polytelis anthopeplus)
299 - Ground Cuckooshrike (Coracina maxima)
300 - Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus)
301 - Spotted Harrier (Circus assimilis)
302 - Chestnut-crowned Babbler (Pomatostomus ruficeps)
303 - Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus)
304 - Striated Grasswren (Amytornis striatus)
305 - White-breasted Woodswallow (Artamus leucorynchus)
-- Rufous Songlark (Cincloramphus mathewsi) [heard only]
306 - Grey-crowned Babbler (Pomatostomus temporalis)
307 - Stubble Quail (Coturnix pectoralis)
308 - Plumed Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna eytoni)
MAMMALS
39 - Feral Goat (Capra aegagrus)*
REPTILES
22 - Painted Dragon (Ctenophorus pictus)
23 - Shingleback (Tiliqua rugosa)
24 - Southern Spiny-tailed Gecko (Strophurus intermedius)
25 - Eastern Bearded Dragon (Pogona barbata)
25 - Mallee Dragon (Ctenophorus fordi)
26 - Sand Goanna (Varanus gouldii)
27 - Tree Dtella (Gehyra variegata)
28 - Regal Striped Skink (Ctenotus regius)