ZooChat Big Year 2021

Hix said:
Birds
138. Blue-billed Duck
139. Australasian Shoveller
140. Black-shouldered Kite
141. Royal Spoonbill
142. Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo
143. Channel-billed Cuckoo
144. Striated Pardalote
145. Little Lorikeet

Reptiles
2. Lace Monitor

:p

Hix
Click to expand...

Birds
146. Brown Thornbill
147. Crimson Rosella
148. Fan-tailed Cuckoo
149. Plum-headed Finch
150. White-browed Babbler
151. Grey-Crowned Babbler
152. Scarlet Honeyeater
153. Rose Robin
154. Rufous Fantail
155. Little Eagle

Mammals
7. Eastern Grey Kangaroo

:p

Hix
 
ChunkyMunky pengopus said:
Some adjustments and new observations:

Birds:
22. Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)

Insects/Invertebrate:
8. Brown stink bug (Euschistus servus)
9. Silvanid flat bark beetle (Telephanus atricapillus)
10. False milkweed bug (Lygaeus turcicus)
Click to expand...
I went to my local nature center for the first time this year today, and made some more observations. The sound of spring peepers were ever present, which makes it annoying that I didn't manage to actually see one even though I'm certain my eyes passed directly past a few :confused:
There was also the most curious 'albino' (More likely leucistic) chipmunk. There were also an abundance of woodpeckers

Birds:
23. Red Bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)
24. Hairy Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus villosus)

Insect/Invertebrate:
11. Mourning cloak butterfly/ Spiny elm caterpillar (Nymphalis antiopa)
12. Woodlouse spider (Dysdera crocata)

I won't count the 'chipmunk' quite yet, as I want to be sure that it was indeed that. Also, would koi in a large pond count? If they were listed somewhere like iNaturalist as well?
 
ChunkyMunky pengopus said:
Also, would koi in a large pond count? If they were listed somewhere like iNaturalist as well
Click to expand...

Koi typically are the result of deliberate introduction, versus goldfish which frequently are released all over. Koi are much more expensive to buy than goldfish, and thus more people that buy them know what they're getting into. Also just because they're listed on iNaturalist doesn't confirm wild necessarily.
I wouldn't count them myself, though maybe see what others have to say.
 
Great Argus said:
Spring is almost fully here; bats are out, crickets are chirping, and the migrant birds are arriving. Still need a butterfly to appear though.

Birds:

89. Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota)
90. Cackling Goose (Branta leucoparaia)

Reptiles:

6. Western Terrestrial Garter Snake (Thamnophis elegans)

5-90-6-2-0-15
Click to expand...

Apparently I jinxed myself with yesterday's post, as I saw multiple butterflies today. :p

Invertebrates:

16. Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)
17. California Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica)

5-90-6-2-0-17
 
Great Argus said:
Koi typically are the result of deliberate introduction, versus goldfish which frequently are released all over. Koi are much more expensive to buy than goldfish, and thus more people that buy them know what they're getting into. Also just because they're listed on iNaturalist doesn't confirm wild necessarily.
I wouldn't count them myself, though maybe see what others have to say.
Click to expand...
The rule is it is a naturally breeding population, I take that to mean not being managed by humans. It seems koi in a concrete pool are likely to be managed. People sometimes include incorrect information on iNaturalist, For instance people have entered zebra finches for Moonlit Sanctuary. The only zebra finches at Moonlit Sanctuary were in an aviary.
 
Mehdi said:
First of all, an invert identified from that day retroactively:

07/03/2021 (Champs d'Imallalen, Morocco)
INVERTS:
5 - Lamenting grasshopper, Eyprepocnemis plorans

A few days after, I went to the Tamri estuary for no particular goal except to find some spring migrants and although the place was booming more than the last few times I visited, it was still pretty lifeless compared to what I'm used to (still no ducks nor coots even if I'm used to hundreds there). A really nice lifer made up for it all though!

13/03/2021 (Estuaire de l'Asif N'Srou, Morocco)
BIRDS:
119 - Common grasshopper warbler, Locustella naevia

HERPS:
1 - Bibron's agama, Agama impalearis

INVERTS:
6 - Light pygmy skipper, Gegenes nostrodamus

My second Locustellidae in less than a week even if I had never seen any prior that! A very welcome lifer that for me completes the very short (2 species) Moroccan Locustellidae basket but that also marks my 196th bird in Morocco.

The next segment is about a visit to the Aoulouz area, a mountainous area near a water body that I've always wanted to visit because it seems very scenic and also great for birding. My main reason to get there however was mostly to have one last real try at crakes this year (crakes are nearly only seen during spring migration here and I don't think I'll have time to look for them in April).

Other goals would be to try and get mountain species that are often reported there like Blue rock thrush or finally get my most shameful missing species to this day: Long-legged buzzard, which is probably one of the most common raptors in Morocco but which is also one I was missing before the trip:

20/03/2021 (Aoulouz [Pont sur l'Asif Tifnout], Morocco)
BIRDS:
120 - Booted eagle, Hieraaetus pennatus
121 - Common snipe, Gallinago gallinago
122 - Long-legged buzzard, Buteo rufinus
123 - Blue rock thrush, Monticola solitarius
124 - Western Bonelli's warbler, Phylloscopus bonelli

HERPS:
2 - Mediterranean tree frog, Hyla meridionalis
3 - Spanish pond turtle, Mauremys leprosa

INVERTS:
7 - Copper demoiselle, Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis

Alas no crakes to be seen but I did, finally, end up getting Long-legged buzzard (Moroccan bird #197!). The other additions were all pretty much expected but still very nice, especially in my region: I've never seen snipe in my region before and Bonelli's warbler and Blue rock thrush are species I've only seen once before. Booted eagle is also a species I don't see very often so it was nice to tick that this early in the year.

Apart from birds, other types of animals also made up for a great trip as the river banks were filled with Mediterranean tree frog calls (though I've only seen one of them): a lifer and one of the herps I've always wanted to see in Morocco. Spanish pond turtle, although a species I get every year, is always nice to see of course, especially when there are this many (easily 30+ there). The banks were also filled with Odonates include big numbers of Copper demoiselle, a particularly stark looking damselfly.
Click to expand...

Today I returned to the Massa area with no particular goal in mind except to find some spring migrants and well I think that goal was well-fullfilled:

28/03/2021 (Champs d'Ifentar, Morocco)
BIRDS:
125 - Willow warbler, Phylloscopus trochilus
126 - Western olivaceous warbler, Iduna opaca
127 - European turtle dove, Streptopelia turtur
128 - European pied-flycatcher, Ficedula hypoleuca
129 - Iberian chiffchaff, Phylloscopus ibericus
130 - Common nightingale, Luscinia megarhynchos
131 - Common redstart, Phoenicurus phoenicurus

INVERTS:
8 - Emperor dragonfly, Anax imperator
9 - Small tortoiseshell, Aglais urticae

Although it was a barely over an hour session, because of sudden heavy rain, what a great one it was! It definitely felt like true spring birding with great numbers of nearly every species observed and especially with all those additions that all announce spring is here.

The nightingale is a one of the more common species I was missing for Morocco so it was great to finally see a pair of them although they disappeared quickly. Bird n°198 for me in Morocco!

Other highlights apart from the additions include ubiquitous and lovely Western Bonelli's warbler all around the fields, an unexpected pair of Marbled teal that gave great views, seeing Subalpine and Spectacled warblers once again (I definitely see them more this year than usual) as well as my southernmost record of Alpine swift, on the road to the spot. Apart from birds, numerous Spanish pond turtles were found on the banks of the Massa river, which is always a delight.
 
ChunkyMunky pengopus said:
I went to my local nature center for the first time this year today, and made some more observations. The sound of spring peepers were ever present, which makes it annoying that I didn't manage to actually see one even though I'm certain my eyes passed directly past a few :confused:
There was also the most curious 'albino' (More likely leucistic) chipmunk. There were also an abundance of woodpeckers

Birds:
23. Red Bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)
24. Hairy Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus villosus)

Insect/Invertebrate:
11. Mourning cloak butterfly/ Spiny elm caterpillar (Nymphalis antiopa)
12. Woodlouse spider (Dysdera crocata)

I won't count the 'chipmunk' quite yet, as I want to be sure that it was indeed that. Also, would koi in a large pond count? If they were listed somewhere like iNaturalist as well?
Click to expand...

I'll add in some new observations and IDs. Yes, it was a leucistic chipmunk, research grade on iNaturalist :D

Mammals:
5. Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus) (Leucistic!)

Bird:
25. Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)

Insect/Invertebrate:
13. Eastern comma butterfly (Polygonia comma)
14. Black slug (Arion ater)
 
Great Argus said:
Apparently I jinxed myself with yesterday's post, as I saw multiple butterflies today. :p

Invertebrates:

16. Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)
17. California Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica)

5-90-6-2-0-17
Click to expand...

Birds:

91. Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)

Invertebrates:

18. Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus)
19. Yellow-faced Bumblebee (Bombus vosnesenskii)

5-91-6-2-0-19
 
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