ZooChat Big Year 2021

Day 4 (10.08.21) - Romania, Danube delta

Mammals
20. Stone Marten (Martes foina)
21. Raccoon Dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides)

Birds
33. Pallas’s Gull (Larus ichthyaetus)
34. White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus)
35. Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus)
36. Black Tern (Chlidonias niger)
37. Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus)


Reptiles
3. European Pond Terrapin (Emys orbicularis)

Another one from day 4

Mammals
22. Western European House Mouse (Mus domesticus)
 
REPTILES:

4 Prairie Racerunner Aspidoscelis sexlineatus viridis
5 Desert Spiny Lizard Sceloporus magister
6 Sonoran Spotted Whiptail Aspidoscelis sonorae
7 Coachwhip Masticophis flagellum

8 Zebra-tailed Lizard Callisaurus draconoides
9 Tiger Whiptail Aspidoscelis tigris

REPTILES
10 Ornate Box Turtle Terrapene ornata
11 Diamondback Watersnake Nerodia rhombifer
 
Apologies for posting so much but went on a bike ride today and saw some really nice species. In fact finally managed to see an actual black kite haha - all lifers this time.

69. Black kite, Milvus migrans.
70. Red-rumped swallow, Cecropis daurica.
71. European turtle dove, Streptopelia turtur.
72. Slender-billed gull, Chroicocephalus genei.


Got my target for the year now!

Went on one more quick birding trip in the South of France:

73. Common sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos.
74. Common ringed plover, Charadrius hiaticula.

Then to the alps for a week working with only a half-charged battery on my camera (lost the charger) - still managed to get a few nice birds thanks to a local birder who knew the area quite well and could spot near-invisible chamois as if they were right in front of him:

75. Yellow-billed chough, Pyrrhocorax graculus.
76. Golden eagle, Aquila chrysaetos.
77. Common buzzard, Buteo buteo.
78. Black redstart, Phoenicurus ochrurus.
79. Griffon vulture, Gyps fulvus.
80. Whinchat, Saxicola rubetra.
81. Grey wagtail, Motacilla cinerea.
82. Red-backed shrike, Lanius collurio.
83. Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus.

Mammals:

5. Chamois, Rupicapra rupicapra.
6. Alpine marmot, Marmota marmota.

Then to Paris for a couple of days, including a trip to Zoo de Vincennes where I saw:

84. Eurasian wren, Trogolodytes trogolodytes.

Now back in London, but hopefully I might get to 90 before the end of the year? Not necessarily planning any other trips but might get to the countryside a couple of times before January.
 
A night out batting up at Monsal Head tonight - the former railway tunnel (now a cycle route) has a big mixed Common and Soprano Pipistrelle roost and the viaduct is a good spot for Noctule. Coupled with a quick stop at Baslow on the way home for another Daubenton's catchup I actually managed four bat species tonight. We were a bit early and while we were waiting for sunset I also managed to pick up a missing passerine, and we had my third Barn Owl of the year on the way back to the car.

Birds:
173. Spotted Flycatcher - Muscicapa striata

Mammals:
23. Soprano Pipistrelle - Pipistrellus pygmaeus

:)
 
Invertebrates:

34. Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)

Mammals: 11
Birds: 111
Herptiles: 14
Fish: 4
Invertebrates: 34
Total: 172
Birds:

112. Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea)

Mammals: 11
Birds: 112
Herptiles: 14
Fish: 4
Invertebrates: 34
Total: 173
 
  • Like
Reactions: MRJ
Another one from day 4

Mammals
22. Western European House Mouse (Mus domesticus)

Day 5 (11.08.21) - Romania, to Transylvania via Macin

Mammals
23. Field Vole (Microtus agrestis)
24. Yellow-necked Mouse (Apodemus flavicollis)
25. Hazel Dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius)
26. Edible Dormouse (Glis glis)
27. Red Deer (Cervus elaphus)
28. Brown Bear (Ursus arctos)
29. Wild Boar (Sus scrofa)

Birds
38. Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator)
39. Long-eared Owl (Asio otus)

Reptiles
4. Sand Lizard (Lacerta agilis)
 
A few very exciting new species for the year list! The most exciting is probably the Scarce Large Blue, by far the rarest butterfly I have seen so far in the Netherlands. It has a highly specialized life-style: it only lays its eggs on a burnet flowers, caterpillars grow in in the nest of a very select few ant species, and the ants themselves require a particular springtail community to thrive. The Scarce Large blues are highly endangered now in the Netherlands but one decent population luckily occurs not far from where I live and the area actually has a small viewing platform from where you can see the butterfly habitat without disturbing it. My visit was a bit late in the season, but I was very happy to see a single male still fluttering around. Definitely the highlight of the year in terms of butterflies!

The beaver, by the way, is also one of the best mammals I saw this year so far, and it gave excellent views!

Mammals
12. Eurasian Beaver, Castor fiber

Dragonflies
37. Small Red-eyed Damselfly, Erythromma viridulum

Butterflies
28. Scarce Large Blue, Phengaris teleius
 
Many, many birds and a few new butterflies at Frampton Marsh today - including a lifer and a UK first in the stork. The stork has been mostly hanging about at Frampton's sister reserve, Freiston Marsh - only about 5km away as the crow flies but the diversion to cross the river makes it about a 35min drive. We were successful early on at Frampton with the two now fairly-long-staying Pacific Golden Plovers (one of those slightly awkward birding moments when something exciting and new and rare is there immediately you arrive, leaving you wondering how long it's appropriate to stay :D ) and a loop around the lagoons produced a good slew of waders and a big group of spoonbills. We had been thinking of heading to Freiston for the stork anyway as the day was running smoothly - but then a warden put us on to a (very) distant view of it circling over the far side of the river. Rare Bird Alert helpfully confirmed the road it was flying over at the time and we took a punt on a slow drive along the road and back rather than Freiston itself - fortunately finding another birder watching it, albeit still a kilometre or so away. Eventually it appeared to land back near the road in our homeward direction, so we drove slowly that way out (encountering a late cuckoo on the way) and parked up near the spot it went down as we found a public footpath along the drainage channel there. Just as we were on the point of giving up, a sparrowhawk caught my attention and following it along just above the tree line on the other side of the water suddenly it was joined in my binos by the stork, less than 100m away. It circled above me for a few minutes then headed off north. Stunning bird, and a great day.

Birds:
174. Pacific Golden Plover - Pluvialis fulva
175. Common Sandpiper - Actitis hypoleuca
176. Common Snipe - Gallinago gallinago
177. Red Knot - Calidris canuta
178. Black Stork - Ciconia nigra

Invertebrates:
63. Brown Argus - Aricia agrestis
64. Small Skipper - Thymelicus sylvestris
65. Common Blue - Polyommatus icarus

:)
 
Insect/Invertebrate:
157. Constricted leafhopper (Agallia constricta)
158. Green cloverworm moth (Hypena scabra)
159. Great golden digger wasp (Sphex ichneumoneus)
160. Band-winged crane fly (Epiphragma fasciapenne)
161. Silver-spotted skipper (Epargyreus clarus)
162. Spined micrathena (Micrathena gracilis)
163. Pearl crescent (Phyciodes tharos)
164. Viceroy butterfly (Limenitis archippus)
165. American snout (Libytheana carinenta)
166. Giant robber fly (Promachus hinei)
167. European earwig (Forficula auricularia)
168. Maize calligrapher (Toxomerus politus)
169. Eastern flower fly (Syrphus knabi)
170. Bald-faced hornet (Dolichovespula maculata)
171. Slaty skimmer (Libellula incesta)

Fish:
3. Longear sunfish (Lepomis megalotis)
Birds:
79. Warbling vireo (Vireo gilvus)
80. Belted kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)

Insect/Invertebrate:
172. Zabulon skipper (Lon zabulon)
173. Wedge shaped beetle (Macrosiagon limbata)
174. European wool carder bee (Anthidium manicatum)
175. Gray-edged snout moth (Hypena madefactalis)
 
  • Like
Reactions: MRJ
Mammals:
7. Black Flying Fox (Pteropus alecto)
8. Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus)
9. Little Red Flying Fox (Pteropus scapulatus)


Birds:
100. Pied Butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis)
101. Little Friarbird (Philemon citreogularis)
102. Grey Butcherbird (Cracticus torquatus)
103. Chestnut Teal (Anas castanea)
104. Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax)
105. Mistletoe Bird (Dicaeum hirundinaceum)
106. Peaceful Dove (Geopelia striata)

Was pretty stoked to finally find my nemesis species, the short-beaked echidna. Ended up relocating a young echidna from a busy housing estate roundabout to a nearby piece of bushland after it ran out in front of me while I was driving. Definitely the last place I ever would have expected to see one but was happy to be able to help it and prevent it from getting run over.
Birds:
107. Fairy Martin (Petrochelidon ariel)
108. Jabiru (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus)
109. White-cheeked Honeyeater (Phylidonyris niger)
 
  • Like
Reactions: MRJ
Day 5 (11.08.21) - Romania, to Transylvania via Macin

Mammals
23. Field Vole (Microtus agrestis)
24. Yellow-necked Mouse (Apodemus flavicollis)
25. Hazel Dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius)
26. Edible Dormouse (Glis glis)
27. Red Deer (Cervus elaphus)
28. Brown Bear (Ursus arctos)
29. Wild Boar (Sus scrofa)

Birds
38. Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator)
39. Long-eared Owl (Asio otus)

Reptiles
4. Sand Lizard (Lacerta agilis)

Day 6 (12.08.21) - Romania, Transylvania (mist netting 31.-37.)

Mammals
30. Brandt’s Bat (Myotis brandtii)
31. Greater Mouse-eared Bat (Myotis myotis)
32. Lesser Mouse-eared Bat (Myotis blythii)
33. Geoffroy’s Bat (Myotis emarginatus)
34. Noctule (Nyctalus noctula)
35. Alcathoe’s Bat (Myotis alcathoe)
36. Common Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus)
37. Bechstein’s Bat (Myotis bechsteinii)


 
Day 6 (12.08.21) - Romania, Transylvania (mist netting 31.-37.)

Mammals
30. Brandt’s Bat (Myotis brandtii)
31. Greater Mouse-eared Bat (Myotis myotis)
32. Lesser Mouse-eared Bat (Myotis blythii)
33. Geoffroy’s Bat (Myotis emarginatus)
34. Noctule (Nyctalus noctula)
35. Alcathoe’s Bat (Myotis alcathoe)
36. Common Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus)
37. Bechstein’s Bat (Myotis bechsteinii)

Day 7 (13.08.21) - Romania, Transylvania

Mammals
38. Alpine Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra carpatica)
 
Back
Top