Invertebrates
1. Winged Weta (Pterapotrechus sp.)
2. Phyllotocus macleayi
Zoochat Big Year 2022
- Thread starter Chlidonias
- Start date
Invertebrates
1. Winged Weta (Pterapotrechus sp.)
2. Phyllotocus macleayi
The Argus is in! A sunny but chilly day, it has been a notably cool winter so far. Nonetheless the resident winter birds showed pretty well around the yard and neighboring pond.
Mammals:
1. Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemonius)
Birds:
1. Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
2. California Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica)
3. Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans)
4. Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)
5. Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)
6. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
7. Brewer’s Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus)
8. Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoenicius)
9. Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)
10. Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus)
11. White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucogenys)
12. Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus)
13. American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
14. Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris)
15. Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)
16. Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)
17. Nuttall’s Woodpecker (Dryobates nuttalli)
18. Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus)
19. Bushtit (Psaltripus minimus)
20. House Finch (Haemohorus mexicanus)
21. Yellow-billed Magpie (Pica nuttalli)
22. Common Raven (Corvus corax)
23. California Towhee (Melozone crissalis)
24. Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
25. Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)
26. Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
27. Oak Titmouse (Baelophus inornatus)
28. Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)
29. Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
30. Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus)
31. Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicapilla)
32. Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
33. Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)
Invertebrates
1. Long-bodied Cellar Spider (Pholcus phalangioides)
1-33-0-0-0-1
Mammals:
1. Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemonius)
Birds:
1. Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
2. California Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica)
3. Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans)
4. Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)
5. Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)
6. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
7. Brewer’s Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus)
8. Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoenicius)
9. Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)
10. Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus)
11. White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucogenys)
12. Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus)
13. American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
14. Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris)
15. Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)
16. Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)
17. Nuttall’s Woodpecker (Dryobates nuttalli)
18. Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus)
19. Bushtit (Psaltripus minimus)
20. House Finch (Haemohorus mexicanus)
21. Yellow-billed Magpie (Pica nuttalli)
22. Common Raven (Corvus corax)
23. California Towhee (Melozone crissalis)
24. Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
25. Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)
26. Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
27. Oak Titmouse (Baelophus inornatus)
28. Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)
29. Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
30. Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus)
31. Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicapilla)
32. Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
33. Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)
Invertebrates
1. Long-bodied Cellar Spider (Pholcus phalangioides)
1-33-0-0-0-1
January the first. Time for my first ever attempt at a Big Day. This was the reason I had started this thread off yesterday at 4.11am (my time), before heading out to look for birds, because I wasn't going to be back online until the day was over.
First, as a disclaimer, a Big Day in New Zealand is not at all equivalent to a Big Day in North America, or Europe, or Australia. In Wellington, where I have been living for the last four years, I only see about 65-ish species over the course of the year. Also I would be doing this as a Public Transport Big Day, which makes things a bit more challenging.
The obvious problem with doing a Big Day by public transport is that, even with the long daylight hours at this time of year (about 16 hours or so), it is only possible to visit a few places because it is difficult to tie different trains and buses together in an efficient way, in addition to which on weekends and public holidays (i.e. today) trains and buses have much less frequent schedules than on regular weekdays.
I worked through various combinations and arrived at what I hoped was the best one for my purposes. The two main birding spots I would be hitting were Zealandia for forest birds and the Waikanae Estuary area for open country and water birds. These two sites can provide the bulk of available Wellington birds. I did add in another couple of sites to the itinerary (the Pauatahanui Nature Reserve and the Keith George Memorial Park) although all the connections were pretty tight so I didn't know if I'd be able to fit everything in. I considered using a return-trip on the harbour ferry with a hope for Little Blue Penguin, Spotted Shag, and maybe others, but I couldn't wrangle the weekend schedule into the plan. I also considered placing a Zealandia night-tour at the end (for Little Spotted Kiwi and Morepork) but I knew that the schedules would come undone through the course of the day and I'd probably not make it back to Zealandia in time.
I made a list of all the birds I expected (plus hoped) to see and it came out at around 65 species. It's basically that year's-worth of birds I mentioned, but all seen in one day. In the event there were, of course, several birds not seen - including a number of species I would have said were 100% guaranteed (the two most bizarre misses were Chaffinch and Kingfisher) - and I finished about ten birds down from expected, with a total of 53 species.
....................................................
I started off very early in the morning at Island Bay. I live just up the road which makes starting there convenient given that I can just walk down and start looking for coastal birds before the buses have even started running. The road going west from Island Bay around Owhiro Bay ends at the beach walk to Red Rocks. I see NZ Pipits along the beach any time I do the walk, which was why I started so early. So very very early.
It was still dark on the way down so the only bird on the list to start with was European Blackbird, but at the beach there were Red-billed Gulls, Black-backed Gulls, Variable Oystercatchers and Common Starlings. Walking around the coastal road added European Greenfinches, Welcome Swallows, House Sparrows, Mallards (on the stream running into Owhiro Bay), and an Australasian Harrier circling over the crest of the hills.
I had a limited amount of time to look for pipits along the beach - about half an hour - because I had to catch a specific bus to get to Zealandia when it opened, and it was a fair way to walk back home before catching it. Fifteen minutes walking got me to a point where I usually would see pipits - sometimes from this point I can see distant Fur Seals on the rocks of the far bay as well, but not today - but no pipits were showing. As I headed back, about a hundred metres back along the track I found a NZ Pipit. Best bird of the morning so far.
The sea was a flat-calm this morning and there were no seabirds. Usually, any time I'm down there, I can spy out Australasian Gannets, Fluttering Shearwaters, and albatrosses. But today nothing. However I was also keeping my eye out for Reef Herons - resident on this part of the coastline but the very devil to see, although I had managed one as my last bird of 2021 the previous evening. I had an end-of-day plan to return here and look out for the missing seabirds and heron, although that never happened due to the falling of darkness. Still, I did somewhat-unexpectedly see Reef Heron this morning. Two of them, in fact. As I was walking back from the beach-trail I came across a heron on the rocks right beside the road at the start of Owhiro Bay. I've never seen one so close in New Zealand before. It's a bit of a curse of doing a Big Day because you don't really have time to just stop and appreciate the birds; you have to keep moving on to keep to the schedule. Just around the bend of the road, heading back into Island Bay, a second Reef Heron flew in from the other direction and landed on nearby rocks.
As mentioned, I had expected some seabirds other than gulls on my morning list. I did spy a few White-fronted Terns after seeing the herons (sadly, no jaegers following them) and one solitary White-capped Mollymawk. That was all.
Walking from Island Bay back to my house added a few more common birds, with Feral Pigeon, Tui and Song Thrush. A pair of Eastern Rosellas perched on the lights over the sports field were welcome. I see these regularly about the city but never in any specific area, just randomly, so ticking them off early was a bonus. I ended up seeing them twice more during the day though. A Californian Quail was calling from somewhere over the road; I expected to see these easily at Zealandia so wasn't worried. I also heard a Chaffinch calling from amongst some pine trees. I didn't give this more than a pause because such a common bird was going to be seen at all the sites I was visiting today - if only that had been true! I didn't see or even hear another Chaffinch all day!
A two-bus combo got me to Zealandia at 8.15am (fifteen minutes after opening - the alternatives were either get there an hour before it opened or an hour after it opened). Kaka, Pied Shag and NZ Pigeon were seen on the short walk from the bus stop to the entrance. Once inside I checked out the nearest end of the reservoir, where I saw only Little Pied Shags. On my last visit Chaffinch was the first bird seen right here! The Paradise Ducks also weren't to be seen. Both very common birds though so not to worry, I thought.
Californian Quail were quickly added as I moved into the sanctuary - they were very common today, some towing clouds of bumblebee-like chicks after them - followed by Black Shag, NZ Fantail, Dunnock, and Saddleback. I scanned the swampy area where the Brown Teal hang out but none were to be seen - I'd try again on my way back. The next bird was, like the earlier Reef Herons, one I knew I could see but thought I wouldn't: Riflemen. These are tiny canopy-dwelling birds, about the size of a golf-ball, and at Zealandia I don't see them much more frequently than I do see them. These ones I did stop and watch until they departed. Schedule be damned!
Moving quickly onwards, the first nectar-feeding station was not attracting anything, so I kept going. Red-crowned Kakariki was seen when one shot past me along the trail, and a Brown Teal was under the Kaka feeders picking up fallen pellets. I was running short on time to find the remaining bush birds. I could hear Whiteheads and Grey Warblers in the trees but couldn't find where they were. A NZ Robin finally showed itself. I made a quick side-run up to the top of the dam to see NZ Scaup, just in case I found myself lacking them later. I then headed back down to the nectar-feeders where I immediately spotted a male Stitchbird. I waited for one minute more, and a NZ Bellbird made it just in time. I wasn't too worried about this latter one as they are also found at the Keith George Memorial Park which was later in today's itinerary, so I figured I'd see it there regardless (which I did).
Back down at the entrance, the Paradise Ducks were seen (along with more NZ Scaup). I had spied out a Takahe on the way back, although I don't count them here because it is just one captive pair (all other bird species in the sanctuary are wild-living populations). The main bird I had missed was Whitehead, but they are also at Keith George so I hoped I'd see them there (I did). Grey Warblers are common everywhere so I figured I'd see them somewhere (I didn't!).
Next destination was the Waikanae Estuary reserve, about an hour north of the city. The trains only run every half an hour on public holidays (and the Kapiti Line has been replaced by buses these holidays due to track maintenance, which makes them a tiny bit slower - just enough to mess up some of the schedules). If I caught the 9.49am bus from Zealandia I could catch the 10.14am "train" to Waikanae. I'd left a little early from Zealandia, so caught an earlier bus which meant that I ended up on the 9.44am "train", half an hour ahead of schedule, although the following connection (the bus from Paraparaumu train station to the reserve) is only once an hour so it didn't make much of a difference. Still, there was another bus from Paraparaumu which didn't go as close to the reserve - a fifteen minute walk rather than stopping directly at the entrance - so I did get there earlier than anticipated anyway.
Australian Magpie was seen in Paraparaumu from the bus. At the estuary the plan was to move reasonably quickly across the reserve to the river, head upstream to the bridge and then back down the other side to get to the Waimanu Lagoon from where I could catch another once-hourly bus to the Waikanae train station. In the scrubby part of the reserve I first ticked off European Goldfinch and Waxeye before making a very quick detour to the pond on Takahe Drive for Common Coot and NZ Dabchick just in case I didn't see them elsewhere (good move, because I didn't see them elsewhere today!). There was also a Pukeko here (that's a Purple Swamphen for people outside of New Zealand).
Today turned out to not be a good bird-day at the estuary. The tide was high, so the lagoon behind the sand-bar was very full of both water and some dudes on sail-surfing things. There was a big roost of White-fronted Terns on the sand-bar, but no sign of the Caspian Terns, Banded Dotterels, NZ Dotterels, or Bar-tailed Godwits I expected to see. Likewise, Sacred Kingfishers were strangely absent, and European Skylarks and Ring-necked Pheasants could not be found. None of them were seen elsewhere either, which really impacted the overall numbers for the day. The pheasants and NZ Dotterels I only see "often" but the Skylarks are almost always seen, and the others (terns, godwits, kingfishers and Banded Dotterels) should have all been 100% there. Spoonbills and Pied Stilts were also unseen, but luckily I saw those two later in the day. At least I saw some Yellowhammers!
The saving grace was the sighting of a Fernbird. I had it on my list of species I could see today, although I didn't think it likely. I've only seen them two or three times at the estuary. Fernbirds are very large warblers endemic to New Zealand, which live a furtive lifestyle in the thickest of thickets and are mostly only seen when they pop up on top of a bush to sing. You generally need to be in the right place at the right time to see them. Even if it was just one bird, and I was missing seven other birds from the estuary, it was still special to see it. A passing couple could hear it singing and were trying to see what it was - I pointed it out and they were very happy as it was the first time they had seen a Fernbird.
Spur-winged Plover (aka Masked Lapwing) and White-faced Heron were seen just after, followed by a family of Black Swans on the river. I was going to wade across to save time but as the tide was full I wasn't sure how deep it would be, so used the bridge as planned. The next bus I had to catch was at 12.33pm, which was only eight minutes away. I had a choice of quickly scanning the Waimanu Lagoon while rushing past it on the way to the bus stop, or spending an hour waiting for the next bus. I chose the "quick scan" option. I should have got NZ Shoveller on the lagoon but couldn't see any, nor any Little Black Shags which I thought I might see here. Fortunately I had seen the coots and dabchicks a bit earlier because they were also not present on the lagoon as far as I saw. The only possible addition was Feral Goose, but I don't count those on my year-lists.
Next destination on my itinerary was the Pauatahanui Nature Reserve outside of Porirua. This is the main place I see Grey Teal in the Wellington region and I have also seen Spotless Crake there (once - so not likely to be repeated today!). Fernbirds and Redpolls are also seen there by other people. Of course I had just seen a Fernbird at Waikanae Estuary so that one was no longer required, but with the way the day had turned out I was still needing about a dozen other birds I "should" have already seen, so there was to be no changing of any plans!
The 12.33 bus from by the Waimanu Lagoon gets to the Waikanae train station at 12.50, connecting with the 1pm train south to Porirua. From the Porirua train station there is just one bus an hour to Pauatahanui. It leaves at forty minutes past the hour, and the southbound train from Waikanae gets into the station one minute before the bus leaves. It would be tight in any case, and today the bus-replacement for the train meant I missed the connection by one minute. I had an hour to wait.
It's about half an hour's bus ride from Porirua to the end of the line, followed by about ten minutes walking to the Pauatahanui reserve. I heard some Grey Warblers singing along the way - couldn't see them! I had been going to spend just long enough at the reserve to catch the next bus back to Porirua, but I had also not been anticipating that I'd still be missing so many common birds! I spent two hours there instead, but not much changed. Pied Stilt, Canada Goose, Grey Teal and Royal Spoonbill were added to the day's tally. Kingfisher and Chaffinch were still frustratingly absent.
I got back to the Wellington train station at 6pm, just in time to catch the 6.05pm train to Silverstream (this line was still running actual trains instead of bus-replacements). I was heading for the Keith George Memorial Park which is a good place to look for Tomtits - which is to say I have been there once and I saw a Tomtit there. I knew there were also Whiteheads there (I'd seen them there on that same previous visit), which was the main species I'd missed in the morning at Zealandia.
This train line runs alongside Wellington Harbour for part of the way. I was keeping my eyes open for Spotted Shags and instead saw a surprise Australian Gannet, making up for missing it at the very start of the morning in Island Bay.
From the train station it's about a twenty minute walk back along Fergusson Drive. I saw some Eastern Rosellas on the way. The trail at Keith George is not a fun wander through pretty forest. There was a reason I had only been there that one time and not revisited. The trail is not so much a trail as a vertical ascent, the kind which hardened mountaineers would probably categorise as "difficult". There is eventually (well, ten minutes maybe - it seems much more because of the terrain) a flatter part which is where on my last visit I had found the birds I was after. In the same place on this visit I also found some birds; quite possibly the very same birds. It took a while to actually see them - far too many leaves and far too small birds - but soon I was watching some very vocal Whiteheads. I could hear a Tomtit too, and very briefly managed to spot her through a gap in the canopy. You know what I could also hear but simply could not see? That's right, Grey Warblers! I did also see a Bellbird, so if I had missed that one at Zealandia I would have caught up with the species here at least.
I made it back to the train station in time for the 8.39pm train. Except in the evening the trains change to hourly, so I had to wait for the 9.09pm train. By the time the train got back into Wellington it was completely dark, which meant the end of birding for the day.
...............................
Total number of bird species seen: 53
1) European Blackbird Turdus merula
2) Red-billed Gull Larus novaehollandiae
3) Southern Black-backed (Kelp) Gull Larus dominicanus
4) Variable Oystercatcher Haematopus unicolor
5) Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris
6) European Greenfinch Carduelis chloris
7) Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena
8) House Sparrow Passer domesticus
9) Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
10) Australasian Harrier Circus approximans
11) New Zealand Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae
12) Eastern Reef Heron Egretta sacra
13) White-fronted Tern Sterna striata
14) White-capped Mollymawk Thalassarche steadi
15) Feral Pigeon Columba livia
16) Tui Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae
17) Song Thrush Turdus philomelos
18) Eastern Rosella Platycercus eximius
19) Kaka Nestor meridionalis
20) Pied Shag Phalacrocorax varius
21) New Zealand Pigeon Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
22) Little Pied Shag Microcarbo melanoleucos
23) Californian Quail Callipepla californica
24) Black Shag (Great Cormorant) Phalacrocorax carbo
24) Pied Fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa
26) Hedge Sparrow (Dunnock) Prunella modularis
27) Saddleback Philesturnus carunculatus
28) Rifleman Acanthisitta chloris
29) Red-crowned Kakariki Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae
30) Brown Teal Anas chlorotis
31) New Zealand Robin Petroica australis
32) New Zealand Scaup Aythya novaeseelandiae
33) Stitchbird Notiomystis cincta
34) New Zealand Bellbird Anthornis melanura
35) Paradise Duck Tadorna variegata
36) Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen
37) European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
38) Waxeye Zosterops lateralis
39) Common Coot Fulica atra
40) New Zealand Dabchick Poliocephalus rufopectus
41) Pukeko (Purple Swamphen) Porphyrio porphyrio
42) Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella
43) Fernbird Bowdleria punctata
44) Spur-winged Plover (Masked Lapwing) Vanellus miles
45) White-faced Heron Ardea novaehollandiae
46) Black Swan Cygnus atrata
47) Pied Stilt Himantopus leucocephalus
48) Canada Goose Branta canadensis
49) Grey Teal Anas gracilis
50) Royal Spoonbill Platalea regia
51) Australasian Gannet Morus serrator
52) Whitehead Mohoua albicilla
53) Tomtit Petroica macrocephala
First, as a disclaimer, a Big Day in New Zealand is not at all equivalent to a Big Day in North America, or Europe, or Australia. In Wellington, where I have been living for the last four years, I only see about 65-ish species over the course of the year. Also I would be doing this as a Public Transport Big Day, which makes things a bit more challenging.
The obvious problem with doing a Big Day by public transport is that, even with the long daylight hours at this time of year (about 16 hours or so), it is only possible to visit a few places because it is difficult to tie different trains and buses together in an efficient way, in addition to which on weekends and public holidays (i.e. today) trains and buses have much less frequent schedules than on regular weekdays.
I worked through various combinations and arrived at what I hoped was the best one for my purposes. The two main birding spots I would be hitting were Zealandia for forest birds and the Waikanae Estuary area for open country and water birds. These two sites can provide the bulk of available Wellington birds. I did add in another couple of sites to the itinerary (the Pauatahanui Nature Reserve and the Keith George Memorial Park) although all the connections were pretty tight so I didn't know if I'd be able to fit everything in. I considered using a return-trip on the harbour ferry with a hope for Little Blue Penguin, Spotted Shag, and maybe others, but I couldn't wrangle the weekend schedule into the plan. I also considered placing a Zealandia night-tour at the end (for Little Spotted Kiwi and Morepork) but I knew that the schedules would come undone through the course of the day and I'd probably not make it back to Zealandia in time.
I made a list of all the birds I expected (plus hoped) to see and it came out at around 65 species. It's basically that year's-worth of birds I mentioned, but all seen in one day. In the event there were, of course, several birds not seen - including a number of species I would have said were 100% guaranteed (the two most bizarre misses were Chaffinch and Kingfisher) - and I finished about ten birds down from expected, with a total of 53 species.
....................................................
I started off very early in the morning at Island Bay. I live just up the road which makes starting there convenient given that I can just walk down and start looking for coastal birds before the buses have even started running. The road going west from Island Bay around Owhiro Bay ends at the beach walk to Red Rocks. I see NZ Pipits along the beach any time I do the walk, which was why I started so early. So very very early.
It was still dark on the way down so the only bird on the list to start with was European Blackbird, but at the beach there were Red-billed Gulls, Black-backed Gulls, Variable Oystercatchers and Common Starlings. Walking around the coastal road added European Greenfinches, Welcome Swallows, House Sparrows, Mallards (on the stream running into Owhiro Bay), and an Australasian Harrier circling over the crest of the hills.
I had a limited amount of time to look for pipits along the beach - about half an hour - because I had to catch a specific bus to get to Zealandia when it opened, and it was a fair way to walk back home before catching it. Fifteen minutes walking got me to a point where I usually would see pipits - sometimes from this point I can see distant Fur Seals on the rocks of the far bay as well, but not today - but no pipits were showing. As I headed back, about a hundred metres back along the track I found a NZ Pipit. Best bird of the morning so far.
The sea was a flat-calm this morning and there were no seabirds. Usually, any time I'm down there, I can spy out Australasian Gannets, Fluttering Shearwaters, and albatrosses. But today nothing. However I was also keeping my eye out for Reef Herons - resident on this part of the coastline but the very devil to see, although I had managed one as my last bird of 2021 the previous evening. I had an end-of-day plan to return here and look out for the missing seabirds and heron, although that never happened due to the falling of darkness. Still, I did somewhat-unexpectedly see Reef Heron this morning. Two of them, in fact. As I was walking back from the beach-trail I came across a heron on the rocks right beside the road at the start of Owhiro Bay. I've never seen one so close in New Zealand before. It's a bit of a curse of doing a Big Day because you don't really have time to just stop and appreciate the birds; you have to keep moving on to keep to the schedule. Just around the bend of the road, heading back into Island Bay, a second Reef Heron flew in from the other direction and landed on nearby rocks.
As mentioned, I had expected some seabirds other than gulls on my morning list. I did spy a few White-fronted Terns after seeing the herons (sadly, no jaegers following them) and one solitary White-capped Mollymawk. That was all.
Walking from Island Bay back to my house added a few more common birds, with Feral Pigeon, Tui and Song Thrush. A pair of Eastern Rosellas perched on the lights over the sports field were welcome. I see these regularly about the city but never in any specific area, just randomly, so ticking them off early was a bonus. I ended up seeing them twice more during the day though. A Californian Quail was calling from somewhere over the road; I expected to see these easily at Zealandia so wasn't worried. I also heard a Chaffinch calling from amongst some pine trees. I didn't give this more than a pause because such a common bird was going to be seen at all the sites I was visiting today - if only that had been true! I didn't see or even hear another Chaffinch all day!
A two-bus combo got me to Zealandia at 8.15am (fifteen minutes after opening - the alternatives were either get there an hour before it opened or an hour after it opened). Kaka, Pied Shag and NZ Pigeon were seen on the short walk from the bus stop to the entrance. Once inside I checked out the nearest end of the reservoir, where I saw only Little Pied Shags. On my last visit Chaffinch was the first bird seen right here! The Paradise Ducks also weren't to be seen. Both very common birds though so not to worry, I thought.
Californian Quail were quickly added as I moved into the sanctuary - they were very common today, some towing clouds of bumblebee-like chicks after them - followed by Black Shag, NZ Fantail, Dunnock, and Saddleback. I scanned the swampy area where the Brown Teal hang out but none were to be seen - I'd try again on my way back. The next bird was, like the earlier Reef Herons, one I knew I could see but thought I wouldn't: Riflemen. These are tiny canopy-dwelling birds, about the size of a golf-ball, and at Zealandia I don't see them much more frequently than I do see them. These ones I did stop and watch until they departed. Schedule be damned!
Moving quickly onwards, the first nectar-feeding station was not attracting anything, so I kept going. Red-crowned Kakariki was seen when one shot past me along the trail, and a Brown Teal was under the Kaka feeders picking up fallen pellets. I was running short on time to find the remaining bush birds. I could hear Whiteheads and Grey Warblers in the trees but couldn't find where they were. A NZ Robin finally showed itself. I made a quick side-run up to the top of the dam to see NZ Scaup, just in case I found myself lacking them later. I then headed back down to the nectar-feeders where I immediately spotted a male Stitchbird. I waited for one minute more, and a NZ Bellbird made it just in time. I wasn't too worried about this latter one as they are also found at the Keith George Memorial Park which was later in today's itinerary, so I figured I'd see it there regardless (which I did).
Back down at the entrance, the Paradise Ducks were seen (along with more NZ Scaup). I had spied out a Takahe on the way back, although I don't count them here because it is just one captive pair (all other bird species in the sanctuary are wild-living populations). The main bird I had missed was Whitehead, but they are also at Keith George so I hoped I'd see them there (I did). Grey Warblers are common everywhere so I figured I'd see them somewhere (I didn't!).
Next destination was the Waikanae Estuary reserve, about an hour north of the city. The trains only run every half an hour on public holidays (and the Kapiti Line has been replaced by buses these holidays due to track maintenance, which makes them a tiny bit slower - just enough to mess up some of the schedules). If I caught the 9.49am bus from Zealandia I could catch the 10.14am "train" to Waikanae. I'd left a little early from Zealandia, so caught an earlier bus which meant that I ended up on the 9.44am "train", half an hour ahead of schedule, although the following connection (the bus from Paraparaumu train station to the reserve) is only once an hour so it didn't make much of a difference. Still, there was another bus from Paraparaumu which didn't go as close to the reserve - a fifteen minute walk rather than stopping directly at the entrance - so I did get there earlier than anticipated anyway.
Australian Magpie was seen in Paraparaumu from the bus. At the estuary the plan was to move reasonably quickly across the reserve to the river, head upstream to the bridge and then back down the other side to get to the Waimanu Lagoon from where I could catch another once-hourly bus to the Waikanae train station. In the scrubby part of the reserve I first ticked off European Goldfinch and Waxeye before making a very quick detour to the pond on Takahe Drive for Common Coot and NZ Dabchick just in case I didn't see them elsewhere (good move, because I didn't see them elsewhere today!). There was also a Pukeko here (that's a Purple Swamphen for people outside of New Zealand).
Today turned out to not be a good bird-day at the estuary. The tide was high, so the lagoon behind the sand-bar was very full of both water and some dudes on sail-surfing things. There was a big roost of White-fronted Terns on the sand-bar, but no sign of the Caspian Terns, Banded Dotterels, NZ Dotterels, or Bar-tailed Godwits I expected to see. Likewise, Sacred Kingfishers were strangely absent, and European Skylarks and Ring-necked Pheasants could not be found. None of them were seen elsewhere either, which really impacted the overall numbers for the day. The pheasants and NZ Dotterels I only see "often" but the Skylarks are almost always seen, and the others (terns, godwits, kingfishers and Banded Dotterels) should have all been 100% there. Spoonbills and Pied Stilts were also unseen, but luckily I saw those two later in the day. At least I saw some Yellowhammers!
The saving grace was the sighting of a Fernbird. I had it on my list of species I could see today, although I didn't think it likely. I've only seen them two or three times at the estuary. Fernbirds are very large warblers endemic to New Zealand, which live a furtive lifestyle in the thickest of thickets and are mostly only seen when they pop up on top of a bush to sing. You generally need to be in the right place at the right time to see them. Even if it was just one bird, and I was missing seven other birds from the estuary, it was still special to see it. A passing couple could hear it singing and were trying to see what it was - I pointed it out and they were very happy as it was the first time they had seen a Fernbird.
Spur-winged Plover (aka Masked Lapwing) and White-faced Heron were seen just after, followed by a family of Black Swans on the river. I was going to wade across to save time but as the tide was full I wasn't sure how deep it would be, so used the bridge as planned. The next bus I had to catch was at 12.33pm, which was only eight minutes away. I had a choice of quickly scanning the Waimanu Lagoon while rushing past it on the way to the bus stop, or spending an hour waiting for the next bus. I chose the "quick scan" option. I should have got NZ Shoveller on the lagoon but couldn't see any, nor any Little Black Shags which I thought I might see here. Fortunately I had seen the coots and dabchicks a bit earlier because they were also not present on the lagoon as far as I saw. The only possible addition was Feral Goose, but I don't count those on my year-lists.
Next destination on my itinerary was the Pauatahanui Nature Reserve outside of Porirua. This is the main place I see Grey Teal in the Wellington region and I have also seen Spotless Crake there (once - so not likely to be repeated today!). Fernbirds and Redpolls are also seen there by other people. Of course I had just seen a Fernbird at Waikanae Estuary so that one was no longer required, but with the way the day had turned out I was still needing about a dozen other birds I "should" have already seen, so there was to be no changing of any plans!
The 12.33 bus from by the Waimanu Lagoon gets to the Waikanae train station at 12.50, connecting with the 1pm train south to Porirua. From the Porirua train station there is just one bus an hour to Pauatahanui. It leaves at forty minutes past the hour, and the southbound train from Waikanae gets into the station one minute before the bus leaves. It would be tight in any case, and today the bus-replacement for the train meant I missed the connection by one minute. I had an hour to wait.
It's about half an hour's bus ride from Porirua to the end of the line, followed by about ten minutes walking to the Pauatahanui reserve. I heard some Grey Warblers singing along the way - couldn't see them! I had been going to spend just long enough at the reserve to catch the next bus back to Porirua, but I had also not been anticipating that I'd still be missing so many common birds! I spent two hours there instead, but not much changed. Pied Stilt, Canada Goose, Grey Teal and Royal Spoonbill were added to the day's tally. Kingfisher and Chaffinch were still frustratingly absent.
I got back to the Wellington train station at 6pm, just in time to catch the 6.05pm train to Silverstream (this line was still running actual trains instead of bus-replacements). I was heading for the Keith George Memorial Park which is a good place to look for Tomtits - which is to say I have been there once and I saw a Tomtit there. I knew there were also Whiteheads there (I'd seen them there on that same previous visit), which was the main species I'd missed in the morning at Zealandia.
This train line runs alongside Wellington Harbour for part of the way. I was keeping my eyes open for Spotted Shags and instead saw a surprise Australian Gannet, making up for missing it at the very start of the morning in Island Bay.
From the train station it's about a twenty minute walk back along Fergusson Drive. I saw some Eastern Rosellas on the way. The trail at Keith George is not a fun wander through pretty forest. There was a reason I had only been there that one time and not revisited. The trail is not so much a trail as a vertical ascent, the kind which hardened mountaineers would probably categorise as "difficult". There is eventually (well, ten minutes maybe - it seems much more because of the terrain) a flatter part which is where on my last visit I had found the birds I was after. In the same place on this visit I also found some birds; quite possibly the very same birds. It took a while to actually see them - far too many leaves and far too small birds - but soon I was watching some very vocal Whiteheads. I could hear a Tomtit too, and very briefly managed to spot her through a gap in the canopy. You know what I could also hear but simply could not see? That's right, Grey Warblers! I did also see a Bellbird, so if I had missed that one at Zealandia I would have caught up with the species here at least.
I made it back to the train station in time for the 8.39pm train. Except in the evening the trains change to hourly, so I had to wait for the 9.09pm train. By the time the train got back into Wellington it was completely dark, which meant the end of birding for the day.
...............................
Total number of bird species seen: 53
1) European Blackbird Turdus merula
2) Red-billed Gull Larus novaehollandiae
3) Southern Black-backed (Kelp) Gull Larus dominicanus
4) Variable Oystercatcher Haematopus unicolor
5) Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris
6) European Greenfinch Carduelis chloris
7) Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena
8) House Sparrow Passer domesticus
9) Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
10) Australasian Harrier Circus approximans
11) New Zealand Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae
12) Eastern Reef Heron Egretta sacra
13) White-fronted Tern Sterna striata
14) White-capped Mollymawk Thalassarche steadi
15) Feral Pigeon Columba livia
16) Tui Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae
17) Song Thrush Turdus philomelos
18) Eastern Rosella Platycercus eximius
19) Kaka Nestor meridionalis
20) Pied Shag Phalacrocorax varius
21) New Zealand Pigeon Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
22) Little Pied Shag Microcarbo melanoleucos
23) Californian Quail Callipepla californica
24) Black Shag (Great Cormorant) Phalacrocorax carbo
24) Pied Fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa
26) Hedge Sparrow (Dunnock) Prunella modularis
27) Saddleback Philesturnus carunculatus
28) Rifleman Acanthisitta chloris
29) Red-crowned Kakariki Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae
30) Brown Teal Anas chlorotis
31) New Zealand Robin Petroica australis
32) New Zealand Scaup Aythya novaeseelandiae
33) Stitchbird Notiomystis cincta
34) New Zealand Bellbird Anthornis melanura
35) Paradise Duck Tadorna variegata
36) Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen
37) European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
38) Waxeye Zosterops lateralis
39) Common Coot Fulica atra
40) New Zealand Dabchick Poliocephalus rufopectus
41) Pukeko (Purple Swamphen) Porphyrio porphyrio
42) Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella
43) Fernbird Bowdleria punctata
44) Spur-winged Plover (Masked Lapwing) Vanellus miles
45) White-faced Heron Ardea novaehollandiae
46) Black Swan Cygnus atrata
47) Pied Stilt Himantopus leucocephalus
48) Canada Goose Branta canadensis
49) Grey Teal Anas gracilis
50) Royal Spoonbill Platalea regia
51) Australasian Gannet Morus serrator
52) Whitehead Mohoua albicilla
53) Tomtit Petroica macrocephala
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I'm going to try to see how many species I can rack up this year - it'll be an interesting challenge, considering I don't really go many places these days.
Mammals
1. Fox Squirrel Sciurus niger
Birds
1. Yellow-rumped Warbler Setophaga coronata
2. Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis
3. House Finch Haemorhous mexicanus
Currently, the list basically consists of "stuff I saw in my yard."
Mammals
1. Fox Squirrel Sciurus niger
Birds
1. Yellow-rumped Warbler Setophaga coronata
2. Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis
3. House Finch Haemorhous mexicanus
Currently, the list basically consists of "stuff I saw in my yard."
Nobody really does....
Looked out on my window today:
1. Great tit (Parus major)
2. Blackbird (Turdus merula)
3. Collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
4. Great spotted woodpecker(Dendrocopos major)
5. Common magpie (Pica pica)
1. Great tit (Parus major)
2. Blackbird (Turdus merula)
3. Collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
4. Great spotted woodpecker(Dendrocopos major)
5. Common magpie (Pica pica)
Nice bit of incidental birding while at Yorkshire Wildlife Park today - a good zoo for this as there is a large wetland through the middle of the zoo and an even bigger one the other side of the motorway so a lot of overhead bird traffic..!
Birds:
25. Rook - Corvus frugilegus
26. Pied Wagtail - Motacilla alba
27. Lesser Black-backed Gull - Larus fuscus
28. European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris
29. Pink-footed Goose - Anser brachyrhynchus
30. Greylag Goose - Anser anser
31. Northern Lapwing - Vanellus vanellus
32. Common Teal - Anas crecca
33. Meadow Pipit - Anthus pratensis
34. Gadwall - Mareca strepera
35. Northern Shoveler - Spatula clypeata
36. Little Grebe - Tachybaptus ruficollis
Mammals:
2. Western Roe Deer - Capreolus capreolus
Birds:
25. Rook - Corvus frugilegus
26. Pied Wagtail - Motacilla alba
27. Lesser Black-backed Gull - Larus fuscus
28. European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris
29. Pink-footed Goose - Anser brachyrhynchus
30. Greylag Goose - Anser anser
31. Northern Lapwing - Vanellus vanellus
32. Common Teal - Anas crecca
33. Meadow Pipit - Anthus pratensis
34. Gadwall - Mareca strepera
35. Northern Shoveler - Spatula clypeata
36. Little Grebe - Tachybaptus ruficollis
Mammals:
2. Western Roe Deer - Capreolus capreolus
Did some scouting for waterfowl this morning since the water sources are starting to freeze up.
Birds:
26 Gadwall - Mareca strepera
27 American Wigeon - Mareca americana
28 Common Goldeneye - Bucephala clangula
29 American Coot - Fulica americana
30 Horned Lark - Eremophila alpestris
31 House Finch - Haemorhous mexicanus
32 White-crowned Sparrow - Zonotrichia leucophrys
33 Lesser Scaup - Aythya affinis
34 Herring Gull - Larus argentatus
35 Snow Goose - Anser caerulescens
36 Greater White-fronted Goose - Anser albifrons
Birds:
26 Gadwall - Mareca strepera
27 American Wigeon - Mareca americana
28 Common Goldeneye - Bucephala clangula
29 American Coot - Fulica americana
30 Horned Lark - Eremophila alpestris
31 House Finch - Haemorhous mexicanus
32 White-crowned Sparrow - Zonotrichia leucophrys
33 Lesser Scaup - Aythya affinis
34 Herring Gull - Larus argentatus
35 Snow Goose - Anser caerulescens
36 Greater White-fronted Goose - Anser albifrons
Prochilodus246
Well-Known Member
Did a bit a bit of hedge-laying and coppicing today and noticed the following while doing so:
23) Rose-ringed parakeet
24) Eurasian magpie
25) European goldfinch
26) European robin (I also found a robin's nest from the previous year)
27) Song thrush
28) Tawny owl
29) Pied wagtail
30) Northern Wren
31) European bullfinch
32) Common buzzard
1) Eastern grey squirrel
1) Common shiny woodlouse
2) Common rough woodlouse
23) Rose-ringed parakeet
24) Eurasian magpie
25) European goldfinch
26) European robin (I also found a robin's nest from the previous year)
27) Song thrush
28) Tawny owl
29) Pied wagtail
30) Northern Wren
31) European bullfinch
32) Common buzzard
1) Eastern grey squirrel
1) Common shiny woodlouse
2) Common rough woodlouse
A look out the window followed by a quick jog yielded the following:
Mammals
2. Eastern Gray Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis
Birds
4. California Scrub Jay Aphelocoma californica
5. Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas
6. Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
7. White-Crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys
8. Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans
9. American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos
10. Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii
11. Nuttall's Woodpecker Dryobates nuttallii
Mammals
2. Eastern Gray Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis
Birds
4. California Scrub Jay Aphelocoma californica
5. Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas
6. Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
7. White-Crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys
8. Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans
9. American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos
10. Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii
11. Nuttall's Woodpecker Dryobates nuttallii
Birds
48. Golden-crowned Kinglet Regulus satrapa
Mammals
4. American Red Squirrel Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
from the first tow days of the year
jan 1
birds
1 mute swan Cygnus olor
2 mallard Anas platyrhynchos
3 long taild duck Clangula hyemalis
4 common goldeneye Bucephala clangula
5 common merganser Mergus merganser
6 great comorant Phalacrocorax carbo
7 herring gull Larus argentatus
8 great black-backed gull
9 greater spotted woodpecker Dendrocopos major
10 bohemian waxwing Bombycilla garrulus
11 eurasian wren Troglodytes troglodytes
12 eurasian blackbird Turdus merula
13 goldcrest Regulus regulus
14 marsh tit Poecile palustris
15 european crested tit Lophophanes cristatus
16 coal tit Periparus ater
17 great tit Parus major
18 european nuthatch Sitta europaea
19 eurasian siskin Spinus spinus
20 Eurasian treecreeper Certhia familiaris
21 common raven Corvus corax
mammals
1, grey seal Halichoerus grypus
jan 2
birds
22 smew Mergellus albellus
23 black woodpecker Dryocopus martius
24 eurasian blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus
25 Long-tailed tit Aegithalos caudatus
26 hooded crow Corvus cornix
27 hawfich Coccothraustes coccothraustes
mammasl
2 roe dear Capreolus capreolus
still some how have not sean magpie or house sparow yet
jan 1
birds
1 mute swan Cygnus olor
2 mallard Anas platyrhynchos
3 long taild duck Clangula hyemalis
4 common goldeneye Bucephala clangula
5 common merganser Mergus merganser
6 great comorant Phalacrocorax carbo
7 herring gull Larus argentatus
8 great black-backed gull
9 greater spotted woodpecker Dendrocopos major
10 bohemian waxwing Bombycilla garrulus
11 eurasian wren Troglodytes troglodytes
12 eurasian blackbird Turdus merula
13 goldcrest Regulus regulus
14 marsh tit Poecile palustris
15 european crested tit Lophophanes cristatus
16 coal tit Periparus ater
17 great tit Parus major
18 european nuthatch Sitta europaea
19 eurasian siskin Spinus spinus
20 Eurasian treecreeper Certhia familiaris
21 common raven Corvus corax
mammals
1, grey seal Halichoerus grypus
jan 2
birds
22 smew Mergellus albellus
23 black woodpecker Dryocopus martius
24 eurasian blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus
25 Long-tailed tit Aegithalos caudatus
26 hooded crow Corvus cornix
27 hawfich Coccothraustes coccothraustes
mammasl
2 roe dear Capreolus capreolus
still some how have not sean magpie or house sparow yet
Kazaa67
Active Member
1th and 2nd of January (The Netherlands)
BIRDS:
1) Barnacle goose, Branta leucopsis
2) Greylag goose, Anser anser
3) Tundra bean goose, Anser serrirostris
4) Greater white-fronted Goose, Anser albifrons
5) Mute swan, Cygnus olor
6) Bewick's swan, Cygnus columbianus
7) Whooper swan, Cygnus cygnus
8) Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata
9) Gadwall, Mareca strepera
10) Eurasian wigeon, Mareca penelope
11) Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos
12) Northern pintail, Anas acuta
13) Eurasian teal, Anas crecca
14) Common pochard, Aythya ferina
15) Tufted duck, Aythya fuligula
16) Common merganser, Mergus merganser
17) Stock dove, Columba oenas
18) Common wood pigeon, Columba palumbus
19) Eurasian collared dove, Streptopelia decaocto
20) Common moorhen, Gallinula chloropus
21) Eurasian coot, Fulica atra
22) Great crested grebe, Podiceps cristatus
23) Northern lapwing, Vanellus vanellus
24) Black-headed gull - Chroicocephalus ridibundus
25) European herring gull, Larus argentatus
26) Caspian gull, Larus cachinnans
27) Great cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo
28) Grey heron, Ardea cinerea
29) Great egret, Ardea alba
30) Common buzzard
31) Canada goose, Branta canadensis
32) Egyptian goose, Alopochen aegyptiaca
33) Common pheasant, Phasianus colchicus
34) Rock dove, Columba livia
35) Middle spotted woodpecker, Dendrocoptes medius
36) Lesser spotted woodpecker, Dryobates minor
37) Great spotted woodpecker, Dendrocopos major
38) European green woodpecker, Picus viridis
39) Common kestrel, Falco tinnunculus
40) Eurasian jay, Garrulus glandarius
41) Eurasian magpie, Pica pica
42) Western jackdaw, Coloeus monedula
43) Rook, Corvus frugilegus
44) Carrion crow, Corvus corone
45) Hooded crow, Corvus cornix
46) Coal tit, Periparus ater
47) European crested tit, Lophophanes cristatus
48) Willow tit, Poecile montanus
49) Eurasian blue tit, Cyanistes caeruleus
50) Great tit, Parus major
51) Long-tailed tit, Aegithalos caudatus
52) Common chiffchaff, Phylloscopus collybita
53) Common firecrest, Regulus ignicapilla
54) Goldcrest, Regulus regulus
55) Eurasian wren, Troglodytes troglodytes
56) Eurasian nuthatch, Sitta europaea
57) Short-toed treecreeper, Certhia brachydactyla
58) Common starling, Sturnus vulgaris
59) Common blackbird, Turdus merula
60) Fieldfare, Turdus pilaris
61) Redwing, Turdus iliacus
62) Song trush, Turdus philomelos
63) Mistle trush, Turdus viscivorus
64) European robin, Erithacus rubecula
65) House sparrow, Passer domesticus
66) Dunnock, Prunella modularis
67) White wagtail, Motacilla alba
68) Meadow pipit, Anthus pratensis
69) Water pipit, Anthus spinoletta
70) Common chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs
71) Brambling, Fringilla montifringilla
72) Eurasian bullfinch, Pyrrhula pyrrhula
73) European greenfinch, Chloris chloris
74) European goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis
75) Eurasian siskin, Spinus spinus
76) Yellowhammer, Emberiza citrinella
77) Common reed bunting, Emberiza schoeniclus
78) Western marsh harrier, Circus aeruginosus
79) White-thoated dipper, Cinclus cinclus
80) Dusky warbler, Phylloscopus fuscatus
81) Hume's leaf warbler, Phylloscopus humei
82) Eurasian skylark, Alauda arvensis
83) Hen harrier, Circus cyaneus
84) Little bunting, Emberiza pusilla
85) White stork, Ciconia ciconia
86) Lesser black-backed gull, Larus fuscus
87) Red phalarope, Phalaropus fulicarius
88) Sanderling, Calidris alba
89) Western swamphen, Porphyrio porphyrio
90) Black kite, Milvus migrans
MAMMALS:
1) Eurasian red squirrel, Sciurus vulgaris
2) Roe deer, Capreolus capreolus
BIRDS:
1) Barnacle goose, Branta leucopsis
2) Greylag goose, Anser anser
3) Tundra bean goose, Anser serrirostris
4) Greater white-fronted Goose, Anser albifrons
5) Mute swan, Cygnus olor
6) Bewick's swan, Cygnus columbianus
7) Whooper swan, Cygnus cygnus
8) Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata
9) Gadwall, Mareca strepera
10) Eurasian wigeon, Mareca penelope
11) Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos
12) Northern pintail, Anas acuta
13) Eurasian teal, Anas crecca
14) Common pochard, Aythya ferina
15) Tufted duck, Aythya fuligula
16) Common merganser, Mergus merganser
17) Stock dove, Columba oenas
18) Common wood pigeon, Columba palumbus
19) Eurasian collared dove, Streptopelia decaocto
20) Common moorhen, Gallinula chloropus
21) Eurasian coot, Fulica atra
22) Great crested grebe, Podiceps cristatus
23) Northern lapwing, Vanellus vanellus
24) Black-headed gull - Chroicocephalus ridibundus
25) European herring gull, Larus argentatus
26) Caspian gull, Larus cachinnans
27) Great cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo
28) Grey heron, Ardea cinerea
29) Great egret, Ardea alba
30) Common buzzard
31) Canada goose, Branta canadensis
32) Egyptian goose, Alopochen aegyptiaca
33) Common pheasant, Phasianus colchicus
34) Rock dove, Columba livia
35) Middle spotted woodpecker, Dendrocoptes medius
36) Lesser spotted woodpecker, Dryobates minor
37) Great spotted woodpecker, Dendrocopos major
38) European green woodpecker, Picus viridis
39) Common kestrel, Falco tinnunculus
40) Eurasian jay, Garrulus glandarius
41) Eurasian magpie, Pica pica
42) Western jackdaw, Coloeus monedula
43) Rook, Corvus frugilegus
44) Carrion crow, Corvus corone
45) Hooded crow, Corvus cornix
46) Coal tit, Periparus ater
47) European crested tit, Lophophanes cristatus
48) Willow tit, Poecile montanus
49) Eurasian blue tit, Cyanistes caeruleus
50) Great tit, Parus major
51) Long-tailed tit, Aegithalos caudatus
52) Common chiffchaff, Phylloscopus collybita
53) Common firecrest, Regulus ignicapilla
54) Goldcrest, Regulus regulus
55) Eurasian wren, Troglodytes troglodytes
56) Eurasian nuthatch, Sitta europaea
57) Short-toed treecreeper, Certhia brachydactyla
58) Common starling, Sturnus vulgaris
59) Common blackbird, Turdus merula
60) Fieldfare, Turdus pilaris
61) Redwing, Turdus iliacus
62) Song trush, Turdus philomelos
63) Mistle trush, Turdus viscivorus
64) European robin, Erithacus rubecula
65) House sparrow, Passer domesticus
66) Dunnock, Prunella modularis
67) White wagtail, Motacilla alba
68) Meadow pipit, Anthus pratensis
69) Water pipit, Anthus spinoletta
70) Common chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs
71) Brambling, Fringilla montifringilla
72) Eurasian bullfinch, Pyrrhula pyrrhula
73) European greenfinch, Chloris chloris
74) European goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis
75) Eurasian siskin, Spinus spinus
76) Yellowhammer, Emberiza citrinella
77) Common reed bunting, Emberiza schoeniclus
78) Western marsh harrier, Circus aeruginosus
79) White-thoated dipper, Cinclus cinclus
80) Dusky warbler, Phylloscopus fuscatus
81) Hume's leaf warbler, Phylloscopus humei
82) Eurasian skylark, Alauda arvensis
83) Hen harrier, Circus cyaneus
84) Little bunting, Emberiza pusilla
85) White stork, Ciconia ciconia
86) Lesser black-backed gull, Larus fuscus
87) Red phalarope, Phalaropus fulicarius
88) Sanderling, Calidris alba
89) Western swamphen, Porphyrio porphyrio
90) Black kite, Milvus migrans
MAMMALS:
1) Eurasian red squirrel, Sciurus vulgaris
2) Roe deer, Capreolus capreolus
A cold and wet start, but I'm already doing better than last year.
Mammal:
1. Eastern Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
Birds:
1. House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)
2. Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)
3. Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
4. Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
5. American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
Mammal:
1. Eastern Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
Birds:
1. House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)
2. Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)
3. Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
4. Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
5. American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
2nd January
Birds
48 Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
49 Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon
50 Pintail Anas acuta
51 Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
52 Pochard Aythya ferina
53 Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus
54 Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus
55 Ruff Calidris pugnax
56 Greenfinch Chloris chloris
57 Great White Egret Ardea alba
58 Buzzard Buteo buteo
The kingfisher is only the fourth ever in the UK; a British tick for me (although probably my worst view of the species!). While watching waterfowl late morning, I was thinking it ought to be worth looking for a vagrant Green-winged Teal, but didn’t see one in a brief scan; annoyingly one was found in the same flock in the afternoon after I had left...
Birds
48 Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
49 Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon
50 Pintail Anas acuta
51 Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
52 Pochard Aythya ferina
53 Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus
54 Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus
55 Ruff Calidris pugnax
56 Greenfinch Chloris chloris
57 Great White Egret Ardea alba
58 Buzzard Buteo buteo
The kingfisher is only the fourth ever in the UK; a British tick for me (although probably my worst view of the species!). While watching waterfowl late morning, I was thinking it ought to be worth looking for a vagrant Green-winged Teal, but didn’t see one in a brief scan; annoyingly one was found in the same flock in the afternoon after I had left...
Picked up a handful of birds I heard yesterday but didn't see.
Birds:
34. California Quail (Callipepla californica)
35. Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)
36. Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana)
37. White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)
1-37-0-0-0-1
P.S. I'm doing this update on my phone and somehow I apparently type their scientific names enough that all four of them were automatically suggested! Apparently I'm a real bird nerd!
Birds
Tits
1. Greater Tit (Parus major)
Crows, Magpies and Jays
2. Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)
3. Eurasian Magpie (Pica pica)
Tits
1. Greater Tit (Parus major)
Crows, Magpies and Jays
2. Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)
3. Eurasian Magpie (Pica pica)