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Birds
59 Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
Also my first ever garden tick of a flyover Little Egret.
Birds
59 Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
Also my first ever garden tick of a flyover Little Egret.
Zoochat Big Year 2022
- Thread starter Chlidonias
- Start date
In an attempt to get out of the house in my free time and be more dedicated to seeing birds and wildlife this year, I've decided to set both periodic and "whole-year" birding and wildlife-watching goals for myself in 2022. As I knew January would bring me only 2 days of warm weather before a winter storm hit the eastern US coast, I set 3 goals for January 1 & 2: see at least 24 bird species, see a new "first-of-the-year" bird, and see a Pileated Woodpecker (as one magically appeared outside my bedroom window on New Year's Eve).
After two days of casual birding in two neighborhoods, a public park with man-made lakes and a creek, a college campus, and a small lake/wetland preserve I was able to surpass my first goal by a couple species, meaning that (by my estimates) I've seen maybe 50-60% of the "common" species for this local area in winter. I also successfully got a new "first-of-the-year" bird with two Mourning Doves sitting on a telephone wire outside my house. Unfortunately no Pileated Woodpeckers, so I've designated that as my first monthly Target Species.
First haul:
Birds
1. Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
2. American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
3. Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)
4. Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
5. Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
6. Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)
7. Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)
8. Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
9. Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)
10. Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
11. Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)
12. Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)
13. White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)
14. Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)
15. Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
16. Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
17. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
18. Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
19. Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)
20. Hairy Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus villosus)
21. Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
22. Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa)
23. Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)
24. Feral Pigeon (Columba livia)
25. White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)
26. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)
Mammals
1. Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
A few notable absences included House Finch (which are common visitors to my house's bird feeders, but oddly I haven't seen any in the past couple days), Brown Creeper, and a hawk, one of which I did see but it was a drab juvenile of either Red-tailed or Red-shouldered and I didn't confirm an ID before it flew away. I also picked up a small flock of another bird at the feeders this morning while making coffee:
Birds
27. American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)
Edit: There it is!
Birds
28. House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)
Good luck to everyone with their birding this year!
After two days of casual birding in two neighborhoods, a public park with man-made lakes and a creek, a college campus, and a small lake/wetland preserve I was able to surpass my first goal by a couple species, meaning that (by my estimates) I've seen maybe 50-60% of the "common" species for this local area in winter. I also successfully got a new "first-of-the-year" bird with two Mourning Doves sitting on a telephone wire outside my house. Unfortunately no Pileated Woodpeckers, so I've designated that as my first monthly Target Species.
First haul:
Birds
1. Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
2. American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
3. Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)
4. Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
5. Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
6. Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)
7. Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)
8. Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
9. Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)
10. Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
11. Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)
12. Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)
13. White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)
14. Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)
15. Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
16. Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
17. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
18. Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
19. Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)
20. Hairy Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus villosus)
21. Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
22. Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa)
23. Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)
24. Feral Pigeon (Columba livia)
25. White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)
26. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)
Mammals
1. Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
A few notable absences included House Finch (which are common visitors to my house's bird feeders, but oddly I haven't seen any in the past couple days), Brown Creeper, and a hawk, one of which I did see but it was a drab juvenile of either Red-tailed or Red-shouldered and I didn't confirm an ID before it flew away. I also picked up a small flock of another bird at the feeders this morning while making coffee:
Birds
27. American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)
Edit: There it is!
Birds
28. House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)
Good luck to everyone with their birding this year!
Last edited:
Brown Creeper has also been my most surprising miss so far. I heard them 3 or 4 times on my January 1 Big Day but did not manage to see a single one.
Given that I still have a week of holiday left I decided to get ahead for the year list. Given that I hadn't seen any type of waterbird bar moorhen yet I headed to one of my local waterfowl hotspots. This winter is absolutely terrible for wintering migrants in the Netherlands and many species are only present in very small numbers if they're there at all. Whereas in other years there are thousands of white-fronted geese, today I saw ten. The flocks of hundreds of ducks on the ponds are now reduced to several dozen. And in terms of grebes there's a near-absence of all the scarcer species this winter. Even coots seem reduced this year!
Still I had a very good time and managed to see most of the regular waterfowl species, albeit in small numbers and sometimes far in the distance. One of the best birds today was Smew, and two gorgeous adult males showed very well. Also I found a Black-necked Grebe which I was not expecting at all given their scarcity this winter. After checking a Dutch bird observation website however it seems like one has been hanging around the place this winter, just not when I was around! The resident mixed pair of one Yellow-legged and one Herring gull was also good to see.
Later in the afternoon I decided on a whim to go look for Whooper Swans in the polders a bit further west. They too are rare this winter but I seen some in December so I tried to same place again, but no luck today. Then I tried to find a Hooded Crow that has been wintering in the area for a few years now but I couldn't find it either. I don't understand why I go looking for crows anyway. Honestly I felt a bit silly standing there with my spotting scope at the edge of a field scanning through the flocks of crows. I did spot a Peregrine falcon sitting in the grass like a goose, peering at the fields ahead. Perhaps she too was looking for hooded crows. After trying for a while to find the crow I gave up. Peregrine is a much better bird anyway.
Birds
33. Greylag Goose, Anser anser
34. European Robin, Erithacus rubecula
35. European Greenfinch, Chloris chloris
36. Common Gull, Larus canus
37. Common Coot, Fulica atra
38. Northern Lapwing, Vanellus vanellus
39. Greater White-fronted Goose, Anser albifrons
40. (Tundra) Bean Goose, Anser (fabalis) serrirostris
41. Mute Swan, Cygnus olor
42. Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos
43. Great Crested Grebe, Podiceps cristatus
44. Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula
45. Gadwall, Mareca strepera
46. Common Pochard, Aythya ferina
47. Little Grebe, Tachybatus ruficollis
48. Smew, Mergellus albellus
49. Great Cormorant, Phalacrocrax carbo
50. Barnacle Goose, Branta leucopsis
51. Canada Goose, Branta canadensis
52. Great Egret, Ardea alba
53. Yellow-legged Gull, Larus michahellis
54. European Herring Gull, Larus argentatus
55. Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea
56. Common Goldeneye, Bucephala clangula
57. Goosander, Mergus merganser
58. Northern Shoveller, Spatula clypeata
59. Eurasian Teal, Anas crecca
60. Black-necked Grebe, Podiceps nigricollis
61. White Wagtail, Motacilla alba
62. Eurasian Wigeon, Mareca penelope
63. Rook, Corvus frugilegus
64. Peregrine, Falco peregrinus
Mammals
1. Brown Rat, Rattus norvegicus
2. European Roe Deer, Capreolus capreolus
3. European (Brown) Hare, Lepus europaeus
Still I had a very good time and managed to see most of the regular waterfowl species, albeit in small numbers and sometimes far in the distance. One of the best birds today was Smew, and two gorgeous adult males showed very well. Also I found a Black-necked Grebe which I was not expecting at all given their scarcity this winter. After checking a Dutch bird observation website however it seems like one has been hanging around the place this winter, just not when I was around! The resident mixed pair of one Yellow-legged and one Herring gull was also good to see.
Later in the afternoon I decided on a whim to go look for Whooper Swans in the polders a bit further west. They too are rare this winter but I seen some in December so I tried to same place again, but no luck today. Then I tried to find a Hooded Crow that has been wintering in the area for a few years now but I couldn't find it either. I don't understand why I go looking for crows anyway. Honestly I felt a bit silly standing there with my spotting scope at the edge of a field scanning through the flocks of crows. I did spot a Peregrine falcon sitting in the grass like a goose, peering at the fields ahead. Perhaps she too was looking for hooded crows. After trying for a while to find the crow I gave up. Peregrine is a much better bird anyway.
Birds
33. Greylag Goose, Anser anser
34. European Robin, Erithacus rubecula
35. European Greenfinch, Chloris chloris
36. Common Gull, Larus canus
37. Common Coot, Fulica atra
38. Northern Lapwing, Vanellus vanellus
39. Greater White-fronted Goose, Anser albifrons
40. (Tundra) Bean Goose, Anser (fabalis) serrirostris
41. Mute Swan, Cygnus olor
42. Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos
43. Great Crested Grebe, Podiceps cristatus
44. Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula
45. Gadwall, Mareca strepera
46. Common Pochard, Aythya ferina
47. Little Grebe, Tachybatus ruficollis
48. Smew, Mergellus albellus
49. Great Cormorant, Phalacrocrax carbo
50. Barnacle Goose, Branta leucopsis
51. Canada Goose, Branta canadensis
52. Great Egret, Ardea alba
53. Yellow-legged Gull, Larus michahellis
54. European Herring Gull, Larus argentatus
55. Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea
56. Common Goldeneye, Bucephala clangula
57. Goosander, Mergus merganser
58. Northern Shoveller, Spatula clypeata
59. Eurasian Teal, Anas crecca
60. Black-necked Grebe, Podiceps nigricollis
61. White Wagtail, Motacilla alba
62. Eurasian Wigeon, Mareca penelope
63. Rook, Corvus frugilegus
64. Peregrine, Falco peregrinus
Mammals
1. Brown Rat, Rattus norvegicus
2. European Roe Deer, Capreolus capreolus
3. European (Brown) Hare, Lepus europaeus
Bengal Tiger
Well-Known Member
Aaaah the joys of an Illinois winter, so many animals!!! Just kidding, the only wild animal I’ve seen is an eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). The first few months of the year here are rather uneventful, and sadly I’ll probably only be seeing 2-6 species locally.
Alright. Getting 2022 on the road.
As always only counting lifers for birds.
Had a bit of a botched start as I couldn't find either Pink-footed or Red-breasted Geese in the morning ... again. They seem to wanna go on the bogey list rather than the year list.
Afternoon twitch for the warbler went better, with good views of a very vocal individual. Also saw a couple of Long-eared Owls (honourable mention).
Kaltenengers, close to Koblenz
Mammals
01. Nutria (Myocastor coypus)
Birds
01. Hume's Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus humei)
As always only counting lifers for birds.
Had a bit of a botched start as I couldn't find either Pink-footed or Red-breasted Geese in the morning ... again. They seem to wanna go on the bogey list rather than the year list.
Afternoon twitch for the warbler went better, with good views of a very vocal individual. Also saw a couple of Long-eared Owls (honourable mention).
Kaltenengers, close to Koblenz
Mammals
01. Nutria (Myocastor coypus)
Birds
01. Hume's Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus humei)
Creepers can be tough little buggers to see, small, sneaky, and same color as the trees! I hear them fairly easily but then spotting them up among the branches is often a challenge. I haven't seen or heard so much as a feather from them so far this winter though, not sure where they are.
I'm leaving Europe in 10 days, so I'm in a bit of a hurry to get the good stuff as quickly as possible! Rarities so far have been Ross's Gull (yes, actually my 8th bird this year!), a group of 16 Western Cattle Egrets and 3 Glossy Ibises, a Hume's Leaf Warbler, a Little Bunting, a (nominate) White-throated Dipper, a Red Phalarope, a Dusky Warbler, a Western Swamphen, a (eastern/"black-eared") Black Kite, a Ring-billed Gull and a Red-breasted Goose.
BIRDS:
1) European Robin, Erithacus rubecula
2) Common Blackbird, Turdus merula
3) Eurasian Woodcock, Scolopax rusticola
4) Lesser Black-backed Gull, Larus fuscus
5) European Herring Gull, Larus argentatus
6) Black-headed Gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus
7) Eurasian Curlew, Numenius arquata
8) Ross's Gull, Rhodostethia rosea
9) Common Redshank, Tringa totanus
10) Eurasian Oystercatcher, Haematopus ostralegus
11) Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos
12) Great Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo
13) Great Black-backed Gull, Larus marinus
14) Ruddy Turnstone, Arenaria interpres
15) Purple Sandpiper, Calidris maritima
16) Common Gull, Larus canus
17) Sanderling, Calidris alba
18) Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra
19) Northern Gannet, Morus bassanus
20) Great Crested Grebe, Podiceps cristatus
21) Razorbill, Alca torda
22) Great Skua, Stercorarius skua
23) Common Murre, Uria aalge
24) Northern Pintail, Anas acuta
25) Black-legged Kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla
26) Common Scoter, Melanitta nigra
27) European Rock Pipit, Anthus petrosus
28) Common Starling, Sturnus vulgaris
29) House Sparrow, Passer domesticus
30) Meadow Pipit, Anthus pratensis
31) Common Chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs
32) Eurasian Magpie, Pica pica
33) Great Tit, Parus major
34) Common Shelduck, Tadorna tadorna
35) Common Ringed Plover, Charadrius hiaticula
36) Grey Plover, Pluvialis squatarola
37) Bar-tailed Godwit, Limosa lapponica
38) Northern Lapwing, Vanellus vanellus
39) Yellow-legged Gull, Larus michahellis
40) Common Wood Pigeon, Columba palumbus
41) Rock Dove, Columba livia
42) Western Jackdaw, Coloeus monedula
43) Carrion Crow, Corvus corone
44) Stock Dove, Columba oenas
45) Eurasian Collared Dove, Streptopelia decaocto
46) Fieldfare, Turdus pilaris
47) Western Cattle Egret, Bubulcus ibis
48) Eurasian Wren, Troglodytes troglodytes
49) Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Dryobates minor
50) Great Spotted Woodpecker, Dendrocopos major
51) Great Egret, Ardea alba
52) Glossy Ibis, Plegadis falcinellus
53) Eurasian Jay, Garrulus glandarius
54) Brant Goose, Branta bernicla
55) Eurasian Wigeon, Mareca penelope
56) Red-throated Loon, Gavia stellata
57) Common Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus
58) Common Linnet, Linaria cannabina
59) Common Buzzard, Buteo buteo
60) Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Accipiter nisus
61) Eurasian Blue Tit, Cyanistes caeruleus
62) Goldcrest, Regulus regulus
63) Dunnock, Prunella modularis
64) Short-toed Treecreeper, Certhia brachydactyla
65) European Goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis
66) Eurasian Siskin, Spinus spinus
67) Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula
68) Gadwall, Mareca strepera
69) Mute Swan, Cygnus olor
70) Common Moorhen, Gallinula chloropus
71) Long-tailed Tit, Aegithalos caudatus
72) Common Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis
73) Common Firecrest, Regulus ignicapilla
74) Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea
75) Redwing, Turdus iliacus
76) Coal Tit, Periparus ater
77) Common Pochard, Aythya ferina
78) Egyptian Goose, Alopochen aegyptiaca
79) Song Thrush, Turdus philomelos
-
80) Rose-ringed Parakeet, Psittacula krameri
81) White Stork, Ciconia ciconia
82) Greylag Goose, Anser anser
83) Greater White-fronted Goose, Anser albifrons
84) Tundra Bean Goose, Anser serrirostris
85) Hume's Leaf Warbler, Phylloscopus humei
86) Eurasian Skylark, Alauda arvensis
87) Common Reed Bunting, Emberiza schoeniclus
88) Little Bunting, Emberiza pusilla
89) Canada Goose, Branta canadensis
90) White-throated Dipper, Cinclus cinclus (cinclus)
91) Mandarin Duck, Aix galericulata
92) Red Phalarope, Phalaropus fulicarius
93) Eurasian teal, Anas crecca
94) Dusky Warbler, Phylloscopus fuscatus
95) Brambling, Fringilla montifringilla
96) Western Swamphen, Porphyrio porphyrio
97) Common Pheasant, Phasianus colchicus
98) Tundra Swan, Cygnus columbianus
99) Barnacle Goose, Branta leucopsis
100) Hen Harrier, Circus cyaneus
101) Western Marsh Harrier, Circus aeruginosus
102) Black Kite, Milvus migrans (lineatus*)
103) Whooper Swan, Cygnus cygnus
-
104) Northern Shoveler, Spatula clypeata
105) Common Merganser, Mergus merganser
106) White Wagtail, Motacilla alba
107) Ring-billed Gull, Larus delawarensis
108) Cetti's Warbler, Cettia cetti
109) European Green Woodpecker, Picus viridis
110) Water Pipit, Anthus spinoletta
111) Red-breasted Goose, Branta ruficollis
MAMMALS:
1) Harbour Porpoise, Phocoena phocoena
2) Harbour Seal, Phoca vitulina
3) Roe Deer, Capreolus capreolus
4) Brown Hare, Lepus europaeus
FISH:
1) Fivebeard Rockling, Ciliata mustela
2) Whiting, Merlangius merlangus
3) Dab, Limanda limanda
BIRDS:
1) European Robin, Erithacus rubecula
2) Common Blackbird, Turdus merula
3) Eurasian Woodcock, Scolopax rusticola
4) Lesser Black-backed Gull, Larus fuscus
5) European Herring Gull, Larus argentatus
6) Black-headed Gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus
7) Eurasian Curlew, Numenius arquata
8) Ross's Gull, Rhodostethia rosea
9) Common Redshank, Tringa totanus
10) Eurasian Oystercatcher, Haematopus ostralegus
11) Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos
12) Great Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo
13) Great Black-backed Gull, Larus marinus
14) Ruddy Turnstone, Arenaria interpres
15) Purple Sandpiper, Calidris maritima
16) Common Gull, Larus canus
17) Sanderling, Calidris alba
18) Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra
19) Northern Gannet, Morus bassanus
20) Great Crested Grebe, Podiceps cristatus
21) Razorbill, Alca torda
22) Great Skua, Stercorarius skua
23) Common Murre, Uria aalge
24) Northern Pintail, Anas acuta
25) Black-legged Kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla
26) Common Scoter, Melanitta nigra
27) European Rock Pipit, Anthus petrosus
28) Common Starling, Sturnus vulgaris
29) House Sparrow, Passer domesticus
30) Meadow Pipit, Anthus pratensis
31) Common Chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs
32) Eurasian Magpie, Pica pica
33) Great Tit, Parus major
34) Common Shelduck, Tadorna tadorna
35) Common Ringed Plover, Charadrius hiaticula
36) Grey Plover, Pluvialis squatarola
37) Bar-tailed Godwit, Limosa lapponica
38) Northern Lapwing, Vanellus vanellus
39) Yellow-legged Gull, Larus michahellis
40) Common Wood Pigeon, Columba palumbus
41) Rock Dove, Columba livia
42) Western Jackdaw, Coloeus monedula
43) Carrion Crow, Corvus corone
44) Stock Dove, Columba oenas
45) Eurasian Collared Dove, Streptopelia decaocto
46) Fieldfare, Turdus pilaris
47) Western Cattle Egret, Bubulcus ibis
48) Eurasian Wren, Troglodytes troglodytes
49) Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Dryobates minor
50) Great Spotted Woodpecker, Dendrocopos major
51) Great Egret, Ardea alba
52) Glossy Ibis, Plegadis falcinellus
53) Eurasian Jay, Garrulus glandarius
54) Brant Goose, Branta bernicla
55) Eurasian Wigeon, Mareca penelope
56) Red-throated Loon, Gavia stellata
57) Common Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus
58) Common Linnet, Linaria cannabina
59) Common Buzzard, Buteo buteo
60) Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Accipiter nisus
61) Eurasian Blue Tit, Cyanistes caeruleus
62) Goldcrest, Regulus regulus
63) Dunnock, Prunella modularis
64) Short-toed Treecreeper, Certhia brachydactyla
65) European Goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis
66) Eurasian Siskin, Spinus spinus
67) Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula
68) Gadwall, Mareca strepera
69) Mute Swan, Cygnus olor
70) Common Moorhen, Gallinula chloropus
71) Long-tailed Tit, Aegithalos caudatus
72) Common Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis
73) Common Firecrest, Regulus ignicapilla
74) Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea
75) Redwing, Turdus iliacus
76) Coal Tit, Periparus ater
77) Common Pochard, Aythya ferina
78) Egyptian Goose, Alopochen aegyptiaca
79) Song Thrush, Turdus philomelos
-
80) Rose-ringed Parakeet, Psittacula krameri
81) White Stork, Ciconia ciconia
82) Greylag Goose, Anser anser
83) Greater White-fronted Goose, Anser albifrons
84) Tundra Bean Goose, Anser serrirostris
85) Hume's Leaf Warbler, Phylloscopus humei
86) Eurasian Skylark, Alauda arvensis
87) Common Reed Bunting, Emberiza schoeniclus
88) Little Bunting, Emberiza pusilla
89) Canada Goose, Branta canadensis
90) White-throated Dipper, Cinclus cinclus (cinclus)
91) Mandarin Duck, Aix galericulata
92) Red Phalarope, Phalaropus fulicarius
93) Eurasian teal, Anas crecca
94) Dusky Warbler, Phylloscopus fuscatus
95) Brambling, Fringilla montifringilla
96) Western Swamphen, Porphyrio porphyrio
97) Common Pheasant, Phasianus colchicus
98) Tundra Swan, Cygnus columbianus
99) Barnacle Goose, Branta leucopsis
100) Hen Harrier, Circus cyaneus
101) Western Marsh Harrier, Circus aeruginosus
102) Black Kite, Milvus migrans (lineatus*)
103) Whooper Swan, Cygnus cygnus
-
104) Northern Shoveler, Spatula clypeata
105) Common Merganser, Mergus merganser
106) White Wagtail, Motacilla alba
107) Ring-billed Gull, Larus delawarensis
108) Cetti's Warbler, Cettia cetti
109) European Green Woodpecker, Picus viridis
110) Water Pipit, Anthus spinoletta
111) Red-breasted Goose, Branta ruficollis
MAMMALS:
1) Harbour Porpoise, Phocoena phocoena
2) Harbour Seal, Phoca vitulina
3) Roe Deer, Capreolus capreolus
4) Brown Hare, Lepus europaeus
FISH:
1) Fivebeard Rockling, Ciliata mustela
2) Whiting, Merlangius merlangus
3) Dab, Limanda limanda
Another zoo day today (Chester), but a few more additions from the drive, the zoo itself, and the last one from a mini-twitch as I was only going to be a mile from it anyway!
Birds:
37. Common Pheasant - Phasianus colchicus
38. Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea
39. Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo
40. European Herring Gull - Larus argentatus
41. Redwing - Turdus iliacus
42. Western Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis
Birds:
37. Common Pheasant - Phasianus colchicus
38. Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea
39. Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo
40. European Herring Gull - Larus argentatus
41. Redwing - Turdus iliacus
42. Western Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis
Birds
12. Brewer’s Blackbird Euphagus cyanocephalus
13. Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis
Both spotted downtown. I spent far too long trying to figure out what that small black flocking bird was.
12. Brewer’s Blackbird Euphagus cyanocephalus
13. Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis
Both spotted downtown. I spent far too long trying to figure out what that small black flocking bird was.
My first visit this year to a nature reserve got me to almost the same position as last year, giving me a solid base to progress from.
Birds:
12. Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
13. Rook (Corvus frugilegus)
14. Eurasian Jackdaw (Coloeus monedula)
15. Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
16. Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)
17. Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
18. Great White Egret (Ardea alba)
19. Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
20. Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
21. Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)
22. Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
23. Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra),
24. Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
25. Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus)
26. Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)
27. Common Pochard (Aythya ferina)
28. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
29. Eurasian Wigeon (Mareca penelope)
30. Gadwall (Mareca strepera)
31. Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata)
32. Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
Birds:
12. Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
13. Rook (Corvus frugilegus)
14. Eurasian Jackdaw (Coloeus monedula)
15. Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
16. Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)
17. Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
18. Great White Egret (Ardea alba)
19. Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
20. Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
21. Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)
22. Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
23. Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra),
24. Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
25. Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus)
26. Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)
27. Common Pochard (Aythya ferina)
28. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
29. Eurasian Wigeon (Mareca penelope)
30. Gadwall (Mareca strepera)
31. Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata)
32. Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
Well, that was ridiculous. Went to the cinema with my mum tonight (I know, rock'n'roll lifestyle, me) and on the way back, a journey from the cinema to my parents' house and then to mine that is little over 10 minutes, I somehow managed to see a badger and a fox. Foxes are a pretty common sighting round here, but the badger is only my third ever in the wild - just ran across the road a couple of car lengths in front of me. The road in question is streetlit with suburban housing on one side and golf course and woods on the other, so it appeared to be returning from a quick raid on the local gardens..! Good night all round!
Mammals:
3. European Badger - Meles meles
4. Red Fox - Vulpes vulpes
Mammals:
3. European Badger - Meles meles
4. Red Fox - Vulpes vulpes
Birds
14. American Robin Turdus migratorius
15. Yellow-billed Magpie Pica nutalli
16. Anna's Hummingbird Calypte anna
14. American Robin Turdus migratorius
15. Yellow-billed Magpie Pica nutalli
16. Anna's Hummingbird Calypte anna
Invertebrates
1. Long-tailed Silverfish Ctenolepisma longicaudata
I also saw a spider but wasn't able to get the genus or species. Got a mediocre photo though, which I'm posting here because I'm somewhat proud of having caught it by surprise.
1. Long-tailed Silverfish Ctenolepisma longicaudata
I also saw a spider but wasn't able to get the genus or species. Got a mediocre photo though, which I'm posting here because I'm somewhat proud of having caught it by surprise.
I can recommend the iNaturalist website for invert identification. It can take a little time to get used to all the tricks, but it is not difficult to get the hang of it.Invertebrates
1. Long-tailed Silverfish Ctenolepisma longicaudata
I also saw a spider but wasn't able to get the genus or species. Got a mediocre photo though, which I'm posting here because I'm somewhat proud of having caught it by surprise.
A walk around my local patch of bush and a quick stroll down my beach, netted me basically nothing! Although there was some finch bird with a wing marking which I couldn't link to anything so. Plus a few inverts accumulated over the past few days.
Birds
13. European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
14. Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae)
Reptiles
1. Plague Skink (Lampropholis delicata)
Inverts.
3. Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
4. Cabbage Butterfly (Pieris rapae)
5. Golden Cockroach (Drymaplaneta heydeniana)
6. Jumping Spider (Holoplatys apressus)
Last edited:
Prochilodus246
Well-Known Member
Decided to visit a private lake which I had been told otters had been seen on the nearby river in the last few days. We never saw the otters but saw some other species:
33) Eurasian treecreeper (lifer, and also got a photograph!)
34) Redwing (second time ever seeing one, and also got a photograph!)
35) Mute swan
36) Common pheasant
37) Long-tailed tit
33) Eurasian treecreeper (lifer, and also got a photograph!)
34) Redwing (second time ever seeing one, and also got a photograph!)
35) Mute swan
36) Common pheasant
37) Long-tailed tit
Chaffinch probably.
Over the past couple of days, I have added a new bird and a new mammal. The bird, seen a couple of days ago taking bread off the neighbour's lawn. The mammal turned up in broad daylight today, albeit with a badly injured foot. I've put some food out in the hopes that may help.
35. Western jackdaw Coloeus monedula
3. Red fox Vulpes vulpes