Zoochat Big Year 2023

[oflory]

A proper Saturday of birding near Havant, mainly for the Sabine’s gull but lots of other things seen too.

Mammals
5. Roe deer

Birds
80. Stock dove
81. Northern Pintail
82. Long-tailed duck
83. Red-breasted merganser
84. Bar-tailed godwit
85. Common greenshank
86. Sabine’s gull
87. Western marsh harrier
88. Eurasian skylark
89. Water pipit
90. Common reed bunting

Two unusually late additions to the 2023 list from a visit to Beale Wildlife Park at the weekend. Sadly, the only rufous-vented laughingthrushes in Europe are untickable...

91. Common chaffinch
92. Goldcrest

 

[Ituri]

I did some serious birding last weekend including a couple of unsuccessful rarity chases.
First up was a trip to one of my usual birding spots.

Cheney State Park, Kingman & Reno Counties, Kansas
54 Winter Wren
55 Gadwall
56 Loggerhead Shrike

Then an unsuccessful chase of Snow Buntings in northern Reno County.
Reno County, Kansas
57 Snow Goose
58 Lapland Longspur
59 Western Meadowlark

On Sunday I went chasing a Slaty-backed Gull that had been seen in Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma/Kansas Border
60 Northern Harrier

Lake Hefner, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma
61 Greater Scaup
62 Common Loon
- Red-shouldered Hawk *heard only
63 Red-breasted Merganser
64 Horned Grebe
65 Bonaparte's Gull
66 Red-throated Loon
67 Northern Mockingbird

Sedgwick County Zoo, Sedgwick County, Kansas
68 White-throated Sparrow

69 Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
70 Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis

 

[Lota lota]

Two unusually late additions to the 2023 list from a visit to Beale Wildlife Park at the weekend. Sadly, the only rufous-vented laughingthrushes in Europe are untickable...

91. Common chaffinch
92. Goldcrest

Are goldcrests rare in the UK?

 

[oflory]

Are goldcrests rare in the UK?

Not at all - I just hadn't seen one this year until last weekend (and in fact saw another on my lunchbreak this afternoon...).

 

[BerdNerd]

73. Red-Bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)- 2/7/23
74. Brown-Headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)- 2/8/23

2/14/23


75. Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)


Total:

Mammals: 5
Birds: 75
Reptiles: 1
Invertebrates: 2

 

[Kakapo]

Today I had a very sought after sight. Daily I cheeked a baldland where rabbits are usual. They don't appeared here until today. A quiet couple in the morning sun.
I also had a very good sight at a robin that was resting very quiet and exposed at sun in the border of a garden shrub.

MAMMALS:

2. Common rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

Yesterday I saw finally a bird that I expected to see sooner or later: a magnific male black redstart was picking up some food items in the soils, took up briefly to land in the tip of a nearby small cement structure and shaked briefly its russet tail while I passed with the bike near him.

BIRDS:

26. Black redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)

I also have doubts of about if I should include or not an invertebrate as a "wildlife sight". I work in a seafood factory, tough I'm not in direct contact with the fish, and more usually I only see the porexpan or plastic boxes containing it. But yesterday I had to stack dirty boxes used for hakes. I realized that these boxes have abundant Anisakis simplex, a parasite that I never saw before despite being a common conversation matter in my job.Some of the parasite worms were still alive and moving! They're not in their natural environment obviously, but I doubt there is another way to see an alive internal parasite of a marine fish. Should I include it as a wildlife sight or not? If I do, it would be a PHYLA lifer for me!!!!!!!!!

 

[boof]

15/2/2023
151. pied stilt
152. black-fronted dotterel
153. black-faced woodswallow
154. grey butcherbird
155. mistletoebird
156. rufous whistler

 

[birdsandbats]

Yesterday I saw finally a bird that I expected to see sooner or later: a magnific male black redstart was picking up some food items in the soils, took up briefly to land in the tip of a nearby small cement structure and shaked briefly its russet tail while I passed with the bike near him.

BIRDS:

26. Black redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)

I also have doubts of about if I should include or not an invertebrate as a "wildlife sight". I work in a seafood factory, tough I'm not in direct contact with the fish, and more usually I only see the porexpan or plastic boxes containing it. But yesterday I had to stack dirty boxes used for hakes. I realized that these boxes have abundant Anisakis simplex, a parasite that I never saw before despite being a common conversation matter in my job.Some of the parasite worms were still alive and moving! They're not in their natural environment obviously, but I doubt there is another way to see an alive internal parasite of a marine fish. Should I include it as a wildlife sight or not? If I do, it would be a PHYLA lifer for me!!!!!!!!!

I would count it, personally.

 

[Mr. Zootycoon]

Spring has arrived in the Netherlands! Well, at least for me. The first woodlarks have returned to their breeding grounds and are already singing loudly. The fine weather of the past few days has also persuades many resident species to start singing - dunnocks, chaffinches, blackbirds, wrens and also the coal tits, which makes especially that last species a lot easier to find right now.

Birds
120. Common Linnet, Linaria cannabina
121. Coal Tit, Periparus ater
122. Woodlark, Lulula arborea

The next entry should be very different - and a lot less Dutch!

 

[Kakapo]

I would count it, personally.

Thanks, then it should be the number 22.

INVERTEBRATES:

22. Anisakis simplex

 

[MRJ]

On route to Kibane Forest, Uganda

Birds:
334. White-winged swamp warbler Bradypterus carpalis
335. Green-headed sunbird Cyanomitra verticalis
336. Black bee-eater Merops gularis

Bigodi Wetlands (on first morning after arrival)

Mammals:
53. Grey-cheeked mangabey Lophocebus albigena
54. Ugandan (ashy) red colobus Piliocolobus tephrosceles
55. Boehm's bush squirrel Paraxerus boehmi

Birds:
337. Shining blue kingfisher Alcedo quadribrachys
338. Vanga flycatcher Bias musicus
339. MacKinnon's fiscal Lanius mackinnoni
340. African blue flycatcher Elminia longicauda
341. Red-faced cisticola Cisticola erythrops
342. White-chinned prinia Schistolais leucopogon
343. Little greenbul Eurillas virens
344. Pale-brested Illadopis Illadopsis rufipennis (new Family)
345. Purple-headed starling Hylopsar purpureiceps
346. Snowy-crowned robin-chat Cossypha niveicapilla
347. Grey tit-flycatcher Myioparus plumbeus

Reptiles:
8. Olive marsh snake Natriciteres olivacea

 

[MRJ]

Kibane, Uganda

Includes both the forest and adjacent agricultural land and villages. Excludes Bigodi Wetland.
Habitat: Lowland rainforest.

Mammals
56. Chimpanzee Pan troglodytes
57. East African potto Perodicticus ibeanus
57. Demidoff's dwarf galago Galagoides demidovii
58. Ethiopian epauletted fruit bat Epomophorus labiatus
59. Hammer-headed fruit bat Hypsignathus monstrosus
60. Angolan fruit bat Lissonycteris angolensis
61. Egyptian fruit bat Rousettus aegyptiacus
62. Mauritian tomb bat Taphozous mauritianus

Birds
348. Afep pigeon Columba unicincta
349. Sabine's spinetail Rhaphidura sabini
350. Alpine swift Tachimarptis melba
351. African cuckoo Cuculus gularis
352. Grey-throated barbet Gymnobucco bonapartei
353. Speckled tinkerbird Pogoniulus scolopaceus
354. Hairy-breasted barbet Tricholaema hirsuta
355. Blue-cheeked bee-eater Merops persicus
356. Green-breasted pitta Pitta reichenowi
357. Brown-crowned tchagra Tchagra australis
358. Superb sunbird Cinnyris superbus
359. Collared sunbird Hedydipna collaris
360. Bronze sunbird Nectarinia kilimensis
361. Black and white mannakin Spermestes bicolor
362. Red-headed bluebill Spermophaga ruficapilla
363. Green crombec Sylvietta virens
364. Masked apalis Apalis biotata
365. White-throated greenbill Phyllastrephus albigularis
366. Black-lored babbler Turdoides sharpei
367. African dusky flycatcher Muscicapa adusta
368. White-tailed ant-thrush Neocossyphus poensis

 

[Tetzoo Quizzer]

Jealous of the potto and hammerhead bat! Hope you had good views of the Pitta.

 

[MRJ]

Jealous of the potto and hammerhead bat! Hope you had good views of the Pitta.

We had great views of the pitta, about 15 metres away, after 2 hours trying to find one then 30 minutes chasing it around the side of a mountain. Very memorable.

 

[amur leopard]

For some reason forgot to even start this year's big year but here goes...

Been a really quiet start to the year, with only a couple of excursions to green patches (and pretty fruitless ones at that), but here goes. I can't quite recall where all the following species were seen first but I'll note where the (only slightly) more uncommon ones were seen.

1. Greylag goose, Anser anser
2. Barnacle goose, Branta leucopsis
3. Canada goose, Branta canadensis
4. Mute swan, Cygnus olor
5. Egyptian goose, Alopochen aegyptiaca
6. Common shelduck, Tadorna tadorna
7. Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata
8. Eurasian wigeon, Mareca penelope (London Wetland Centre (15/3))
9. Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos
10. Eurasian teal, Anas crecca
11. Tufted duck, Aythya fuligula
12. Feral pigeon, Columba livia
13. Common woodpigeon, Columba palumbus
14. Common moorhen, Gallinula chloropus
15. Eurasian coot, Fulica atra
16. Northern lapwing, Vanellus vanellus (London Wetland Centre (15/3))
17. Black-headed gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus
18. Herring gull, Larus argentatus
19. Greater black-backed gull, Larus marinus (along Thames near Barnes)
20. Great cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo
21. Grey heron, Ardea cinerea
22. Eurasian jay, Garrulus glandarius
23. Common magpie, Pica pica
24. Carrion crow, Corvus corone
25. Western jackdaw, Corvus monedula
26. Eurasian blue tit, Cyanistes caeruleus
27. Great tit, Parus major
28. Long-tailed tit, Aegithalus caudatus
29. European starling, Sturnus vulgaris
30. Eurasian blackbird, Turdus merula
31. European stonechat, Saxicola rubecula (London Wetland Centre (15/3))
32. White wagtail, Motacilla alba
33. Dunnock, Prunella modularis
34. House sparrow, Passer domesticus
35. European goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis

Target is 120, but with a start like that after 6 whole weeks...

 

[boof]

17/2/2023
157. brown quail

 

[Kakapo]

Thanks, then it should be the number 22.

INVERTEBRATES:

22. Anisakis simplex

Today, first still weak signals of spring slow appear. Various bulb plants are now blooming in my parents garden: anemones, three daffodil true species, irises and two species of crocus. First pollinating insects dare to appear out of hibernation. The first hummingbird hawk moth appeared just in front of me, sucking nectar from the yellow flowers of the primrose jasmine.

INVERTEBRATES:

23. Macroglossum stellatarum
24. Hypena lividalis

 

[MRJ]

Semuliki National Park

Habitat: Swamp forest

Mammals
63. Dent's mona mpnkey Cercopithecus denti
64. DeBrazza monkey Cercopithecus neglectus
65. Alexander's bush squirrel Paraxerus alexandri
66. Forest giant squirrel Protoxerus stanger

Birds
369. African olive pigeon Columba arquatrix
370. African green pigeon Treron calvus
371. Dusky long-tailed cuckoo Cercococcyx mechowi
372. African emerald cuckoo Chrysococcyx cupreus
373. Klaas;s cuckoo Chrysococcyx klaas
374. African sacred iibis Threskiornis aethiopicus
375. Piping hornbill Bycanistes fistulator
376. Black casqued hornbill Ceratogymna atrata
377. Red-billed dwarf hornbill Lophoceros camurus
378. African pied hornbill Lophoceros fasciatus
379. Thick-billed honey-guide Indicator conirostris
380. African piculet Sasia africana
381. Blue-throated roller Eurystomus gularis
382. Crested malimbi Malimbus malimbicus
383. Chestnut-breasted nigrita Nigrita bicolor
384. White-breasted nigila Nigrita fusconotus
385. Mountain wagtail Motacilla clara
386. Olive-green camaroptera Camaroptera chloronota
387. Xavier's greenbul Phyllastrephus xavieri
388. Dusky-blue flycatcher Bradomis comitatus
389. Red-tailed ant-thrush Neocossyphus rufus

 

[Junklekitteb]

One of the best ways to see some migrant species, such as the starlings and the Hair-crested Drongo, is by waiting for nectar-yielding tree species to flower. The large Red Silk-cotton nat my school, Bombax ceiba, has already begun, but so far I have seen only orioles visiting it. The school’s Palasha tree, Butea monosperma, however, is stubbornly retaining its leaves for some reason, and it won’t flower until its leaves are gone. This fact was made all the more annoying by the fact that I just saw one brilliantly in flower out of a bus window.
The first bird is actually from January, but I wanted to discuss the ID with a few others before posting. It is far from a bad ‘first lifer’ for the year, and brings me to a solid 75 birds for January, excluding a few that I could not ID beyond genus or family level.
Seen Birds
78. Black-naped Monarch Hypothymis azurea
79. Common Hawk-cuckoo Heirococcyx varius
80. Black-headed Cuckooshrike Lalage melanoptera
81. Jerdon’s Leafbird Chloropsis jerdoni
82. White-eyed Buzzard Butastur teesa
83. Large Cuckooshrike Coracina macei
I also got to see a pitta roosting, allowing one to see its stunning colours up close.
My heard-only bird count is down by one, as I finally saw one of the ‘brain fever birds’ as the English called them that constantly call at unearthly hours.

Seen Birds
84. Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus
85. Grey Francolin Francolinus pondicerianus
86. Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica

Mammals
6. Indian Hare Lepus nigricollis

My heard-only bird count is down to 2.
Scouted out a Palasha, but didn’t see anything interesting.

 

[CMP]

Birds
Seen at Whalon Lake Forest Preserve, Will County IL, 1/15

38. Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)
39. Gadwall (Mareca strepera)
40. American Black Duck (Anas rubripes)
41. Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)
42. American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea)
43. American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
44. Ring-Billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)
45. Common Merganser (Mergus merganser)
46. Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) (Lifer)
47. Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)
48. Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus)​

Seen on the way to Homer Lake, Champaign County IL 1/21, and additional massive flocks flying overhead of both species since

49. Greater White-Fronted Goose (Anser albifrons)
50. Snow Goose (Anser caerulescens)
​

First bird lifer of the year rounds out my midwest swan trio. Nice to hit 50 species in January already. I have a hunch I'll hopefully match and exceed that in February...

This is my post #1000, after 2 and 1/3 years. And a special post it is for me.

In those two years since the covid pandemic, I had dreamed of being able to travel and see the wildlife of the world while it was still possible. I had scoured online resources and read countless guidebooks, and spent uncountable hours on here. I feel incredibly grateful that it finally amounted to something, that I was actually able to take a flight and see a number of great lifers, including nearly all of my targets. You see, I'm not (Well, was not) in Illinois anymore...

Birds
Well, actually I did see this one first while still in Illinois on Jan 29 at Colbert Park (Champaign Co), I saw it later as well in California

51. Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)​

Thursday, February 2nd
A flock seen from the hotel window flying around the Powell Street plaza (In downtown SF) at dawn

52. Western Gull (Larus occidentalis) (Lifer)​

At the San Francisco Botanical Garden (In Golden Gate Park). Too many amazing birds, in a wonderful setting as well. I'll have to do a lengthier write-up at some point to do them justice.

53. White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)
54. Townsend’s Warbler (Setophaga townsendi) (Lifer)
55. Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna) (Lifer)
56. Red-masked Parakeet (Psittacara erythrogenys) (Lifer)
57. Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) (Lifer)
58. Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus) (Lifer)
59. Orange-crowned Warbler (Leiothlypis celata) (Lifer)
60. Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)
61. Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus)
62. Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) (Lifer)
63. Black-crowned Night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
64. Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) (Lifer)
65. Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius) (Lifer)
66. Common Raven (Corvus corax)
67. Ruby-Crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula)
68. California Towhee (Melozone crissalis) (Lifer)
69. Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla) (Lifer)
70. Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)
71. Allen’s Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin) (Lifer)
72. Pacific Wren (Troglodytes pacificus) (Lifer)
73. Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens) (Lifer)
74. Nuttall’s Woodpecker (Dyrobates nuttallii) (Lifer)
75. Red-naped Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis) (Lifer)
76. Red-breasted Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber) (Lifer)​

Seen outside the California Academy of Sciences in the Music Concourse (Also in Golden Gate Park)

77. Brewer’s Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) (Lifer)
​

Seen at stow lake (Still in Golden Gate Park)

78. American Coot (Fulica americana)
79. Short-billed Gull (Larus brachyrhynchus) (Lifer)
80. Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens) (Lifer)
81. California Gull (Larus californicus) (Lifer)
82. Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata)
83. Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)
84. Great egret (Ardea alba)
85. Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) (Lifer)
86. Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)
87. Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)
88. Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)
89. Pied-Billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)​

On Strawberry Hill in the middle of Stow Lake. Also saw uncountable Muscovy ducks

90. Pygmy Nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea) (Lifer)
​

Crissy field marsh and beach at the north end of the Presidio on the bay side of the golden gate bridge (So no longer golden gate park, but now a park with a view of the golden gate )

91. Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) (Lister)
92. Greater Scaup (Aythya marila) (Lifer)
93. Eared Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) (Lifer)
94. Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata) (Lifer)
95. Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) (Lifer)
96. Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger) (Lifer)
97. Say’s Phoebe (Sayrnis saya) (Lifer)
98. Sanderling (Calidris alba)
99. Willet (Tringa semipalmata) (Lifer)
​

Friday, February 3rd
Seen fly overhead at the Gate Vista Point rest stop in San Mateo county (Gate vista point, not golden gate vista point... the bay area really likes 'gate' in the name of everything, makes you wonder while Bill is up in Seattle... )

100. American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)​

Seen along the Santa Cruz highway on the Santa Clara co. side. I thought these would be hard to differentiate from other pigeon species but I immediately recognized four of them on a telephone wire from the greenish sheen and white stripe on the back of their necks. It was also the right densely forested habitat as well. Crazy, scenic, winding road though.

101. Band-tailed pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata) (Lifer)
​

Quick stop at Seacliff State Beach in Santa Cruz co. Wonderfull views of the pacific, and distant views of some birds which I'll list later. Good views of the two birds I'm listing right now.

102. Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) (Lister)
103. California Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica) (Lifer)
​

I wish I had more time at Moss Landing in Monterey county. It was an amazing spot, full of wildlife, in a very fertile (But also flooded due to the severe storms a month earlier) region of California. I still found many nice birds with a quick look, including a dowitcher in flight (Which I'll just leave off the list)

104. Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)
105. Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)
106. Lincoln’s Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii)
107. Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)
108. Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa) (Lifer)
109. Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) (Lifer)
110. Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)
111. Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) (Lifer)
112. Forster’s Tern (Sterna forsteri) (Lifer)
113. Common Loon (Gavia immer)
​

Outside Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey co.

114. Pelagic Cormorant (Urile pelagicus) (Lifer)
115. Brandt’s Cormorant (Urile penicillatus) (Lifer)
​

In Monterey harbor

116. Heermann’s Gull (Larus heermanni) (Lifer)
117. Black Turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala) (Lifer)
​

Saturday, February 3rd
Arrowhead marsh, at the Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline in Oakland, Alameda co. Really happy about the rail which I thought was a Virginia rail at first

118. Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
119. Blue-Winged Teal (Anas discors)
120. Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)
121. Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) (Lifer)
122. Cinnamon Teal (Spatula cyanoptera) (Lifer)
123. Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius)
124. Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)
125. Sora (Porzana carolina)
126. Ridgway’s Rail (Rallus obsoletus) (Lifer)
127. American Wigeon (Mareca americana)
128. American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) (Lifer)​

47 lifers and 77 new year birds in three days is a record for me, by a long, long shot. It took me nearly all of 2021 to get to the 95 bird species I saw in California during that time. I have cannibalized my early spring list for Illinois, but not too badly, as I already have one more lifer from here since I got back. I've just been insanely busy with schoolwork since the beginning of February to get this posted, however.

While it may not be the most impressive list ever, I'm very happy with it particularly because I was able to experience execute almost exactly according to plan. A week before the trip, I went through the eBird bar charts of sites I wanted to visit one last time, and I came up with the number 46. 46 bird lifers I could reasonably expect, assuming I was able to visit all my target spots, and assuming weather conditions and bird behavior obliged.

The trip was not all sunshine and rainbows, however. In fact, I felt even more fortunate because I still managed to make it work after a 7-hour delay from American Airlines, despite good weather conditions. By the time I landed at SFO, it was already sunset. Although it was a beautiful flight with clear skies (Why don't people talk about looking out plane windows more? I had a tour of half the US, 3 national parks included!), it took out a whole day of plans. I had to shuffle things around in order to still make the plan work and still get to that magic number of 46, but that did mean axing the SF Zoo. There were some other spots I had to skip as well, be it due to the time lost or the weather, (It was quite rainy on Sunday), but I am incredibly thankful and feel very fortunate that I still managed to see amazing wildlife, spectacular landscapes, a part of the country I've never been to, and finally getting on a plane after 9 years. I'm less stoked about the homeless man that peed in front of my car, while I was still in it...

Mammals and Invert lists to follow