Zoochat Big Year 2023

[ThylacineAlive]

Day 30 (August 7)

Back in Amboseli for a full day. The day was spent alternating between the wetlands and the plains, where we were on the search for wolves.

609) Spur-Winged Goose Plectropterus gambensis
610) Red-Knobbed Coot Fulica cristata
611) Cape Teal Anas capensis
612) Striated Heron Butorides striata
613) Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta
614) Common Redshank Tringa totanus
615) Winding Cisticola Cisticola marginatus
616) Saddle-Billed Stork Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis
617) Banded Parisoma Curruca boehmi
618) Rufous Chatterer Argya rubiginosa
619) Southern Pochard Netta erythrophthalma
620) Greater Painted-Snipe Rostratula benghalensis

125) Egyptian Mongoose Herpestes ichneumon
126) Hairy Slit-Faced Bat Nycteris hispida

As far as the wolves go, we went the whole day empty handed but having gotten as close as arriving at a site only moments after a pair had disappeared into the grass. In the late afternoon, we decided to stake out a den that was off the road. We'd had no idea whether it was active or what species it currently belonged to, but it was better than wandering the park hoping to see a wolf trotting along. After only about 45 minutes of waiting, I witnessed possibly the coolest thing I've ever seen.

By chance, I decided to take a glance behind us where, a few hundred yards down the road, I saw a big cloud of dust kicked into the air and four animals inside. One was clearly a Thomson's Gazelle, one was large raptor, and then there were two others on the ground right in the center of the cloud. One was small, I assumed a gazelle fawn. I thought I was watching an eagle try and take a gazelle fawn while the adults defended it. Looking closer, as the animals ran out of the cloud and onto the road, I saw that the fourth animal was a canine, jackal-sized. We spun the car around and chased after the action. The fawn ran onto the road, followed by the canid, eagle overhead, and the female gazelle last. The canid nabbed the fawn and took off, other animals in pursuit. As we got closer, I realized the fawn wasn't a fawn at all, it was a hare. And the jackal wasn't a jackal, it was the wolf!

What had happened was the wolf was hunting a hare, but a Tawny Eagle wanted it, too. The gazelle must have had a fawn in the grass nearby and simply wanted the predators gone. The result was an incredible amalgamation of species interactions. Wolf vs hare, eagle vs hare, wolf vs eagle, gazelle vs wolf. It didn't end there either, even once the wolf had the hare and the gazelle had trailed off, the eagle still wanted the kill. The wolf ran and the eagle pursued, when from up ahead the wolf's mate came charging in and jumped the eagle. For the remainder of the time we watched, the presumed female (the one who made the kill) ate the hare while the eagle watched from a distance and all the while the presumed male wolf sat defensively in-between them. Simply incredible!

127) African Golden Wolf Canis lupaster

~Thylo

Day 31 (August 8)

Another early start had us leaving Amboseli and heading back north towards Nairobi. After dropping off my travel companion at his home in Nairobi and him being nice enough to show me the resident Jackson's Chameleon and Leopard Tortoise living on his property, I continued north to Aberdare National Park. We spent the afternoon driving the route from the Treetops gate to The Ark, a famous inn within the park known for it's large watering hole in the backyard and a friendly resident genet. This is where I had planned to spend my nights in the Aberdares, however when it came time for booking I found the inn completely booked out. Instead, we visited to see the watering hole and enjoy the available wildlife: elephants, buffalo, warthog, bushbuck, and, of course, the hogs.

621) Black Saw-Wing Psalidoprocne pristoptera
622) Hunter's Cisticola Cisticola hunteri
623) Rufous-Necked Wryneck Jynx ruficollis
624) Western Crested Guineafowl Guttera verreauxi
625) Cinnamon Bracken Warbler Bradypterus cinnamomeus
626) Tropical Boubou Laniarius major
627) Scaly Francolin Pternistis squamatus
628) Eastern Mountain Greenbul Arizelocichla nigriceps
629) African Olive Pigeon Columba arquatrix
630) Golden-Winged Sunbird Drepanorhynchus reichenowi

128) Giant Forest Hog Hylochoerus meinertzhageni

That evening, we checked into Sandai Farm and went for a short night drive. Sandai has a resident Striped Hyena which is typically seen almost daily in the early evening. Unfortunately, we were unable to find her, but did locate some other cool species.

129) Common Duiker Sylvicapra grimmia
130) Southern Tree-Hyrax Dendrohyrax arboreus
131) North African Crested Porcupine Hystrix cristata

~Thylo

 

[birdsandbats]

Birds
239. Black Vulture Coragyps atratus
240. Summer Tanager Piranga rubra
241. Stilt Sandpiper Calidris himantopus

Herps
13. Common Wall Lizard Podarcis muralis
14. Pond Slider Trachemys scripta

Mammals
22. North American River Otter Lontra canadensis

Birds
242. Baird's Sandpiper Calidris bairdii
243. Hudsonian Godwit Limosa haemastica

Mammals
23. Coyote Canis latrans

 

[ThylacineAlive]

Day 31 (August 8)

Another early start had us leaving Amboseli and heading back north towards Nairobi. After dropping off my travel companion at his home in Nairobi and him being nice enough to show me the resident Jackson's Chameleon and Leopard Tortoise living on his property, I continued north to Aberdare National Park. We spent the afternoon driving the route from the Treetops gate to The Ark, a famous inn within the park known for it's large watering hole in the backyard and a friendly resident genet. This is where I had planned to spend my nights in the Aberdares, however when it came time for booking I found the inn completely booked out. Instead, we visited to see the watering hole and enjoy the available wildlife: elephants, buffalo, warthog, bushbuck, and, of course, the hogs.

621) Black Saw-Wing Psalidoprocne pristoptera
622) Hunter's Cisticola Cisticola hunteri
623) Rufous-Necked Wryneck Jynx ruficollis
624) Western Crested Guineafowl Guttera verreauxi
625) Cinnamon Bracken Warbler Bradypterus cinnamomeus
626) Tropical Boubou Laniarius major
627) Scaly Francolin Pternistis squamatus
628) Eastern Mountain Greenbul Arizelocichla nigriceps
629) African Olive Pigeon Columba arquatrix
630) Golden-Winged Sunbird Drepanorhynchus reichenowi

128) Giant Forest Hog Hylochoerus meinertzhageni

That evening, we checked into Sandai Farm and went for a short night drive. Sandai has a resident Striped Hyena which is typically seen almost daily in the early evening. Unfortunately, we were unable to find her, but did locate some other cool species.

129) Common Duiker Sylvicapra grimmia
130) Southern Tree-Hyrax Dendrohyrax arboreus
131) North African Crested Porcupine Hystrix cristata

~Thylo

Day 32 (August 9)

We headed into the cool and cloudy Aberdare forest early morning birding. Visibility was poor with the heavy fog on the forest, meaning we heard many more birds than we saw, including two high on my wanted list, the African Emerald Cuckoo and Narina Trogon.

631) Mountain Oriole Oriolus percivali
632) Chestnut-Throated Apalis Apalis porphyrolaema
633) Abyssinian Crimsonwing Cryptospiza salvadorii
634) Thick-Billed Seedeater Crithagra burtoni
635) African Black Duck Anas sparsa
636) Doherty's Bushshrike Telophorus dohertyi

132) Typical Striped Grass Mouse Lemniscomys striatus

In the late morning, we ascended the mountain into the upper moorlands for some mammals and some endemic reptiles. The moorlands here host a couple species of endemic chameleons and the viper endemic to only a few mountains on Kenya. Unfortunately, the extreme fog and intermittent rain made herping pretty impossible. We did find one non-endemic chameleon, however.

637) Jackson's Spurfowl Pternistis jacksoni
638) Moorland Chat Pinarochroa sordida
639) Eastern Double-Collared Sunbird Cinnyris mediocris
640) Malachite Sunbird Nectarinia famosa
641) Aberdare Cisticola Cisticola aberdare
642) Kandt's Waxbill Estrilda kandti
643) Scarlet-Tufted Sunbird Nectarinia johnstoni
644) Mountain Buzzard Buteo oreophilus

133) Black-Fronted Duiker Cephalophus nigrifrons
134) East African Root Rat Tachyoryctes splendens

16) Von Höhnel's Chameleon Trioceros hoehnelii

The road back down through the forest has incredibly low visibility. We did, however, manage to pick up a few more birds before getting completely surrounded by a large herd of elephants who made us very late to the exit gate!

645) African Harrier-Hawk Polyboroides typus
646) African Red-Fronted Parrot Poicephalus gulielmi
647) Northern Pied Babbler Turdoides hypoleuca

That night we attempted again to locate the resident Striped Hyena at Sandai Farm to no avail.

~Thylo

 

[ThylacineAlive]

Day 32 (August 9)

We headed into the cool and cloudy Aberdare forest early morning birding. Visibility was poor with the heavy fog on the forest, meaning we heard many more birds than we saw, including two high on my wanted list, the African Emerald Cuckoo and Narina Trogon.

631) Mountain Oriole Oriolus percivali
632) Chestnut-Throated Apalis Apalis porphyrolaema
633) Abyssinian Crimsonwing Cryptospiza salvadorii
634) Thick-Billed Seedeater Crithagra burtoni
635) African Black Duck Anas sparsa
636) Doherty's Bushshrike Telophorus dohertyi

132) Typical Striped Grass Mouse Lemniscomys striatus

In the late morning, we ascended the mountain into the upper moorlands for some mammals and some endemic reptiles. The moorlands here host a couple species of endemic chameleons and the viper endemic to only a few mountains on Kenya. Unfortunately, the extreme fog and intermittent rain made herping pretty impossible. We did find one non-endemic chameleon, however.

637) Jackson's Spurfowl Pternistis jacksoni
638) Moorland Chat Pinarochroa sordida
639) Eastern Double-Collared Sunbird Cinnyris mediocris
640) Malachite Sunbird Nectarinia famosa
641) Aberdare Cisticola Cisticola aberdare
642) Kandt's Waxbill Estrilda kandti
643) Scarlet-Tufted Sunbird Nectarinia johnstoni
644) Mountain Buzzard Buteo oreophilus

133) Black-Fronted Duiker Cephalophus nigrifrons
134) East African Root Rat Tachyoryctes splendens

16) Von Höhnel's Chameleon Trioceros hoehnelii

The road back down through the forest has incredibly low visibility. We did, however, manage to pick up a few more birds before getting completely surrounded by a large herd of elephants who made us very late to the exit gate!

645) African Harrier-Hawk Polyboroides typus
646) African Red-Fronted Parrot Poicephalus gulielmi
647) Northern Pied Babbler Turdoides hypoleuca

That night we attempted again to locate the resident Striped Hyena at Sandai Farm to no avail.

~Thylo

Day 33 (August 10)

Today was a bit of an odd day, consisting of a relatively short (only a few hours) visit to Ol Pejeta Conservancy for rhinos (including THOSE rhinos!) followed by one final attempt at Sandai for some of the resident diurnal rodents (Striped Ground Squirrel and grass rat) and the hyena to limited success.

648) Lesser Masked Weaver Ploceus intermedius
649) Red-Headed Weaver Anaplectes rubriceps
650) Yellow-Bellied Eremomela Eremomela icteropygialis
651) Meyer's Parrot Poicephalus meyeri

135) Southern White Rhinoceros Ceratotherium simum
136) Black Rhinoceros Diceros bicornis
----
137) Nairobi Grass Rat Arvicanthis nairobae

That evening we checked into the Creaky Cottage in Nanyuki. Seasoned mammal watchers know you go to Creaky Cottage for one thing and one thing only: Maned Rat. There is a resident population of a number of individuals who live on and around the property, however actually seeing them is still extremely challenging.

On our arrival, we met with a man who told us he would show us the known burrows around the property following dinner so that we would have a good starting point. Unfortunately, we literally never heard from or saw this man again and so were forced to go into our search blind. This turned out to be our downfall, as only one Maned Rat was spotted on the property the entire night, by a security guard, not us. This sighting was made in the late evening by one of the burrows that we'd had no knowledge of prior to this sighting. It was a very long night for me which stretched well into the following morning. Roughly an hour of searching known activity sites followed by 45 minutes to an hour of sleep, just to wake up again and check the sites again. The only alternative is to simply stay up all night wandering around, not something I was keen to do. In the end, no rats were ever found by me much to great frustration following all that effort. There were a couple other night visitors to keep me company, though.

138) Black Rat Rattus rattus
139) Rusty-Spotted Genet Genetta maculata

~Thylo

 

[MRJ]

Invertebrates
68. Sonoran bumble-bee Bombus sonorus
69. Giant Mesquite bug Pachylis neocalifornicus
70. Blue fungus beetle Cypherotylus californicus (new Family)

Not sure how it happened, but my invertebrate list should now be at 80.

 

[ThylacineAlive]

Day 33 (August 10)

Today was a bit of an odd day, consisting of a relatively short (only a few hours) visit to Ol Pejeta Conservancy for rhinos (including THOSE rhinos!) followed by one final attempt at Sandai for some of the resident diurnal rodents (Striped Ground Squirrel and grass rat) and the hyena to limited success.

648) Lesser Masked Weaver Ploceus intermedius
649) Red-Headed Weaver Anaplectes rubriceps
650) Yellow-Bellied Eremomela Eremomela icteropygialis
651) Meyer's Parrot Poicephalus meyeri

135) Southern White Rhinoceros Ceratotherium simum
136) Black Rhinoceros Diceros bicornis
----
137) Nairobi Grass Rat Arvicanthis nairobae

That evening we checked into the Creaky Cottage in Nanyuki. Seasoned mammal watchers know you go to Creaky Cottage for one thing and one thing only: Maned Rat. There is a resident population of a number of individuals who live on and around the property, however actually seeing them is still extremely challenging.

On our arrival, we met with a man who told us he would show us the known burrows around the property following dinner so that we would have a good starting point. Unfortunately, we literally never heard from or saw this man again and so were forced to go into our search blind. This turned out to be our downfall, as only one Maned Rat was spotted on the property the entire night, by a security guard, not us. This sighting was made in the late evening by one of the burrows that we'd had no knowledge of prior to this sighting. It was a very long night for me which stretched well into the following morning. Roughly an hour of searching known activity sites followed by 45 minutes to an hour of sleep, just to wake up again and check the sites again. The only alternative is to simply stay up all night wandering around, not something I was keen to do. In the end, no rats were ever found by me much to great frustration following all that effort. There were a couple other night visitors to keep me company, though.

138) Black Rat Rattus rattus
139) Rusty-Spotted Genet Genetta maculata

~Thylo

Day 34 (August 11)

This day started as the prior finished, fruitlessly hoping a large poisonous rat would cross my path.

Following the prior night's antics, I really didn't have much left in me to carry myself through the morning. What was planned for morning birding and mammal watching along the local riverine forest was instead replaced by sleeping and an earlier start to our next destination (so I could sleep more in the car). I did manage one new addition along the river beside the cottage, however.

652) Mountain Wagtail Motacilla clara

Around midday we arrived at Samburu National Reserve, my last planned stop in Kenya. An afternoon game drive proved just the thing to get my head back in the game.

653) Chestnut Weaver Ploceus rubiginosus
654) African Grey Woodpecker Chloropicus goertae
655) Eastern Yellow-Billed Hornbill Tockus flavirostris
656) White-Headed Mousebird Colius leucocephalus

140) Bright's Gazelle Nanger notatus
141) East African Oryx Oryx beisa
142) Kirk's Dik-Dik Madoqua kirkii

~Thylo

 

[ThylacineAlive]

Day 34 (August 11)

This day started as the prior finished, fruitlessly hoping a large poisonous rat would cross my path.

Following the prior night's antics, I really didn't have much left in me to carry myself through the morning. What was planned for morning birding and mammal watching along the local riverine forest was instead replaced by sleeping and an earlier start to our next destination (so I could sleep more in the car). I did manage one new addition along the river beside the cottage, however.

652) Mountain Wagtail Motacilla clara

Around midday we arrived at Samburu National Reserve, my last planned stop in Kenya. An afternoon game drive proved just the thing to get my head back in the game.

653) Chestnut Weaver Ploceus rubiginosus
654) African Grey Woodpecker Chloropicus goertae
655) Eastern Yellow-Billed Hornbill Tockus flavirostris
656) White-Headed Mousebird Colius leucocephalus

140) Bright's Gazelle Nanger notatus
141) East African Oryx Oryx beisa
142) Kirk's Dik-Dik Madoqua kirkii

~Thylo

Day 35 (August 12)

My last full day in Kenya. The entire day was spent driving around Samburu searching for the last few target species here. A lot of elephant, giraffe, Impala, and Kirk's Dik-Dik near the river, but not a whole lot of anything else. I was surprised at how difficult finding game here had been given the spanning plains of golden grass and leafy trees available, though perhaps it is the expanse of these resources that has allowed game to spread out further away from the river. Ultimately, only a few birds and mammals added throughout the day, though it is hard to argue with the quality of the taxa we found.

657) Foxy Lark Calendulauda alopex
658) Fan-Tailed Raven Corvus rhipidurus
659) Bristle-Crowned Starling Onychognathus salvadorii

143) Eastern Aardwolf Proteles (cristatus) septentrionalis
144) Greater Kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros
145) Günther's Dik-Dik Madoqua guentheri
146) Grévy's Zebra Equus grevyi

As the afternoon drew to a close, there was one major animal left on my wanted list which we'd still not found: Leopard. Five weeks in Kenya, visiting some of the most famous parks and reserves on the continent and still no Leopard. Unacceptable! We'd decided to dedicate our whole afternoon to the search for Leopard, driving through the dense bushlands and riverine forest areas, scanning every tree and under every bush. We'd even found fresh tracks near our camp site to point us in a good direction. Our search barely started, though, as we immediately came upon a tour truck with a broken four-wheel drive stuck in some sand, driving spinning the wheels and digging himself in deeper. Leopard had to wait, and we helped dig the truck out and towed the tourists to firmer ground. Once that was done, we had precious little time left to dedicate to Leopards. Once we got into the bush, we found ourselves once again blocked by elephants and that was about the rest of our afternoon.

That evening we reminisced about the trip, the highs and the lows, and ultimately decided we'd had a good run and achieved quite an exceptional total of both general and target species seen. Mid conversation, without much thought, I pointed my flashlight towards the river. Crouched down on the opposite bank, there it was. A big spotted cat. The Cheetah So close, but no cigar.

After dinner, we took one more look at the same bank across the river just in case, which left us with quite a nice surprise to close out the final day of our safari.

147) Striped Hyena Hyaena hyaena

~Thylo

 

[ThylacineAlive]

Day 35 (August 12)

My last full day in Kenya. The entire day was spent driving around Samburu searching for the last few target species here. A lot of elephant, giraffe, Impala, and Kirk's Dik-Dik near the river, but not a whole lot of anything else. I was surprised at how difficult finding game here had been given the spanning plains of golden grass and leafy trees available, though perhaps it is the expanse of these resources that has allowed game to spread out further away from the river. Ultimately, only a few birds and mammals added throughout the day, though it is hard to argue with the quality of the taxa we found.

657) Foxy Lark Calendulauda alopex
658) Fan-Tailed Raven Corvus rhipidurus
659) Bristle-Crowned Starling Onychognathus salvadorii

143) Eastern Aardwolf Proteles (cristatus) septentrionalis
144) Greater Kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros
145) Günther's Dik-Dik Madoqua guentheri
146) Grévy's Zebra Equus grevyi

As the afternoon drew to a close, there was one major animal left on my wanted list which we'd still not found: Leopard. Five weeks in Kenya, visiting some of the most famous parks and reserves on the continent and still no Leopard. Unacceptable! We'd decided to dedicate our whole afternoon to the search for Leopard, driving through the dense bushlands and riverine forest areas, scanning every tree and under every bush. We'd even found fresh tracks near our camp site to point us in a good direction. Our search barely started, though, as we immediately came upon a tour truck with a broken four-wheel drive stuck in some sand, driving spinning the wheels and digging himself in deeper. Leopard had to wait, and we helped dig the truck out and towed the tourists to firmer ground. Once that was done, we had precious little time left to dedicate to Leopards. Once we got into the bush, we found ourselves once again blocked by elephants and that was about the rest of our afternoon.

That evening we reminisced about the trip, the highs and the lows, and ultimately decided we'd had a good run and achieved quite an exceptional total of both general and target species seen. Mid conversation, without much thought, I pointed my flashlight towards the river. Crouched down on the opposite bank, there it was. A big spotted cat. The Cheetah So close, but no cigar.

After dinner, we took one more look at the same bank across the river just in case, which left us with quite a nice surprise to close out the final day of our safari.

147) Striped Hyena Hyaena hyaena

~Thylo

Day 36 (August 13)

4:30am - I wake up tot he sound of baboons roosting in the tree beside my tent alarming. I think little of it, they alarmed at the Cheetah and the hyena across the river after we'd revealed them. Then I hear footsteps. Slow, carefully placed footsteps walking into the camp and directly passed my tent as the alarming becomes more excited.

This continues for the remainder of the night, something slinking through the camp and hiding in the bush whenever anyone got up to shine a light around. The excitement died down as soon as the camp awoke for the day. The tracks in the sand made it clear, a Leopard had been in our camp that night. A Leopard, my nemesis, at some point only a few feet from me in bed, investigating what strange things were suddenly posted up in its territory. With my guide and I both awake, we decided to strike out on a 6am morning drive to make one final attempt at the cat.

We didn't have to go far before we found some very fresh tracks following the road right into the bush. We followed these tracks for quite some time, but ultimately ended up facing another herd of elephants blocking our path, quickly followed by yet another tourist truck stuck in the sand! Thankfully, these roadblocks didn't last as long as the prior afternoon, but we decided it was doubtful the cat remained in the area with this much commotion. With time running short, we decided to investigate one final stretch of dried river bed where a cat had been reported two days prior. We drove a ways along this river to no avail. It was time to turn back, we needed to get moving. As we planned to turn the car around, I took a look at one final tree...

148) Leopard Panthera pardus

Such a high note to end the trip on! A true buzzer beater! After this, my day was very uneventful. We spent the day meandering back to Nairobi for my evening flight. We made a few stops for some additional birds at known locations: Sharpe's Longclaw, Mackinder's Eagle-Owl, and Hinde's Pied Babbler. We struck out on all three, though, unsurprising as this was a particularly hot day and we arrived at all three locations during the peak heat of the day. I did manage to add some birds during our final morning drive in Samburu, and one at the longclaw site, however.

660) Red-and-Yellow Barbet Trachyphonus erythrocephalus
661) Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
----
662) Stout Cisticola Cisticola robustus

That evening I departed Kenya following 36 days of glorious adventure and safari. I still have some IDs to make, but in the end I grossed 110+ mammal species and 415+ bird species. While there were some painful missed species, in the end I managed to see most of what I was hoping for and far, far more. I am hopeful that this will not be my last time in Kenya or Africa as a whole, as it is a fantastic country/continent. Not just for wildlife watching either, the cultures and people of Kenya that I experienced were so diverse and welcoming. I highly encourage everyone to visit Kenya one day if you have the opportunity.

~Thylo

 

[ThylacineAlive]

Day 36 (August 13)

4:30am - I wake up tot he sound of baboons roosting in the tree beside my tent alarming. I think little of it, they alarmed at the Cheetah and the hyena across the river after we'd revealed them. Then I hear footsteps. Slow, carefully placed footsteps walking into the camp and directly passed my tent as the alarming becomes more excited.

This continues for the remainder of the night, something slinking through the camp and hiding in the bush whenever anyone got up to shine a light around. The excitement died down as soon as the camp awoke for the day. The tracks in the sand made it clear, a Leopard had been in our camp that night. A Leopard, my nemesis, at some point only a few feet from me in bed, investigating what strange things were suddenly posted up in its territory. With my guide and I both awake, we decided to strike out on a 6am morning drive to make one final attempt at the cat.

We didn't have to go far before we found some very fresh tracks following the road right into the bush. We followed these tracks for quite some time, but ultimately ended up facing another herd of elephants blocking our path, quickly followed by yet another tourist truck stuck in the sand! Thankfully, these roadblocks didn't last as long as the prior afternoon, but we decided it was doubtful the cat remained in the area with this much commotion. With time running short, we decided to investigate one final stretch of dried river bed where a cat had been reported two days prior. We drove a ways along this river to no avail. It was time to turn back, we needed to get moving. As we planned to turn the car around, I took a look at one final tree...

148) Leopard Panthera pardus

Such a high note to end the trip on! A true buzzer beater! After this, my day was very uneventful. We spent the day meandering back to Nairobi for my evening flight. We made a few stops for some additional birds at known locations: Sharpe's Longclaw, Mackinder's Eagle-Owl, and Hinde's Pied Babbler. We struck out on all three, though, unsurprising as this was a particularly hot day and we arrived at all three locations during the peak heat of the day. I did manage to add some birds during our final morning drive in Samburu, and one at the longclaw site, however.

660) Red-and-Yellow Barbet Trachyphonus erythrocephalus
661) Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
----
662) Stout Cisticola Cisticola robustus

That evening I departed Kenya following 36 days of glorious adventure and safari. I still have some IDs to make, but in the end I grossed 110+ mammal species and 415+ bird species. While there were some painful missed species, in the end I managed to see most of what I was hoping for and far, far more. I am hopeful that this will not be my last time in Kenya or Africa as a whole, as it is a fantastic country/continent. Not just for wildlife watching either, the cultures and people of Kenya that I experienced were so diverse and welcoming. I highly encourage everyone to visit Kenya one day if you have the opportunity.

~Thylo

My time in Kenya may be over, but I did still had one more day outside of the US. Completely by coincidence, my flight home included a 12-hour layover in Paris, France (though this then turned into an over 26-hour layover but that's a different story...). I took this opportunity to walk around the city a bit, visit the zoos, and, of course, pick up some extra birds.

663) Carrion Crow Corvus corone
664) European Robin Erithacus rubecula
665) Eurasian Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus
666) Eurasian Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs
667) Black-Headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
668) Eurasian Magpie Pica pica
669) Eurasian Coot Fulica atra
670) Eurasian Blackbird Turdus merula
671) Ring-Necked Parakeet Psittacula krameri
672) Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea

This concludes my trip daily reports.

~Thylo

 

[Bactrian Deer]

Mammals:

1. Eastern Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis
2. Coyote Canis latrans
3. Gray Bat Myotis grisescens
4. Eastern Cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus
5. Muskrat Ondatra zibethicus
6. American Red Squirrel Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
7. Eastern Chipmunk Tamias striatus
8. Virginia Opossum Didelphis virginiana
9. White-Tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus
10. House Mouse Mus musculus
11. Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus
12. Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrel Ictidomys tridecemlineatus
13. Swamp Rabbit Sylvilagus aquaticus
14. Red Fox Vulpes vulpes
15. Striped Skunk Mephitis mephitis

Birds:

1. Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
2. Canada Goose Branta canadensis
3. Red-Winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
4. Red-Bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus
5. Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis
6. American Robin Turdus migratorius
7. Yellow-Throated Vireo Vireo flavifrons
8. Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula
9. Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
10. Rock Pigeon Columba livia
11. White-Throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis
12. House Sparrow Passer domesticus
13. Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis
14. Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias
15. Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos
16. Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus
17. Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata
18. Carolina Chickadee Poecile carolinensis
19. American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos
20. Common Grackle Quiscalus quiscula
21. Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla
22. Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
23. Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis
24. Black Skimmer Rynchops niger
25. Wilson’s Plover Charadrius wilsonia
26. Least Tern Sternula antillarum
27. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
28. House Finch Haemorhous mexicanus
29. Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris
30. American Goldfinch Spinus tristis
31. White-Throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis
32. Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris
33. Downy Woodpecker Dryobates pubescens
34. Osprey Pandion haliaetus
35. House Wren Troglodytes aedon
36. Eastern Towhee Pipilo erythrophthalmus
37. Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus
38. Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo
39. Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
40. Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica
41. Sora Porzana carolina
42. American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
43. Black Vulture Coragyps atratus
44. Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
45. Eastern Screech Owl Megascops asio

Amphibians:

1. American Bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus
2. Eastern American Toad Anaxyrus americanus

Reptiles:

1. Brown Anole Anolis sagrei
2. Pond Slider Trachemys scripta
3. Eastern Box Turtle Terrapene carolina

Went to feed fishes in my pond, first time I’ve seen a wild one of these!
Reptiles:
4. Spiny Softshell Apalone spinifera

 

[Platypusboy]

Birds

120. Common ringed plover, Charadrius hiaticula 21/8/23

 

[DesertTortoise]

Birds
July
157. Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus)
158. Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica)
159. Purple Martin (Progne subis)
160. Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea)
161. Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus)

Mammals
July
11. Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus)

Herps
July
17. Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera)
18. Cope’s Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis)

Fish
June
15. Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis)

Invertebrates
46. Golden Jumping Spider (Paraphidippus aurantius)
47. Sphaeropthalma pensylvanica
48. Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)
49. Margined Leatherwing Beetle (Chauliognathus marginatus)
50. Eastern Elderberry Borer (Desmocerus palliatus)
51. Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis)
52. Promachus vertebratus
53. Grapevine Beetle (Pelidnota punctata)
54. Virginia Metallic Tiger Beetle (Tetracha virginica)
55. Black-and-gold Bumble Bee (Bombus auricomus)
56. Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa)
57. Large Milkweed Bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus)
58. Fragile Forktail (Ischnura posita)
59. Japanese Beetle (Popillia japonica)
60. Virginia Giant Hover Fly (Milesia virginiensis)
61. Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina)
62. Slaty Skimmer (Libellula incesta)
63. Nosy Pill Woodlouse (Armadillidium nasatum)
64. Two-spotted Bumble Bee (Bombus bimaculatus)
65. Bicolored Striped Sweat Bee (Agapostemon virescens)
66. Sachem (Atalopedes campestris)
67. Maize Calligrapher (Toxomerus politus)
68. German Cockroach (Blattella germanica)
69. Black-sided Pygmy Grasshopper (Tettigidea lateralis)
70. Enoclerus rosmarus

Birds
August
162. Scissor-tailed flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus)
163. Caspian tern (Hydroprogne caspia)

Mammals
August
12. House mouse (Mus musculus)

Herps
August
19. Italian wall lizard (Podarcis siculus)
20. Mediterranean house gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus)

Fish
August
16. Tadpole madtom (Noturus gyrinus)

Invertebrates
71. Picnic beetle (Glischrochilus fasciatus)
72. Red-winged tritoma (Tritoma sanguinipennis)
73. Spined micrathena (Micrathena gracilis)
74. North American wheel bug (Arilus cristatus)
75. Yellow-legged mud-dauber wasp (Sceliphron caementarium)
76. Carolina sphinx (Manduca sexta)
77. North American luna moth (Actias luna)
78. Two-spotted longhorn bee (Melissodes bimaculatus)

 

[Platypusboy]

About half an hour ago, I was sitting by my computer, just doing some homework, when I looked out my backyard window and I noticed a freaking European nightjar just sitting on my fence! So obviously I freak out and I spend the following 30 minutes staring at it, as it peacefully rests upon my fence. An amazing experience and a even more amazing lifer for me!

Birds

121. European nightjar, Caprimulgus europaeus 22/8/23

 

[CMP]

I've continued to visit locations around the state, both for my job as a field tech and on my own. Some of the species seen in the Chicagoland suburbs have acted as spoilers of sorts for the short trip I am going on tomorrow, but there will hopefully be some other nice species I can find as well.

Birds
Seen at Greene Valley Scenic Overlook atop the hill, DuPage county, 22 July 2023

220. Cliff swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota)​

Seen at Dick Young Forest Preserve, Kane County, 22 July 2023

221. Sedge Wren (Cistothorus stellaris)
223. Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) (Lifer)​

Seen at Glacial Park Conservation Area in Lake County for trap setup, 2 August 2023

224. Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis)​

Clearly seen on the second day for collection at Glacial Park Conservation Area in Lake County, 3 August 2023, possibly seen the first day with a large group of other swallows

225. Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)​

Reptiles
Seen at Lake Charleston, July 26 2023

5. Common Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon)​

Herptiles

8. Common Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon)​

Fish
Seen in the Des Plaines River, Cahokia Flatwoods Forest Preserve, during collection in Lake County, 3 August 2023

7. European carp (Cyprinus carpio)​

Insects/Inverts

177. Red milkweed beetle (Tetraopes tetrophthalmus)
178. Putnam’s jumping spider (Phidippus putnami)
179. Bald-faced hornet (Dolichovespula maculata)
180. Trigonalid Wasp (Taeniogonalos gundlachii) (Lifer)
181. American pelecinid wasp (Pelecinus polyturator)
182. Pole borer (Neandra brunnea) (Lifer)
183. Grape colaspis (Colaspis brunnea) (Lifer)
184. Assassin bug (Stenopoda spinulosa) (Lifer)
185. Reddish-brown stag beetle (Lucanus capreolus) (Lifer)
186. Common eastern firefly (Photinus pyralis)
187. Spongy moth (Lymantria dispar) (Lifer)
188. Fourteen-spotted lady beetle (Propylea quatuordecimpunctata) (Lifer)
189. Robber fly (Efferia aestuans) (Lifer)
190. European paper wasp (Polistes dominula)
191. Asian oak weevil (Cyrtepistomus castaneus) (Lifer)
192. Argus tortoise beetle (Chelymorpha cassidea) (Lifer)
193. Glacial lady beetle (Hippodamia glacialis) (Lifer)
194. Ligated furrow bee (Halictus ligatus)
195. Dogbane leaf beetle (Chrysochus auratus)
196. Boxwood leaftier moth (Galasa nigrinodis)
197. Peach root weevil (Pseudoedophrys hilleri) (Lifer)
198. Beggar moth (Eubaphe mendica) (Lifer)
199. Death watch beetle (Trichodesma gibbosa) (Lifer)
200. Pale green assassin bug (Zelus luridus) (Lifer)
201. Red-banded leafhopper (Graphocephala coccinea)
202. Broad-faced sac spider (Trachelas tranquillus)
203. House centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata)
204. Halloween pennant (Celithemis eponina)
205. Red-belted bumble bee (Bombus rufocinctus) (Lifer)
206. Tree cattle (Cerastipsocus venosus) (Lifer)
207. Arcane grass tubeworm moth (Acrolophus arcanella) (Lifer)
208. Fraternal potter wasp (Eumenes fraternus)
209. Silver-spotted skipper (Epargyreus clarus)​

Two weeks ago I went on a five-day trip up north to central Wisconsin. Unfortunately, likely due to being at the tail-end of the season for most of my targets, I struck out on pretty much all of the birds I wanted to see. It didn't help that I had been fairly productive in the Chicagoland area earlier this summer, which took care of a number of nice species I did see again up there. Back in Champaign, however, I've had better success, just in time for my first semester of college to start.

Birds
Also seen at Dick Young Forest Preserve, Kane County, 22 July 2023, I guess I left just this one out of my previous post, seeing as this number was missing and everything else was correct

222. Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida)
​

Seen at Necedah NWR, Goose Pond, 8 Aug 2023

226. American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)
​

A group of very nice additions awaiting me five minutes from my house the day I got back, including the grosbeak, finally, which has to be the most common bird in the Midwest I was missing. The lifer shorebirds were all very nice, too. Moorman Ponds, 13 Aug 2023.

227. Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea) (Lifer)
228. Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus) (Lifer)
229. Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus) (Lifer)
230. Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)
231. Baird’s Sandpiper (Calidris bairdii) (Lifer)
​

My last fieldwork trip, as I switched gears for the upcoming semester, was back to DuPage County. Churchill Woods Forest Preserve and the adjacent power station yielded some very nice birds, including the flycatcher, which has to be the second most common bird that passes through the Midwest that I hadn't seen yet. It was also interesting see my second parakeet species this year. 15 Aug 2023

232. Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus)
233. Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi) (Lifer)
234. Bay-breasted Warbler (Setophaga castanea)
​

The rarities keep returning to Moorman, this one I visited right after my second day of classes. 22 Aug 2023

235. Bonaparte’s Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)

​

Mammals
Seen in White River Marsh SWA, Green Lake Co, Wisconsin, 10 Aug 2023

19. American Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)
​

Can I count this? Should I count this? At Shamba Safari in Marquette Co, WI ofc, 10 Aug 2023

20. Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) (Lifer)​

Reptiles
Orland Hills Boardwalk, Aug 14 2023

6. Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)​

Amphibians
Two typical northern frogs, seen definitively at the International Crane Foundation, Sauk co WI, on 10 Aug 2023 and at Necedah NWR on the Lupine Loop, respectively.

4. Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans)
5. Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens)​

Herptiles

9. Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)
10. Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans)
11. Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens)​

Fish
Pleasant Lake, Waushara Co Wisconsin

8. Northern pike (Esox lucius)

​

Insects/Inverts

210. Painted lady (Vanessa cardui)
211. Fiery skipper (Hylephila phyleus)
212. Spicebush swallowtail (Papilio troilus)
213. Pipevine swallowtail (Battus philenor) (Lifer)
214. Summer azure (Celastrina neglecta)
215. Plectilis pearl (Anania plectilis) (Lifer)
216. Goldenrod soldier beetle (Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus)
217. Zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) (Lifer)
218. Variegated lady beetle (Hippodamia variegata) (Lifer)
219. Filmy dome spider (Neriene radiata) (Lifer)
220. Strawberry root weevil (Otiorhynchus ovatus)
221. Lupine bug (Megalotomus quinquespinosus) (Lifer)
222. Wild indigo duskywing (Erynnis baptisiae) (Lifer)
223. Punctured tiger beetle (Cicindela punctulata)
224. Downy yellowjacket (Vespula flavopilosa) (Lifer)
225. Springwater dancer (Argia funebris) (Lifer)
226. Common wood-nymph (Cercyonis pegala) (Lifer)
227. Azure bluet (Enallagma aspersum) (Lifer)
228. Autumn meadowhawk (Sympetrum vicinum)
229. Powdered dancer (Argia moesta)
230. Great spangled fritillary (Argynnis cybele)
231. White-faced meadowhawk (Sympetrum obtrusum)
232. Potter wasp (Zethus spinipes) (Lifer)
233. Arrowhead orbweaver (Verrucosa arenata) (Lifer)
234. Tule bluet (Enallagma carunculatum)
235. White-dotted prominent (Nadata gibbosa) (Lifer)
236. Orange sulphur (Colias eurytheme)
237. Four-banded stink wasp (Bicyrtes quadrifasciatus) (Lifer)
238. Familiar bluet (Enallagma civile)
239. Half-black bumble bee (Bombus vagans) (Lifer)
240. Dark paper wasp (Polistes fuscatus)
241. Mason Wasp (Euodynerus foraminatus) (Lifer)
242. Peck’s skipper (Polites peckius)
243. Cabbage white (Pieris rapae)
244. Scentless plant bug (Brachycarenus tigrinus) (Lifer)
245. Banded long-horned caddisfly (Mystacides interjectus) (Lifer)
246. Net-spinning caddisfly (Potamyia flava)
247. Pure green sweat bee (Augochlora pura) (Lifer)
248. Striped horse fly (Tabanus lineola) (Lifer)
249. Black horse fly (Tabanus atratus) (Lifer)
250. Dark cixiid planthopper (Pintalia vibex) (Lifer)
251. Clear cixiid planthopper (Melanoliarus placitus) (Lifer)​

I am looking forward to what fall migration continues to bring in. It has also been enjoyable to catch up on all the world travel and mouth-watering species others on the thread have posted .

 

[birdsandbats]

Two weeks ago I went on a five-day trip up north to central Wisconsin. Unfortunately, likely due to being at the tail-end of the season for most of my targets, I struck out on pretty much all of the birds I wanted to see. It didn't help that I had been fairly productive in the Chicagoland area earlier this summer, which took care of a number of nice species I did see again up there. Back in Champaign, however, I've had better success, just in time for my first semester of college to start.

Birds
Also seen at Dick Young Forest Preserve, Kane County, 22 July 2023, I guess I left just this one out of my previous post, seeing as this number was missing and everything else was correct

222. Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida)
​

Seen at Necedah NWR, Goose Pond

226. American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)
​

A group of very nice additions awaiting me five minutes from my house the day I got back, including the grosbeak, finally, which has to be the most common bird in the Midwest I was missing. The lifer shorebirds were all very nice, too. Moorman Ponds, 13 Aug 2023.

227. Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea) (Lifer)
228. Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus) (Lifer)
229. Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus) (Lifer)
230. Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)
231. Baird’s Sandpiper (Calidris bairdii) (Lifer)
​

My last fieldwork trip, as I switched gears for the upcoming semester, was back to DuPage County. Churchill Woods Forest Preserve and the adjacent power station yielded some very nice birds, including the flycatcher, which has to be the second most common bird that passes through the Midwest that I hadn't seen yet. It was also interesting see my second parakeet specie this year. 15 Aug 2023

232. Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus)
233. Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi) (Lifer)
234. Bay-breasted Warbler (Setophaga castanea)
​

The rarities keep returning to Moorman, this one I visited right after my second day of classes.

235. Bonaparte’s Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)
​

I am looking forward to what fall migration continues to bring in. It has also been a pleasure to catch up on all the world travel and mouth-watering species others on the thread have posted .

Necedah was still closed when you got there? Sorry to hear you missed out on Whooping Crane.

 

[CMP]

Necedah was still closed when you got there? Sorry to hear you missed out on Whooping Crane.

Goose ponds and the entry portion to the visitor center were open, but the rest, including the boghaunter system was closed. Whooping crane seemed to just be bad luck, however, as they were spotted earlier in the day at goose ponds but left.

 

[birdsandbats]

Goose ponds and the entry portion to the visitor center were open, but the rest, including the boghaunter system was closed. Whooping crane seemed to just be bad luck, however, as they were spotted earlier in the day at goose ponds but left.

The watchtower was closed?

 

[CMP]

The watchtower was closed?

Yes, and the boardwalk/visitor center trails. Speaking to the visitor center desk attendant, it sounds like some parts likely won't be open again until late next year. I still enjoyed my time, taking in the vast landscape, and also the Karner Blues, which I didn't list yet.

Insect/invert
252. Karner Blue (Plebejus samuelis) (Lifer)

 

[boof]

21/8/2023
193. OSTRICH* (There's a small flock of ostriches living on farmland near the NSW/VIC border near Barham. They are a self sustaining feral population who escaped or were released from an ostrich farm in the 1990's)
22/8/2023
194. Flame robin
195. Southern Boobook

 

[MRJ]

Back home in Australia and have come up to Mission Beach Qld for a week. Birds seen on the way from the airport and around Mission Beach.

801. Australian swiftlet Aerodramus terraereginae
802. Eastern cattle egret Bubulcus coromandus
803. Rainbow bee-eater Merops ornatus
804. Forrest kingfisher Todiramphus macleayii
805. Noisy friarbird Philemon corniculatus
806. Hornbill friarbird Philemon yorki
807. Black-faced cuckooshrike Coracina novaehollandiae
808. Magpie lark Grallina cyanoleuca (how come I have not recorded this before this year I do not know)
809. Chestnut-breasted manakin Lonchura castaneothorax