Zoochat Big Year 2023

I have spent the last two days studying and researching the ecology of the Baltic sea at the Tvärminne Zoological Station. Over the course of those two days I've picked up quite a few new invertebrate and fish species.

Fish

8. Lesser sand eel, Ammodytes tobianus 8/9/23
9. Great sand eel, Hyperoplus lanceolatus 8/9/23
10. European flounder, Platichthys flesus 8/9/23
11. Turbot, Scophthalmus maximus 8/9/23
12. European perch, Percia fluviatilis 8/9/23
13. Atlantic herring, Clupea harengus 8/9/23
14. Straightnose pipefish, Nerophis ophidion 7/9/23
15. Broadnosed pipefish, Syngnathus typhle 8/9/23
16. Sand goby, Pomatoschistus minutus 8/9/23
17. Three-spined stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus 7/9/23

Invertebrate

1. River nerite, Theodoxus fluviatilis 7/9/23
2. Great pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis 7/9/23
3. Bay mussel, Mytilus trossulus 7/9/23
4. Baltic prawn, Palaemon adspersus 7/9/23
5. Common jellyfish, Aurelia aurita 7/9/23
6. Baltic isopod, Idotea balthica 7/9/23
7. European acorn barnacle, Balanus improvisus 7/9/23
8. Saduria entomon 8/9/23
 
Invertebrates:
261) Small dusty wave (Idaea seriata)
262) Mouse moth (Amphipyra tragopoginis)
263) Nicrophorus vespilloides
264) Viburnum leaf beetle (Pyrrhalta viburni)
265) Small phoenix (Ecliptopera silaceata)
 
841. Australian pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus
 
A very prolific moth trapping out on the moors last night.

Invertebrates:
266) Small wainscot (Denticucullus pygmina)
267) Northern spinach (Eulithis populata)
268) Angle shades (Phlogophora meticulosa)
269) Haworth's minor (Celaena haworthii)
270) Autumnal rustic (Eugnorisma glareosa)
271) Pink barred sallow (Xanthia togata)
272) The phoenix (Eulithis prunata)
273) Beautiful yellow underwing (Anarta myrtilli)
274) Dingy footman (Eilema griseola)
275) Twin spot carpet (Mesotype didymata)

Some non moths but also attracted by the light:

276) Violet ground beetle (Carabus violaceus)
277) Ommatoiulus sabulosus
 
MRJ said:
Last Monday evening I was at Wilson's Prometary National Park to witness the release of six Pookila (New Holland mice), of which five were bred at Moonlit Sanctuary. Last time I was here was just over 12 months ago when I was there to watch the collection of some of the foundation animals for the captive population. A great thrill. Of course as we were releasing them I can't count them, but I did see a few other animals.

Mammals
129. Common wombat Phascolarctos cinereus
130. Swamp wallaby Wallabia bicolor

Birds
840. Eastern spinebill Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris

Amphibians
6. Striped marsh frog Limnodynastes peronii
Click to expand...
Also saw this bird:
842. Eastern robin Eopsaltria australis
 
In an effort to learn more about animal groups I have very little experience with, I joined an educational freshwater fish monitoring weekend. It was a very hot weekend, especially since we wore waders most of the day, but the cool water of brooks, ponds and ditches made it all a little more bearable. My personal goal was to see wild loach - easy enough one would think, but given my precious little experience with seeing fish in the wild I had yet to find one. We managed to see at least three dozen of them, while at the same time contribution to the overall understanding of their occurrence and population trends. But the best species is probably the burbot, a weird eel-like creature that is at the brink of extinction in the Netherlands. The individual we saw was part of an re-introduced population, which as far as I understand is the only Dutch population that appears to be thriving. All things considered a great sighting!

We also saw a lot of moths during the weekend. Please forgive me for only listing their scientific names here, it makes copying the list from my personal Dutch list a lot faster and easier!

Fish
03. Common Chubb, Squalius cephalus
04. European Perch, Perca fluviatilis
05. White Bream, Blicca bjoerkna
06. Spined Loach, Cobitis taenia
07. Three-spined Stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus
08. Tench, Tinca tinca
09. Northern Pike, Esox lucius
10. Crucian Carp, Carassius carassius
11. Burbot, Lota lota
12. Stone Loach, Barbatua barbatula
13. Common Dace, Leuciscus leuciscus
14. Eastern Mudminnow, Umbra pygmaea
15. Ten-spined Stickleback, Pungitius pungitius
16. Gudgeon, Gobio gobio
17. Round Goby, Neogobius melanostomus
18. Western Tubenose Goby, Proterorhinus semilunaris
19. Bighead Goby, Ponticola kessleri
20. Sunbleak, Leucaspius delineatus
21. European Bitterling, Rhodeus amarus
22. Stone Moroko, Pseudorasbora parva

Moths
62. Hypsopygia costalis
63. Callitaera pudibunda
64. Timandra comae
65. Xestia c-nigrum
66. Laspeyria flexula
67. Luperina testacea
68. Orgyia antiqua
69. Phragmatobia fuliginosa
70. Rivula sericealis
71. Hoplodrina ambigua
72. Acleris forsskaleana
73. Cydalima perspectalis
74. Carcina quercana
75. Watsonalla binaria
76. Cyclophpora punctaria
77. Eudonia truncicolella
78. Clepsis consimilana
79. Cataclysta lemnata
80. Ochropleura plecta
81. Udea ferrugalis
82. Xanthia gilvago
83. Campaea margaritaria
84. Endotricha flammealis
85. Phyllonorycter harrisella
 
Mr. Zootycoon said:
Moths
62. Hypsopygia costalis
63. Callitaera pudibunda
64. Timandra comae
65. Xestia c-nigrum
66. Laspeyria flexula
67. Luperina testacea
68. Orgyia antiqua
69. Phragmatobia fuliginosa
70. Rivula sericealis
71. Hoplodrina ambigua
72. Acleris forsskaleana
73. Cydalima perspectalis
74. Carcina quercana
75. Watsonalla binaria
76. Cyclophpora punctaria
77. Eudonia truncicolella
78. Clepsis consimilana
79. Cataclysta lemnata
80. Ochropleura plecta
81. Udea ferrugalis
82. Xanthia gilvago
83. Campaea margaritaria
84. Endotricha flammealis
85. Phyllonorycter harrisella
Click to expand...

Really nice list of species @Mr. Zootycoon and no need to apologise on listing scientific names as I find them much easier than the English names especially in regards to micro species.
 
Invertebrates:
279) Common field grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus)
280) The spectacle (Abrostola tripartita)
281) Neuroterus quercusbaccarum
282) Forest bug (Pentatoma rufipes)
 
Bisonblake said:
I’m back at school for my final year of college. I decided to kill some time and go birding around campus. I was able to find two new warbler species within a few minutes of each other.

8/27/23
Birds:
112. Cape May warbler Setophaga tigrina
113. Magnolia warbler Setophaga magnolia


Total Species: 141
Birds: 113
Mammals: 16
Herptiles: 10
Fish: 2
Click to expand...
I have not had the opportunity to go birding much recently. Some rare birds were reported at the cattle fields in the southern part of campus, so I decided to look for them. I spotted a black-bellied plover, only one of three rare birds spotted recently. The other two species were American golden plover and buff-breasted sandpiper. I was there for about an hour before I decided to head out.

9/14/23
Birds:
114. Black-bellied plover Pluvialis squatarola

Total Species: 142
Birds: 114
Mammals: 16
Herptiles: 10
Fish: 2
 
Driving back from dinner with friends tonight
Mammals
131. Red fox Vulpes vulpes (introduced)
 
Two-part post catching up the last few weeks.

First, at the end of August I was away nerding in the Netherlands and border-hopping to Germany for Zoohistorica 2023 in Rheine.

Although this was a zoo trip through-and-through (and a successful one, most notably producing my first ever Spotted Cuscus and Side-striped Jackals) one's eyes are always open, and although most of the wild species seen were ones already on this year's list there were two exceptions. One was a frog seen crossing a path in NaturZoo Rheine; the other was a bird I was expecting not to see, as I though they'd all have headed south. Nevertheless, on the first few days of the trip, the Dutch fields held decent-sized gangs of storks still - presumably the rather unsettled weather had put them off starting off for Africa, as after the weather changed to settled sunshine on about day four they abruptly disappeared. So the moderate soaking at Blijdorp had its advantages after all. :D

Birds:
192. European White Stork - Ciconia ciconia

Amphibians:
3. Common Frog - Rana temporaria

In a rather more serious wildlifey vein, on Friday I was booked on to a seabird and whale boat trip from Staithes in North Yorkshire. A bit later in the year than usual - although this was booked and paid for months ago we had nonetheless left it a bit late for the really best whale days, though later had the potential to be better for birds. As I related last year, the first few of these trips I went on were spectacularly lacking in whales, just through bad luck, but last year we had a breakthrough with about 14 individual whales on show. This year couldn't match that, but, despite a very slow start, we did go on to see at least 3 or 4 separate whales with one in particular giving long views, plus a Harbour Porpoise (not new for year) and a good assortment of birds. A distant Balearic Shearwater picked up by the guide was a lifer for me, and was helpfully joined by a Manx soon after so that the differences became apparent. After that we took lunch in Bridlington, which allowed us to catch up with the regular Purple Sandpipers there, then on the way home a quick half hour at North Cave Wetlands (acting on intelligence received) allowed another missing Calidris to be filled in. All in all a really excellent day.

Mammals:
24. Common Minke Whale - Balaenoptera acutorostrata

Birds:
193. Great Skua - Stercorarius skua
194. Balearic Shearwater - Puffinus mauretanicus
195. Manx Shearwater - Puffinus puffinus
196. Purple Sandpiper - Calidris maritima
197. Curlew Sandpiper - Calidris ferruginea

(UK: 191)

:)
 
Bisonblake said:
I have not had the opportunity to go birding much recently. Some rare birds were reported at the cattle fields in the southern part of campus, so I decided to look for them. I spotted a black-bellied plover, only one of three rare birds spotted recently. The other two species were American golden plover and buff-breasted sandpiper. I was there for about an hour before I decided to head out.

9/14/23
Birds:
114. Black-bellied plover Pluvialis squatarola

Total Species: 142
Birds: 114
Mammals: 16
Herptiles: 10
Fish: 2
Click to expand...
I joined my school's birding club, and today was our first outing of the year. We went to a marsh about 20 minutes north of campus. At the start of the hike, there was a pair of American kestrels on the power lines. Things went slow after that until we found a small flock of warblers along the forest edge. When we reached the water, there was a lot more activity with a variety of waterfowl. There was also an olive-sided flycatcher, a rare bird for the county.

After I hit 100 species in the year, I'm satisfied anytime I see one new species to add to my list. Seeing seven new species today definitely made it a great outing despite the slow start.

9/17/23
Birds:
115. American kestrel Falco sparverius
116. Black-throated green warbler Setophaga virens
117. Northern parula Setophaga americana
118. Olive-sided flycatcher Contopus cooperi
119. Pied-billed grebe Podilymbus podiceps
120. Trumpeter swan Cygnus buccinator
121. Green-winged teal Anas crecca

Total Species: 149
Birds: 121
Mammals: 16
Herptiles: 10
Fish: 2
 
ThylacineAlive said:
Migration has reached CT early this year, with various rare warblers and shorebirds being spotted across the state over the month of August. Most of the most interesting stuff for me (such an explosion of Red Crossbills) occurred during my last week in Kenya and were gone by the time I got home. Maybe for the better, as I've remained far too exhausted from my travels to do much of anything these past couple of weeks. When a migrant shorebird from the midwest appeared about 20 minutes from my apartment today, however, I couldn't resist running out for a few hours.

672) Buff-Breasted Sandpiper Calidris subruficollis
673) Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes
674) Stilt Sandpiper Calidris himantopus
675) Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos

I've also gone back one count as I've realized I counted Hunter's Cisticola twice.

~Thylo
Click to expand...

As mentioned in my last post nearly a month ago, migration has been in full swing in CT for a while now. Unfortunately, I have found myself seemingly "birded out" following my adventures in Kenya. I think I'm finally getting past my post-trip fatigue, however, with a special rarity on Saturday motivating me to finally get back out there. Since then, I've gone birding on Sunday and again today but unfortunately for me, it does seem as though I'm about a week late and the vast majority of the shorebirds and warblers that have been being reported have all passed me by. Regardless, it's still been good to get outside again.

Saturday
676) Yellow Rail Coturnicops noveboracensis

The rail is an interesting case. They're a species that spends their summers in Canada and the far north US, particularly in the Midwest. During winters, they live along the US Gulf Coast and the southern Atlantic US states. During migration, they are typically found within midwestern states, and are very rarely seen in the northeastern US. Yet, on Saturday morning, one was spotted walking around the parking lot of an apartment complex. Stranger still, the bird remained out in the open within the lawn out behind the building for much of the day. It's possible the bird had struck a window, or was injured in some other way, but it behaved normal and alert other than its position out in the open. Regardless, a rehabber was eventually called and the bird was taken into care, though her on-site assessment was that the bird seemed fine.

Tuesday
677) Broad-Winged Hawk Buteo platypterus

As we speak, literal thousands of Broad-Winged Hawks are moving through CT at the moment. Yesterday, over 10,000 were recorded by birders between a few sites. Today, numbers are already around 6,000.

~Thylo
 
ThylacineAlive said:
As mentioned in my last post nearly a month ago, migration has been in full swing in CT for a while now. Unfortunately, I have found myself seemingly "birded out" following my adventures in Kenya. I think I'm finally getting past my post-trip fatigue, however, with a special rarity on Saturday motivating me to finally get back out there. Since then, I've gone birding on Sunday and again today but unfortunately for me, it does seem as though I'm about a week late and the vast majority of the shorebirds and warblers that have been being reported have all passed me by. Regardless, it's still been good to get outside again.

Saturday
676) Yellow Rail Coturnicops noveboracensis

The rail is an interesting case. They're a species that spends their summers in Canada and the far north US, particularly in the Midwest. During winters, they live along the US Gulf Coast and the southern Atlantic US states. During migration, they are typically found within midwestern states, and are very rarely seen in the northeastern US. Yet, on Saturday morning, one was spotted walking around the parking lot of an apartment complex. Stranger still, the bird remained out in the open within the lawn out behind the building for much of the day. It's possible the bird had struck a window, or was injured in some other way, but it behaved normal and alert other than its position out in the open. Regardless, a rehabber was eventually called and the bird was taken into care, though her on-site assessment was that the bird seemed fine.

Tuesday
677) Broad-Winged Hawk Buteo platypterus

As we speak, literal thousands of Broad-Winged Hawks are moving through CT at the moment. Yesterday, over 10,000 were recorded by birders between a few sites. Today, numbers are already around 6,000.

~Thylo
Click to expand...
You have no idea how jealous I am of that stupid rail. That is one of hardest ABA-area bird species to find and that fact that you got (presumably) decent views is incredible. I've looked for this species many times during migration, and have managed to be within a few feet on calling birds, and even managed to get a first county record along the way. But I still have not seen one, a very frustrating life list gap indeed.
 
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