Zoochat Big Year 2024

birdsandbats said:
It's funny how badly named the New World warblers are, I would guess Connecticut is on of the most difficult states to get Connecticut Warbler in.

Unfortunately the species does seen to be declining in recent years, here in Wisconsin we seem to have lost them as a breeder already within this decade. :(
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They pass through very quickly and quietly through Connecticut for approximately 2-3 weeks in September and then they're gone. Combine that with the fact that they're an incredibly shy bird and their choice habitat during migration varies a bit and you're going to have a hell of a time trying to spot one. I'll try again next September :p

~Thylo
 
A beautifully iridescent green beetle species from my field trip to Rutland Water last week:

325) Harpalus rubripes

And from today a sawfly larvae feeding on some Common alder:

326) Alder sawfly Eriocampa ovata
 
A walk around the fields again yesterday saw me seeing two brown hares, up to twenty linnet, some arable 'weeds' and numerous powdery mildew species but a moth caterpillar was the only animal newbie, both for life and for year:

327) Knot grass moth Acronicta rumicis

Plus some gall forming wasps from August that I had forgotten to add to the thread:

328) Oak marble gall wasp Andricus kollari
329) Common spangle gall wasp Neuroterus quercusbaccarum
 
Lota lota said:
I didn't have much time this summer for birding, but I managed to get some nice sightings. A mega rarity in the form of a long-billed dowitcher was nice, and a trip to the outer archipelago to see the Arctic wader migration was also nice.

152 European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus)
153 Garden warbler (Sylvia borin)
154 Spotted redshank (Tringa erythropus)
155 Bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica)
156 Long-billed dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus)
157 Common linnet (Linaria cannabina)
158 Razorbill (Alca torda)
159 Red knot (Calidris canutus)
160 Curlew sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea)
161 Sanderling (Calidris alba)
162 Black-bellied plover (Pluvialis squatarola)
163 Ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres)
164 Common guillemot (Uria aalge)
165 Lesser whitethroat (Curruca curruca)
166 Thrush nightingale (Luscinia luscinia)
167 Wood warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix)
168 Sedge warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus)
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Yet another trip with the amazing Fältbiologerna! This time to the south of Sweden, more precisely to Falsterbo. The huge number of birds that pass the peninsula on their way to their wintering grounds is the main draw. In the beginning of September, it can be a real raptor bonanza, especially if the conditions are right. Huge numbers of common and honey buzzards, red kites, common kestrels, and sparrowhawks are a real treat to witness; like, I never had a boring moment; there was always something to see.

There were also large numbers of Motacillidae, with more than a thousand of both Meadow and Tree pipits every single day.

There were also many superb views of some really cool raptors; we saw several Black Kites every day, three individuals of Lesser spotted eagles, and a Pallid Harrier that came out of nowhere, only 10 meters or so from where we stood. And all the other species that were lifers to me was amazing, especially the hundreds of avocets.




169 Red Kite (Milvus milvus)
170. Rook (Corvus frugilegus)
171 Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
172 Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)
173 Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)
174 Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)
175 Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis)
176. Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus)
177 Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo)
178. Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
179. Lesser Spotted Eagle (Clanga pomarina)
180. Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
181. Merlin (Falco columbarius)
182. Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus)
183. Rock Pipit (Anthus petrosus)
184. Caspian Gull (Larus cachinnans)
 
Just the one bird to add to a more modest total, from two different encounters. One while photographing deer and rabbits on a private estate a Buzzard swooped in low before realising the hide was there and taking off and second an amazing morning photographing buzzards and getting some better shots on farmland near Northampton.

94. Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) 16/09/2024 Farmland
 
KiwiBirb said:
Went on a walk today with the local Audubon Society in the Harrier Meadows, a location closed to the public. While a big highlight was seeing a rare Little Blue Heron, I already saw an individual in Ocean City, however a few small groups of Bobolink did fly by to satisfy my life list.

Birds
246) Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)

Progress:
Mammals- 23
Birds- 246
Herptiles- 15
Total- 284
Heard-only Species- 13
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Only 2 new birds in the past month (although I’m pretty sure I also saw a Golden Eagle, however I have no picture to confirm the ID. The one time my camera died.) I also have a retroactive ID of a Magnolia Warbler and I’m also going back and changing species for taxonomic purposes.

Mammals
24) Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) (Kinda shocked this is a lifer)

Birds
245) American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus)
246) Northern House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)
247) European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)
248) Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia)
249) Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis)
250) Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja)

Progress:
Mammals- 24
Birds- 250
Herptiles- 15
Total- 289
Heard-only Species- 11
 
KiwiBirb said:
Only 2 new birds in the past month (although I’m pretty sure I also saw a Golden Eagle, however I have no picture to confirm the ID. The one time my camera died.) I also have a retroactive ID of a Magnolia Warbler and I’m also going back and changing species for taxonomic purposes.

Mammals
24) Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) (Kinda shocked this is a lifer)

Birds
245) American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus)
246) Northern House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)
247) European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)
248) Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia)
249) Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis)
250) Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja)

Progress:
Mammals- 24
Birds- 250
Herptiles- 15
Total- 289
Heard-only Species- 11
Click to expand...
Where'd you see European Herring Gull?
 
Lota lota said:
Yet another trip with the amazing Fältbiologerna! This time to the south of Sweden, more precisely to Falsterbo. The huge number of birds that pass the peninsula on their way to their wintering grounds is the main draw. In the beginning of September, it can be a real raptor bonanza, especially if the conditions are right. Huge numbers of common and honey buzzards, red kites, common kestrels, and sparrowhawks are a real treat to witness; like, I never had a boring moment; there was always something to see.

There were also large numbers of Motacillidae, with more than a thousand of both Meadow and Tree pipits every single day.

There were also many superb views of some really cool raptors; we saw several Black Kites every day, three individuals of Lesser spotted eagles, and a Pallid Harrier that came out of nowhere, only 10 meters or so from where we stood. And all the other species that were lifers to me was amazing, especially the hundreds of avocets.




169 Red Kite (Milvus milvus)
170. Rook (Corvus frugilegus)
171 Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
172 Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)
173 Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)
174 Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)
175 Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis)
176. Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus)
177 Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo)
178. Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
179. Lesser Spotted Eagle (Clanga pomarina)
180. Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
181. Merlin (Falco columbarius)
182. Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus)
183. Rock Pipit (Anthus petrosus)
184. Caspian Gull (Larus cachinnans)
Click to expand...
Forgot some birds I had seen before the trip.

185 Great egret (Ardea alba)
186 Little stint (Calidris minuta)
187 Black Kite (Milvus migrans)
 
birdsandbats said:
It's funny how badly named the New World warblers are, I would guess Connecticut is on of the most difficult states to get Connecticut Warbler in.

Unfortunately the species does seen to be declining in recent years, here in Wisconsin we seem to have lost them as a breeder already within this decade. :(
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One of two Eastern Warblers I'm still missing. The other one is easy to guess but has had a bit of the opposite story.

ThylacineAlive said:
The latter half of September is the best time of years to spot one of Connecticut's most elusive birds and one of the most notoriously difficult New World Warbler species: the Connecticut Warbler. There have been an unusually high number of sightings here the past two weeks (and by that I mean like 8). After spending several days driving from sighting to sighting but always being too late, I decided to spend my Sunday morning exploring the habitat of a local spot which has produced them in the past. Alas, I continue to be CT Warbler-less, but I did manage to encounter a family of a strangely difficult (for me) native species:

25) North American Black Bear Ursus americanus

Despite becoming increasingly common (and problematic) in the State, I just never see bears. Everyone I know sees bears. Just about nature nature preserve has a sign about bear sightings. My family have seen them on walks on the very street I grew up on. My friends have them in their backyards regularly. My girlfriend has seen them on her drive to work. For me, bears might as well not exist in this state. That is until this past Sunday, when I saw a lovely mother bear and her two adolescent cubs cautiously picking at berries and hiding at the first sign of pedestrians on the path. A lovely sighting.

~Thylo
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I also had a bad track record of seeing bears until seeing them in cades cove in the Smokey Mountains this year. Later, a family with four cubs walked down the driveway of the cabin we were staying at, and I watched them within feet bumble around, going up and down fence posts while their mother urged them along, making up for all my years without a wild bear sighting.
 
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A couple from RSPB Frampton Marsh yesterday. My first photos of Stonechat this year and Pink Footed Geese have started to arrive back for the winter so grabbed a couple of them in flight. I missed getting them earlier in the year so really great to catch them early in the season

95. Pink Footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus) 5/10/2024 RSPB Frampton Marsh
96. Stone Chat (Saxicola rubicola) 5/10/2024 RSPB Frampton Marsh
 
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