Zoochat Big Year 2024

Was never likely to take long in this bumper waxwing winter 'round these parts but a five minute stroll in the sun at lunch was enough to find me 15 of them today.

Birds:
30. Bohemian Waxwing - Bombycilla garrulus

:)
 
How are people already on 30! :p

30 is actually my lowest total for the 4th January since I started year listing in 2014..!

2018 had my highest at this date at 71 - it just depends how the NYD bank holiday falls in the week as if I get multiple days off work in this period then I do my local birding tour and it shoots right up. If I only have the 1st off then back to work (as this year) I do a walk to the park when I'm up and about but otherwise birding has to wait. When the weekend hits I will hopefully catch up the deficit. ;)

The trick, if you can call it that, is to know where birds are and to go looking for them. :D
 
How are people already on 30! :p
If you look at the index of previous “ZooChat Big Years”, you’ll find that people have been at 70+ species already by this day, so it’s actually not that surprising that several people have found 30 different bird species in 2024 already.
 
How are people already on 30! :p

It depends where you are birding too, if you are limited to an urban area with little green space birding can be a little more challenging. I personally wouldn't be anywhere near these totals if I didn't have a knowledge of songs and calls and therefore led me to locating the species. Last January I managed 86 species, but I did make a few trips out to places like WWT Slimbridge for example, I feel this January may be the quietest I've had in a while but who knows.
 
If you look at my previous post, you will see that I managed 50 species on day 1 (if we include the Red-breasted Goose). It involved visiting 3 sites to look for 4 individual birds specifically, three of which I had already seen a few days previously. All three sites had different habitats to each other. If I had been solely chasing numbers, I would have done things slightly differently, for example going to the feeding station at Martin Mere earlier, when I could probably have seen another 5 or so species of small passerines. I also know there are around 20 or so species I can find locally just by being out in better weather. As another marker, I used to do an annual 24 hour bird race on the first weekend of May, restricted to a 100 square mile area. We expected 100 species, our best team total was 117 in a year when all 12 teams combined found 127. Visit a range of habitats and use up to date news.
 
My second day of the challenge! I was back to the work grind today causing me to only find 4 new species, although I did hear my local pair of Great-Horned Owls this evening.

Birds
6) American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
7) Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
8) Brown-Headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)
9) Red-Tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

Additional Heard Only Species
1) Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
A small update from the past 2 days. I’m still hopeful that I can get my first official birding trip of the year in this weekend, although there are still several family members I have to see for Christmas.

Mammals
2) White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Birds
10) White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)
 
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A bit of - rather boring - field work this week meant I was out and about for a day. No time to specifically look for birds but I picked up a fair few species along the way. All very common birds I would undoubtedly have seen otherwise at the first trip to about any wetland, but it's good to have seen them already.

Birds
19. Western Jackdaw, Coloeus monedula
20. European Starling, Sturnus vulgaris
21. Common Gull, Larus canus
22. Black-headed Gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus
23. Common Buzzard, Buteo buteo
24. Great Egret, Ardea alba
25. Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra
26. Common Pheasant, Phasianus colchicus
27. Mute Swan, Cygnus olor
28. Gadwall, Mareca strepera
29. Eurasian Wigeon, Mareca penelope
30. Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos
31. Eurasian Teal, Anas crecca
32. Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula
33. Great Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo
34. Common Shelduck, Tadorna tadorna
35. Common Moorhen, Gallinula chloropus
36. Northern Lapwing, Vanellus vanellus
37. Common Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus
38. Egyptian Goose, Alopochen aegyptiaca
39. Dunnock, Prunella modularis
40. European Robin, Erithacus rubecula
 
MAMMALS
1 Fox Squirrel - Sciurus niger

BIRDS
26 Cackling Goose Branta hutchinsii
27 Ruby-crowned Kinglet Corthylio calendula
28 White-breasted Nuthatch Sitta carolinensis
29 Brown Creeper Certhia americana
30 Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus
31 American Robin Turdus migratorius
32 American Goldfinch Spinus tristis

BIRDS:
33 Golden-crowned Kinglet Regulus satrapa
34 Winter Wren Troglodytes hiemalis
 
1 Eurasian magpie (PIca pica)
2 Common blackbird (Turdus merula)
3 Eurasian bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)
4 Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)
5 Great tit (Parus major)
6 Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
7 Goldcrest (Regulus regulus)
8 Eurasian siskin (Spinus spinus)
9 Hooded crow (Corvus cornix)
10 Grey heron (Ardea cinerea)
I have been sick and busy with schoolwork, so the birdwatching has mainly been from my window. The most exciting thing I saw was the Raven flyover. We live within walking distance of raven territory. But I rarely see them among all the houses; it was a nice addition to my yard list.

11 Common redpoll (Acanthis flamea)
12 European nuthatch (Sitta europaea)
13 Common raven (Corvus corax)
14 Great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
15 Long-tailed tit (Ageithalos caudatus)
16 Eurasian treecreeper (Certhia familiaris)
17 Western jackdaw (Coloeus monedula)
 
A visit to the feeders in Holmebrook Valley Park today at lunch - wasn't able to stay long but nevertheless filled a good number of 'easy' gaps.

Birds:
31. European Goldfinch - Carduelis carduelis
32. Great Tit - Parus major
33. Dunnock - Prunella modularis
34. Common Chaffinch - Fringilla coelebs
35. Redwing - Turdus iliacus
36. European Bullfinch - Pyrrhula pyrrhula
37. Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo
38. European Nuthatch - Sitta europaea
39. Great Spotted Woodpecker - Dendrocopos major

:)
 
I just got home from my trip to Key West, so it's time to share what I saw. It was an amazing trip with a lot of amazing animals.

Day 3 - January 1st
I spend almost the entire day birding. In the morning I decided to do some observing for about 10 minutes before I left the condo. It was mainly birds I see everywhere on the island except for a ruddy turnstone on the beach. I then biked over to Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park. According to eBird, this is the best hotspot for birding on the island, and it did not disappoint. One of the first birds I saw was a painted bunting. I did 2 loops around the entire state park. Some of the species I saw on the first loop included a snowy egret, American kestrel, yellow-throated vireo, and prairie warbler. I then walked into the actual fort to get good views of the freshwater moat in front of it. I was happy to see a common gallinule swimming here, which is actually a species that got me interested in birding. I then proceeded to do my second loop around the park where I saw a black vulture, ovenbird, and blue-gray gnatcatcher.

After lunch my family wanted to take a photo at the southernmost point. I wanted to show my them the green iguanas because they haven't seen one yet, and there was a northern waterthrush hopping around the rocks. My last two stops for the day were right across from each other. The first one was the Key West Wildlife Center. The wildlife center rescues birds on Key West, and also has a small park to explore. I was able to find a yellow-bellied sapsucker. I struggled to find this bird all last year, so I was very excited to see one finally. I wanted to get a picture of it, but it always moved to the opposite side of the palm tree where I couldn't see it.

The fourth and final stop of the day was White St. Pier. I tried to spot some fish, but I could only see sergeant majors. When I was ready to call it a day I heard someone say "Woah, look at that!" I wasn't sure what to expect, but there was a spotted eagle ray swimming alongside the pier.

Birds:
1. Eurasian collared dove Streptopelia decaocto
2. Mourning dove Zenaida macroura
3. Ruddy turnstone Arenaria interpres
4. Laughing gull Leucophaeus atricilla
5. Sandwich tern Thalasseus sandvicensis
6. Brown pelican Pelecanus occidentalis
7. Palm warbler Setophaga palmarum
8. Turkey vulture Cathartes aura
9. Blue-winged teal Spatula discors
10. Rock pigeon Columba livia
11. Common ground dove Columbina passerina
12. White-winged dove Zenaida asiatica
13. Common gallinule Gallinula galeata
14. American coot Fulica americana
15. Snowy egret Egretta thula
16. Western cattle egret Bubulcus ibis
17. Great blue heron Ardea herodias
18. White ibis Eudocimus albus
19. Black vulture Coragyps atratus
20. Short-tailed hawk Buteo brachyurus
21. American kestrel Falco sparverius
22. Yellow-throated vireo Vireo flavifrons
23. Barn swallow Hirundo rustica
24. Blue-gray gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea
25. Gray catbird Dumetella carolinensis
26. Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla
27. Yellow-rumped warbler Setophaga coronata
28. Prairie warbler Setophaga discolor
29. Painted bunting Passerina ciris
30. Northern waterthrush Parkesia noveboracensis
31. Yellow-bellied sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius
32. Great egret Ardea alba
33. Willet Tringa semipalmata
34. Spotted sandpiper Actitis macularius

Reptiles:
1. Green iguana Iguana iguana
2. Cuban brown anole Anolis sagrei

Fish:
1. Sergeant major Abudefduf saxatilis
2. Spotted eagle ray Aetobatus narinari

Day 4 - January 2nd
I had a few more bird observations from the condo balcony to start the morning, but nothing too exciting. I went to the Key West Aquarium in the morning which is a small aquarium located at the northwest end of the island (will post pictures eventually). One exhibit of the aquarium is a fenced-off portion of the ocean with a sandbar shark, and a couple other Atlantic ocean fish. None of the fish count for this, but I did see a white-crowned pigeon.

After lunch I visited the Audubon House & Tropical Gardens. It's a beautiful house full of John James Audubon's amazing artwork. I explored the gardens for a few minutes and was able to spot a yellow-throated warbler. I went back to the area around the aquarium and saw some black skimmers and royal terns sitting on a huge concrete pillar. We drove over to the Key West Marina to walk along the water. The first animal I spotted was a West Indian manatee surfacing the water. This might already be my favorite mammal sighting of the year. I didn't see it for very long, but it was awesome. The birds around the marina weren't interesting, so I focused my eyes on the water for any fish. I saw a huge Atlantic tarpon swim under the dock before I eventually lost it in the reflection of the sun. There was also a stoplight parrotfish and a porkfish.

Birds:
35. Caspian tern Hydroprogne caspia
36. Double-crested cormorant Nannopterum auritum
37. Osprey Pandion haliaetus
38. White-crowned pigeon Patagioenas leucocephala
39. Northern mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
40. Northern parula Setophaga americana
41. Yellow-throated warbler Setophaga dominica
42. Black skimmer Rynchops niger
43. Royal tern Thalasseus maximus

Mammals:
1. West Indian manatee Trichechus manatus

Fish:
3. Atlantic tarpon Megalops atlanticus
4. Stoplight parrotfish Sparisoma viride
5. Porkfish Anisotremus virginicus

Day 5 - January 3rd
We woke up early to go on a fishing charter. As the boat was getting ready to leave, I spotted a pair of common mynas sitting atop a sign. I didn't do any birding this day, but I did spot a few magnificent frigatebirds, and a couple Bonaparte's gulls. Between 80-90% of the fish we caught were kept for food, and the rest were released. We caught probably close to 50 fish over 8 species. I was able to reel in a red grouper and grey triggerfish. Both were released due to being out of season. My brother caught a yellowtail snapper, which was also released due to it being undersized. I did have a large fish on my line, but it unfortunately snapped off before I could see it. I also spotted a few moon jellies while we were fishing. I'm not counting invertebrates for my list, but I figured I should at least mention it.

Birds:
44. Common myna Acridotheres tristis (Last seen in 2021, Hawaii)
45. Magnificent frigatebird Fregata magnificens
46. Bonaparte's gull Chroicocephalus philadelphia

Fish:
6. White grunt Haemulon plumierii
7. Bluestriped grunt Haemulon sciurus
8. Red Grouper Epinephelus morio
9. Grey triggerfish Balistes capriscus
10. Scup Stenotomus chrysops
11. Lane snapper Lutjanus synagris
12. Yellowtail snapper Ocyurus chrysurus
13. Blue runner Caranx crysos

Day 6 - January 4th
This was our last day in Key West before we flew out the next day. I had my dad drop me off at the Key West Botanical Gardens. I got there a little early before the gates opened, so I searched the area before the entrance. I was able to see a couple warblers and a common musk turtle. The first species I saw when I entered the garden was a Florida box turtle. I felt like the majority of birds I saw here were warblers. There is a golf course next to the gardens, and there were some Muscovy ducks walking around. Even though they were domestic variants, according to eBird these birds have naturalized in this area. I found a hidden trail at the northern end of the gardens. When I reached the end of it, I looked up and saw a peregrine falcon sitting on a tree branch.

I chose to walk home from the gardens instead of having a ride because I wanted check out the mangroves. As I was crossing the bridge from Stock Island to Key West, I was looking down at the water and spotted two nurse sharks sitting at the bottom. At the end of the bridge I was able to find an anhinga drying its wings. I didn't see anything for about another mile until I finally reached another area where I could see the water. I was able to see a great barracuda and a green heron both within a couple meters of each other. I stayed along the water spotting more barracudas, yellowfin mojarras, and Atlantic needlefish. The last lifer of the trip was a tricolored heron blending in well with the surrounding area. This was probably my most anticipated bird species for the entire trip. I think I saw the same bird when I cycled by this area on the first day, but there was little to no light at that time. My last stop of the trip was at the beach across from my condo to add some shorebirds to my year list. I'm not sure if I'm going to see any of those species again this year, so I figured I might as well get them while I'm here.

Birds:
47. Muscovy duck Cairina moschata
48. Peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus
49. Black-and-white warbler Mniotilta varia
50. Common yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas
51. Black-throated green warbler Setophaga virens
52. Northern cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis
53. Anhinga Anhinga anhinga
54. Green heron Butorides virescens
55. Tricolored heron Egretta tricolor
56. Sanderling Calidris alba
57. Black-bellied plover Pluvialis squatarola
58. Short-billed dowitcher Limnodromus griseus

Reptiles:
3. Common musk turtle Sternotherus odoratus
4. Common (Florida) box turtle Terrapene carolina

Fish:
14. Nurse shark Ginglymostoma cirratum
15. Great barracuda Sphyraena barracuda
16. Yellowfin mojarra Gerres cinereus
17. Atlantic needlefish Strongylura marina



Total Species: 80
Birds: 58
Mammals: 1
Reptiles: 4
Fish: 17
 
A few more local species
4/1
60 Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
5/1
61 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes
62 Coal Tit Periparus ater

Invertebrates
5/1
1 Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis
 
1/1/24 - 6/1/24
The past six days has been relatively uneventful in terms of spotting wildlife. As, most of the week has been spent at home. As well as a short trip to one of the local shopping centre's. However, today I went to the Cement Creek Redwood Forest located near Warburton. I did not get a great chance to explore as I was visiting with my family.

Birds:
1.Indian Mynah (Acridotheres tristis)
2. Spotted Dove (Spilopelia chinensis)
3. Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula)
4. Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen)
5. Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca)
6. Little Wattlebird (Anthochaera chrysoptera)
7. Little Raven (Corvus mellori)
8. Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa)
9. Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus)
10. Red Wattlebird (Anthochaera carunculata)
11. Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata)
12. Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans)
13. Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea)
14. Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca)

Mammals:
1. Grey-headed Flying Fox (Pteropus poliocephalus)

Invertebrates:
1. Cabbage White (Pieris rapae)
2. European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
3. Blue Blowfly (Calliphora vicina)
4. Common Pill-bug (Armadilidium vulgare)

Over the next 3 weeks, I will be travelling around Tasmania. Hopefully, getting better spotting more species than this lackluster first few days of the new year.

Total Species: 19
Birds: 14
Mammals: 1
Invertebrates: 4
 
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