Zoochat Big Year 2024

Went out to two sites in the inland areas of the East Riding of Yorkshire today - my second ever visit to the nature reserve at Tophill Low reservoirs and my I've-long-since-lost-count-how-many visit to North Cave Wetlands

Tophill Low has been hosting a very nice thrush this winter and with ducks driven to the reservoirs by freezing temperatures this week I was tempted enough to make the journey and have a go, particularly as I could double up with North Cave, which is having a bumper year of Bramblings.

In the end it was a very successful day indeed - well worth the effort. After a brief initial view, my second-ever Black-throated Thrush gave a much more satisfying second appearance - though nothing to compare with the Whipsnade bird in 2020! And the Bramblings were indeed everywhere.

The mammals and kite were on the drive to Tophill Low, birds 67-76 were at Tophill Low, the partridge on the drive between sites, and birds 78-85 were North Cave.

Mammals:
5. Western Roe Deer - Capreolus capreolus
6. Brown Hare - Lepus europaeus

Birds:
66. Red Kite - Milvus milvus
67. Whooper Swan - Cygnus cygnus
68. Fieldfare - Turdus pilaris
69. Red-crested Pochard - Netta rufina
70. Smew - Mergellus albellus
71. Northern Pintail - Anas acuta
72. Greater Scaup - Aythya marila
73. European Greenfinch - Chloris chloris
74. Black-throated Thrush - Turdus atrogularis
75. Grey Wagtail - Motacilla cinerea
76. Marsh Tit - Poecile palustris
77. Red-legged Partridge - Alectoris rufa
78. Common Gull - Larus canus
79. Brambling - Fringilla montifringilla
80. Peregrine Falcon - Falco peregrinus
81. Meadow Pipit - Anthus pratensis
82. Egyptian Goose - Alopochen aegyptiaca
83. European Green Woodpecker - Picus viridis
84. Common Linnet - Linaria cannabina
85. Common Reed Bunting - Emberiza schoeniclus

:)
 
birdsandbats said:
Birds
312. American Black Duck Anas rubripes
313. Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata
314. Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo
315. White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis
316. White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys

Plus a mammal from Costa Rica I forgot to count:

Mammals
30. Central American Pygmy Squirrel Microsciurus alfari
Click to expand...
Birds
317. Bufflehead Bucephala albeola
318. Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator
 
Bisonblake said:
The recent below-freezing temps and snow have discouraged me from birding recently. I've only been able to see animals walking to and from classes. It's supposed to be more comfortable over the next week, so hopefully I can see a nice selection of birds (Maybe reach 100 birds by the end of the month, which would be pretty cool).

1/18/24
Mammals:
5. American red squirrel Tamiasciurus hudsonicus

Total Species: 99
Birds: 72
Mammals: 5
Reptiles: 5
Fish: 17
Click to expand...
I had quite a surprising day today. I decided to brave the elements today to do a little bit of birding. I first went to the nature center near campus. There wasn't anything special, but there were a lot of birds flying around. I then went to the farms on campus to look for a few different species. One that really caught my eye was a golden eagle. While I was driving to where it was sighted I saw it perched on a small tree along the road and immediately pulled over. I got a great look at it, but was unable to get a picture before it flew away. There were also some rough-legged hawks at the location I was trying to get to.

1/20/24
Birds:
73. Northern flicker Colaptes auratus
74. Tufted titmouse Baeolophus bicolor
75. Carolina wren Thryothorus ludovicianus
76. Hermit thrush Catharus guttatus
77. White-throated sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis
78. Golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos
79. Rough-legged hawk Buteo lagopus

Mammals:
6. White-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus

Total Species: 107
Birds: 79
Mammals: 6
Reptiles: 5
Fish: 17
 
Just like the beginning of 2023, I returned to the Outer Banks to go on another weekend birdwatching trip. Unlike last year's trip, (where I primarily focused on the freshwater marshes and wetlands in search of waterfowl), this time around I focused more on the coastline to see the more pelagic birds, as well as the mature pine forests in search of the elusive Red-Cockaded Woodpecker. Although the amount of lifers on this tour were significantly lower than last year's trip to the same location, the rarity of some of these sightings surely makes up for it. Highlights of my trip include my first wild Northern Gannets, Razorbill, two rare migrants (Black-Headed Gull and Ash-Throated Flycatcher), and of course, the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker.


BerdNerd said:
1/8/24

2. Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)
Click to expand...


1/20/24


3. Common Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)


BerdNerd said:

1/18/24

Sightings en route to my birdwatching tour:


13. Double-Crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)
14. Ring-Billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)
Click to expand...


1/19/24


15. Boat-Tailed Grackle (Quiscalus major)
16. Great Black-Backed Gull (Larus marinus)
17. Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)
18. Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)
19. Yellow-Rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)
20. Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
21. Brown-Headed Nuthatch (Sitta pusilla)
22. Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus)
23. Red-Cockaded Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus borealis)
24. Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)
25. Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
26. Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)
27. Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)
28. American White Ibis (Eudocimus albus)
29. Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius)
30. American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)
31. Great Egret (Ardea alba)
32. Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)
33. Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus)
34. Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)
35. Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata)
36. Black-Headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
37. Bonaparte’s Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)
38. Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
39. Red-Winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
40. Ash-Throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens)
41. Ruby-Throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)
42. Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)
43. Willet (Tringa semipalmata)
44. American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus)
45. House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)
46. Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)


1/20/24


47. Redhead (Aythya americana)
48. Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)
49. Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)
50. American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
51. Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)
52. Orange-Crowned Warbler (Leiothlypis celata)
53. Ruby-Crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula)
54. Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
55. Golden-Crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa)
56. American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)
57. Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)
58. Rock Dove (Columba livia)
59. Sanderling (Calidris alba)
60. Lesser-Black-Backed Gull (Larus fuscus)
61. Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata)
62. Forster’s Tern (Sterna forsteri)
63. Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus)
64. Black Scoter (Melanitta americana)
65. Red-Throated Loon (Gavia stellata)
66. Common Loon (Gavia immer)
67. Razorbill (Alca torda)
68. Red-Breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)


Total:

Mammals: 3
Birds: 68
Invertebrates: 2
 
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A couple more from a local excursion this morning - the first from Shillito Wood and the second from the feeders on Flash Lane at Darley Moor.

Birds:
86. Eurasian Treecreeper - Certhia familiaris
87. Lesser Redpoll - Acanthis cabaret

:)
 
KiwiBirb said:
After a visited to the Central Park Zoo today, I was able to go to ‘The Ramble,’ where I had my most successful birding trip so far this year as I was able to spot 20 bird species, 9 of these are new.

Mammals
4) Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus)
5) American Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)

Birds
22) Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)
23) European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
24) American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
25) Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata)
26) Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)
27) Chirping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)
28) Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)
29) Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)
30) White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)
Click to expand...
Some minor updates after a trip to the Bronx Zoo yesterday:
Before even going to the zoo, I saw my 6th species of sparrow this year at my feeder

Birds
31) American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea)

After arriving at the zoo I was able to see 2 more new species including an unexpected small surprise in the Sea Bird Aviary

Birds
32) Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
33) Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula)

Total:
Mammals- 5
Birds- 33
Herptiles- 0
Heard-only Species- 4
 
Bisonblake said:
I had quite a surprising day today. I decided to brave the elements today to do a little bit of birding. I first went to the nature center near campus. There wasn't anything special, but there were a lot of birds flying around. I then went to the farms on campus to look for a few different species. One that really caught my eye was a golden eagle. While I was driving to where it was sighted I saw it perched on a small tree along the road and immediately pulled over. I got a great look at it, but was unable to get a picture before it flew away. There were also some rough-legged hawks at the location I was trying to get to.

1/20/24
Birds:
73. Northern flicker Colaptes auratus
74. Tufted titmouse Baeolophus bicolor
75. Carolina wren Thryothorus ludovicianus
76. Hermit thrush Catharus guttatus
77. White-throated sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis
78. Golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos
79. Rough-legged hawk Buteo lagopus

Mammals:
6. White-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus

Total Species: 107
Birds: 79
Mammals: 6
Reptiles: 5
Fish: 17
Click to expand...
Nice additions! I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I haven't seen any records that match your description for where you found the golden eagle. Separating from juvenile bald eagle can be fairly tricky if you don't know what to look for, and I always look through my photos of juvie bald eagles just in case (To always find they are just juvie bald eagles). If you don't have a photo, perhaps you should reconsider this sighting, it would make state/local birding news if true.
 
birdsandbats said:
Birds
317. Bufflehead Bucephala albeola
318. Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator
Click to expand...
birdsandbats said:
Birds
312. American Black Duck Anas rubripes
313. Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata
314. Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo
315. White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis
316. White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys

Plus a mammal from Costa Rica I forgot to count:

Mammals
30. Central American Pygmy Squirrel Microsciurus alfari
Click to expand...
Birds
319. Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii
320. Greater Scaup Aythya marila
321. Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus
322. Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus

Mammals
31. Eastern Cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus
 
BerdNerd said:
1/19/24


15. Boat-Tailed Grackle (Quiscalus major)
16. Great Black-Backed Gull (Larus marinus)
17. Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)
18. Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)
19. Yellow-Rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)
20. Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
21. Brown-Headed Nuthatch (Sitta pusilla)
22. Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus)
23. Red-Cockaded Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus borealis)
24. Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)
25. Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
26. Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)
27. Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)
28. American White Ibis (Eudocimus albus)
29. Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius)
30. American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)
31. Great Egret (Ardea alba)
32. Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)
33. Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus)
34. Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)
35. Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata)
36. Black-Headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
37. Bonaparte’s Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)
38. Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
39. Red-Winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
40. Ash-Throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens)
41. Ruby-Throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)
42. Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)
43. Willet (Tringa semipalmata)
44. American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus)
45. House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)
46. Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)


1/20/24


47. Redhead (Aythya americana)
48. Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)
49. Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)
50. American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
51. Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)
52. Orange-Crowned Warbler (Leiothlypis celata)
53. Ruby-Crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula)
54. Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
55. Golden-Crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa)
56. American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)
57. Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)
58. Rock Dove (Columba livia)
59. Sanderling (Calidris alba)
60. Lesser-Black-Backed Gull (Larus fuscus)
61. Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata)
62. Forster’s Tern (Sterna forsteri)
63. Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus)
64. Black Scoter (Melanitta americana)
65. Red-Throated Loon (Gavia stellata)
66. Common Loon (Gavia immer)
67. Razorbill (Alca torda)
68. Red-Breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)
Click to expand...


1/21/24


69. American Black Duck (Anas rubripes)
70. Pied-Billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)


Total:

Mammals: 3
Birds: 70
Invertebrates: 2
 
CMP said:
Nice additions! I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I haven't seen any records that match your description for where you found the golden eagle. Separating from juvenile bald eagle can be fairly tricky if you don't know what to look for, and I always look through my photos of juvie bald eagles just in case (To always find they are just juvie bald eagles). If you don't have a photo, perhaps you should reconsider this sighting, it would make state/local birding news if true.
Click to expand...
I found out later that day it was a dark-morph rough-legged hawk I saw, not a golden eagle. Someone was at the exact location only a couple minutes before me and said that’s what they saw. I went back the next morning and there was a dark-morph RLHA at the same location. It appears the one and only sighting on campus was on January 19th, and hasn’t been seen since then.
 
Bisonblake said:
I had quite a surprising day today. I decided to brave the elements today to do a little bit of birding. I first went to the nature center near campus. There wasn't anything special, but there were a lot of birds flying around. I then went to the farms on campus to look for a few different species. One that really caught my eye was a golden eagle. While I was driving to where it was sighted I saw it perched on a small tree along the road and immediately pulled over. I got a great look at it, but was unable to get a picture before it flew away. There were also some rough-legged hawks at the location I was trying to get to.

1/20/24
Birds:
73. Northern flicker Colaptes auratus
74. Tufted titmouse Baeolophus bicolor
75. Carolina wren Thryothorus ludovicianus
76. Hermit thrush Catharus guttatus
77. White-throated sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis
78. Golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos
78. Rough-legged hawk Buteo lagopus

Mammals:
6. White-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus

Total Species: 107
Birds: 79
Mammals: 6
Reptiles: 5
Fish: 17
Click to expand...
1/23/24
79. House finch Haemorhous mexicanus

Total Species: 107
Birds: 79
Mammals: 6
Reptiles: 5
Fish: 17
 
Mammals
1. Black Rat (Rattus rattus)
2. Grey Headed Flying Fox (Pteropus poliocephalus)
3. Common Brush-tail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula)

Birds:

1. Red Wattlebird (Anthochaera carunculata)
2. Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
3. Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae)
4. Pacific Gull (Larus pacificus)
5. Greater Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii)
6. Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos)
7. Common Blackbird (Turdus merula)
8. Black Swan (Cygnus atratus)
9. Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena)
10. Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen)
11. Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis)
12. Feral Pigeon (Columba livia domestica)
13. Spotted Dove (Spilopelia chinensis)
14. Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus)
15. Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
16. Pied Currawong (Strepera graculina)
17. Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus)
18. Little Wattlebird (Anthochaera chrysoptera)
19. Black Faced Cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscescens)
20. Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis moluccus)
21. Eastern Rosella (Platycercus eximius)
22. Superb Fairywren (Malurus cyaneus)
23. House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
24. Long Billed Corella (Cacatua tenuirostris)
25. Little Raven (Corvus mellori)
26. Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala)
27. Sooty Oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus)
28. White Faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae)
29. Brown Thornbill (Acanthiza pusilla)

Fish

1. Southern Longfin Goby (Favonigobius lateralis)
2. Dragonet (Bovichtus angustifrons)
3. Eastern School Whiting (Sillago flindersi)
4. Smooth Stingray (Bathytoshia brevicaudata)
5. Yellow Eyed Mullet (Aldrichetta forsteri)
6. Longsnout Flounder (Ammotretis rostratus)
 
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