Zoochat Big Year 2024

Finishing up the summer period with almost 200 inverts in two months with many more not identified to species level. Seven butterfly lifers in this update with the highlight being a new swallowtail – my first confident sighting of Pale Triangle. A relatively good range of birds around – missing a lot of the columbids still especially but those gaps should be filled soon. Little Lorikeet and Azure Kingfisher however are great to have so early in the year. Note: I realised that I put Common Brown Ringlet as both invert #16 and #20 so I have discounted one invert continuing this update from 96.

Mammals:
06) Common Brushtail Possum Trichosurus vulpecula
07) Eastern Grey Kangaroo Macropus giganteus

Birds
90) Nankeen Kestrel Falco cenchroides
91) White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae
92) Grey Teal Anas gracilis
93) Spangled Drongo Dicrurus bracteatus
94) Brown Cuckoo-Dove Macropygia phasianella
95) Grey Fantail Rhipidura albiscapa
96) Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax varius
97) Pied Oystercatcher Haematopus longirostris
98) Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris
99) Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica
100) Buff-banded Rail Gallirallus philippensis
101) Azure Kingfisher Alcedo azurea
102) Mistletoebird Dicaeum hirundinaceum
103) Olive-backed Oriole Oriolus sagittatus
104) Common Cicadabird Coracina tenuirostris
105) White-throated Treecreeper Cormobates leucophaea
106) Great Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii
107) Australian Tern Gelochelidon macrotarsa
108) Little Egret Egretta garzetta
109) Rainbow Bee-eater Merops ornatus
110) Fan-tailed Cuckoo Cacomantis flabelliformis
111) White-browed Scrubwren Sericornis frontalis
112) Black-faced Monarch Monarcha melanopsis
113) Peaceful Dove Geopelia placida
114) Grey Butcherbird Cracticus torquatus
115) Little Lorikeet Glossopsitta pusilla
116) Little Friarbird Philemon citreogularis

Herptiles:
11) Eastern Bearded Dragon Pogona barbata
12) Copper-tailed Skink Ctenotus taeniolatus
13) Dark Bar-sided Skink Concinnia martini

Invertebrates:
96)Teddy Bear Bee Amegilla bombiformis
97) Pomaderris Moth Casbia rectaria
98) Australian Cockroach Periplaneta australasiae
99) Brown Huntsman Heteropoda jugulans
100) Chequered Swallowtail Papilio demoleus
101) Lesser Wanderer Danaus petilia
102) Meadow Argus Junonia villida
103) Common Aeroplane Phaedyma shepherdi
104) Red-shouldered Leaf Beetle Monolepta australis
105) Swamp Tiger Danaus affinis
106) Black Tree Ticker Birrima varians
107) Orange Ochre Trapezites eliena
108) Small Green-banded Blue Psychonotis caelius
109) Bordered Rustic Cupha prosope
110) Yellow Admiral Vanessa itea
111) Bottlebrush Sawfly Pterygophorus cinctus
112) Aaaaba nodosus [jewel beetle]

113) Narrow-brand Grass-Dart Ocybadistes flavovittatus
114) Little Black-Knees Methiolopsis geniculata
115) Stable Fly Stomoxys calcitrans
116) White Looper Moth Pingasa chlora
117) Metallic Green Acacia Beetle Calomela ruficeps
118) Hop-bush Leaf Beetle Callidemum hypochalceum

119) Green Jumping Spider Mopsus mormon
120) Austrosciapus connexus [long-legged fly]
121) Oriental Latrine Fly Chrysomya megacephala
122) Calliphora ochracea [blowfly]
123) Iridescent Leaf Cylinder Beetle Aporocera iridipennis

124) Blue Tiger Tirumala hamata
125) Bromocoris souefi [stink bug]
126) Australian Tiger Ictinogomphus australis
127) Australian Emerald Hemicordulia australiae
128) Asian Magpie Moth Nyctemera amicus
129) Muscleman Tree Ant Podomyrma gratiosa
130) Narrow-banded Awl Hasora khoda
131) Japanese Rice Grasshopper Oxya japonica

132) Fire-tailed Resin Bee Megachile mystaceana
133) Australian Tiger Cranefly Nephrotoma australasiae
134) Slender Skimmer Orthetrum sabina
135) Varied Dusky-Blue Erina hyacinthina
136) Migratory Locust Locusta migratoria

137) Short-tailed Line-Blue Prosotas felderi
138) Glistening Pencil-Blue Eirmocides absimilis
139) Green Grass-Dart Ocybadistes walker
140) Pternistria bispina [leaf-footed bug]
141) Krakatauia macalpinei [long-legged fly]
142) Eupanacra splendens [hawk moth]

143) Hawaiian Webworm Moth Spoladea recurvalis
144) Common Bluetail Ischnura heterosticta
145) Sea-green Northern Jumper Cosmophasis thalassina
146) Maculate Ladybird Harmonia octomaculata
147) Tobacco Beetle Lasioderma serricorne

148) Fungus-eating Ladybird Illeis galbula
149) Capaneus Swallowtail Papilio capaneus
150) Clearwing Swallowtail Cressida cressida
151) Australian Leafwing Doleschallia bisaltide
152) Pale Triangle Graphium eurypylus
153) Palemouth Brachydiplax denticauda
154) Grenadier Agrionoptera insignis
155) Erebus terminitincta [moth]

156) Striped Ladybird Micraspis frenata
157) Orange Threadtail Nososticta solida
158) Poinciana Looper Pericyma cruegeri
159) Leptomyrmex rothneyi [spider ant]
160) Samphire Blue Theclinesthes sulpitius
161) Pristhesancus plagipennis [assassian bug]
162) Steelblue Ladybird Nososticta solida
163) Bean Leafroller Omiodes diemenalis
164) Megachile deanii [leafcutter bee]
165) Megachile ignescens [leafcutter bee]
166) Vase-cell Mud-dauber Wasp Sceliphron formosum

167) Orchid Dupe Wasp Lissopimpla excelsa
178) Grass Webworm Herpetogramma licarsisalis
179) White-banded House Jumper Maratus griseus
180) Yellow Albatross Appias paulina
181) Common Flatwing Austroargiolestes icteromelas
182) Aurora Bluetail Ischnura aurora
183) Wandering Ringtail Austrolestes leda
184) Grey Ringlet Hypocysta pseudirius
185) No-brand Grass-Yellow Eurema brigitta
186) Spotted Grass-Blue Zizeeria karsandra
187) Purple Crow Euploea tulliolus
188) Common Gumleaf Grasshopper Goniaea australasiae
189) Grey Wall Jumper Menemerus bivittatus
190) Burgena varia [forester moth]
A fantastic start to the year.
 
A quick update before I head off on another little jaunt.

Birds
58. Grey Teal
59. Spotted Dove
60. Black-fronted Dotterel
61. Grey Goshawk
62. Dollarbird
63. Australian King Parrot
64. White-plumed Honeyeater
65. Spotted Pardalote
66. Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
67. Pied Currawong
68. Magpie-lark
69. Australian Raven
70. Red-whiskered Bulbul
71. Silvereye
72. Common Starling
73. House Sparrow
74. Little Eagle

Reptiles
1. Jacky Dragon

Invertebrates
1. Black Prince Cicada (Psaltoda plaga)

:p

Hix

Just back from a trip around Tasmania, with a visit to Serendip Sanctuary in Victoria on the day I left. PIcked up 18 Lifers while I was away, 5 of them on the first day.

Birds
75. Emu
76. Magpie Goose
77. Cape Barren Goose
78. Black Swan
79. Chestnut Teal
80. Pied Stilt
81. White-faced Heron
82. Straw-necked Ibis
83. Yellow-billed Spoonbill
84. Collared Sparrowhawk
85. Eastern Rosella
86. Eastern Shrike-tit
87. Dusky Woodswallow
88. Little Raven
89. Rock Dove (Feral Pigeon)
90. Silver Gull
91. Pied Cormorant
92. Nankeen Kestrel
93. Tasmanian Native Hen
94. Sooty Oystercatcher
95. Little Penguin
96. Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo
97. Yellow-rumped Thornbill
98. Forest Raven
99. Australian Pied Oystercatcher
100. Pacific Gull
101. Australian Shelduck
102. Musk Duck
103. Hoary-headed Grebe
104. Green Rosella
105. Tasmanian Scrubwren
106. Tasmanian Thornbill

107. Grey Currawong
108. Bassian Thrush
109. Crested Tern
110. Great Cormorant
111. Common Bronzewing
112. Brush Bronzewing
113. Black-faced Cormorant
114. Galah
115. European Goldfinch
116. Scarlet Robin
117. Kelp Gull
118. Yellow-throated Honeyeater
119. Scrubtit
120. Black Currawong
121. Short-tailed Shearwater

122. Crescent Honeyeater
123. Strong-billed Honeyeater
124. Black-headed Honeyeater
125. Yellow Wattlebird

126. Australian Pelican
127. Dusky Robin
128. Lewin's Rail

129. Brown Quail
130. Musk Lorikeet
131. Pink Robin
132. Tree Martin
133. Royal Penguin
134. Hooded Plover
135. White-bellied Sea-Eagle
136. Brown Falcon
137. Australasian Shoveler
138. Great Egret
139. Wedge-tailed Eagle
140. Forty-spotted Pardalote
141. Flame Robin
142. Eastern Curlew
143. White-fronted Chat
144. Striated Fieldwren

Did well with the mammals too.

Mammals
4. Eastern Grey Kangaroo
5. Red-necked (Bennett's) Wallaby
6. Tasmanian Pademelon
7. Wombat
8. Tasmanian Devil
9. Eastern Barred Bandicoot

10. Brushtail Possum
11. Eastern Ringtail Possum
12. Short-beaked Echidna
13. Platypus
14. Common Dolphin
15. New Zealand Fur Seal
16. Australian Fur Seal

Reptiles
2. Tasmanian Tree Skink


Inverts
2. European Wasp

:p

Hix
 
I'm waiting for my flight to Panama, 27 hours travel away, for an exciting new adventure. I've started a travel diary in the Panama forum but of course will also record observations here.

In the meantime time to tidy up a few more observations to clear the deck for the neotropics.

Mammals
7. Eastern ringtail Pseudocheirus peregrinus

Birds
72. Little corella Cacatua sanguinea

Invertebrates
15. Feather-horn beetle Rhipicera femorata
16. Red-lined looper Crypsiphona ocultaria
17. sp. swift moth Elhamma australasiae
 
Again a very good wildlife weekend with a varied set of additions. One day was spend at the famous (infamous?) Oostvaardersplassen. The day brought several missing winter birds in between the large flocks of waders and waterfowl. Raptors were, as usual, well represented with two peregrines, a goshawk, several marsh and hen harriers, half a dozen white-tailed eagles and dozens of buzzards and kestrels. We also good views of several foxes, including one individual bickering with a white-tailed eagle for some carrion, an a surprise encounter with a few cattle egrets.

The day ended further southeast, with great ribbons of hundreds of cranes against the evening sky. They have been passing through the southeast of the country in force this weekend.

The second day was mostly about cold-blooded beasts, as I tried to find my first reptile of the year together with a friend. Our target species, the grass snake, is by far the easiest reptile for me to see, even if I need to venture a little outside my usual haunts. Weather conditions were far from perfect with a strong wind and only brief periods of sunshine. It took some searching but we eventually managed to find a reptile, only for it to be a slow worm instead of snake - which in my experience is a lot harder to find! A short while later we luckily stumbled upon a small grass snake. The day also brought a good amount of invertebrates and even two rare newts!

All things considered a very rewarding weekend

Birds
145. Whooper Swan, Cygnus cygnus
146. Hen Harrier, Circus cyaneus
147. Western Cattle Egret, Bubulcus ibis
148. Common Ringed Plover, Charadrius hiaticula
149. Cetti's Warbler, Cettia cetti
150. Greater Scaup, Aythya marila
151. Common Crane, Grus grus
152. Long-eared Owl, Asio otus

Mammals
11. Red Deer, Cervus elaphus
12. Red Fox, Vulpes vulpes

Amphibians
5. Great Crested Newt, Triturus cristatus

Reptiles
1. European Slow Worm, Anguis fragilis
2. Barred Grass Snake, Natrix helvetica

Butterflies
3. Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta

Bees
2. Common Carder Bee, Bombus pascuorum
3. Red-tailed Bumblebee, Bombus lapidarius
4. Early Bumblebee, Bombus pratorum

Gastropods

4. Deroceras invadens
5. Roman Snail, Helix pomatia
6. Brown-lipped Snail, Cepaea nemoralis
7. Two-lipped Door Snail, Alinda biplicata
 
I finally got to go to DeKorte Park in the Meadowlands today giving me 2 new species. Additional I was able to hear the calls of a long overdue species in the American Goldfinch in my yard earlier (along with a rare midday Great-Horned Owl call!)

Birds
68) Canvasback (Aythya valisineria)
69) Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)

Heard-Only Species
3) American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)

Progress:
Mammals- 10
Birds- 69
Herptiles- 0
Total- 79
Heard-only Species- 3
While everyone else is starting to see spring birds, I’m still seeing some winter birds :p I was quite shocked to see/hear 2 really rare birds this week. Additionally I finally got my first Herptile of the year!

Mammals
11) House Mouse (Mus musculus)

Birds
70) Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii)
71) Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)
72) Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)

Herptiles
1) Pond Slider (Trachemys scripta)

Heard-Only Species
4) Orange-Crowned Warbler (Leiothlypis celata)

Progress:
Mammals- 11
Birds- 72
Herptiles- 1
Total- 84
Heard-only Species- 4
 
As usual only lifer birds or new birds for a larger area for my list this year.

10.03.24 - Buirer Fließ, Kerpen, Germany

Mammals
01. Eurasian Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)
02. European Hare (Lepus europaeus)
03. European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

Birds
01. Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus flammeus)


There were at least 17 (probably more than 20) owls around. Good to finally connect with after missing out on them on Helgoland every time.
 
3/4/24
Birds:
106. Northern shoveler Spatula clypeata
107. Green-winged teal Anas crecca
108. Northern Harrier Circus hudsonius
109. Red-shouldered hawk Buteo lineatus
110. Cedar waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum
111. Song sparrow Melospiza melodia

Total Species: 141
Birds: 111
Mammals: 8
Reptiles: 5
Fish: 17
The weather is now bearable to stay out after sunset without freezing, so I finally got to do some nocturnal birding today. I was targeting American woodcocks, and there was more than I expected to find. I was walking through a field, and I felt surrounded by them. It was hard to get a good look at any on the ground, but I would often see them fly up and do their display. This was probably my favorite sighting of the year based on the experience alone.

3/11/24
Birds:
112. Pileated woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus
113. American Woodcock Scolopax minor

Mammals:
9. Eastern cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus

Total Species: 144
Birds: 113
Mammals: 9
Reptiles: 5
Fish: 17
 
Was quite surprised and annoyed to be woken up by this guy flapping around my dorm room at 4 AM this morning:

Mammals
38. Big Brown Bat Eptesicus fuscus
Mammals
39. American Mink Neogale vison

Also looking back through my photos from Costa Rica, I realized the animal I had at the time identified as Crab-eating Raccoon was in fact a Northern Raccoon. Unfortunate, but my mammal total for this year remains unchanged by this.
 
Panama day 1

Arrival and recovery day. See commentary in Panama thread.

Birds
73. Magnificent frigetebird Fregata magnificens (new Family)
74. Southern lapwing Vanellus chilensis
75. Turkey vulture Cathartes aura
76. Black vulture Coragyps atratus
77. Short-tailed hawk Buteo brachyurus
78. Great-tailed grackle Quiscalus mexicanus
79. Blue-grey tanager Thraupis episcopus (new Family)
80. House wren Troglodytes aedon
81. Tropical mockingbird Mimus gilvus

Reptiles
3. Green iguana Iguana iguana (new Family)
 
Panama Day 2

Carretera a Juan Honbron and Boquete. See commentary in Panama thread.

Seen in hotel grounds

Mammals
8. Variegated squirrel Sciurus variegatoides

Carretera a Juan Honbron

Birds
82. Crested bobwhite Colinus cristatus
83. Ruddy ground dove Columbina talpacoti
84. White-tipped dove Leptotila verreauxi
85. Western great egret Ardea alba
86. Western cattle egret Bubulcus ibis
87. Little blue egret Egretta caerulea
88. Snowy egret Egretta thula
89. American white ibis Eudocimus albus
90. American oystercatcher Haematopus palliatus
91. Western sandpiper Calidris mauri
92. Willet Tringa semipalmata
93. Laughing gull Leucophaeus atricilla
94. Royal tern Thalasseus maximus
95. Grey-lined hawk Buteo nitidus
96. Common black hawk Buteogallus anthracinus
97. Savanna hawk Buteogallus meridionalis
98. White-tailed kite Elanus leucurus
99. Red-crowned woodpecker Melanerpes rubricapillus
100. Crested caracara Caracara plancus
101. Yellow-crowned parrot Amazona ochrocephal
102. Grey-capped flycatcher Myiozetetes granadensis
103. Great kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus
104. Tropical kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus
105. Fork-tailed kingbird Tyrannus savana
106. Barn swallow Hirundo rustica

Boquete

107. Rufus-tailed hummingbird Amazilia tzacatl
 
56 Great Egret Ardea alba
57 Merlin Falco columbarius
58 Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus
59 Snow Goose Anser caerulescens
60 Lapland Longspur Calcarius lapponicus
61 American Pipit Anthus rubescens
62 Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna
63 Ross's Goose Anser rossii
64 Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons
65 Northern Harrier Circus hudsonius
66 Fox Sparrow Passerella iliaca

BIRDS:
67 Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii
68 American Wigeon Mareca americana
69 Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris
70 White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys
71 Common Merganser Mergus merganser
72 Killdeer Charadrius vociferus
73 Northern Pintail Anas acuta
74 Redhead Aythya americana
75 Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta
76 Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater
77 Common Grackle Quiscalus quiscula
78 White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis
79 Yellow-rumped Warbler Setophaga coronata
80 Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus
81 Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus
82 Spotted Towhee Pipilo maculatus
83 Carolina Chickadee Poecile carolinensis
84 Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum
85 Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe
86 Field Sparrow Spizella pusilla
87 Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus
88 American Woodcock Scolopax minor (not a lifer, but I got my best look!)
 
While everyone else is starting to see spring birds, I’m still seeing some winter birds :p I was quite shocked to see/hear 2 really rare birds this week. Additionally I finally got my first Herptile of the year!

Mammals
11) House Mouse (Mus musculus)

Birds
70) Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii)
71) Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)
72) Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)

Herptiles
1) Pond Slider (Trachemys scripta)

Heard-Only Species
4) Orange-Crowned Warbler (Leiothlypis celata)

Progress:
Mammals- 11
Birds- 72
Herptiles- 1
Total- 84
Heard-only Species- 4
My first Spring migrant showed today

Birds
73) Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)

Progress:
Mammals- 11
Birds- 73
Herptiles- 1
Total- 85
Heard-only Species- 4
 
My first Spring migrant showed today

Birds
73) Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)

Progress:
Mammals- 11
Birds- 73
Herptiles- 1
Total- 85
Heard-only Species- 4
My first nocturnal venture of the year, and another early migrant, getting me to a nice and round 75 birds.

Mammals
12) Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus)

Birds

74) Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)
75) Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)

Herptiles

2) Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)

Heard-Only Species

5) American Woodcock (Scolopax minor)

Progress:
Mammals- 12
Birds- 75
Herptiles- 2
Total- 89
Heard-only Species- 5
 
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