Zoochat Big Year 2024

Sorry for the length between updates as I’ve been very busy, with any free time I’ve had dedicated to birding but I finally got a chance to update after a month of birding, just in time to go down the shore. My luck continues with rare Waterfowl as I was able to spot a pair of lost Whistling Ducks (luckily it was in the 80s and they didn’t decide to fly back home before I was able to spot them), other then that no particularly rare birds for the North Jersey area during migration season.

Birds
107) Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)
108) Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)
109) Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)
110) Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)
111) Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)
112) Broad-Winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus)
113) House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)
114) Black-and-White Warbler (Mniotilta varia)
115) Norther Parula (Setophaga americana)
116) Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)
117) Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)
118) Prairie Warbler (Setophaga discolor)
119) Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)
120) Nashville Warbler (Leiothlypis ruficapilla)
121) Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)
122) Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)
123) Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)
124) Forster’s Tern (Sterna forsteri)
125) Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)
126) Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata)
127) Chestnut-Sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica)
128) American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)
129) Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria)
130) Swainson’s Thrush (Catharus ustulatus)
131) Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea)
132) Least Tern (Sternula antillarum)
133) Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)
134) Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius)
135) Black-Bellied Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis)
136) Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)
137) White-Rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis)

Heard Only Species
4) Black-Throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens)
5) Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)
6) Blackburnian Warbler (Setophaga fusca)
7) Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia)
8) Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla)
9) Red-Eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)
10) Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis)
11) Veery (Catharus fuscescens)
12) Yellow-Throated Vireo (Vireo flavifrons)

Progress:
Mammals- 17
Birds- 137
Herptiles- 9
Total- 163
Heard-only Species- 12
As I arrived at the campground I’ll be staying at, 2 singing flycatchers were there to great me, a species that I noticed yesterday was quite lacking on my life list

Birds
138) Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)

Heard Only Species
13) Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens)

Progress:
Mammals- 17
Birds- 138
Herptiles- 9
Total- 164
Heard-only Species- 13
 
Picked up a couple more birds this weekend. One from Bird Point in south-central, the others much further north:

55. Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)
56. Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus)
57. Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)
58. Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus)

Continuing my time in the Arctic, I've noted additional seasonal migrants:

59. Dunlin (Calidris alpina)
60. Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus)
 
Mammals
1) Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)
2) Red fox (Vulpes vulpes)
3) Brown rat/Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus)
4) Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus)
5) Greater white-toothed shrew (Crocidura russula)
6) House mouse (Mus musculus)

Birds

1) Canada goose (Branta canadensis)
2) Carrion crow (Corvus corone)
3) Common buzzard (Buteo buteo)
4) Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
5) Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
6) Grey heron (Ardea cinerea)
7) House sparrow (Passer domesticus)
8) Common wood pigeon (Columba palumbus)
9) Common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
10) European robin (Erithacus rubecula)
11) Great tit (Parus major)
12) Black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
13) European herring gull (Larus argentatus)
14) Eurasian magpie (Pica pica)
15) Great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
16) Western jackdaw (Coloeus monedula)
17) Eurasian kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
18) Feral pigeon (Columba livia)
19) Eurasian blackbird (Turdus merula)
20) Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
21) Rook (Corvus frugilegus)
22) Common starling/European starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
23) European white stork (Ciconia ciconia)
24) Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca)
25) Eurasian coot (Fulica atra)
26) Northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
27) Great egret (Ardea alba)
28) Long-tailed tit (Aegithalos caudatus)
29) Ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
30) Greylag goose (Anser anser)
31) Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)
32) Grey wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)
33) Eurasian wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
34) Eurasian chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)
35) Mute swan (Cygnus olor)
36) Barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis)
37) Tufted duck (Aythya fuligula)
38) Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius)
39) Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)
40) Dunnock (Prunella modularis)
41) Mandarin duck (Aix galericulata)
42) Eurasian oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)
43) Bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica)
44) Western house martin (Delichon urbicum)
45) Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica)
46) Black kite (Milvus migrans)

Invertebrates
1) Seven-spot ladybug (Coccinella septempunctata)
2) Common brimstone butterfly (Gonepteryx rhamni)
3) Firebug (Pyrrhocoris apterus)
4) Common earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris)
5) Small cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae)
6) Common carder bee (Bombus pascuorum)
7) Common house mosquito (Culex pipiens)
8) Housefly (Musca domestica)
9) Great grey slug/Leopard slug (Limax maximus)
10) Red slug (Arion rufus)
11) Common garden snail (Cornu aspersum)
12) Black garden ant (Lasius niger)
13) Honey bee (Apis mellifera)
14) Lemon snail (Cepaea nemoralis)
15) Black field slug (Arion hortensis)
16) Box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis)
17) Large white butterfly (Pieris brassicae)
18) Black-headed cardinal beetle (Pyrochroa coccinea)

Mammals
1) Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)
2) Red fox (Vulpes vulpes)
3) Brown rat/Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus)
4) Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus)
5) Greater white-toothed shrew (Crocidura russula)
6) House mouse (Mus musculus)

Birds

1) Canada goose (Branta canadensis)
2) Carrion crow (Corvus corone)
3) Common buzzard (Buteo buteo)
4) Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
5) Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
6) Grey heron (Ardea cinerea)
7) House sparrow (Passer domesticus)
8) Common wood pigeon (Columba palumbus)
9) Common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
10) European robin (Erithacus rubecula)
11) Great tit (Parus major)
12) Black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
13) European herring gull (Larus argentatus)
14) Eurasian magpie (Pica pica)
15) Great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
16) Western jackdaw (Coloeus monedula)
17) Eurasian kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
18) Feral pigeon (Columba livia)
19) Eurasian blackbird (Turdus merula)
20) Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
21) Rook (Corvus frugilegus)
22) Common starling/European starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
23) European white stork (Ciconia ciconia)
24) Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca)
25) Eurasian coot (Fulica atra)
26) Northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
27) Great egret (Ardea alba)
28) Long-tailed tit (Aegithalos caudatus)
29) Ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
30) Greylag goose (Anser anser)
31) Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)
32) Grey wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)
33) Eurasian wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
34) Eurasian chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)
35) Mute swan (Cygnus olor)
36) Barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis)
37) Tufted duck (Aythya fuligula)
38) Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius)
39) Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)
40) Dunnock (Prunella modularis)
41) Mandarin duck (Aix galericulata)
42) Eurasian oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)
43) Bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica)
44) Western house martin (Delichon urbicum)
45) Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica)
46) Black kite (Milvus migrans)
47) European greenfinch (Chloris chloris)
48) Black redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)

Amphibians
1) Edible frog (Pelophylax kl. esculentus)

Invertebrates
1) Seven-spot ladybug (Coccinella septempunctata)
2) Common brimstone butterfly (Gonepteryx rhamni)
3) Firebug (Pyrrhocoris apterus)
4) Common earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris)
5) Small cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae)
6) Common carder bee (Bombus pascuorum)
7) Common house mosquito (Culex pipiens)
8) Housefly (Musca domestica)
9) Great grey slug/Leopard slug (Limax maximus)
10) Red slug (Arion rufus)
11) Common garden snail (Cornu aspersum)
12) Black garden ant (Lasius niger)
13) Honey bee (Apis mellifera)
14) Lemon snail (Cepaea nemoralis)
15) Black field slug (Arion hortensis)
16) Box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis)
17) Large white butterfly (Pieris brassicae)
18) Black-headed cardinal beetle (Pyrochroa coccinea)
19) Northern damselfly or Spearhead blue (Coenagrion hastulatum)
20) Black-tailed skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum)
 
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Birds
461. Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus
Took a trip down to Illinois today to see the cicadas. Easily one of the most impressive natural spectacles I've ever seen, perhaps even the greatest. I can't wait to see it again in 2041. Along the way, I added a couple very nice birds:

Birds
462. Monk Parakeet Myiopsitta monachus
463. Piping Plover Charadrius melodus
 
The 5th annual moth trapping last night in the porch of the holiday cottage (I chose to trap in the porch given the rain forecast) acquired me lifers and year ticks:

146) Shuttle-shaped dart Agrotis puta
147) Diamondback moth Plutella xylostella
148) Privet tortrix Clepsis consimilana
149) Lynchnis Hadena bicruris
150) Garden carpet Xanthorhoe fluctuata
151) Silver ground carpet Xanthorhoe montanata
 
After about two weeks of almost non-stop work I had a little time this weekend for a visit to the local patch. Not entirely a leisurely wildlife stroll however, since most of the morning was spend in service of the local bird conservation group. One if the sites has a colony of house martins and they were a delight to see. The other birds are all late spring arrivals. I also heard a wood warbler, but he wasn't very obliging and didn't show. The other species were seen opportunistically during fieldwork.

Birds
190. House Martin, Delichon urbicum
191. European Honey Buzzard, Pernis apivorus
192. Spotted Flycatcher, Muscicapa striata
193. Icterine Warbler, Hippolais icterina

Butterflies
14. Common Swallowtail, Papilio machaon

Moths
34. Green Oak Tortrix, Tortrix viridana

Dragonflies
11. Blue Emperor, Anax imperator

Gastropods
12. White-lipped Snail, Cepaea hortensis
 
Took a trip down to Illinois today to see the cicadas. Easily one of the most impressive natural spectacles I've ever seen, perhaps even the greatest. I can't wait to see it again in 2041. Along the way, I added a couple very nice birds:

Birds
462. Monk Parakeet Myiopsitta monachus
463. Piping Plover Charadrius melodus
Birds
464. Common Gallinule Gallinula galeata
465. Yellow-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus
466. Black-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus erythropthalmus
 
Catching up with migration here

Birds
April 15, Moorman Swine ponds
170. Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)
171. House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)
172. Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria)
173. Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica)

April 20, Busey Woods, really odd place for this lifer, as a result got spectacular views!
174. American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) (Lifer)
175. Grey Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)

Finally got a trio of lost whistling ducks. They're in the area for about a day almost every year, but I missed them in the past. April 27 Target parking lot retention pond.
176. Black-bellied Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna atumnalis) (Lifer)

April 28, Middlefork River Forest Preserve, finally got the Cranes in Champaign Co.
177. Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis)
178. Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis)
179. Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)
180. Swainson’s Thrush (Catharus ustulatus)
181. Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus)
182. Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum)

Busey Woods, looking (unsuccessfully) for a Worm-eating Warbler. The falcon was really nice for the county, though, and I'd never seen one in Illinois.
183. Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus)
184. Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus)
185. Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
186. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)

April 29, I returned to Busey woods for migration
187. Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)
188. Tennessee Warbler (Leiothlypis peregrina)
189. Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra)
190. Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens)
191. Nashville Warbler (Leiothlypis ruficapilla)
192. Blue-headed Vireo (Vireo solitarius)
193. Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata)
194. Northern Parula (Setophaga americana)
195. Yellow-throated Vireo (Vireo flavifrons)
196. Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)
197. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)
198. Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)
199. Blue-winged Warbler (Vermivora cyanoptera)
200. Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera)
201. Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)
202. Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla)
203. Hooded Warbler (Setophaga citrina)
204. Prothonotary Warbler (Prothonotaria citrea)
205. Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea)
206. Gray-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus)
207. Kentucky Warbler (Geothlypis formosa)
208. Eastern Whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus) (Lifer)
Whippoorwill was a previously heard only species I finally saw after someone flushed it in Busey woods and it landed in a tree. It made up for the Chuck-will's-widow in town that I missed (Would have been heard only though)
209. Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio) (Lifer)
A second previously heard only lifer I saw in the night while trying to refind the Chuck

April 30, on the north quad of my campus, surprisingly cooperative warbler spent the day there and gave spectacular views, in sharp contrast to the sulky one I missed at Busey earlier
210. Worm-eating Warbler (Helmitheros vermivorum) (Lifer)
I then saw a family of owls in Urbana after class
211. Barred Owl (Strix varia)

A solid April, putting me over 200. Accidentally included repeat Black-and-white warbler initially because I completely forgot I saw a vagrant one in AZ in Jan.

Inverts
15. Silverfish (Lepisma saccharina)
16. American dog/wood tick (Dermacentor variabilis)
17. Bluegrass billbug weevil (Sphenophorus parvulus)
18. Painted lady (Vanessa cardui)
19. American lady (Vanessa virginiensis) (Wild)
20. Six-spotted green tiger beetle (Cicindela sexguttata)

Mammal
May 5, Curtis rd. fluddles
19. Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus)


Birds
May 2 Legacy ave. ponds
212. Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea)
213. Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)

May 3 Boulware trail
214. Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina)

May 5 Champaign Co. fields
215. Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda) (Lifer)
Moorman Swine Ponds
216. American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana)

May 9 Busey Woods
217. White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus)
218. Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia)
Crystal Lake Park
219. Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica)
220. Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi)
221. Bay-breasted Warbler (Setophaga castanea)
222. Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens)
223. Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)
224. Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)
Back at Busey that evening
225. American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)
226. Wilson’s Warbler (Cardellina pusilla)

May 10 Homer Lake
227. Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)
228. Blackburnian Warbler (Setophaga fusca)
229. Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius)
230. Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)
231. Yellow-throated Warbler (Setophaga dominica)
232. Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota)

May 11 Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve, Dupage Co. IL
233. Prairie Warbler (Setophaga discolor)


Inverts
21. Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum) (Lifer)
22. Question mark (Polygonia interrogationis)
23. Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
24. Black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
25. Eastern forktail (Ischnura verticalis)
26. Eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)
27. Ebony jewelwing (Calopteryx maculata)
28. Eastern giant swallowtail (Heraclides cresphontes) (Lifer)
29. Ailanthus webworm moth (Atteva aurea)
30. American giant millipede (Narceus americanus) (Lifer)
31. Eastern boxelder bug (Boisea trivittata)
32. Immigrant pavement ant (tetramorium immigrans)
33. American winter ant (Prenolepis imparis)
34. Clover weevil (Sitona hispidulus) (Wild)
35. Hairy spider weevil (Barypeithes pellucidus)
36. White-jawed jumping spider (Hentzia mitrata)
37. Larder beetle (Dermestes lardarius) (Wild)
38. Northern leaf-footed bug (Leptoglossus oppositus) (Lifer)
39. Northern paper wasp (Polistes fuscatus)
40. Spring fishfly (Chauliodes rastricornis)
41. Bold jumping spider (Phidippus audax)
42. Common whitetail (Plathemis lydia)
43. Gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus)
44. Zabulon skipper (Lon zabulon)
45. Narrow headed marsh fly (Helophilus fasciatus)
46. Isabella tiger moth (Pyrrharctia isabella)
47. Pearl crescent (Phyciodes tharos)
48. Silver-spotted skipper (Epargyreus clarus)
49. Eastern yellowjacket (Vespula maculifrons)
50. Grayish jumping spider (Phidippus princeps) (Lifer)


Really nice additions all around from the first part of May
 
Took a trip down to Illinois today to see the cicadas. Easily one of the most impressive natural spectacles I've ever seen, perhaps even the greatest. I can't wait to see it again in 2041. Along the way, I added a couple very nice birds:

Birds
462. Monk Parakeet Myiopsitta monachus
463. Piping Plover Charadrius melodus
Nice on the piping plover! Where did you go for the Cicadas?
 
As I arrived at the campground I’ll be staying at, 2 singing flycatchers were there to great me, a species that I noticed yesterday was quite lacking on my life list

Birds
138) Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)

Heard Only Species
13) Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens)

Progress:
Mammals- 17
Birds- 138
Herptiles- 9
Total- 164
Heard-only Species- 13
Just got back from the Atlantic and Ocean City area, and boy was it spectacular! I got as many new species in just 2.5 days there as I did in the entirety of last month’s migration season in North Jersey. The Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge was easily the best place I’ve ever gone birding and the Ocean City Welcome Center felt (and smelled) like the Aquatic Bird House at the Bronx Zoo with Hundred of Herons, Ibises, and Egrets. I set a personal record of 20 new species in one day (18 Birds, 2 Herptiles, and an additional heard species,) something that will likely only be broken after I travel to an entirely new continent later this year. Definitely not a Holiday Weekend to forget!

Birds
139) Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)
140) Ruby-Throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)
141) Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea)
142) Willet (Tringa semipalmata)
143) Sanderling (Calidris alba)
144) American White Ibis (Eudocimus albus)
145) Black-Crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nyciticorax)
146) Yellow-Crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea)
147) Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea)
148) Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor)
149) Purple Martin (Progne subis)
150) Gull-Billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica)
151) Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)
152) Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)
153) Dunlin (Calidris alpina) (It has autocorrect to “Dublin” several times now)
154) Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)
155) Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger)
156) Short-Billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)
157) Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)
158) Clapper Rail (Rallus crepitans)
159) Black-Bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)
160) Hudsonian Whimbrel (Numenius hudsonicus)
161) Snow Goose (Anser caerulescens)

Herptiles

10) Eastern Rat Snake (Pantherophis quadrivittatus)
11) Fowler’s Toad (Anaxyrus fowleri)

Heard Only Species

14) Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii)
15) Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrae)
16) Seaside Sparrow (Ammospiza maritima)

Progress:
Mammals- 17
Birds- 161
Herptiles- 11
Total- 189
Heard-only Species- 16
 
Birds:
60. Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)
61. Sanderling (Calidris alba)
62. White-Rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis)
63. Chestnut-Sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica)
64. Black-Crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
65. Green Heron (Butorides virescens)

Amphibians:
1. American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus)
2. American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus)

Reptiles:
2. Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)
3. Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta)

FIshes:
2. Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)
3. Pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus)

Totals: 65 Birds, 3 Mammals, 3 Reptiles, 3 Fishes, 2 Amphibians
I did get attacked by a red-winged blackbird yesterday, but I was able to add two more species to my list for the year

Birds:
66. Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)
67. Blackburnian Warbler (Setophaga fusca)

Totals: 67 Birds, 3 Mammals, 3 Reptiles, 3 Fishes, 2 Amphibians
 
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