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Zoochat Big Year 2024
- Thread starter Chlidonias
- Start date
@Chlidonias Thank You for catching that.
Birds:
68. Long-tailed Jaeger (Stercorarius longicaudus)
68. Long-tailed Jaeger (Stercorarius longicaudus)
night of 01.06.-02.06. - Am Wichelshof, Bonn & Hangelarer Heide, Sankt Augustin, Germany
Birds
04. Eurasian Scops Owl (Otus scops)
Amphibians
01. Natterjack Toad (Epidalea calamita)
(Corn Crake heard only at second location.)
DesertTortoise
Well-Known Member
Birds
Backyard - May 6
162. Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge - May 6
163. Yellow warbler (Setophaga petechia)
164. Dickcissel (Spiza americana)
165. Snowy egret (Egretta thula)
166. Semipalmated sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)
Backyard - May 7
167. Gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)
168. Least flycatcher (Empidonax minimus)
169. Yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)
Weston Bend State Park - May 8 to 9
170. Great crested flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)
171. Mourning warbler (Geothlypis philadelphia)
172. Black-and-white warbler (Mniotilta varia)
173. Yellow-throated warbler (Setophaga dominica)
174. Magnolia warbler (Setophaga magnolia)
Remington Nature Center - May 10
175. Purple martin (Progne subis)
Muskrat Lake - May 10
176. Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)
Legends Shopping Center, Kansas - May 11
177. Western kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis)
Backyard - May 12
178. Common nighthawk (Chordeiles minor)
McGee Family Conservation Area - May 17
179. Blue grosbeak (Passerina caerulea)
180. Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus)
Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge - May 17
181. Ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres)
182. Black-bellied plover (Pluvialis squatarola)
183. Western cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis)
Backyard - May 20
184. Chimney swift (Chaetura pelagica)
Jerry Litton Visitor Center - May 21
185. Eastern wood-pewee (Contopus virens)
Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge - May 24
186. Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)
Backyard - May 26
187. Alder flycatcher (Empidonax alnorum)
188. Louisiana waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla)
Kendzora Conservation Area - June 1
189. Yellow-breasted chat (Icteria virens)
190. White-eyed vireo (Vireo griseus)
Mammals
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo, Nebraska - May 22
10. House mouse (Mus musculus)
11. Franklin’s ground squirrel (Poliocitellus franklinii)
Reptiles
Saint Louis Zoo - May 15
12. Northern map turtle (Graptemys geographica)
McGee Family Conservation Area - May 17
13. Ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus)
Roadside - May 21
14. Western ratsnake (Pantherophis obsoletus)
Amphibians
McGee Family Conservation Area - May 17
7. Western narrow-mouthed toad (Gastrophryne olivacea)
Fish
Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge - May 17
11. Shortnose gar (Lepisosteus platostomus)
Second Creek - May 18
12. Green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus)
Invertebrates
24. Red-spotted purple (Limenitis arthemis)
25. Great spangled fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
26. Snowberry clearwing (Hemaris diffinis)
27. Common whitetail (Plathemis lydia)
Herps
55. Northern Leopard Frog Lithobates pipiens
Platypusboy
Well-Known Member
A couple more birds from an early morning trip yesterday. Highlight was definetly a surprise pair of penduline tits building a nest! (Possibly one of the only nests in Finland 
)
Birds
208. Marsh warbler, Acrocephalus palustris 2/6/24
209. Eurasian penduline tit, Remiz pendulinus 2/6/24
210. Blyth’s reed warbler, Acrocephalus dumetorum 2/6/24
)Birds
208. Marsh warbler, Acrocephalus palustris 2/6/24
209. Eurasian penduline tit, Remiz pendulinus 2/6/24
210. Blyth’s reed warbler, Acrocephalus dumetorum 2/6/24
At the start of every new year I tell myself I’ll be prompt with new updates to my Big Year counts, only to fall behind…
April was entirely uneventful, as always for me, but in May I decided to put a little effort into birding. Since May 11th is considered ‘Global Big Day’ by the people managing eBird, I decided to try gathering some of my friends and doing my first attempt at something resembling a big day. Of course there is something a bit unfair about the choice of said date considering nearly every migrant bird is gone from South India by that point (and I would guess many other tropical areas too), but we nonetheless managed to get around 75 species (heard and seen), including several new ones for the year and the two lifers. Take into account we didn’t bird at all the entire afternoon because of the heat. A couple of species at the start at end were seen on other days however.
Birds
101. Common Hawk Cuckoo Hierococcyx varius
102. Ashy Prinia Prinia socialis
103. Little Swift Apus affinis
104. Small Minivet Pericrocotus cinnamomeus
105. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
106. Common Iora Aegithina tiphia
107. Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala
108. Black-headed Cuckooshrike Lalage melanoptera
109. Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus
110. Eurasian Coot Fulica atra
111. Black-crowned Night-heron Nycticorax nycticorax
112. Pheasant-tailed Jacana Hydrophasianus chirurgus
113. Bronze-winged Jacana Metopidius indicus
114. Lesser Whistling Duck Dendrocygna javanica
115. Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus
116. Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii
117. Tricoloured Munia Lonchura malacca
I’m deciding to remove Common Kingfisher, as I didn’t see it as clearly as I’d have liked to.
April was entirely uneventful, as always for me, but in May I decided to put a little effort into birding. Since May 11th is considered ‘Global Big Day’ by the people managing eBird, I decided to try gathering some of my friends and doing my first attempt at something resembling a big day. Of course there is something a bit unfair about the choice of said date considering nearly every migrant bird is gone from South India by that point (and I would guess many other tropical areas too), but we nonetheless managed to get around 75 species (heard and seen), including several new ones for the year and the two lifers. Take into account we didn’t bird at all the entire afternoon because of the heat. A couple of species at the start at end were seen on other days however.
Birds
101. Common Hawk Cuckoo Hierococcyx varius
102. Ashy Prinia Prinia socialis
103. Little Swift Apus affinis
104. Small Minivet Pericrocotus cinnamomeus
105. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
106. Common Iora Aegithina tiphia
107. Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala
108. Black-headed Cuckooshrike Lalage melanoptera
109. Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus
110. Eurasian Coot Fulica atra
111. Black-crowned Night-heron Nycticorax nycticorax
112. Pheasant-tailed Jacana Hydrophasianus chirurgus
113. Bronze-winged Jacana Metopidius indicus
114. Lesser Whistling Duck Dendrocygna javanica
115. Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus
116. Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii
117. Tricoloured Munia Lonchura malacca
I’m deciding to remove Common Kingfisher, as I didn’t see it as clearly as I’d have liked to.
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Platypusboy
Well-Known Member
Birds
211. Spotted flycatcher, Muscicapa striata 3/6/24
212. Green sandpiper, Tringa ochropus 3/6/24
211. Spotted flycatcher, Muscicapa striata 3/6/24
212. Green sandpiper, Tringa ochropus 3/6/24
Prochilodus246
Well-Known Member
An invertebrate from Sunday morning I had forgotten to mention:
170) Bumblebee blacklet Cheilosia illustrata
170) Bumblebee blacklet Cheilosia illustrata
Prochilodus246
Well-Known Member
I was out surveying ancient and veteran trees today and acquired a year tick and a lifer whilst doing so:
171) Anaspis frontalis (False flower beetle species)
172) Thick-legged flower beetle Oedemera nobilis
171) Anaspis frontalis (False flower beetle species)
172) Thick-legged flower beetle Oedemera nobilis
A trip to the Canary Islands brought me every Tenerife and Fuerteventura endemic bird (except the shearwater, which seems to have become even more increasingly rare), plus a lot more. Our good friends Kevin and Alicia were getting married in Kevin's home island of Tenerife, and, after a truly beautiful wedding, I set about ticking the endemics (via public transport). I am actually going to write a trip report at some point, as might be useful for nondrivers. Also, several of the birds I saw are speculatively full species as opposed to subspecies. I have listed them as such below including the non resolved species.
Mammals
13. Barbary ground squirrel
Birds
213. Yellow legged gull
214. Canary Islands chiffchaff
215. Spanish sparrow
216. Berthelot's pipit
217. Atlantic canary
218. Plain swift
219. White-tailed laurel pigeon
220. Grey wagtail
221. Turtle dove
222. African blue tit
223. Sardinian warbler
224. Barbary partridge
225. Cory's OR Scopoli's shearwater.
I saw lots of these out at sea from a sea watch. Conflicting sources on the internet attribute these as either Scopoli or Cory's. Any opinions?
226. Bolle's laurel pigeon
227. Tenerife goldcrest
This is a speculative split, which makes sense to me. Very distinct from familiar goldcrests in the UK.
228. Canary Islands chaffinch
229. Tenerife blue chaffinch
230. Laughing dove
231. Egyptian vulture
232. Great grey shrike
The grey shrike on the islands has variously been classified as L. excubitor, L. meridionalis, and L. elegans. Consensus is excubitor but I think it might well be elegans. Counting it as excubitor here.
233. Spectacled warbler
234. Trumpeter finch
235. Black-bellied sandgrouse
236. Eurasian hoopoe
237. Fuerteventura stonechat
238. Tenerife robin
Now mooted as a full split and noticeably distinct.
Plus Barbary falcon, now lumped into peregrine.
Herps
2. Tenerife giant lizard
3. Tenerife wall gecko
4. Atlantic lizard
Birds:
97. Chimney swift (Chaetura pelagica)
98. Fish crow (Corvus ossifragus)
99. Sanderling (Calidris alba)
100. Herring gull (Larus argentatus)
101. Common tern (Sterna hirundo)
102. Black skimmer (Rynchops niger)
103. Snowy egret (Egretta thula)
Herptiles:
12. Fowler's toad (Anaxyrus fowleri)
13. Diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin)
14. Common five-lined skink (Plestiodon fasciatus)
Fishes:
4. Mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus)
Invertebrates:
33. Eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)
34. Horned passalus beetle (Odontotaenius disjunctus)
35. Great black wasp (Sphex pensylvanicus)
36. Coquina (Donax variabilis)
37. Atlantic horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus)
38. Long-wristed hermit crab (Pagurus longicarpus)
39. Eastern mudsnail (Ilyanassa obsoleta)
40. Lady crab (Ovalipes ocellatus)
41. Red admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
Mammals: 16
Birds: 103
Herptiles: 14
Fishes: 4
Invertebrates: 41
Total: 178
Prochilodus246
Well-Known Member
Once again I'm forgetting what inverts I saw, so from yesterday this moth year tick:
173) Straw-dot Rivula sericealis
173) Straw-dot Rivula sericealis
Long overdue update, wild lifers in bold:
Dakhla, Western Sahara:
5. Atlantic Bottle-nosed Dolphin, Tursiops truncatus (Feb 26)
A Desert Camp, Western Sahara:
6. Fennec Fox, Vulpes zerda
7. Lesser Egyptian Gerbil, Gerbillus gerbillus
8. African Hamada Jerboa, Jaculus hirtipes WILD FAMILY LIFER!!
9. West Sahara Hare, Lepus saharae
10. Tarabul’s Gerbil, Gerbillus tarabuli (Feb 27)
11. Sand Cat, Felis margarita (Feb 28)
12. Saharan Striped Polecat, Ictonyx libycus
Awsard, Western Sahara:
13. African Wild Cat, Felis lybica (Feb 29) Leap day!!
14. Egyptian Free-tailed Bat, Tadarida aegyptiaca
15. Fat-tailed Gerbil, Pachyuromys duprasi
16. Pygmy Gerbil, Gerbillus henleyi
17. Egyptian Mouse-tailed Bat, Rhinopoma cystops (Mar 1) WILD FAMILY LIFER!!
Montesinho Natural Park, Portugal:
18. Short-tailed Field Vole, Microtus agrestis (Mar 10)
19. Common Pipistrelle, Pipistrellus pipistrellus (Mar 11)
20. Greater Horseshoe Bat, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum
21. Gray Long-eared Bat, Plecotus austriacus
22. Granada Hare, Lepus granatensis
Furnas, Azores:
23. Azores Noctule, Nyctalus azoreum (Mar 12)
Vernon Valley Farm, NJ:
24. Eastern Meadow Vole, Microtus pennsylvanicus (Mar 29)
25. White-footed Mouse, Peromyscus leucopus
26. American Red Squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus (Mar 30)
27. Northern Short-tailed Shrew, Blarina brevicauda (Mar 31)
Brooklyn, NY:
28. Eastern Chipmunk, Tamias striatus (Apr 21)
29. Virigina Opossum, Didelphis virginiana (May 30)
Hudson Canyon, USA:
30. Risso’s Dolphin, Grampus griseus (June 3)
31. Common Dolphin, Delphinus delphis
32. Striped Dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba!!! Really excited about these!
33. North Atlantic Right Whale, Eubalaena glacialis
34. Humpback Whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
endogenylove
Active Member
Finally back from 3 weeks in Kenya! I will add that update soon, but first, a few observations from my drive from Wyoming to Pennsylvania for a few days to New York City prior to leaving:
Birds:
103. Great-Tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)
104. Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)
105. Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)
106. Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)
107. Red-Eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)
108. Brown-Headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)
109. Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)
110. Northern Parula (Setophaga americana)
111. Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)
112. Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica)
113. Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedorum)
114. Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
115. Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
116. Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla)
117. Great Egret (Ardea alba)
118. Brant (Branta bernicla)
Mammals:
18. Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus)
19. Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus)
And finally, I'm ending with a question. A part of my time in Kenya involved live trapping and releasing small mammals as part of an ongoing research project. Am I allowed to count those species as a part of my list? As far as I can tell, it's unclear in the rules - the animals were wild, but I would not have seen them had they not been trapped. Anyway, Kenya update will be posted whenever that matter is clarified!
Birds:
103. Great-Tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)
104. Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)
105. Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)
106. Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)
107. Red-Eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)
108. Brown-Headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)
109. Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)
110. Northern Parula (Setophaga americana)
111. Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)
112. Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica)
113. Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedorum)
114. Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
115. Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
116. Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla)
117. Great Egret (Ardea alba)
118. Brant (Branta bernicla)
Mammals:
18. Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus)
19. Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus)
And finally, I'm ending with a question. A part of my time in Kenya involved live trapping and releasing small mammals as part of an ongoing research project. Am I allowed to count those species as a part of my list? As far as I can tell, it's unclear in the rules - the animals were wild, but I would not have seen them had they not been trapped. Anyway, Kenya update will be posted whenever that matter is clarified!
Typically mammal-watchers do count live-trapped small mammals in their lists, whereas birders do not count mist-netted birds. So it's kind of up to you what you're comfortable with, but in general the answer to your question is yes they can be counted.
endogenylove
Active Member
Thank you! As I am just doing this for fun, I will count them in that case.
Birds
467. Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus