Zoochat Big Year 2025

Another rainy day turned into a great day for birding. I went out right after it ended and had an even better day than Thursday. I beat my single-day warbler count again and saw two of my top targets for my lifelist, Blackburnian Warbler and Golden-winged Warbler.

5/4/25
Birds:
133. Golden-winged Warbler Vermivora chrysoptera
134. Tennessee Warbler Leiothlypis peregrina
135. Magnolia Warbler Setophaga magnolia
136. Blackburnian Warbler Setophaga fusca
137. Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea

Total species: 157
Birds: 137
Mammals: 14
Herptiles: 6
I went out this morning hunting for a Bell's Vireo but found an even cooler lifer I wasn't expecting.

5/7/25
Birds:
138. Black Tern Chlidonias niger
139. Osprey Pandion haliaetus

Total species: 159
Birds: 139
Mammals: 14
Herptiles: 6
 
I had somehow forgotten to mention five of these flocking above the pub yesterday evening:

132) Common Swift Apus apus

Today I undertook my first sweep netting at university and it was incredibly productive with a good number of both year ticks and lifers:

79) Black-headed Cardinal Beetle Pyrochroa coccinea
80) Dark-barred Tortrix Syndemis musculana
81) Handsome Plant Bug Harpocera thoracica
82) Meadow Plant Bug Leptopterna dolabrata
83) Strawberry Seed Beetle Harpalus rufipes
84) Hairy Dragonfly Brachytron pratense
85) Grass Bug Stenodema laevigata
86) Wheat Stem-Sawfly Cephus pygmeus
87) Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta
88) Common Snout-Hoverfly Rhingia campestris
89) Roesel's Bush Cricket Metrioptera roeselii
90) Thick-legged Flower Beetle Oedemera nobilis
91) Red-and-Black Froghopper Cercopis vulnerata
92) Meadow Longhorn Cauchas rufimitrella
93) Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana
94) Cock's Foot Moth Glyphipterix simpliciella
 
It was a while ago since I updated my year list, but the last couple of months have been really stressful, and I've been slacking on updating my lists. But it's been really good with some rarities and two Landsort visits—one in the beginning of May and one in the beginning of April. The latter being especially fruitful with nightjar, citrine wagtail, and eastern red-rumped swallow. Some other nice lifers were a capercaillie and two Bewick's swans
Haven't really been out in the field that much as my free time during daylight has been a bit limited; a visit to Landsort a couple of days ago was nice, with some for the season early birds like Common eider and Common scoter. The real crown jewel sighting during the past month was a Black-throated thrush; very nice views of this lifer in a suburban area a bit north of Stockholm. Another very nice sighting was that of a Black Redstart; this ubiquitous bird in many parts of Europe is a very rare breeder in my part of Sweden. Not that rare of a bird during migration, but when I went to see the reported ones, it always ended in failure. So it's very nice to add this nemesis bird to my Sweden list.

50 Lesser spotted woodpecker (Dryboates minor)
51 Tawny owl (Strix aluco)
52 House sparrow (Passer domesticus
53 Coal tit (Periparus ater)
54 Crested tit (Lophophanes cristatus
55 Black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius)
56 Common starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
57 Black-throated thrush (Turdus atrogularis)
58 Black redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)
59 Willow tit (Poecile montanus)
60 Miste thrush (Turdus viscivorus)
61 Eurasian skylark (Alauda arvensis)
62 Common teal (Anas crecca)
63 Rook (Corvus frugilegus)
64 Long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis)
65 Common eider (Somateria mollissima)
66 Common scoter (Melanitta nigra)
67 Twite (Linaria flavirostris)
68 Marsh tit (Poecile palustris)

69. Greylag goose (Anser anser)
70. Northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
71. Greater white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons)
72. Bewick's swan (Cygnus columbianus bewickii)
73. Common crane (Grus grus)
74. Rough-legged buzzard (Buteo lagopus)
75. Stock dove (Columba oenas)
76. Tundra bean-goose (Anser serrirostris)
77. Eurasian woodcock (Scolopax rusticola)
78. Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus)
79. Smew (Mergellus albellus)
80. Common pochard (Aythya ferina)
81. Black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
82. Common crossbill (Loxia curvirostra)
83. Western capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus)
84. Wood lark (Lullula arborea)
85. Green sandpiper (Tringa ochropus)
86. White wagtail (Motacilla alba)
87. Song thrush (Turdus philomelos)
88. Common chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)
89. Common reed bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus)
90. Common snipe (Gallinago gallinago)
91. Caspian gull (Larus cachinnans)
92. Eurasian oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)
93. Velvet scoter (Melanitta fusca)
94. Western house martin (Delichon urbicum)
95. Razorbill (Alca torda)
96. European rock pipit (Anthus petrosus)
97. Black guillemot (Cepphus grylle)
98. Common murre (Uria aalge)
99. Horned grebe (Podiceps auritus)
100. Common linnet (Linaria cannabina)
101. Eurasian wigeon (Mareca penelope)
102. Barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis)
103. Greater scaup (Aythya marila)
104. Western marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus)
105. Northern shoveler (Spatula clypeata)
106. Little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius)
107. Great egret (Ardea alba)
108. Northern pintail (Anas acuta)
109. Lesser black-backed gull (Larus fuscus)
110. Dunnock (Prunella modularis)
111. Common tern (Sterna hirundo)
112. Meadow pipit (Anthus pratensis)
113. Wood sandpiper (Tringa glareola)
114. Tree pipit (Anthus trivialis)
115. Merlin (Falco columbarius)
116. Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)
117. Common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)
118. Common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
119. Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica)
120. Common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
121. Lesser whitethroat (Curruca curruca)
122. European nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus)
123. Red-throated loon (Gavia stellata)
124. Eurasian hobby (Falco subbuteo)
125. Citrine wagtail (Motacilla citreola)
126. Eurasian whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)
127. Northern wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe)
128. Western yellow wagtail (Motacilla flava)
129. Eastern red-rumped swallow (Cecropis daurica)
130. Willow warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus)
131. Common redshank (Tringa totanus)
132. Common greenshank (Tringa nebularia)
 
Herps
5. Spiny Softshell Turtle Apalone spinifera

Fish
1. Largemouth Bass Micropterus nigricans
2. Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus

Birds
204. Great Crested Flycatcher Myiarchus crinitus
205. Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas
Birds
206. Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris

Fish
3. Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus
 
Took some time to go birding today, so here's a long-overdue update to my list. I'll be heading to Alaska later this month, so I should hopefully be able to add a whole bunch of species to my list in the near future.

Species in bold here represent new additions to my life list

Birds

25. Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
26. Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)
27. Northern Rough-Winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)
28. Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)
29. Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)
30. Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus)
31. Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)
32. Double-Crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)
33. White-Eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus)
34. Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)
35. Ruby-Crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula)
36. Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)
37. Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus)
38. White-Crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)
39. Brown-Headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)
40. Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla)
41. Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis)
42. Golden-Winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera)
43. Blue-Winged Warbler (Vermivora cyanoptera)

44. Black-and-White Warbler (Mniotilta varia)
45. Nashville Warbler (Leiothlypis ruficapilla)
46. Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia)
47. Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum)

Mammals
6. Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus)

Totals: 47 birds, 6 mammals, 1 reptile
Birds
48. Red-Headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)
49. Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)
50. Philadelphia Vireo (Vireo philadelphicus)
51. Black-Capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)
52. Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)
53. American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)
54. Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius)
55. Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)
56. American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)
57. Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina)
58. Red-Bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)
59. Purple Martin (Progne subis)

60. Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)
61. Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)

Totals: 61 Birds, 6 Mammals, 1 Reptile
 
An excellent day at RSPB Bempton Cliffs making the third time I have visited this fantastic site. Apart from the obvious draw of seabird species we also had a moth and two mammals:

133) Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus
134) Northern Gannet Morus bassanus
135) Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla
136) Common Guillemot Uria aalge
137) Razorbill Alca torda
138) Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica
139) Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra

97) The Rivulet Perizoma affinitata

7) Grey Seal Halichoerus grypus
8) Least Weasel Mustela nivalis
 
Birds
206. Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris

Fish
3. Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus
Birds
207. Tennessee Warbler Leiothlypis peregrina
208. American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla
209. Bay-breasted Warbler Setophaga castanea
210. Magnolia Warbler Setophaga magnolia
211. Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea
212. Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla
213. Chestnut-sided Warbler Setophaga pensylvanica
214. Blackburnian Warbler Setophaga fusca
215. Bobolink Dolichonyx oryzivorus
216. Blue-winged Warbler Vermivora cyanoptera
217. Yellow-throated Vireo Vireo flavifrons
 
Last edited:
A rather busy month with no "formal" wildlife watching. All the species below were spotted near my workplace.

Nanjing, March 2025

Birds:
95. Besra (Accipiter virgatus)
96. Black Kite (Milvus migrans)
97. Long-tailed Shrike (Lanius schach)
98. Pallas's Leaf-warbler (Phylloscopus proregulus)
99. White-cheeked Starling (Spodiopsar cineraceus)
100. Dusky Thrush (Turdus eunomus)
101. Daurian Redstart (Phoenicurus auroreus)
102. Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus)
103. Chinese Grosbeak (Eophona migratoria)

Nanjing, April 2025

Birds:
104. Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
105. Red-rumped Swallow (Cecropis daurica)
106. Vinous-throated Parrotbill (Suthora webbiana)

Nanjing Botanical Garden, May 6, 2025

Birds:
107. Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
108. Brown-rumped Minivet (Pericrocotus cantonensis)
109. Red-billed Blue Magpie (Urocissa erythroryncha)
110. Yellow-rumped Flycatcher (Ficedula zanthopygia)
 
Birds
207. Tennessee Warbler Leiothlypis peregrina
208. American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla
209. Bay-breasted Warbler Setophaga castanea
210. Magnolia Warbler Setophaga magnolia
211. Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea
212. Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla
213. Chestnut-sided Warbler Setophaga pensylvanica
214. Blackburnian Warbler Setophaga fusca
215. Bobolink Dolichonyx oryzivorus
216. Blue-winged Warbler Vermivora cyanoptera
217. Yellow-throated Vireo Vireo flavifrons
Birds
218. Virginia Rail Rallus limicola
219. Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus
220. Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla
221. Wilson's Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor
222. Blackpoll Warbler Setophaga striata
 
Birds
218. Virginia Rail Rallus limicola
219. Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus
220. Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla
221. Wilson's Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor
222. Blackpoll Warbler Setophaga striata
I was waiting on additional review for this one, but I'm comfortable counting it now. A new state bird for me!:

Birds
223. Neotropic Cormorant Nannopterum brasilianum
 
May 4, 2025

BIRDS:
52) Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)

INVERTEBRATES:
20) Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)

MAMMALS: 6 species
BIRDS: 52 species
REPTILES: 2 species
FISH: 7 species
INVERTEBRATES: 20 species
TOTAL: 87 species
May 11, 2025

MAMMALS:
7) Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus)

BIRDS:
53) Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)

REPTILES:
3) Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta)
4) Pond Slider (Trachemys scripta)

MAMMALS: 7 species
BIRDS: 53 species
REPTILES: 4 species
FISH: 7 species
INVERTEBRATES: 20 species
TOTAL: 91 species
 
Back
Top