Zoochat Big Year 2025

Najade said:
01.06.25 - Dluga Lake (136), Bialystok (96), Bialy Grad Trail (97), Dolistowo Nowe (137), Podlaskie & Warsaw (98), Masowien, Poland

Mammals
96. Wolf (Canis lupus)
97. Stoat (Mustela erminea)
98. Eurasian Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)

Birds (passerines)
136. Aquatic Warbler (Acrocephalus paludicola)
137. Citrine Wagtail (Motacilla citreola)
Click to expand...
04.06.25 - run-in in front of our house (Essen, Germany):

Mammals
99. Beech Marten (Martes foina)
 
Najade said:
04.06.25 - run-in in front of our house (Essen, Germany):

Mammals
99. Beech Marten (Martes foina)
Click to expand...
07.06.25 - in and around Planina caves, Slovenia

Reptiles
11. Common Slow Worm (Anguis fragilis)

Amphibians
13. Olm (Proteus anguinus)

Invertebrates
01. Great Cave Woodlouse (Tithanetes albus)
02. Cave Shrimp (Troglocaris planinensis)
03. Water Louse (Asellus aquaticus cavernicolus)
 
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Najade said:
07.06.25 - in and around Planina caves, Slovenia

Reptiles
11. Common Slow Worm (Anguis fragilis)

Amphibians
13. Olm (Proteus anguinus)

Invertebrates
01. Great Cave Woodlouse (Tithanetes albus)
02. Cave Shrimp (Troglocaris planinensis)
03. Water Louse (Asellus aquaticus cavernicolus)
Click to expand...
08.06.25 - Veli Badin (138-140, 12, 13), Slovenia; Duino (141) & Sentiero Rilke (142), Italy; Krn (143, 14), Slovenia

Birds (passerines)
138. Red-rumped Swallow (Cecropis daurica)
139. Blue Rock-thrush (Monticola solitarius)
140. Eastern Subalpine Warbler (Sylvia cantillans)
141. Italian Sparrow (Passer italiae)
142. Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala)
143. Rufous-tailed Rock-thrush (Monticola saxatilis)

Reptiles
12. Dalmatian Wall Lizard (Podarcis melisellensis)
13. Blue-throated Keeled Lizard (Algyroides nigropunctatus)
14. Aesculapian Snake (Zamenis longissimus)
 
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Najade said:
08.06.25 - Veli Badin (138-140, 12, 13), Slovenia; Duino (141) & Sentiero Rilke (142), Italy; Krn (143, 14), Slovenia

Birds (passerines)
138. Red-rumped Swallow (Cecropis daurica)
139. Blue Rock-thrush (Monticola solitarius)
140. Eastern Subalpine Warbler (Sylvia cantillans)
141. Italian Sparrow (Passer italiae)
142. Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala)
143. Rufous-tailed Rock-thrush (Monticola saxatilis)

Reptiles
12. Dalmatian Wall Lizard (Podarcis melisellensis)
13. Blue-throated Keeled Lizard (Algyroides nigropunctatus)
14. Aesculapian Snake (Zamenis longissimus)
Click to expand...
09.06.25 - Altopiano de Montasio (100, 101), Italy; Trenta Upper Valley (144), Slovenia

Mammals
100. Alpine Marmot (Marmota marmota)
101. Alpine Ibex (Capra ibex)

Birds (passerines)
144. Western Bonelli's Warbler (Phylloscopus bonelli)
 
MOG2012 said:
June 1st, 2025

INVERTEBRATES:
23) Eastern Black Carpenter Ant (Camponotus pennsylvanicus)

MAMMALS: 7 species
BIRDS: 56 species
REPTILES: 5 species
FISH: 7 species
INVERTEBRATES: 23 species
TOTAL: 98 species
Click to expand...
June 12th, 2025

BIRDS:
57) Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)
58) Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)

INVERTEBRATES:
24) Potato Aphid (Macrosiphum euphorbiae)

MAMMALS: 7 species
BIRDS: 58 species
REPTILES: 5 species
FISH: 7 species
INVERTEBRATES: 24 species
TOTAL: 101 species! (yay, I passed 100)
 
Just realised I never uploaded some additions from the weekend before last - a day out with my entomologist dad with accordingly a nice bump to the inverts.

Alongside the birds below I also finally got a UK Yellowhammer to advance the UK total an extra one.

Additions are from Glapthorn Cow Pasture, Fineshade Woods, and Rutland Water.

Birds:
171. Garden Warbler - Sylvia borin
172. Osprey - Pandion haliaetus

(UK:169)

Invertebrates:
18. Black Hairstreak - Satyrium pruni
19. Large Skipper - Ochlodes venata
20. Early Bumblebee - Bombus pratorum
21. Tree Bumblebee - Bombus hypnorum
22. Spotted Longhorn Beetle - Rutpela maculata
23. Variable Longhorn Beetle - Stenocorus meridianus
24. Hairy Dragonfly - Brachytron pratense
25. Dark Bush Cricket - Pholioptera griseoaptera
26. Thick-legged Flower Beetle - Oedemera nobilis
27. Common Tiger Hoverfly - Helophilus pendulus
28. Red-and-black Froghopper - Cercopis vulnerata
29. Dingy Skipper - Erynnis tages
30. Common Blue - Polyommatus icarus
31. Broad-bodied Chaser - Libellula depressa
32. Common Wood White - Leptidea sinapis
33. Common Blue Damselfly - Enallagma cyathigerum
34. Chimney Sweeper - Odezia atrata
35. Small Copper - Lycaena phlaeas
36. Red-headed Cardinal Beetle - Pyrochroa serraticornis
37. Two-spot Ladybird - Adalia bipunctata
38. Harlequin Ladybird - Harmonia axyridis
39. Yellow-banded Longhorn - Nemophora degeerella
40. Soldier Beetle - Cantharis rustica
41. Blue-tailed Damselfly - Ischnuta elegans
42. Bloodsucker Soldier Beetle - Rhagonycha fulva

:)
 
A lot has happened in this time, most notably one final spring visit to Hanko Bird Observatory and a three day biking excursion in South Karelia. Both trips were rather successful, but the South Karelia trip was particularly interesting, since finding rare regional exclusives and just generally learning about the differences with local wildlife were both genuinely great experiences.

Mammals

12. Moose, Alces alces 24/5/25

Birds

175. Brant, Branta bernicla 22/5/25

Kirkkonummi, Pampskatan

176. Red knot, Calidris canutus 25/5/25
177. Gray plover, Pluvialis squatarola 25/5/25
178. Spotted flycatcher, Muscicapa striata 25/5/25

Hanko Bird Observatory 27/5-29/5

179. Red-backed shrike, Lanius collurio 27/5/25
180. Sandwich tern, Sterna sandvicensis 27/5/25
181. Icterine warbler, Hippolais icterina 27/5/25
182. Marsh warbler, Acrocephalus palustris 28/5/25
183. Hawfinch, Coccothraustes coccothraustes 28/5/25
184. Garden warbler, Sylvia borin 28/5/25
185. Caspian gull, Larus cachinnans 28/5/25
186. Common rosefinch, Carpodacus erythrinus 29/5/25
187. Greenish warbler, Phylloscopus trochiloides 29/5/25

188. Red-breasted flycatcher, Ficedula parva 1/6/25

South Karelia 9/6-11/6

189. Blyth’s reed warbler, Acrocephalus dumetorum 9/6/25
190. Eurasian golden oriole, Oriolus oriolus 9/6/25
191. Great reed warbler, Acrocephalus arundinaceus 9/6/25
192. Eurasian bittern, Botaurus stellaris 10/6/25
193. Ortolan bunting, Emberiza hortulana 10/6/25
194. Common reed warbler, Acrocephalus scirpaceus 11/6/25

Also felt like I should finally start including my heard-only birds, as I believe they're equally important when counting.

Heard-only

1. Gray-headed woodpecker, Picus canus 26/1/25
2. Snow bunting, Plectrophenax nivalis 17/2/25
3. Common cuckoo, Cuculus canorus 10/5/25
4. Savi's warbler, Locustella luscinioides 13/5/25
5. European nightjar, Caprimulgus europaeus 1/6/25
6. Spotted crake, Porzana porzana 4/6/25
7. Common grasshopper warbler, Locustella naevia 7/6/25
8. Corncrake, Crex crex 10/6/25
9. River warbler, Locustella fluviatilis 10/6/25
 
Last week with my university we spent 5 full days up in Scotland. We visited many interesting sites with lots of interesting species with us recording 102 Bird species, 8 Mammals, 174 Plants, over 80 inverts identified to species level & around 12 fungi & lichens. The following were year ticks and lifers for me:

02/06:
The first full day was spent on the Knapdale Beaver Trail and in and around Crinan Wood which is a fragment of temperate rainforest:


148) Garden Warbler
149) Common Eider
150) Sand Martin
151) Hooded Crow
152) Common Sandpiper
153) White-tailed Eagle



03/06:
The next day we took the ferry to the Isle of Mull from Oban which was previously due to be postponed given the poor weather, but thankfully the weather improved and we arrived on Mull by late morning. We drove most of the island plus stopping at Duart castle, Calgary Bay and Tobermory respectively:

154) Black Guillemot
155) Arctic Tern
156) Manx Shearwater
157) Northern Wheatear
158) Hen Harrier

12) Common Seal
13) Eurasian Otter


04/06:
Our third day was spent driving up to RSPB Insh Marshes and Loch Garten. The cloudy and windy weather meant odonata were thin on the ground at Insh and there was no sign of the ospreys at Garten, however, the day was not lost as we still had some interesting species:

159) Crested Tit
160) Common Redstart

05/06:
Thursday which was our final full dat saw us visit RSPB Loch Lomond which straddles the bank of the loch encompassing woodland, wetlands and damp grassland. Later on we met with a representative of the Dragonfly Society at Flanders Moss which saw us seeing a number of herptiles and inverts:

161) Western Osprey
162) Spotted Flycatcher


The inverts:
148) Pearl-bordered Fritillary
149) Black Darter
150) Alder Leaf Gall Mite
151) Pfeiffer's Amber Snail
152) Dusky Slug
153) Downlooker Snipefly
154) Forest Bug
155) Striped Millipede
156) Nettle Ground Bug
157) Large Skipper
158) Meadow Brown
159) Sthenarus rotermundi
160) Granulated Ground Beetle
161) Angle Shades
162) Chimney Sweep
163) Violet Dor Beetle
164) Tarnished Plant Bug
165) Two-banded Longhorn Beetle
 
birdsandbats said:
Birds
266. White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi
267. American Bittern Botaurus lentiginosus
Click to expand...
Sadly Kentucky Warbler remains a heard-only nemesis within Wisconsin and the wider ABA-area for me, but I did get the best views I've ever had of both of these species during my search for it:

Birds
268. Yellow-breasted Chat Icteria virens
269. Yellow-throated Warbler Setophaga dominica
 
birdsandbats said:
Sadly Kentucky Warbler remains a heard-only nemesis within Wisconsin and the wider ABA-area for me, but I did get the best views I've ever had of both of these species during my search for it:

Birds
268. Yellow-breasted Chat Icteria virens
269. Yellow-throated Warbler Setophaga dominica
Click to expand...
New state record found nesting (hybrid pairing with American Herring Gull) in Milwaukee!:

Birds
270. Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus
 
MRJ said:
We spent the night in Los Angeles, as there was a $1200 difference in airfares between flying straight out and the next day. Besides, flying out the next night removed the stress of making what would have been a close connection for the international flight.

So, we had a full day in Los Angeles. Graeme was keen to visit Madrona Marsh, which I have visited several times and of course mentioned to him. While there somebody mentioned there were American white pelicans, which Graeme wanted to see, at Ken Maloy Park, another spot I am familiar with. Despite this I still managed a couple of new species for the day.

After that we got some food and spent the rest of the day sightseeing up towards Santa Monica, before returning to LAX for our flight home. I still have several species to list, once I identify them all, but otherwise this is the end.

Madrona Marsh Reserve

Mammals
8. Eastern fox squirrel Sciurus niger (introduced)

Birds
142, Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
143. Canada goose Branta canadensis
144. Pied billed grebe Podilymbus podiceps
145. Allen's hummingbird Selasphorus sasin
146. Ash-throated flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens
147, House finch Haemorhous mexicanus
148. American goldfinch Spinus tristis
149. Clay-colored sparrow Spizella pallida

Ken Maloy Park

Mammals
9. California ground squirrel Otospermophilus beecheyi

Birds
150. American white pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
151. Western gull Larus occidentalis
152. Black phoebe Sayornis nigricans
153. Golden-crowned sparrow Zonotrichia atricapilla
154. Great-tailed grackle Quiscalus mexicanus

Lastly, missed from the ecolodge:
155. White-collared swift Streptoprocne zonaris
Click to expand...
Time to wrap up my Dominican Republic trip with the remaining fish and invertebrates. I was hoping to get the four bats seen on the last day, but I don't think I will ever get an identification now.

Firstly though, a bird missed from Madrona Marsh in LA.
156. Blue-gray gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea

Reptile from the third hotel we stopped at in the Dominican Republic.
19. Tropical house gecko Hemidactylus mabouia (introduced)

Fish, all from the Everglades.
1. Florida gar Lepisosteus platyrhincus (new Order and Family)
2. Ruddy bowfish Amia calva (new Order and Family)
3. Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus
4. Florida bass Micropterus salmoides
5. Walking catfish Clarias brachysoma (introduced)
6. Pike topminnow Belonesox belizanus

Invertebrates from the Everglades
1. Gulf fritillary Dione vanillae
2. Black swallowtail Papilio polyxenes
3. Mischievous bird grasshopper Schistocerca damnifica

Invertebrates from the Dominican Republic
4. Zebra longwing Heliconius charithonia
5. Malachite Siproeta stelenes
6. Candy cane snail Liguus virgineus (new Family)
 
MOG2012 said:
June 12th, 2025

BIRDS:
57) Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)
58) Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)

INVERTEBRATES:
24) Potato Aphid (Macrosiphum euphorbiae)

MAMMALS: 7 species
BIRDS: 58 species
REPTILES: 5 species
FISH: 7 species
INVERTEBRATES: 24 species
TOTAL: 101 species! (yay, I passed 100)
Click to expand...
June 15, 2025

BIRDS:
62) Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)

I forgot to mention that I saw the following:
BIRDS:
59) Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) [At Rome, near airport]
60) Eurasin Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto [At Salerno]
61) Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) [At Providence]

MAMMALS: 7 species
BIRDS: 62 species
REPTILES: 5 species
FISH: 7 species
INVERTEBRATES: 23 species (there was a duplicate bumblebee)
TOTAL: 104 species

Document of All Species Seen (not updated yet): Zoochat Big Year 2025
 
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MOG2012 said:
June 15, 2025

BIRDS:
62) Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)

I forgot to mention that I saw the following:
BIRDS:
59) Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) [At Rome, near airport]
60) Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto [At Salerno]
61) Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) [At Providence]

MAMMALS: 7 species
BIRDS: 62 species
REPTILES: 5 species
FISH: 7 species
INVERTEBRATES: 23 species (there was a duplicate bumblebee)
TOTAL: 104 species

Document of All Species Seen (not updated yet): Zoochat Big Year 2025
Click to expand...
After reviewing records, I found out that I forgot to mention several species. It also appears that I miscounted some of the animals

BIRDS:
62) Smooth-billed Ani (Crotophaga ani) [Nassau, February 18]
63) Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula) [Rome, April 20]
64) Common Wood-Pigeon (Columba palumbus) [Tuscany, April 25]
65) Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) [Tuscany, April 25]
66) American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) [Boston, June 15]
 
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