Zoochat Big Year 2024

Birds
125. Diamond Firetail (Stagonopleura guttata)
126. Little Grassbird (Poodytes gramineus)

Planning a trip to Dubbo over Easter, and Taronga Western Plains Zoo is great for birding, so I will hopefully get many more species soon.

 

Panama day 10 - see Panama forum for commentary

All day excursion to San Lorenzo National Park, which is on the Caribbean coast.

Birds
306. Crested guan Penelope purpurascens
307. Ruddy quail-dove Geotrygon montana
308. White-tailed trogon Trogon chionurus
309. Black-tailed trogon Trogon melanurus
310. Pied puffbird Notharchus tectus
311. Rufous motmot Baryphthengus martii
312. Yellow-bellied elaenia Elaenia flavogaster
313. Dusky-capped (olivaceous) flycatcher Myiarchus tuberculifer
314. Black-headed tody-flycatcher Todirostrum nigriceps
315. Golden-fronted greenlet Pachysylvia aurantiifrons
316. Lesser greenlet Pachysylvia decurtata
317. Red-breasted meadowlark Leistes militaris
318. Crested oropendola Psarocolius decumanus
319. White-shouldered tanager Loriotus luctuosus
320. Bay wren Cantorchilus nigricapillus

 

Entirely fair, I will remove it from my list going forwards.

 

Birds:
93- American Goldfinch, Spinus tristis, 3-10-2024
94- Pine Warbler, Setophaga pinus, 3-10-2024
95- Northern Shoveler, Spatula clypeata, 3-10-2024
96- Greater White-Footed Goose, Anser albifrons, 3-11-2024
97- Ruddy Duck, Oxyura jamaicensis, 3-11-2024
98- Eastern Meadowlark, Sturnella magna, 3-12-2024
99- Blue-Winged Teal, Spatula discors, 3-12-2024
100- Rusty Blackbird, Euphagus carolinus, 3-12-2024
101- Tree Swallow, Tachycineta bicolor, 3-17-2024
102- Gray Catbird, Dumetella carolinensis, 3-17-202
103- Barred Owl, Strix varia, 3-20-2024
104- Northern Harrier, Circus hudsonius, 3-21-2024
105- Rough-Legged Hawk, Buteo lagopus, 3-21-2024
106- Winter Wren, Troglodytes hiemalis, 3-24-2024
107- Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, Corthylio calendula, 3-26-2024
108- Brown Thrasher, Toxostoma rufum, 3-26-2024

Amphibians:
1- American Bullfrog, Lithobates catesbeianus, 3-12-2024

Inverts:
2- Camponotus castaneus, 3-12-2024
3- Varied Carpet Beetle, Anthrenus verbasci, 3-23-2024

Fish:
5- Bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus, 3-14-2024
6- Smallmouth Bass, Micropterus dolomieu, 3-14-2024

Total: 125
108 Birds (200 goal)
6 Mammals (15 goal)
3 Inverts (20 goal)
1 Reptile (10 goal)
6 Fish (20 goal)
1 Amphibian (10 goal)

 

Panama - Herps roundup - see Panama forum for commentary

Reptiles
4. American crocodile Crocodylus acutus
5. Yellow-headed gecko Gonatodes albogularis
6. Tropical house gecko Hemidactylus mabouia In.
7. Turnip-tailed gecko Thecadactylus rapicauda
8. Common basilisk Basiliscus basiliscus (new Family)
9. Black spiny-tailed iguana Ctenosaura similis
... Green iguana Iguana iguana
10. Four-lined whiptail Holcosus quadrilineatus
11. South American slider Trachemys callirostris
12. Pond slider Trachemys scripta In.

Amphibians
1. Giant toad Rhinella horribilis
2. Savage's thin-toed frog Leptodactylus savagei (new Family)

Fish
5. Blue-point flag cichlid Andinoacara coeruleopunctatus

 

I decided to stop by a nature center recommended by someone I met when I found the woodcocks a couple weeks ago. I didn't have time to explore the whole area, but I had a great time. Even though there wasn't anything new, there was a lot of activity. I have exactly one month until I graduate, so depending on how busy I am, I'll have to make another visit there.

3/27/24
Birds:
114. Wood duck Aix sponsa
115. Golden-crowned kinglet Regulus satrapa
116. Ruby-crowned kinglet Corthylio calendula
117. Brown thrasher Toxostoma rufum

Total Species: 148
Birds: 117
Mammals: 9
Reptiles: 5
Fish: 17

 

Birds
374. American Woodcock Scolopax minor

 

Panama day 11 - see Panama forum for commentary

Morning: Gatun Lake cruise
Afternoon: Panama Rainforest Discovery Centre
Evening: night drive at Tower

Mammals
24. Lesser capybara Hydrochoerus isthmius (new Family)
25. Proboscis bat Rhynchonycteris naso

Birds
321. Black-bellied whistling duck Dendrocygna autumnalis
322. Grey-chested dove Leptotila cassinii
323. Short-billed pigeon Patagioenas nigrirostris
324. Great potoo Nyctibius grandis
325. American purple swamphen Porphyrio martinicus
326. Limpkin Aramus guarauna (new Family)
327. Cocoi heron Ardea cocoi
328. Green heron Butorides virescens
329. Tricolour heron Egretta tricolor
330. Spotted sandpiper Actitis macularius
331. Hook-billed kite Chondrohierax uncinatus
332. Snail kite Rostrhamus sociabilis
333. Laughing falcon Herpetotheres cachinnans
334. Brown-hooded parrot Pyrilia haematotis
335. Grey-headed tanager Eucometis penicillata

 

Slow progress, indeed sluggish!
Invertebrates
9 Rusty False-keeled Slug Arion fasciatus
10 Garden Snail Cornu aspersa

 

Panama day 12 - see Panama forum for commentary

Morning: Pipeline Road
Afternoon: Gambia Resort and Sloth Sanctuary

Mammals
26. Panamanian night monkey Aotus zonalis (new Family)
27. Andean porcupine Coendou quichua (new Family)

Birds
336. Great jacamar Jacamerops aureus (new Family)
337. Broad-billed motmot Electron platyrhynchum
338. Green-and-rufous kingfisher Chloroceryle inda
339. Rufous mourner Rhytipterna holerythra
340. Spot-crowned antvireo Dysithamnus puncticeps
341. White-flanked antwren Myrmotherula axillaris
342. Chestnut-backed antbird Poliocrania exsul
343. Black-crowned antpitta Pittasoma michleri (new Family)
344. Plain-brown woodcreeper Dendrocincla fuliginosa
345. Black-striped woodcreeper Xiphorhynchus lachrymosus
346. Chestnut-headed oropendola Psarocolius wagleri
347. Crimson-backed tanager Ramphocelus dimidiatus
348. Flame-rumped tanager Ramphocelus flammigerus
349. Rufous-breasted wren Pheugopedius rutilus
350. Long-billed gnatwren Ramphocaenus melanurus

 

The Antpitta is a very smart bird; glad you saw it.

 

Spring has arrived to Finland and it definitely shows! Thousands of water birds, birds of prey and passerines are making their way across the Baltic sea right now. So I thought now was the perfect time to go on a real migration watching trip. The best place to do that here is a small cliff at the very end of the Porkkala peninsula called Pampskatan. It's so far out in the outer archipelago, that it is one of the first places migratory birds can be seen in the spring. So armed with my gear and some snacks I arrived at the cliff at six in the morning

I had a great time watching the migration and chatting with the other birders there. To be honest, I probably would not have been able to see or identify many of the birds with out them. In total I spent 4 hours watching birds go by on that cliff and afterwards I spent some time in the surrounding forests looking for Crested tits.

All in all, I added 21 new species to my list, of which 5 were lifers! Definitely one of the most successful trips of my life!

(Just a disclaimer, but the order in which I saw all the birds may not be entirely correct, as it was hard to keep track due to the sheer amount that were constantly going by).

123. Mistle thrush, Turdus viscivorus 28/3/24
124. European herring gull, Larus argentatus 28/3/24
125. Common eider, Somateria mollissima 28/3/24
126. Long-tailed duck, Clangula hyemalis 28/3/24
127. Common goldeneye, Blucephala clangula 28/3/24
128. Arctic loon, Gavia arctica 28/3/24
129. Red-breasted merganser, Mergus serrator 28/3/24
130. Great cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo 28/3/24
131. White-tailed eagle, Haliaeetus albicilla 28/3/24
132. Eurasian oystercatcher, Haematopus ostralegus 28/3/24
133. Black-headed gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus 28/3/24
134. Redwing, Turdus iliacus 28/3/24
135. Velvet scoter, Melanitta fusca 28/3/24
136. Lesser black-backed gull, Larus fuscus 28/3/24
137. Grey heron, Ardea cinerea 28/3/24
138. Gadwall, Mareca strepera 28/3/24
139. Barnacle goose, Branta leucopsis 28/3/24
140. Smew, Mergellus albellus 28/3/24
141. European golden plover, Pluvialis apricaria 28/3/24
142. Common chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs 28/3/24
143. Crested tit, Lophophanes cristatus 28/3/24

 

Tried to go owling last night, but nothing showed besides a raccoon.

3/27/24
Mammals:
10. Raccoon Procyon lotor

Total Species: 149
Birds: 117
Mammals: 10
Reptiles: 5
Fish: 17

 

Thanks, but that particular antpitta belongs to the Gnateater family. However a "true" antpitta was seen on day 8. Both were difficult to see and I'm happy to have had the opportunity.

 

I know; it is (so far) the only Gnateater I have seen. My best Antpitta is Pale-billed, one of my all time favourite birding experiences.

 

I heard Streak-chested Antpitta, but never got to see one. I remain antpitta-less in either family. I'm sure I'll probably get one at some point in the future, though.

 

Do some Puna birding around Lake Junin, one of the Antpittas is an open country bird that is very easy to see there!

 

Panama day 13 - see Panama forum for commentary

Metro Park, Punta Culebra and night drive

Mammals
28. Northern racoon Procyon lotor
29. White-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus

Birds
351. Sandwich tern Thalasseus sandvicensis
352. Spectacled owl Pulsatrix perspicillata
353. Black-cheeked woodpecker Melanerpes pucherani
354. White-winged becard Pachyramphus polychopterus
355. Forest elaenia Myiopagis gaimardii
356. Brown-capped tyrannulet Ornithion brunneicapillus
357. Olivaceous woodcreeper Sittasomus griseicapillus
358. Chestnut-sided warbler Setophaga pensylvanica
359. Yellow-backed oriole Icterus chrysater
360. Red-throated ant-tanager Habia fuscicauda
361. Scarlet tanager Piranga olivacea

Seen the day before flying over the canal.

362. Brown booby Sula leucogaster