ZooChat Big Year 2017

Mammal update from Kuni Mukthat Mountain Nyala Conservancy.

74. Grivet monkey
..... Menelik's bushbuck

Unfortunately no mountain nyala....

 

173. Tropical Shearwater



Hix

 

From my last day in Berlin :

152 - Sand martin, Riparia riparia

and I'm now in Rome!

153 - Ring-necked parakeet, Psittacula krameri
154 - Monk parakeet, Myiopsitta monachus
155 - Italian sparrow, Passer italiae
156 - Eurasian tree sparrow, Passer montanus

Also does anyone know if the (presumably) Chinese geese at Villa Borghese are feral geese or just domesticated/captive animals living in the pond?

 

Thanks for that! I've corrected the number.



HIx

 

stop it. It's only the second record in australia isn't it? Well done.

 

Yeah, the other was in the Cocos a few years ago.

This is my best photo of it from the other night.





Hix

 

Wildlife-watching in Parco del Colle Oppio!

20 - Kuhl's pipistrelle, Pipistrellus kuhlii

157 - Blue rock thrush, Monticola solitarius

 

Are you sure it is not just a normal Pipistrelle? These buggers are a pain in the ass to identify without batdetector...

 

I have since realised Dunlin was not a lifer.

A week in Galloway gave me some more for the year sightings from between 7-12.8.2017. I seem to have prevously forgotten to include #12.

118. Hooded Crow Corvus cornix
119. Common Linnet Linaria cannabina
120. Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata
121. Whinchat Saxicola rubetra
122. Osprey Pandion haliaetus
123. Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus

11. Stoat Mustela erminea
12. Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus

 

Pipistrelles are indeed really hard to identify (like those goddamn warblers! ) , I just went with a sign inside the park ''made'' by the Bioparco Roma showing the most common species and the Kuhl's pipistrelle was one of them (along with the seen blue rock thrush, feral pigeons and a few others). Though, if that is not enough for listing them; I wouldn't be bothered by removing it from my list.

 

Then I would remove it, out of the top of my head there are 5 possible Pipistrelles in that region

 

MAMMALS
12 Eastern Fox Squirrel - Sciurus niger
13 Red Fox - Vulpes vulpes

BIRDS

202 Mississippi Kite - Ictinia mississippiensis
203 Great-tailed Grackle - Quiscalus mexicanus
204 Swainson's Hawk - Buteo swainsoni
205Yellow-crowned Night-Heron - Nyctanassa violacea
206 White-faced Ibis - Plegadis chihi

REPTILES

16 Southeastern Five-lined Skink - Plestiodon inexpectatus
17 Common Five-lined Skink - Plestiodon fasciatus
18 Prairie Racerunner - Aspidoscelis sexlineata viridis
19 Red-eared Slider - Trachemys scripta elegans
20 Western Painted Turtle - Chrysemys picta belli
21 Common Snapping Turtle - Chelydra serpentina
22 Spiny Softshell - Apalone spinifera

 

Great photo Hix. Well done.

 

A few more birds from a recent Czech trip! The woodpecker was an extremely nice surprise.

BIRDS:
140) Hawfinch, Coccothraustes coccothraustes
141) Spotted flycatcher, Muscicapa striata
142) Grey wagtail, Motacilla cinerea
143) Grey-headed woodpecker, Picus canus
144) Grey partridge, Perdix perdix

 

Added a new moth to my year list three days ago, and two new birds yesterday (one at Abberton Reservoir and the other perched in the very tree I was surveying for bats):

151. Black tern Chlidonias niger
152. Little owl Athene noctua

23. Red underwing moth Catocala nupta

 

From a few days ago:

481) Red-necked Grebe

 

A quick visit to one of my local spots got me these. Was actually looking for spotted crake, but I can't complain!

BIRDS:
145) Common sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos
146) Common snipe, Gallinago gallinago
147) European honey buzzard, Pernis apivorus

 

I fully agree! I've only ever seen them twice (a jack snipe last year, and then a common snipe today), and sadly haven't been able to spend time watching them being active, but they're absolutely lovely! Their odd body shape with very weird proportions, combined with the way they move, makes them seem very unlike other waders.