ZooChat Big Year 2019

I had completely forgotten about this one, which was also seen at the zoo today:

Birds
125. Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius

 

Polish invertebrate additions, mostly from Biebrza NP, where we had warmer weather than in Bialowieza.

Invertebrates:
25. Map Butterfly - Araschnia levana
26. Pearl-bordered Fritillary - Clossiana euphrosyne
27. Sooty Copper - Lycaena tityrus
28. Small Heath - Coenonympha pamphilus
29. Common Swallowtail - Papilio machaon
30. Camberwell Beauty - Nymphalis antiopa
31. Yellow-legged Tortoiseshell - Nymphalis xanthomelas
32. Weaver Beetle - Lamia textor
33. European Hornet - Vespa crabro
34. Common Blue - Polyommatus icarus

 

Forgot one:

35. Green Hairstreak - Callophrys rubi

 

Bali Trip part 2.

Swiftlets are everywhere, but hard to identify. These two were at least identified at some point:

207. Edible nest swiftlet Aerodramus fuciphagus
208. Glossy swiftlet Collocalia esculenta

These birds were all observed in paddy fields as we drove around:

209. Intermediate egret Ardea intermedia
210. Javan pond heron Ardeola speciose
211. Little egret Egretta garzetta

West Bali National Park

Arriving at dusk on the 14th May, our first full day, the 15th May, turned into a red-letter day with great sightings of both Critically Endangered starlings. In fact, Bali Mynas were seen every day of the 3 ½ days we were there.

Mammals

19. Javan lutung Trachypithecus auratus
20. Black-striped squirrel Callosciurus nigrovittatus
21. Black giant squirrel Ratufa bicolor
22. Asian palm civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus
23. Wild boar Sus scrofa
24. Indian muntjac Muntiacus muntjac
25. Rusa Rusa timorensis

Birds

212. Striated heron Butorides striata
213. Crested serpent eagle Spilornis cheela
214. Green junglefowl Gallus varius
215. Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
216. Zebra dove Geopelia striata
217. Orange-breasted green pigeon Treron bicinctus
218. Grey-cheeked green pigeon Treron griseicauda
219. Pink-necked green pigeon Treron vernans
220. Asian palm swift Cypsiurus belasiensis
221. Asian koel Eudynamys scolopaceus
222. Chestnut-headed bee-eater Merops leschenaultia
223. Black-capped kingfisher Halcyon pileate
224. Coppersmith barbet Psilopogon haemacephalus
225. White-breasted woodswallow Artamus leucorynchus
226. Common iora Aegithina tiphia
227. Long-tailed shrike Lanius schach
228. Sunda pied fantail Rhipidura javanica
229. Black drongo Dicrurus macrocercus
230. Pallas’s grasshopper warbler Helopsaltes certhiola
231. Oriental magpie-robin Copsychus saularis
232. Black-winged starling Acridotheres melanopterus
233. Scarlet-headed flowerpecker Dicaeum trochileum

Reptiles

7. Asian water monitor Varanus salvator
8. Tokay gecko Gekko gecko
9. Fimbriate gliding lizard Draco fimbriatus

 

I had a very warbler-filled day this weeked. Apart for the list below there were also blackcaps, reed warblers, chiffchaffs, whitethroats and willow warblers. As they are European warblers all of them were brown, green and grey, but they really should be valued for their song instead of their looks.

Birds
185. Sedge Warbler, Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
186. Common Grasshopper Warbler, Locustella naevia
187. Marsh Warbler, Acrocephalus palustris
188. Great Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus arundinaceus

Invertebrates
69. Blue-Tailed Damselfly, Ischnura elegans
70. Small Dustly Wave, Idaea seriata
71. White-Shouldered House Moth, Endrosis sarcitrella

 

Birds:
97. Grey Goshawk (Accipiter novaehollandiae)
98. Bar Shouldered Dove (Geopelia humeralis)
99. Pacific Heron (Ardea pacifica)

Also saw several birds of prey that I couldn’t identify. Very common were a species that I saw several of, all perched on lamp posts over looking the highway. They were all a dark brown in colour and had a much darker head. Any ideas?

 

INVERTEBRATES:
13. Large red slug (Arion rufus)
14. Emperor dragonfly (Anax imperator)

 

Reptiles
18. Sharp-browed Ctenotus (Ctenotus superciliaris)

Oh, just saw your post. You're right. I must have forgot to put it on my list back then. Do you mind de-bolding it?

 

i think all of the birds specis have avrivde here
154 common swift apus apus
155 littel ringed plover Charadrius dubius

 

You haven't really experienced the full joys (and challenges) of birding until you experience a mixed-species flock of new world warblers:

Birds
126. Cape May Warbler Setophaga tigrina
127. Red-Eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus
128. Least Flycatcher Empidonax minimus
129. Blackburnian Warbler Setophaga fusca
130. Bay-Breasted Warbler Setophaga castanea
131. Eastern Kingbird Tyrannus tyrannus
132. Magnolia Warbler Setophaga magnolia
133. Wilson's Warbler Cardellina pusilla

 

BIRDS
--- Asian Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica affinis)
231 - Red Knot (Calidris canutus)
232 - Terek Sandpiper (Xenus cinereus)

 

BIRDS:
1 American Crow
2 Cackling Goose
3 Canada Goose
4 Northern Shoveler
5 Mallard
6 Northern Pintail
7 Common Goldeneye
8 Ring-billed Gull
9 Double-crested Cormorant
10 Great Blue Heron
11 Sharp-shinned Hawk
12 Red-tailed Hawk
13 Downy Woodpecker
14 Blue Jay
15 Black-capped Chickadee
16 American Robin
17 European Starling
18 American Tree Sparrow
19 Dark-eyed Junco
20 Song Sparrow
21 Northern Cardinal
22 Common Merganser
23 American Coot
24 Northern Flicker
25 Gadwall
26 Green-winged Teal
27 Lesser Scaup
28 Bufflehead
29 Harris's Sparrow
30 House Sparrow
31 Rock Pigeon
32 Eastern Meadowlark
33 Red-winged Blackbird
34 Greater Scaup
35 Hooded Merganser
36 Herring Gull
37 American Goldfinch
38 Horned Lark
39 Greater White-fronted Goose
40 Pied-billed Grebe
41 Bald Eagle
42 Eastern Bluebird
43 Yellow-rumped Warbler
44 American Kestrel
45 Eurasian Collared-Dove
46 Wood Duck
47 Belted Kingfisher
48 House Finch
49 White-throated Sparrow
50 Hairy Woodpecker
51 Winter Wren
52 Carolina Wren
53 Field Sparrow
54 Spotted Towhee
55 Cedar Waxwing
56 Lapland Longspur
57 Northern Harrier
58 Red-bellied Woodpecker
59 Mourning Dove
60 Tufted Titmouse
61 White-breasted Nuthatch
62 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
63 Carolina Chickadee
64 Northern Mockingbird
65 American White Pelican
66 Red-breasted Merganser
67 Ruddy Duck
68 Snow Goose
69 Glaucous Gull
70 American Pipit
71 Savannah Sparrow
72 American Wigeon
73 Ring-necked Duck
74 Brown Creeper
75 White-winged Dove
76 Ross's Goose
77 Ring-necked Pheasant
78 Cooper's Hawk
79 Northern Bobwhite
80 Redhead
81 Canvasback
82 Sandhill Crane
83 Black-crowned Night-Heron
84 Mountain Bluebird
85 Great Horned Owl
86 Loggerhead Shrike
87 Barred Owl
88 Fox Sparrow
89 Wild Turkey
90 Great Black-backed Gull
91 Red-shouldered Hawk
92 Greater Yellowlegs
93 Great-tailed Grackle
94 Killdeer
95 Prairie Falcon
96 Blue-winged Teal
97 Common Grackle
98 American Woodcock
99 Eastern Phoebe
100 Western Meadowlark
101 Horned Grebe
102 Great Egret
103 Fish Crow
104 Common Loon
105 Turkey Vulture
106 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
107 Vesper Sparrow
108 White-crowned Sparrow
109 Tree Swallow
110 Brown Thrasher
111 Purple Martin
112 Brown-headed Cowbird
113 Snowy Egret
114 Cinnamon Teal
115 Baird's Sandpiper
116 Pectoral Sandpiper
117 Lesser Yellowlegs
118 Franklin's Gull
119 Osprey
120 Lark Sparrow
121 Orange-crowned Warbler
122 House Wren
123 Lincoln's Sparrow
124 Solitary Sandpiper
125 Little Blue Heron
126 Northern Rough-winged Swallow
127 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
128 Chimney Swift
129 Great Crested Flycatcher
130 Western Kingbird
131 Wilson's Phalarope
132 Eastern Kingbird
133 Barn Swallow
134 Indigo Bunting
135 Least Flycatcher
136 Baltimore Oriole
137 Swainson's Hawk
138 Least Sandpiper
139 White-rumped Sandpiper
140 Semipalmated Sandpiper
141 Spotted Sandpiper
142 Pine Siskin
143 Chipping Sparrow
144 Ruby-throated Hummingbird
145 Willow Flycatcher
146 Warbling Vireo
147 Red-eyed Vireo
148 Gray Catbird
149 Peregrine Falcon
150 Swainson's Thrush
151 White-eyed Vireo
152 Sedge Wren
153 Clay-colored Sparrow
154 Black-and-white Warbler
155 Nashville Warbler
156 American Redstart
157 Summer Tanager
158 Rose-breasted Grosbeak
159 Common Yellowthroat
160 Common Nighthawk
161 Yellow-billed Cuckoo
162 Yellow Warbler
163 Wilson's Warbler
164 Magnolia Warbler
165 Blackpoll Warbler
166 Blue-headed Vireo
167 Ovenbird
168 Cattle Egret
169 Red-headed Woodpecker
170 Cliff Swallow
171 Dickcissel
172 Grasshopper Sparrow
173 Yellow-headed Blackbird
174 Bobolink
175 Bell's Vireo
176 Mississippi Kite
177 Neotropic Cormorant
178 Painted Bunting
179 Pileated Woodpecker
180 Northern Parula
181 Green Heron
182 Orchard Oriole
183 Eastern Wood-Pewee

I'm still working on my mammals and herp lists. Will post later.

 

BIRDS:
409) Tree pipit, Anthus trivialis

INVERTS:
43) False oil beetle, Oedemera nobilis

 

A rather overdue update...

Mammals:

15. Botta’s Pocket-Gopher (Thomomys bottae)
16. Coyote (Canis latrans)


Birds:

149. Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)
150. Hooded Oriole (Icterus cucullatus)
151. Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus)
152. Hammond’s Flycatcher (Empidonax hammondii)

153. Ash-throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens)
154. Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)
155. American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)
156. Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota)
157. Wrentit (Chamaea fasciata)
158. Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii)
159. Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmata)
160. Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripinnis)
161. Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)
162. Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)
163. Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea)
164. Swainson’s Thrush (Catharus ustulatus)
165. Western Wood-Pewee (Contopus sordida)
166. Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii)
167. Wilson’s Warbler (Cardellina pusilla)
168. Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana)
169. Macgillivray’s Warbler (Geothlypis tolmiei)
170. Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena)


Reptiles/Amphibians:

6. Southern Alligator Lizard (Elgaria multicarinata)
7. American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbiana)
8. California Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula californiae)
9. Western Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtialis)
10. Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)


Invertebrates:

25. Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus)
26. West Coast Lady (Vanessa annabella)
27. Cabbage White (Pieris rapae)

 

Agreed, though a day the Empidonax flycatchers are moving through is potentially even more challenging.

 

Yes. I saw two Empidonax that day. The only reason I identified the Least was decided to call. The other remains unidentified, though I do have some photos.

 

So I just spent a week in tornado alley:

Mammals
10) Fox Squirrel Sciurus niger
11) American Beaver Castor canadensis
12) American Bison Bos bison
13) American Elk Cervus canadensis
14) Franklin's Ground Squirrel Poliocitellus franklinii

Birds
35) Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe
36) Great-Tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus
37) Neotropical Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus
38) Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis
39) Painted Bunting Passerina ciris
40) White-Eyed Vireo Vireo griseus
41) Great Crested Flycatcher Myiarchus crinitus
42) Red-Shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus
43) Snowy Egret Egretta thula
44) Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna
45) Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias
46) Double-Crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus
47) Mississippi Kite Ictinia mississippiensis
48) Least Flycatcher Empidonax minimus
49) Summer Tanager Piranga rubra
50) Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron Nyctanassa violacea
51) Black-Crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
52) Eastern Kingbird Tyrannus tyrannus
53) Yellow-Shafted Flicker Colaptes auratus
54) Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum
55) Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula
56) Yellow-Billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus
57) Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis
58) Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus
59) Fish Crow Corvus ossifragus
60) Yellow-Throated Warbler Setophaga dominica
61) Killdeer Charadrius vociferus
62) Red-Winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
63) Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris alpestris
64) Great Egret Ardea alba
65) Warbling Vireo Vireo gilvus
66) Red-Eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus
67) Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea
68) Magnolia Warbler Dendroica magnolia
69) Dickcissel Spiza americana
70) American Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
71) Yellow Warbler Setophaga petechia
72) Purple Martin Progne subis
73) Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
74) Collared Sand Martin Riparia riparia
75) Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius
76) Green Heron Butorides virescens
77) Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon
78) Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo
79) Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus
80) Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas
81) Red-Headed Woodpecker Melanerpes erythrocephalus
82) Eastern Wood-Pewee Contopus virens
83) Brown-Headed Cowbird Molothrus ater
84) Grasshopper Sparrow Ammodramus savannarum
85) Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor
86) Field Sparrow Spizella pusilla
87) Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor
88) Bell's Vireo Vireo bellii
89) Upland Sandpiper Bartramia longicauda
90) Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea
91) Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator

Reptiles
1) Common Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
2) Six-Lined Racerunner Aspidoscelis sexlineatus
3) Italian Wall Lizard Podarcis siculus
4) American Five-Lined Skink Plestiodon fasciatus
5) Pond Slider Trachemys scripta
6) Painted Turtle Chrysemys picta
7) Spiny Softshell Turtle Apalone spinifera
8) Common Snapping Turtle Chelydra serpentina

Amphibians
1) Blanchard's Cricket Frog Acris crepitans blanchardi
2) Woodhouse's Toad Anaxyrus woodhousii

I did a lot better than I was expecting considering I just missed Spring migration and I was dodging torrential downpours, flash flooding, and tornado watches for most of the trip. I still did have to either call short or cancel a few expeditions due to weather, such as searching for rattlesnakes. I did look for prairie-chickens, but I was barely in their range and one wrong turn down a muddy road, a few hours stranded in rural Kansas, and a couple hundred dollars spent getting me out killed that dream...

~Thylo

 

I've had some spring days where I've had four species of Empids come through my yard... that gets complicated...

 

Some of your bird lifers surprise me considering your travels. Great Crested Flycatcher, Warbling & Red-eyed Vireo, Red-headed Woodpecker and the Wood-Pewee namely. Aren't they found throughout most of your home area?

 

Well for one, I do not go birding in my neck of the woods nearly as much as I should.. As a result I sometimes spot new birds while birding in other regions that I probably should have found in CT by now. The woodpecker is supposedly found in CT, and I think I saw one once but they're actually pretty rare (at least in the area I grew up in) and seeing as I'm not 100% sure on my previous sighting I'm counting it as a proper lifer now.

~Thylo