ZooChat Big Year 2019

INVERTEBRATES
20 - Common Shining Cockroach (Drymaplaneta communis)

 

Finally got another addition after some bad weather and being busy.

Birds:
83. Western Screech-Owl (Megascops kennicottii)
84. House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

 

new mammal today 15/1
5 red fox Vulpes vulpes

 

I decided to walk home from school today and was rewarded:

Birds
25. Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus

 

BIRDS
119 - Buff-banded Rail (Gallirallus philippensis)

FISH
3 - Eastern Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki)*

INVERTEBRATES
21 - Blue Skimmer (Orthetrum caledonicum)

 

Decided to start listing my wildlife sightings starting this year. So this will be my first ever year in which I will actively look for wildlife.
The current list consists of species I see when I bike to school and back home, for now.

Birds:
1 - European shag (Gulosus aristotelis)
2 - Grey heron (Ardea cinerea)
3 - Great egret (Ardea alba)
4 - Greylag goose (Anser anser)
5 - Mute swan (Cygnus olor)
6 - Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca)
7 - Tufted duck (Aythya fuligula)
8 - Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
9 - Common buzzard (Buteo buteo)
10 - Eurasian coot (Fulica atra)
11 - Eurasian moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
12 - Black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
13 - Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
14 - Rock pigeon (Columba livia)
15 - Stock dove (Columba oenas)
16 - Common blackbird (Turdus merula)
17 - Great tit (Parus major)
18 - Eurasian jackdaw (Corvus monedula)
19 - Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius)
20 - Eurasian magpie (Pica pica)
21 - Carrion crow (Corvus corone)
22 - House sparrow (Passer domesticus)

 

First birding session of the year including an unfortunately unidentifiable harrier but otherwise I did get nearly all of the common wintering passerines!

11/01/2019 (Issen)
BIRDS:
21 - European greenfinch, Chloris chloris
22 - Thekla's lark, Galerida theklae
23 - Common linnet, Linaria cannabina
24 - Laughing dove, Spilopelia senegalensis
25 - Barn swallow, Hirundo rustica
26 - Common chiffchaff, Phylloscopus collybita
27 - Sardinian warbler, Sylvia melanocephala
28 - Moussier's redstart, Phoenicurus moussieri
29 - Great grey shrike, Lanius excubitor
30 - Common chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs
31 - White wagtail, Motacilla alba
32 - Meadow pipit, Anthus pratensis

I still have at least three butterfly species to identify and maybe a few other invertebrates as well but I will post those once I'm sure of my identification.

 

Took my dog for a walk through the neighborhood this afternoon. Plenty of bird calls in the woods. Saw tracks belonging to Feral Rabbits, American Red Squirrels, and Snowshoe Hares. Listened to a Woodpecker (unknown species) working the trees. Picked up two bird species and another mammal:

Birds:
2. Bald Eagle - Haliaeetus Leucocephalus
3. Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile Anteicapillus

Mammals:
3. Moose - Alces Alces Gigas

Should pick up a few more birds tomorrow.

 

Finally added some new birds to the list by walking past the same sacred fig this morning that I had gone to on 1/1 to tipsily get my first ten. Two additions:

Birds:
11. Common tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius)
12. Red-vented bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer)

 

That is a very nice species to see just on your way to school! One I'm still lacking on my list.


I've also picked up two more species:

Birds
107. Hawfinch, Coccothraustes coccothraustes
108. Short-toed treecreeper, Certhia brachydactlya

 

After two weeks of sitting on just 10 bird species, today's turning out to be a big day! Got three more species this afternoon, the last of them quite unexpected

Birds:
13. Eastern cattle egret (Bubulcus coromandus)
14. Intermediate egret (Ardea intermedia)
15. White-throated kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis)

 

BIRDS
120 - Plumed Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna eytoni)

INVERTEBRATES
22 - Lesser Brown Blowfly (Calliphora augur)
23 - Orange Threadtail (Nosostica solida)

 

First of all I have to correct two miss-identified birds.
The shag was actually Phalacrocorax carbo and the stock dove a wood pigeon Columba palumbus.

Updates:
1 - Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
15 - Wood pigeon (Columba palumbus)

With those two changes addressed. I can move on to the new additions.
I left home earlier today to hopefully get some new species on the way to school, and I got rewarded!

Birds:
23 - Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)
24 - Eurasian treecreeper (Certhia familiaris)
25 - Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)

 

You will much more likely have seen Certhia brachydactyla.

 

I haven't been to any especially birdy places yet this year, most have been seen in my garden or whilst on my way college.

Mammals
1. European Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus
2. Eastern Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis
3. European Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus

Birds
1. Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
2. Eurasian Magpie Pica pica
3. Common Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus
4. Carrion Crow Corvus corone
5. European Herring Gull Larus argentatus
6. Eurasian Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus
7. Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
8. Great Tit Parus major
9. Goldcrest Regulus regulus
10. European Robin Erithacus rubecula
11. Eurasian Treecreeper Certhia familiaris
12. Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus
13. Common Blackbird Turdus merula
14. Coal Tit Periparus ater
15. House Sparrow Passer domesticus
16. Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris
17. Feral Pigeon Columba livia
18. Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
19. Greylag Goose Anser anser
20. Rook Corvus frugilegus
21. Redwing Turdus iliacus
22. Common Buzzard Buteo buteo
23. Pied (White) Wagtail Motacilla alba
24. Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
25. Eurasian Wren Troglodytes troglodytes
26. Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus
27. Dunnock Prunella modularis

 

I tried looking on google which the more common species is, as I didn't get a very close look at the bird. Thanks for telling! I'll make sure to update that.

 

new aditoins today
45 herring gull
and a new mammal that was just stering at me
5 roe deer Capreolus capreolus

 

It might be worth investing in a good bird guide, the "ANWB vogelgids" from Svensson is easily the best and covers all of Europe, including Northern African and parts of W Asia. Alternatively there is the "Zakgids Vogels van Nederland en Belgie" which is much more basic and only covers the 300 most common species of the low countries, but is sufficient when used in NL only...

 

Finally saw some more birds at a feeder while at my friends house.

Birds
2) Black-Capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus
3) House Finch Haemorhous mexicanus
4) White-Breasted Nuthatch, Sitta carolinensis

~Thylo

 

I'll look into both of these books, if I get some cash to spend I may consider buying the one that covers whole Europe. I'm only recently getting into birding, I'm sure some kind of identification guide would be helpful, thanks for telling me about these two books!