ZooChat Big Year 2014

It's that time again. Get out your binoculars, spotting scopes, and cameras, let's do another big year!

Start counting your birds (and mammals, and reptiles, and whatever else you want to list).


Here is the link for 2013: ZooChat 2013 Big Year

 

I'm in. I can't wait!

 

You're a little premature, aren't you?



Hix


NB: An interesting side observation as I look at this thread - jbnbsn99 is sitting on exactly 6000 posts, and directly below him Ituri is sitting on exactly 5000 posts.

 

Maybe he is using a warped Julian calendar.

 

I already have 75 birds on my list.

 

@gerenuk, did 2014 already start in your part of the world?

I am also in and will start the year with some nice species

 

Just warming up the engine.

 

Yeah, I'm pumped and ready to rumble. My target is 175 for 2014.

 

How far did you get this year?
And you still have a couple of days left to try and boost it a little more.



Hix

 

Will be joining this year! I got my guides and binoculars ready!

 

I think I got to 156, but we went to the Western Treatment Plant on Boxing Day and I am sure we picked up a couple more - I need to review the pics, since I can't tell the difference between a sandpiper, a curlew, a knot etc.

I am hoping to get to Bendigo on 31 Dec though, so there might be a few inland species to be ticked yet.

 

Can't wait. Everytrhing old is new again. Has anyone got any trips planned? I'm off to Daewin and Arnham Land in March. I'm hoping for some lifers up there. Fingers crossed for a gouldian finch. That would be the best ever. What about others? Any dream birds?

 

I'm in South Texas now, and it looks like I'll be here through the 1st. That should give me a nice January 1st boost.

 

Im in, I hope to have an advantage by living in the only country with over 1900 species of birds. My goal Would be around 350 species

 

While I probably won't have the opportunity of a Florida trip this year, I'm all in and ready to get birding!

~Thylo

 

I have also had a fairly good January 1st:

1. Common woodpigeon
2. Eurasian collared dove
3. Great spotted woodpecker
4. Great tit
5. Blue tit
6. European magpie
7. European robin
8. Common chaffinch
9. European goldfinch
10. European greenfinch
11. Carrion crow
12. Black-headed gull
13. Great cormorant
14. Common blackbird
15. Dunnock
16. Song thrush
17. Common starling
18. House sparrow
19. Feral pigeon
20. Winter wren
21. Mute swan
22. Dark-bellied brent goose
23. Common shelduck
24. Mallard duck
25. Tufted duck
26. Common teal
27. Herring gull
28. Lesser black-backed gull
29. Common gull
30. Little grebe
31. Common coot
32. Common moorhen
33. Northern lapwing
34. Common redshank
35. Little egret
36. Pied wagtail
37. Coal tit

Mammals:
1. European rabbit

 

Today was a great first day, With 45 species I have checked over 10% of the years goal (350). And all of those in the family farm.
1. Ruddy ground dove
2. Southern lapwing
3. Vermilion flycatcher
4. Great kiskadee
5. Blue-Grey tanager
6. Black billed thrush
7. House wren
8. Tropical Kingbird
9. blue headed parrot
10. Rufous tailed hummingbird
11. Smooth-billed Ani
12. Bananaquit
13. Common potoo
14. Saffron finch
15. Spectacle parrotlet
16. Yellow headed caracara
17. Yellow Oriole
18. Yellow bellied seedeater
19. Great egret
20. Barn swallow
21. Wattled jacana
22. Great blue heron
23. Cattle egret
24. Snowy egret
25. Neotropical cormorant
26. Black vulture
27. Pied water tyrant
28. Limpkin
29. Striated heron
30. Striped cuckoo
31. Blue winged teal
32. Tropical cinammon teal (Critically endangered)
33. Pied billed grabe
34. Common gallinule
35. Crested caracara
36. Bare faced ibis
37. Black necked stilt
38. Greater yellowlegs
39. Black crowned night heron
40. Ringed Kingfisher
41. Blackish rail (LIFER)
42. Shiny cowbird
43. Brown throated parakeet
44. Cocoi heron
45. Solitary sandpiper

 

I too had a pretty solid first day. I spent today cruising around town looking for a number of rarities that had been seen around town. My first stop was a park downtown where a Varied Thrush and a White-throated Sparrow had been frequently seen. I missed those birds but did find two Hermit Thrushes and a Northern Goshawk (lifer!). Afterwords I went to a lake in the park near the zoo that had some open water to try for the usual waterfowl plus the Snow Goose who has spent the winter there amongst the resident Canada Geese. Other stops included a neighborhood feeder for a Blue Jay, and the greenbelt along the river where I found both Barrow's and Common Goldeneyes as well as an Orange-crowned Warbler. I ended the day with 44 species of birds (45 if you count the wild but not countable Mute Swans, they are introduced and breeding but not on the official state checklist yet).

BIRDS
1 Canada Goose
2 Wood Duck
3 Mallard
4 Northern Goshawk
5 Rock Pigeon
6 Downy Woodpecker
7 Northern Flicker
8 Black-billed Magpie
9 Black-capped Chickadee
10 Red-breasted Nuthatch
11 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
12 Hermit Thrush
13 American Robin
14 Cedar Waxwing
15 Song Sparrow
16 Dark-eyed Junco
17 House Finch
18 Snow Goose
19 Gadwall
20 American Wigeon
21 Ring-necked Duck
22 Bufflehead
23 Common Goldeneye
24 Hooded Merganser
25 American Coot
26 Ring-billed Gull
27 Belted Kingfisher
28 American Crow
29 California Quail
30 Blue Jay
31 American Goldfinch
32 House Sparrow
33 Great Blue Heron
34 Red-tailed Hawk
35 Mourning Dove
36 American Kestrel
37 Cooper's Hawk
38 White-crowned Sparrow
39 Barrow's Goldeneye
40 Common Merganser
41 Pied-billed Grebe
42 Bald Eagle
43 European Starling
44 Orange-crowned Warbler

MAMMALS
1 Eastern Fox Squirrel