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2018 Big Year
Topic Started: Dec 27 2017, 08:05 PM (7,786 Views)
Anton
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King of Cotingas

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If there's one thing that brings all of the TRT members together, it's the love of animals. For most members this probably means an interest in zoos and animals in captivity in general, but there are a lot of members interested in observing wild animals as well.

Those that do are probably familiar with the "big year" concept: keeping track of all animals you see within a single calendar year. This can be done within a certain region (which is how the idea and name came to existence, after birders aimed to see as many species within the USA in one single year), but because we have members from all over the world we decided world listing would be more interesting.

Basically, the idea is as follows; from the 1st of January until the 31st of December, everyone who participates keeps track of the animals they see and identify, and lists them all in the order of seeing them. Every time you see a new species, you add onto that list by posting a new post in this topic. At the end of the year you can then easily compile a total list of the animals you saw that year, and keep the memories of seeing those species forever!
Of course, we'll add a little extra competition by bringing pointies into the mix. You'll be rewarded in pointies for every few animals you see, and at the end of each month the person with the most new species will be given a silhouette!

Rules:
  • Number your lists. This way it's always easy to check how many species you've seen.
  • We keep track of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates. If you choose to only list the groups that interest you most, that's fine! A lot of people generally don't bother counting invertebrates.
  • Keep different lists for different classes (except with fish and invertebrates, list all different fish classes together and all different invertebrate classes together for those). Separate the lists for birds, mammals, reptiles etc. from each other.
  • Highlight the species you see for the first time ("lifers") in bold. This makes for a more interesting overview, and makes the listing of species more rewarding as you can draw more attention to the species that are more special to you!
  • We only list species, not subspecies, to prevent taxonomical debates. However, if you see a different subspecies worth mentioning, it's always interesting to include that in your post (without numbering it and putting it on the list). Hybrid animals don't count either.
  • We only list species we've seen directly, not species we've only heard. Similarly to different subspecies, it's always interesting to add the heard-only species to your post without listing them!
  • We only list actual wild species, escaped exotic species don't count unless they've become self-established (like feral pigeons everywhere, ring-necked parakeets in Europe and common starlings in North America).
  • List common names and binominal names of all species you see. Common names differ immensely per bird checklist (Clements, IOC, etc.), so to keep things clear we ask this as a requirement.
  • You are welcome to join in after January, but people starting in another month will not be counted for the first month they enter. For example, if you join in March and immediately have a list of 50+ species when most of these were seen in January and February, it'd be unfair to others that already saw the majority of their species in January, when the competition for "new" species was a lot higher.
  • You do not have to provide photographic evidence, your word is your bond. We trust our members won't lie about seeing things they didn't just to get a higher score.

Prizes:
  • On the first day of every month starting February 1st, I will be giving an overview of how many species of each category people have seen in total. I will also calculate how many species everyone gained compared to the previous month.
  • For every species you gained compared to the previous month, you will receive 5 pointies for use in the pointies store.
  • The person with the most species gained that month will receive a pointies animal.

Extra:
  • The double-posting rule will be less strict here than it is in other areas of the forum (as it's possible that you see something new before someone else has), but keep it sensible. Try not to post list updates twice in the same day if you see or identify another species later, it's easier to just edit your previous post.
  • Have fun!
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Danny
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February 2, 2018

BIRDS
99 - Eastern Whipbird (Psophodes olivaceus)
100 - Black-Faced Monarch (Monarcha melanopsis)
101 - Dusky Woodswallow (Artamus cyanopterus)*
102 - Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)*

MAMMALS
9 - Red-Necked Wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus)*

REPTILES
5 - Delicate Skink (Lampropholis delicata)
6 - Cunningham's Skink (Egernia cunninghami)*

*seen outside home state

Got to the hundred bird mark!
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Anton
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King of Cotingas

Quite the eventful day today! Finally done with exams so I started the day off by going down to Brussels to twitch a pygmy cormorant that has been there for a few weeks. Quite the unexpected rarity in Belgium, and I'm glad it stuck around for long enough for me to go see it!

77) Pygmy cormorant, Microcarbo pygmeus
78) Rose-ringed parakeet, Psittacula krameri
79) Great crested grebe, Podiceps cristatus
80) Eurasian nuthatch, Sitta europaea
81) Rook, Corvus frugilegus

After that, I drove up to the Northern Netherlands to spend the weekend here. Of course, when seeing that we'd pass right by a pair of ferruginous ducks on our way, I had to stop there for a few minutes!

82) Lesser black-backed gull, Larus fuscus
83) Eurasian sparrowhawk, Accipiter nisus
84) Great egret, Ardea alba
85) White stork, Ciconia ciconia
86) Eurasian oystercatcher, Haematopus ostralegus
87) Ferruginous duck, Aythya nyroca

Total
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magpiealamode
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No good hero is a one-trick phony.

Birds

26. Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

Not a huge find, although rather surprising in my area. Was definitely a treat on my drive home.
Edited by magpiealamode, Feb 2 2018, 09:32 PM.
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Posted Image Xenephos
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ᴀ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴏʙsᴇssᴇᴅ

February 2nd

FINALLY! A new species xD
Four Cardinals were chilling next to my car when I left school. It was a nice surprise, though I'm even more surprised that I'm just now seeing these bright red birds lol

BIRDS:
16. Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

I'm super jealous of all the big lists, but then I remember that the cold wastes of winter Wisconsin aren't a variety-friendly place when it comes to most species since half of them are vacationing in Florida and Mexico
and all the warm, Southern places right now.

All Species Seen
Edited by Xenephos, Feb 4 2018, 11:29 PM.
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Danny
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February 3, 2018

MAMMALS
10 - Sambar Deer (Cervus unicolor)*
11 - Fallow Deer (Dama dama)*

REPTILES
7 - Tan-Backed Mountain Skink (Liopholis montana)*
8 - Mountain Log Skink (Pseudemoia entrecasteauxii)*
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Anton
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King of Cotingas

@Xenephos, go to a local pond! Ducks and geese should always be around, even in harsh winters!

Went birding in the area and got a few new birds that are quite a bit easier to find here than in Belgium, but definitely nice nonetheless:

BIRDS:
88) Pink-footed goose, Anser brachyrhynchus
89) Greater scaup, Aythya marila (ssp marila)
90) Smew, Mergellus albellus
91) Tundra bean goose, Anser serrirostris
92) Meadow pipit, Anthus pratensis

MAMMALS:
2) Brown hare, Lepus europaeus

Total
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Zoo Tycooner FR
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#Lithopédion

Zoo Tycooner FR
Feb 1 2018, 06:44 PM
Still pathetic but I promise I will get to go birding this month*

15 - Blackbird, Turdus merula

*hopefully, don't kill me ok?
2 species of swallow seen this year and it's not even spring, this is so precocious!

16 - Common house martin, Delichon urbicum urbicum
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Danny
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February 4, 2018

BIRDS
103 - Australasian Pipit (Anthus novaeseelandiae)*
104 - Buff-Rumped Thornbill (Acanthiza reguloides)*
105 - Scarlet Robin (Petroica boodang)*

REPTILES
9 - Jacky Dragon (Amphibolurus muricatus)*
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Anton
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King of Cotingas

My first ever trip to one of the Wadden islands (Schiermonnikoog) got me a few very interesting sea birds! Really excited about both lifers, as both are species I looked for quite a bit last year but never actually ended up finding.

BIRDS:
93) Whooper swan, Cygnus cygnus
94) Common eider, Somateria mollissima
95) Black-legged kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla
96) Sanderling, Calidris alba
97) Common goldeneye, Bucephala clangula
98) Brant goose, Branta bernicla
99) Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres
100) Common scoter, Melanitta nigra
101) Common pheasant, Phasianus colchicus
102) Rough-legged buzzard, Buteo lagopus
103) Snow bunting, Plectrophenax nivalis
104) European stonechat, Saxicola rubicola
105) European golden plover, Pluvialis apricaria
106) Dunlin, Calidris alpina
107) Red knot, Calidris canutus
108) Eurasian rock pipit, Anthus petrosus
109) Common redshank, Tringa totanus

MAMMALS:
3) Harbour seal, Phoca vitulina

Total


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Danny
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BIRDS
106 - Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus)*
107 - Yellow-Rumped Thornbill (Acanthiza chrysorrhoa)*

Two very pretty new birds :) Also the 'flame' Robin I thought I saw was actually a female scarlet robin, which I didn't realise lived in the area (Petroica boodang)
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Anton
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King of Cotingas

I stopped by the Oostvaardersplassen on my way back home, and saw quite a lot of interesting species! Again, like yesterday, most aren't lifers but are species I only rarely see at home.

BIRDS:
110) Black swan, Cygnus atratus*
111) Peregrine falcon, Falco peregrinus
112) Common chiffchaff, Phylloscopus collybita**
113) Eurasian siskin, Spinus spinus
114) Northern goshawk, Accipiter gentilis
115) Great grey shrike, Lanius excubitor
116) Hen harrier, Circus cyaneus

MAMMALS:
4) European roe deer, Capreolus capreolus
5) Red deer, Cervus elaphus
6) Bank vole, Myodes glareolus

*Significant introduced population in the Netherlands
**Very early for one of these! I suspect it's one that stayed through the winter, which more and more of these are doing lately.

Total


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Anton
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King of Cotingas

By the way, after the festival is over this topic will be moved to the Pets & Wildlife portion of the site. Just as a head's up, so everyone can find the thread again once the New Year's specials are over. ;)
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Posted Image Xenephos
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ᴀ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴏʙsᴇssᴇᴅ

February 5th

Another less-than-exciting invert sighting today. Someone's lunch was being eaten by ants xD

INVERTS:
4. Little Black Ant (Monomorium minimum)

All Species Seen


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Danny
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February 6, 2018

BIRDS
108 - Gang-Gang Cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum)*
109 - Australian Raven (Corvus coronoides)*
110 - Fan-Tailed Cuckoo (Cacomantis flabelliformis)*
111 - Striated Thornbill (Acanthiza lineata)*

By the way the only reason I haven't included totals is because I'm posting via mobile and it can be inconvenient :P I'll put my list together again when I'm back in Melbourne.
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Posted Image Wes
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Aurora Designs Member

Found some time to post my new species! over the last week I've seen some new additions to my list.
Saw the rare Parrot crossbills, already saw them in december but I also wanted them on my 2018 list d:
(also heard black woodpeckers again, hopefully it won't take long till I see them again!)

3-4 february
Birds:
50) Eurasian sparrowhawk, Accipiter nisus
51) Northern goshawk, Accipiter gentilis
52) Parrot crossbill, Loxia pytyopsittacus
53) Red crossbill, Loxia curvirostra

Mammals:
4) Red squirrel, Sciurus vulgaris

Total
Edited by Wes, Feb 6 2018, 05:03 AM.
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