Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]

Shoot a firework rocket ~ Winners!
Make a forum zoo!

Welcome to The Round Table. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
2018 Big Year
Topic Started: Dec 27 2017, 08:05 PM (7,784 Views)
Anton
Member Avatar
King of Cotingas

Posted Image



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!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Replies:
Danny
Member Avatar


February 17, 2018
BIRDS
125 - New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae)

Total
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Anton
Member Avatar
King of Cotingas

And here's another few. Went looking for the odd gull again, and did finally manage to find it!

BIRDS:
130) Merlin, Falco columbarius
131) Common guillemot, Uria aalge
132) Ross' gull, Rhodostethia rosea

Not sure if I'll see any rarer birds than that this year! Definitely the highlight so far. Didn't get close enough for good pictures, but did get some (very bad) record shots. :D

Total


Posted Image

(Cropped version here)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Keniafan
Member Avatar


So today I went with my favourite Belgian and brother and father to one of the southern most and highest points in the Netherlands; The Saint-Peter. Saw some incredible nice species there!

99) Common raven (Corvus corax)
100) Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo)
101) Stock dove (Columba oenas)
102) Dunnock (Prunella modularis)
103) Common linnet (Linaria cannabina)
104) Firecrest (Regulus ignicapilla)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Anton
Member Avatar
King of Cotingas

Coincidental! I went birding with my favorite Dutch guy, his father and brother, and saw an eagle-owl as well!
On my way there with the train, I was very pleasantly surprised by a group of 9 migrating cranes, right over a very busy city. I'd seen them before (in Poland in 2016), but never flying and never in Belgium.

BIRDS:
133) Eurasian crane, Grus grus
134) Northern raven, Corvus corax
135) Eurasian eagle-owl, Bubo bubo
136) Common linnet, Linaria cannabina
137) Goldcrest, Regulus regulus
138) Red crossbill, Loxia curvirostra

MAMMALS:
9) Eurasian red squirrel, Sciurus vulgaris

And with that lifer, I've now seen 500 wild bird species in my entire lifetime! I'm very happy with this milestone! :D

Total
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Fireplume
Member Avatar
Snok Snok Snerson

Birds
97. Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii)
98. Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)
99. Black Brant (Branta bernicla nigricans)
100. Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus)
101. Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis)
102. Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata)
103. Common Loon (Gavia immer)
104. Red Knot (Calidris canutus)
105. Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)
106. Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni)
107. Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)
108. Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus)
109. Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa)
110. Greater Scaup (Aythya marila)
111. Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)
112. Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis)
113. Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)
114. Brandt’s Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus)
115. Pink-footed Shearwater (Puffinus creatopus)
116. Redhead Pochard (Aythya americana)
117. Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus)
118. Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens)
119. Barrow’s Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica)
120. Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri)
121. Forster’s Tern (Sterna forsteri)
122. Willet (Tringa semipalmata)
123. Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca)

Mammals
10. East Pacific Harbour Seal (Phoca vitulina richardsi)

Invertebrates
2. Giant Green Anemone (Anthopleura xanthogrammica)
3. Rough Keyhole Limpet (Diodora aspera)
4. California Mussel (Mytilus californianus)
5. Little Brown Barnacle (Chthamalus dalli)
6. Acorn Barnacle (Balanus glandula)
7. Common Ringlet (Coenonympha tullia)
8. Lined Shore Crab (Pachygrapsus crassipes)

Huge wildlife-filled weekend, with all kinds of additions! :D


Total List
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Anton
Member Avatar
King of Cotingas

That's an impressive list, FP!

As a head's up, instead of sharing the "master list" each month I've decided to put it up now, and keep editing the thread as we go along. This way I only have to edit that topic instead of keeping a private list as well, and as an added bonus everyone always has access to a very recent list! Here's the link to the topic: http://thezt2roundtable.com/topic/30505149/1/
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Posted Image Xenephos
Member Avatar
ᴀ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴏʙsᴇssᴇᴅ

February 20th

WOW it's been a while since I've seen an "identifiable" species (i.e. not those way-up-in-the-sky birds on my drive to work/school). And this one's a lifer, too!

MAMMALS:
5. American Mink (Neovison vison)

All Species Seen
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Anton
Member Avatar
King of Cotingas

New one from in a city park today.

BIRDS:
139) Hawfinch, Coccothraustes coccothraustes

Total
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Komodo
Member Avatar
Varanus komodoensis

I finally got time to make my own list! I've spent all of February in vacation, a great chance to spot a lot of Chile's native fauna. So, I think it's valid to post all the wild species I saw in the first twenty days of the month (If i'm wrong or misinterpreting the rules, please tell me!!!)

BIRDS


MAMMALS


REPTILES


FISH


INVERTEBRATES



Greetings!
Edited by Anton, Mar 5 2018, 12:57 PM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Anton
Member Avatar
King of Cotingas

Very lovely list, of which there are quite some I'm very jealous of! I'm really liking that our already quite global range of birders is still growing! :D
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Anton
Member Avatar
King of Cotingas

An afternoon without classes meant I could go chasing another vagrant gull! Didn't get a fantastic view of it as it flew away, but it was definitely a very beautiful bird.

BIRDS:
140) Iceland gull, Larus glaucoides

Total
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Zoo Tycooner FR
Member Avatar
#Lithopédion

Zoo Tycooner FR
Feb 11 2018, 10:46 AM
Well guess what, first birding session of the season and probably one of the best I've ever had (not for the number of species I've seen but for the whole experience and some of the species)! :D

18 - Crested lark, Galerida cristata
19 - Southern gray shrike, Lanius meridionalis
20 - Spanish sparrow, Passer hispaniolensis
21 - Thekla lark, Galerida theklae
22 - European turtle dove, Streptopelia turtur
23 - Sardinian warbler, Sylvia melanocephala
24 - Maghreb long-legged buzzard, Buteo rufinus cirtensis
25 - Western olivaceous warbler, Iduna opaca
26 - Black-winged kite, Elanus caeruleus
27 - Moussier's redstart, Phoenicurus moussieri

Unfortunately, I didn't take my camera with me because I don't know where the charger is and it is completely discharged; it is even more frustrating when you consider the fact raptors are rare in Morocco (because of poisoning mainly) and that these 2 species were very close to me (both were looking to steal chicks from the farmers in the are)!

The Black-winged kite and the Western olivaceous warbler are uncommon, the Maghreb long-legged buzzard is rare and the Spanish sparrow, although supposed to be found here, is one of the species that keeps on eluding me so I consider it to be a nice addition (although not a lifer). All in all, a very good day! :)
On-road to Marrakesh which generally brings me quite some birds but I only have one species to add yet, although I cannot complain since said species is rare in Morocco (and very rare in the region I'm at):

28 - Common raven, Corvus corax

There were also tons of stonechats, I've never seen so many of them. I will try and get the other local species which I cannot really get in Agadir tomorrow.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Orca Freak
Member Avatar
Killer Whales rule the World

Spend yesterday babysitting my nephew.
The weather was beautiful so I took him out for a stroll through the nature reserve next to his home.
Which gave me some nice additions to my list of birds :)

February 7th - 23th

Birds:
45. Eurasian teal - Anas creca
46. Peregrine falcon - Falco peregrinus
47. Common Shelduck - Tadorna tadorna
48. Great spotted woodpecker - Dendrocopos major

Total list

Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Komodo
Member Avatar
Varanus komodoensis

A brief trip to a friend's rural house in Pirque gave me the chance of spotting some new critters in a nearby forest.

Birds
57. Striped Woodpecker, Veniliornis lignarius
58. Blue-and-White Swallow, Notiochelidon cyanoleuca
59. Plain-Mantled Tit-Spinetail, Leptasthenura aegithaloides

Invertebrates
17. Common Pololo, Astylus trifasciatus
18. European Earwig, Forficula auricularia

The earwig is an introduced but established species :/

Complete List
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Zoo Tycooner FR
Member Avatar
#Lithopédion

Zoo Tycooner FR
Feb 23 2018, 02:55 PM
On-road to Marrakesh which generally brings me quite some birds but I only have one species to add yet, although I cannot complain since said species is rare in Morocco (and very rare in the region I'm at):

28 - Common raven, Corvus corax

There were also tons of stonechats, I've never seen so many of them. I will try and get the other local species which I cannot really get in Agadir tomorrow.
Not as many additions as I would have liked and especially no greenfinch ( D":) but additions are additions :P :

29 - Common wood pigeon, Columba palumbus
30 - White stork, Ciconia ciconia

The first one might seem surprising but although they are common where I am right now, they are nearly unheard of where I live.

EDIT:

Saw this very cool species on my way back to Agadir:

31 - Booted eagle, Hieraaetus pennatus

I really like my birds-of-prey list so far, out of 31 species seen in total; 4 have been BoPs that's ~12% in total. I hope it will continue like that throughout the year! :)
Edited by Zoo Tycooner FR, Feb 25 2018, 11:16 AM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
Join the millions that use us for their forum communities. Create your own forum today.
Learn More · Sign-up Now
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Goodies · Next Topic »
Add Reply