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 (7,782 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:
Anton
Member Avatar
King of Cotingas

Went looking for a long-eared owl that was seen in a nearby forest yesterday. Thanks to the very sudden and very cold snow I couldn't stay long, so I didn't see it but did hear its calls a few times. I did get these two snipes, though! Easily had the best view I've ever had of common snipes, which was fun, but then it got better when a woodcock flew over, followed by another 5 minutes later!

BIRDS:
143) Common snipe, Gallinago gallinago
144) Eurasian woodcock, Scolopax rusticola

Total
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Keniafan
Member Avatar


Woooo first invert!

1) Silverfish (Lepisma saccharina )
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Keniafan
Member Avatar


Yay, who cares about inverts anyway, NEW BIRDS!

110 - Eurasian woodcock (Scolopax rusticola)
111 - Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
caviar
Member Avatar


March 1-2, 2018

BIRDS

87 - Yellow Backed Oriole (Icterus chrysater)
88 - White-throated tyrannulet (Mecocerculus leucophrys)


Welp i guess February was a lost month with uni taking all of my time, and living in a big city is not super easy to see birds, hehe, however these two cuties were seen in the previous days in my uni and in Bogota's botanical garden.

Expect new birds soon, as i'll be going to an expedition near bogota to uncover the birds of San Juanito, a place which was until recently occupied by the guerrillas, and only niw is up to exploration.
Edited by caviar, Mar 3 2018, 09:30 PM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Keniafan
Member Avatar


Today I was pretty disappointed because I didn't get to catch new birds, atleast I thought! Who knew I would see this beautiful bird! Altough it was from like a kilometre away.

112 - Common crane (Grus grus)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Anton
Member Avatar
King of Cotingas

The first signs of spring are finally coming through, so even though I didn't see that many new species today while birding I did have an absolutely great time!

BIRDS:
145) Black redstart, Phoenicurus ochruros
146) Water pipit, Anthus spinoletta
147) Bearded reedling, Panurus biarmicus
148) Ruff, Calidris pugnax

Total
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Danny
Member Avatar


Saw a few new waterbirds today at a new site not far from home... Also saw red-rumped parrots so I now know a place near me to find them easily. In addition to these parrots, I have also recently added Australian ravens and gang-gang cockatoos to this year's Victorian list, putting me at 124/131 birds seen in my home state.

Blue-billed ducks were the highlight for me as they are a threatened species in Victoria. Not too hard to find - but they don't live in the wetlands closest to me so I can't recall ever having seen them before.

March 5, 2018
BIRDS
128 - White-Headed Stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus)
129 - Hardhead (Aythya australis)
130 - Australasian Shoveler (Spatula rhynchotis)
131 - Blue-Billed Duck (Oxyura australis)

MAMMALS
15 - Lesser Long-Eared Bat (Nyctophilus geoffroyi)

Total
Edited by Danny, Mar 5 2018, 06:59 AM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Anton
Member Avatar
King of Cotingas

Travelled way too far for three owl species, of which I saw one (short-eared), heard the other (little), and failed to find the third (long-eared), though upon coming home, right in front of my house I heard that species as well.
Not much to add, but the one I can add is definitely one of my new favorite bird species!

BIRDS:
149) Short-eared owl, Asio flammeus

Total


Posted Image

Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
caviar
Member Avatar


March 6, 2018

BIRDS

89 - Black Tailed Trainbearer (Lesbia victoriae)

At my uni's campus.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Danny
Member Avatar


Went spotlighting again for a few hours and saw five mammals (greater and sugar gliders, eastern grey kangaroos, swamp wallabies and common wombats) as well as a couple of tawny frogmouths. Was hoping to see a couple of smaller marsupials too but certainly happy with the Greater gliders :)

MAMMALS
16 - Greater Glider (Petauroides volans)
17 - Common Wombat (Vombatus ursinus)

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

Black-tailed trainbearer and greater glider are both definitely some of the species I'd want to see wild most one day!

In the meantime, there's still plenty for me to see within my own country! Went birding again in the Northeast of the country and was able to add quite a few nice species, one of which (the crossbill) a rare vagrant! Black woodpecker is one of my favorite species, so finally being able to take a picture of one (though a tad out of focus) was definitely a highlight.

BIRDS:
150) Black woodpecker, Dryocopus martius
151) Parrot crossbill, Loxia pytyopsittacus
152) Lesser spotted woodpecker, Dryobates minor
153) Crested tit, Lophophanes cristatus

Total


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

Zoo Tycooner FR
Feb 24 2018, 07:38 PM
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! :)
Well finally some nice additions since last time I went birding. Went to Marrakesh yesterday (again) for a basketball tournament but I did have some free time to go birding and I even got a lifer (which, weirdly, should already be gone to Northern Europe).

32 - Ruddy shelduck, Tadorna ferruginea
33 - Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata
34 - Little grebe, Tachybaptus ruficollis
35 - Grey heron, Ardea cinerea
36 - Pallid swift, Apus pallidus
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Danny
Member Avatar


A species I've only seen once before a few years ago, so I was pleasantly surprised to spot one at uni today :)

BIRDS
132 - Buff-Banded Rail (Gallirallus philippensis)

Total
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Danny
Member Avatar


Unfortunate additions...
MAMMALS
18 - Brown Hare (Lepus europaeus)*
19 - Feral Cat (Felis catus)*

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

A weekend in the Ardennes gave me a good few extra species, of which half were lifers!

BIRDS:
154) Red kite, Milvus milvus
155) Eurasian treecreeper, Certhia familiaris
156) Marsh tit, Poecile palustris
157) Yellowhammer, Emberiza citrinella
158) European serin, Serinus serinus
159) White-throated dipper, Cinclus cinclus
160) Willow tit, Poecile montanus
161) Western barn owl, Tyto alba

Total


Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
Enjoy forums? Start your own community for free.
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Goodies · Next Topic »
Add Reply