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2018 Big Year
Topic Started: Dec 27 2017, 08:05 PM (7,779 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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Replies:
Orca Freak
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Killer Whales rule the World

Spring is in the air :P

March 23st - 31st

Birds:
50. White stork - Ciconia ciconia
51. Grey partrigde - Perdix perdix
52. Ruff - Calidris pugnax
53. Black-tailed godwit - Limosa limosa
54. Pied avocet - Recurvirostra avosetta
55. Eurasian wigeon - Mareca penelope
56. Northern shoveler - Spatula clypeata

Total list
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Fireplume
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Snok Snok Snerson

BIRDS:
124. Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus)
125. Sage Sparrow (Artemisiospiza nevadensis)
126. Le Conte’s Thrasher (Toxostoma lecontei)
127. Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)
128. American Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
129. Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)
130. Red-naped Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis)
131. Canvasback (Aythya valisineria)
132. Yellow-chevroned Parakeet (Brotogeris chiriri)
133. Allen’s Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin)
134. Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus)
135. Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
136. Yellow-billed Loon (Gavia adamsii)

MAMMALS:
11. Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus)
12. California Myotis (Myotis californicus)
13. Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)

HERPTILES:
3. Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
4. Terrestrial Garter Snake (Thamnophis elegans)

INVERTEBRATES:
11. California Harvester Ant (Pogonomyrmex californicus)
12. Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)


TOTAL LIST
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Keniafan
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So today instead of looking for eggs I went out to look for birds! New ones I found!

124 - Willow warbler (Phylloscopus tricholus)
125 - Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella)
126 - Black kite (Milvus migrans)
127 - Grey partridge (Perdix perdix)

128 - Little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius)
129 - Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica)
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Anton
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King of Cotingas

Hi all! Just want to let everyone know that I didn't forget about the March overview post. I was very sick all weekend and thus didn't have time to post it then. I am now feeling a little bit better, but am on vacation, and will only be back in Belgium on the 12th. You can expect the overview post sometime then. Sorry for the delay, and happy birding everyone!
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magpiealamode
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No good hero is a one-trick phony.

Well here's the end of my March list, anyway

Birds

36. Northern flicker (Colaptes auratus)
37. Green heron (Butorides virescens)
38. Eastern phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)

I only designate the phoebe as a lifer because I've never positively identified one till now; I'm reasonably sure I've seen them before, however.

And for April, we have

Still just birds

39. Common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)
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Danny
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I had a stay at my brother's place over the last few days, which gave me an opportunity to see a few drier region birds which I can't find at home. I got to check three birds off my Victorian list, in addition to the birds stated below. One fan-tailed cuckoo, multiple sightings of groups of yellow-rumped thornbills and a number of brown falcons were seen previously only in New South Wales this year. I now have 162 species for the state!

BIRDS
148 - Red-Capped Robin (Petroica goodenovii)
149 - Chestnut-Rumped Thornbill (Acanthiza uropygialis)
150 - Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata)
151 - Fuscous Honeyeater (Lichenostomus fuscu)
152 - Yellow-Plumed Honeyeater (Ptilotula ornata)
153 - Singing Honeyeater (Gavicalis virescens)
154 - Brown Treecreeper (Climacteris picumnus)
155 - White-Fronted Honeyeater (Purnella albifrons)
156 - Masked Woodswallow (Artamus personatus)
157 - White-Browed Woodswallow (Artamus superciliosus)
158 - White-Browed Babbler (Pomatostomus superciliosus)
159 - Spiny-Cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis)
160 - Hooded Robin (Melanodryas cucullata)
161 - Australian Hobby (Falco longipennis)
162 - Greater Bluebonnet (Northiella haematogaster)
163 - Pied Butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis)
164 - Variegated Fairywren (Malurus lamberti)
165 - Pink-Eared Duck (Malacorhynchus membranaceus)
166 - White-Winged Fairywren (Malurus leucopterus)
167 - Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)

REPTILES
14 - Boulenger's Skink (Morethia boulengeri)
15 - Eastern Brown Snake (Pseudonaja textilis)


Total
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Anton
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King of Cotingas

The first few additions of Croatia! :D
Extremely happy with the new lifers, and of course with the likes of shag, hoopoe, stilt and hooded crow as well, as odds of seeing those at home are quite low. The first fish and herps of the year were nice as well!

BIRDS:
170) Common nightingale, Luscinia megarhynchos
171) Hooded crow, Corvus cornix
172) Northern wheatear, Oenanthe oenanthe
173) House martin, Delichon urbicum
174) Black-winged stilt, Himantopus himantopus
175) Kentish plover, Charadrius alexandrinus
176) Sand martin, Riparia riparia
177) Sardinian warbler, Sylvia melanocephala
178) European shag, Phalacrocorax aristotelis
179) Hoopoe, Upupa epops
180) Montagu's harrier, Circus pygargus
181) Black-eared wheatear, Oenanthe hispanica
182) Yellow wagtail, Motacilla flava
183) Eurasian spoonbill, Platalea leucorodia
184) Grey plover, Pluvialis squatarola

HERPS:
1) Dalmatian wall lizard, Podarcis melisellensis
2) Italian wall lizard, Podarcis sicula

FISH:
1) Mediterranean killifish, Aphanius fasciatus
Edited by Anton, Apr 5 2018, 11:52 AM.
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Komodo
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Varanus komodoensis

March was a weaker month for me than I expected, though I still managed to spot many interesting animals, few of these are new. It still makes sense as this is the time of the year when many of the birds begin migrating north as the summer season ends, thus general diversity decreases a bit.

The last week of the month I saw mainly passerines and a couple of not-so common specimens listed below, of which the Hawk was the one I was the most excited to see.

March 26th-31st

BIRDS:
63. Variable Hawk, Geranoaetus (Buteo) polyosoma
64. Yellow-Winged Blackbird, Agelasticus thilius
65. Chilean Flicker, Colaptes pitius
66. Muscovy Duck, Cairina moschata

As a side-note, I was lucky enough to watch two Shiny Cowbirds mobbing a Chimango Caracara in the parks near my house.

MAMMALS
8. House Mouse, Mus musculus.
9. Brazilian Free-Tailed Bat, Tadarida brasiliensis

INVERTEBRATES
19. Chilean Cicada, Tettigades chilensis
20. Carpenter Ant, Camponotus chilensis
21. "White Termite", Porotermes quadricollis

This particular species of carpenter ant is locally known as "Hormigón negro" which literally means "Big black ant".

Complete List

Edited by Komodo, May 7 2018, 04:56 PM.
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Zoo Tycooner FR
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#Lithopédion

Zoo Tycooner FR
Mar 25 2018, 08:34 AM
Birding in Issen as usual but this time I tried to reach remote areas and it seems like it paid off: a lifer!

42 - Common linnet, Linaria cannabina
43 - European greenfinch, Carduelis chloris

EDIT:

Completely forgot my first mammal as well! :P

MAMMALS:
1 - Barbary ground squirrel, Atlantoxerus getulus
Spent a week in Fès, was not bad I guess... was awesome

44 - Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos
45 - Garganey, Spatula querquedula
46 - Tufted duck, Aythya fuligula
47 - Glossy ibis, Plegadis falcinellus
48 - Black kite, Milvus migrans
49 - Montagu's harrier, Circus pygargus
50 - Eurasian coot, Fulica atra
51 - Alpine swift, Tachymarptis melba
52 - Calandra lark, Melanocorypha calandra
53 - Woodlark, Lullula arborea
54 - Cetti's warbler, Cettia cetti
55 - Common chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs africana
56 - Corn bunting, Emberiza calandra
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Keniafan
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New animals!! Including some of my favorite birds and mammals of the year! The ring ouzel means I've seen all the nonvagrant thrushes of the Netherlands!

FÜGELN

130 - Ring ouzel (Turdus torquatus)
131 - Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica)

132 - Red-breasted merganser (Mergus serrator)
133 - Little egret (Egretta garzetta)
134 - Sedge warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus)

MAMMALS

7 - Red fox (Vulpes vulpes)

AMFIBIANS

1 - Common toad (Bufo bufo)
Edited by Keniafan, Apr 10 2018, 01:32 PM.
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Danny
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So I don't normally go chasing rare birds, but seeing as these two migratory species had been seen 15 minutes away for numerous consecutive days, I thought why not. They were at a favourite birding spot of mine too, but it just so happens that my last visit was the day before the pectoral sandpiper was first spotted there.

BIRDS
168 - Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)
169 - Long-Toed Stint (Calidris subminuta)


Total
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Anton
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King of Cotingas

Here's the rest from croatia!

BIRDS:
185) Eurasian crag martin, Ptyonoprogne rupestris
186) Western rock nuthatch, Sitta neumayer
187) Blue rock thrush, Monticola solitarius
188) Rock partridge, Alectoris graeca

189) Tree pipit, Anthus trivialis
190) Corn bunting, Embiriza calandra
191) Common whitethroat, Sylvia communis
192) Willow warbler, Phylloscopus trochilus
193) Common greenshank, Tringa nebularia
194) Wood sandpiper, Tringa glareola
195) Lesser whitethroat, Sylvia curruca
196) Collared flycatcher, Ficedula albicollis
197) Sombre tit, Poecile lugubris
198) Black kite, Milvus migrans

199) Middle spotted woodpecker, Dendrocoptes medius

HERPS:
3) European legless lizard, Pseudopus apodus
4) Common toad, Bufo bufo
5) European pond terrapin, Emys orbicularis
6) Pond slider, Trachemys scripta

FISH:
2) Minnow, Phoxinus phoxinus
3) Chub, Squalius cephalus


INVERTEBRATES:
3) Clouded yellow, Colias croceus
4) Cleopatra, Gonepteryx cleopatra

5) Small white, Pieris rapae
6) Painted lady, Vanessa cardui
7) Common blue, Polyommatus icarus
8) Southern Blue, Polyommatus celina
9) Scarce swallowtail, Iphiclides podalirius

10) Firebug, Pyrrhocoris apterus
11) Domestic house spider, Tegenaria domestica
12) Seven-spotted ladybeetle, Coccinella septempunctata
13) Asian ladybeetle, Harmonia axyridis
14) Dotted bee-fly, Bombylius discolor
15) Orange tip, Anthocharis cardamines


Total


Posted Image

Posted Image
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Anton
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King of Cotingas

MARCH
Overview
March 2018
BIRDS:
187 - caviar
169 - Anton
147 - Danny
136 - Fireplume
123 - Keniafan
105 - Kevin
73 - Wes
66 - Komodo
63 - Furka
56 - Orca Freak
38 - cassynatorium
38 - magpiealamode
43 - Zoo Tycooner FR
29 - Xenephos
24 - Gerben
17 - Dwarfbomb
10 - Burns
10 - Jules
1 - Paranoid
1 - RGDS

MAMMALS:
20 - Danny
13 - Fireplume
10 - Anton
9 - Komodo
8 - Xenephos
7 - Wes
6 - Keniafan
6 - Orca Freak
5 - Kevin
5 - magpiealamode
4 - Burns
4 - Furka
3 - cassynatorium
3 - caviar
2 - Dwarfbomb
1 - Jules
1 - Zoo Tycooner FR

HERPS:
15 - Danny (13 reptiles, 2 amphibians)
4 - Fireplume (3 reptiles, 1 amphibian)
4 - Furka (4 reptiles)
4 - Komodo (4 reptiles)
3 - Kevin (3 amphibians)
2 - Dwarfbomb (2 reptiles)
2 - Orcafreak (2 amphibians)
1 - Wes (1 amphibian)
1 - Zoo Tycooner FR (1 reptile)

FISH:
7 - Furka
6 - Danny
4 - Komodo
3 - Fireplume
3 - Paranoid
1 - Wes

INVERTS:
21 - Komodo
12 - Fireplume
4 - Xenephos
3 - Kevin
2 - Anton
1 - Dwarfbomb
1 - Keniafan

Species gained this month
March 2018
104 - caviar
35 - Kevin
30 - Anton
27 - Danny
22 - Fireplume
20 - Furka
17 - Keniafan
15 - Wes
14 - Zoo Tycooner FR
11 - Xenephos
10 - Orca Freak
9 - Komodo
6 - magpiealamode


Everybody will receive their pointies (5x their monthly gains) as soon as possible! If I have made a counting mistake somewhere, or forgot to add an animal to the total lists, please let me know via PM as not to clutter this topic.
If you saw other species during March that you hadn't had the chance to post until now, please mention so in your post and I can edit these lists.

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Anton
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King of Cotingas

Triple post, oops :P

Another very rare American vagrant was just seen quite close to where I live, so I had to go take a quick look:

BIRDS:
200) Ring-necked duck, Aythya collaris

Total
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Posted Image Xenephos
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ᴀ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴏʙsᴇssᴇᴅ

It's been a while. Unfortunately, I haven't noticed many new species around, but I did see a Sandhill crane so that's neato! All the tall birds ever see are Grey Herons, so to see a Sandhill is refreshing.

BIRDS:
30. American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)
31. Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis)
32. Boreal Chickadee (Poecile hudsonicus)

All Species Seen
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