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2018 Big Year
Topic Started: Dec 27 2017, 08:05 PM (7,774 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:
Zoo Tycooner FR
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#Lithopédion

Zoo Tycooner FR
Jun 9 2018, 02:46 PM
And indeed, I've seen a few new species, including many unidentified invertebrates and an unidentified agama (probably Bibron's):

BIRDS:
63 - Seebohm's wheatear, Oenanthe seebohmi
64 - Hoopoe, Upupa epops

INVERTEBRATES:
9 - Green-veined white, Pieris napi
10 - Moroccan orange-tip, Anthocharis belia

Some pictures


EDIT:

Just realized I haven't seen Little swift this year before today but while searching if I did, I also realized that I listed Alpine swift 2 times, so it's an addition but it doesn't add up to the previous number. :P

BIRDS:
64 - Little swift, Apus affinis
Aaaand while birding near the beach (I have some decent pictures of them, probably my first ones of the species):

65 - Eurasian spoonbill, Platalea leucorodia
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Posted Image Xenephos
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ᴀ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴏʙsᴇssᴇᴅ

My dad got a spectacular picture of a tree swallow on our mailbox as we were leaving to go see a drag race yesterday. I'll upload it sometime but it's still on the camera.

BIRDS:
44. Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)

All Species Seen
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Anton
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King of Cotingas

Horned grebes are regular but rare winter visitors in Belgium, but seeing one here in the summer is very rare. I'd never seen this species in my own country, and definitely not in breeding plumage, so I had to go check this one out!

BIRDS:
235) Horned grebe, Podiceps auritus

INVERTEBRATES:
40) Speckled bush-cricket, Leptophyes punctatissima
41) Common darter, Sympetrum striolatum
42) Small heath, Coenonympha pamphilus

Total


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Danny
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This is actually probably from a month ago but I realised I forgot to add it!

MAMMALS
21 - Black Rat (Rattus rattus)*

My goals for the year:
185/200 Victorian birds
189/300 Worldwide birds

Total
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Posted Image Xenephos
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ᴀ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴏʙsᴇssᴇᴅ

I accidentally edited this post. Oops D:

BIRDS:
45. Green Heron (Butorides virescens)

All Species Seen
Edited by Xenephos, Jun 29 2018, 09:43 PM.
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Anton
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King of Cotingas

Nice to hear this topic inspired you! I agree, since I started birding I've definitely become so much more aware of the nature and wildlife around me.

I went for a walk/birding session this morning and saw these three, of which the two lifers have been evading me for a long time now!

BIRDS:
236) Little ringed plover, Charadrius dubius
237) Savi's warbler, Locustella luscinioides
238) Green sandpiper, Tringa ochropus

Total

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Anton
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King of Cotingas

So very recently I found out about a forest nearby where nightjars could be reliably seen hunting, and I had time tonight so went to check it out. Definitely worth it, as I came back with what I can only describe as one of the most interesting bird observations I've had. They're such absurd animals! I had seen nightjars before in Java, but those were above a city so I didn't hear them, see them hunting, or see them sitting down... Which I can now say I have! Before it turned dark the forest also had a lot of other interesting animals, among which a pied flycatcher, which is one I've long been looking for as well.

BIRDS:
239) European pied flycatcher, Ficedula hypoleuca
240) Eurasian nightjar, Caprimulgus europaeus

INVERTEBRATES:
43) Red admiral, Vanessa atalanta
44) Emperor dragonfly, Anax imperator
45) Barred grass-veneer, Agriphila inquinatella

Total


Unfortunately no pictures of any of the new birds, but here's a song thrush from the beginning of the evening to set the atmosphere!

Posted Image
Edited by Anton, Jun 20 2018, 11:55 AM.
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Anton
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King of Cotingas

And sorry for the triple-post, but I went birding for the third time in a row today, mainly for a pair of black-winged stilts (which I've seen in Croatia but are quite a bit rarer here), where I also saw a quail! My backyard was also particularly full of insects today.

BIRDS:
241) Common quail, Coturnix coturnix

INVERTEBRATES:
46) Gold triangle, Hypsopygia costalis
47) Common bluetail, Ischnura elegans
48) Large skipper, Ochlodes sylvanus
49) Meadow brown, Maniola jurtina

Total
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Danny
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Hoping to get to 200 Victorian species by middle of the year, but I leave for America on Monday...

Today I was up in Swan Hill visiting family and tomorrow I'm planning a day trip to Hattah to see mallee birds and roos, with malleefowl, mallee emuwren, Major Mitchell's cockatoo, regent parrot, red kangaroo and western grey kangaroo as my target species. :)

BIRDS
190 - Restless Flycatcher (Myiagra inquieta)
191 - Weebill (Smicrornis brevirostris)
192 - Spotted Harrier (Circus assimilis)

My goals for the year:
188/200 Victorian birds
192/300 Worldwide birds

Total


Posted Image
Such a great view as this lifer flew overhead!
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Danny
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Didn't get the Major Mitchell's cockatoo or malleefowl, but all my other targets and more! Also saw somewhere close to 50 emus (previously just in NSW this year)! And... I have officially reached my state goal for the year just 6 months in :)

MAMMALS
22 - Western Grey Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus)
23 - Feral Goat (Capra hircus)*
24 - Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus)

BIRDS
193 - Black-Tailed Nativehen (Tribonyx ventralis)
194 - Rufous Fieldwren (Calamanthus campestris)
195 - Splendid Fairywren (Malurus splendens)

Yellow Rosella (Platycercus elegans ssp. flaveolus)

196 - Australian Ringneck (Barnardius zonarius)
197 - Regent Parrot (Polytelis anthopeplus)
198 - Southern Whiteface (Aphelocephala leucopsis)
199 - Mulga Parrot (Psephotellus varius)
200 - Varied Sittella (Daphoenositta chrysoptera)
201 - Striped Honeyeater (Plectorhyncha lanceolata)
202 - Mallee Emuwren (Stipiturus mallee)
203 - Jacky Winter (Microeca fascinans)
204 - Crested Bellbird (Oreoica gutturalis)
205 - Apostlebird (Struthidea cinerea)

My NEW goals for the year:
202/250 Victorian birds
205/300 Worldwide birds

Total
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Zoo Tycooner FR
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#Lithopédion

Zoo Tycooner FR
Jun 10 2018, 06:10 AM
Aaaand while birding near the beach (I have some decent pictures of them, probably my first ones of the species):

65 - Eurasian spoonbill, Platalea leucorodia


Went to Crocoparc Agadir today, and along with the nice Madagascar nile crocodiles and Central American green iguanas kept; I can add a few additions to my list including an unfortunately invasive fish.

BIRDS:
66 - Common moorhen, Gallinula chloropus

HERPS:
3 - Sahara frog, Pelophylax saharicus

FISH:
1 - Western mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis


EDIT:

Forgot one species I saw last week that someone identified for me:

INVERTEBRATES:
11 - Stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans
Edited by Zoo Tycooner FR, Jun 24 2018, 01:03 PM.
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Anton
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King of Cotingas

MAMMALS:
13) Brown rat, Rattus norvegicus

Total
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Zoo Tycooner FR
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#Lithopédion

Zoo Tycooner FR
Jun 23 2018, 03:17 PM
Went to Crocoparc Agadir today, and along with the nice Madagascar nile crocodiles and Central American green iguanas kept; I can add a few additions to my list including an unfortunately invasive fish.

BIRDS:
66 - Common moorhen, Gallinula chloropus

HERPS:
3 - Sahara frog, Pelophylax saharicus

FISH:
1 - Western mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis


EDIT:

Forgot one species I saw last week that someone identified for me:

INVERTEBRATES:
11 - Stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans
The 3 insects were identified by an entomologist friend and are from my garden, the bird is from yesterday at my regular birding spot where I also missed an Egyptian mongoose. :(

BIRDS:
67 - Fulvous babbler, Turdoides fulva

INVERTEBRATES:
12 - American cockroach, Periplaneta americana
13 - German cockroach, Blattella germanica (probably saw this one before but I can't be sure since my invertebrate identification skills are limited)
14 - Firebug, Pyrrhocoris apterus
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Zoo Tycooner FR
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#Lithopédion

Sorry for the double-post but this is a major update:

It has been a while I haven't been to Souss Massa National Park and clearly I should get back as soon as possible, I only had an hour or so in the park (and its surroundings) today but what a wonderful day it was! All the species excluding the Little egret and the butterfly are from the park.

MAMMALS:
2 - Red fox, Vulpes vulpes

BIRDS:
68 - Little owl, Athene noctua
69 - European serin, Serinus serinus
70 - Moroccan great cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo maroccanus
71 - Common redshank, Tringa totanus
72 - Common ringed plover, Charadrius hiaticula

73 - Eurasian curlew, Numenius arquata
74 - Audouin's gull, Ichthyaetus audouinii
75 - Northern bald ibis, Geronticus eremita
76 - Eurasian skylark, Alauda arvensis
77 - Little egret, Egretta garzetta

INVERTEBRATES:
15 - Clouded yellow, Colias croceus

So to summarize, my first plover species ever (or at least the first one I can remember of :P ), a nearly endemic critically endangered species ; 2 lifers and a few other animals to identify still (mainly crabs).
Edited by Zoo Tycooner FR, Jun 30 2018, 04:07 AM.
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Posted Image Xenephos
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ᴀ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴏʙsᴇssᴇᴅ

Had a brisk walk in Lake Geneva and spotted a bunch of Bluegill. Nothing too crazy though. I guess it's my first [identified] fish of the year xD
FISH:
1. Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)

All Species Seen
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