Paul's 2025 World List (2 Viewers)

[Frank van Drogen]

Only three days left. The trouble with a short trip....

😲

 

[Paul Chapman]

California Condor.

Pinnacles NP wasn't on the route but the coast road was closed today meaning Big Sur as a back up site to Ventura & Bitter Creek was a big diversion and this saw a change of plans...

All the best

Paul

 

[Paul Chapman]

Day 38 of 40 saw a further 9 lifers. My lifers were 298 species from a trip list of 636 species with 44 lifers from 116 species on the Californian leg. Almost time to head home. 😀

741. Yellow-billed Magpie 12 Apr 2025 7500 Blue Star Memorial Highway, California, US (35.391, -120.592) | US-CA
742. Bufflehead 12 Apr 2025 Atascadero Lake | US-CA
743. Ruddy Duck 12 Apr 2025 Atascadero Lake | US-CA
744. American Coot 12 Apr 2025 Atascadero Lake | US-CA
745. Belted Kingfisher 12 Apr 2025 Atascadero Lake | US-CA
746. Tree Swallow 12 Apr 2025 Atascadero Lake | US-CA
747. Mountain Quail 12 Apr 2025 Cerro Alto Campground | US-CA
748. Hutton's Vireo 12 Apr 2025 Cerro Alto Campground | US-CA
749. Chestnut-backed Chickadee 12 Apr 2025 Cerro Alto Campground | US-CA
750. Northern House Wren 12 Apr 2025 Cerro Alto Campground | US-CA
751. Wilson's Warbler 12 Apr 2025 Cerro Alto Campground | US-CA
752. Black-headed Grosbeak 12 Apr 2025 Cerro Alto Campground | US-CA
753. Blue-winged Teal 12 Apr 2025 Sweet Springs Nature Preserve | US-CA
754. Long-billed Curlew 12 Apr 2025 Morro Bay SP--Marina/Boardwalk Trail | US-CA
755. American Wigeon 12 Apr 2025 Elfin Forest Preserve | US-CA
756. California Thrasher 12 Apr 2025 Elfin Forest Preserve | US-CA
757. Pigeon Guillemot 12 Apr 2025 Morro Bay Harbor | US-CA
758. Common Poorwill 12 Apr 2025 Islay Creek Road, California, US (35.277, -120.878) | US-CA
759. Great Horned Owl 12 Apr 2025 Islay Creek Road, California, US (35.277, -120.878) | US-CA

A few pics - Pigeon Guillemot, Pelagic Cormorant, Great Northern Diver, Brandt's Cormorant. Californian Thrasher, Pied-billed Grebe, Sea Otter, Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Willet, Blue-winged Teal, Californian Scrub-Jay, Steller's Jay, Hutton's Vireo, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Black-headed Grosbeak, Ruddy Duck, Yellow-billed Magpie, Green-winged Teal & Red-shouldered Hawk.

All the best

Paul

 

[Paul Chapman]

Penultimate day complete... Maybe some birding tomorrow. Hopefully.

My trip list is now 641 and my trip lifers are 301. The Californian leg has recorded 150 species and I have had 47 lifers.

760. California Condor 13 Apr 2025 Pinnacles NP--Balconies Caves Trail | US-CA
761. Hairy Woodpecker 13 Apr 2025 Pinnacles NP--Balconies Caves Trail | US-CA
762. Golden-crowned Sparrow 13 Apr 2025 Pinnacles NP--Balconies Caves Trail | US-CA
763. Green Heron 13 Apr 2025 Antonelli Pond | US-CA
764. Pacific Wren 13 Apr 2025 Henry Cowell Redwoods SP--campground | US-CA

A few pics from today - Californian Condor (two pics), Californian Thrasher (two pics), Golden-crowned Sparrow (two pics) & Pacific Wren.

Clearly the Wren was head and shoulders the bird of the day. 🤣

All the best

Paul

 

[foresttwitcher]

Congratulations on the Condor, Paul, it looks as though your view was as good as mine.

 

[Paul Chapman]

And so the trip ends At the airport. Pic sent to my wife to remind her what I look like after 6 weeks - 40 days birding. Hopefully, she still picks me up. Checks complete. We haven't moved. 😀

A belated feral catch up to the list & some last birding from today. Subject to any checking or revisions, my trip list ended on 652 species with 303 lifers. The Californian leg ended with 164 species with 49 lifers.

765. Lilac-crowned Amazon 08 Apr 2025 Pasadena | US-CA
766. Downy Woodpecker 14 Apr 2025 Henry Cowell Redwoods SP--campground | US-CA
767. Canvasback 14 Apr 2025 Palo Alto Baylands | US-CA
768. Lesser Scaup 14 Apr 2025 Palo Alto Baylands | US-CA
769. American Avocet 14 Apr 2025 Palo Alto Baylands | US-CA
770. Long-billed Dowitcher 14 Apr 2025 Palo Alto Baylands | US-CA
771. Forster's Tern 14 Apr 2025 Palo Alto Baylands | US-CA
772. Ridgway's Rail 14 Apr 2025 Byxbee Park | US-CA

A few pics - Black-throated Grey Warbler, Ridgway's Rail, Californian Towhee, Marbled Godwit, House Finch, Forster's Tern, Cliff Swallow, Ring-billed Gull, California Gull, Ruddy Duck, Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Black-necked Stilt, Killdeer, Willet, Anna's Hummingbird, Golden-crowned Sparrow, American Avocet, Long-billed Dowitcher & Canvasback.

Some nice pics to edit in due course but back of camera works for my record-keeping for now.

All the best

Paul

 

[Paul Chapman]

Photographing so many birds does give me the opportunity to challenge some of my assumptions & identifications & I have revisited a Seedeater from Argentina on 7th March so starting from 771 & a couple of year ticks whilst pond dipping yesterday....

772. Western House Martin Watercress Farm, Nailsea, North Somerset 22nd April
773. Common Whitethroat Watercress Farm, Nailsea, North Somerset 22nd April

I have been doing some photo editing so a few non-back of camera pics from the recent trip that will have previously featured.

All the best

Paul

 

[Welsh Peregrine]

Surely the Woodpecker is Magellanic; wish it were Imperial!

 

[Paul Chapman]

Surely the Woodpecker is Magellanic; wish it were Imperial!

🤣

Corrected! I mislabel so many pictures. Not sure if inputting through a computer system which selects the names makes me lazy in learning such things when I type them afresh but that is probably almost as dramatic a mistake as labelling it Ivory-billed...

All the best

Paul

 

[Frank van Drogen]

🤣

Corrected! I mislabel so many pictures. Not sure if inputting through a computer system makes me lazy in learning such things but that is probably almost as dramatic as labelling it Ivory-billed...

All the best

Paul

Our win -- we got some more photos of this magnificent woodpecker!!

 

[Paul Chapman]

I reclassified a previous record from my trip losing Indigo Bunting as I consider that it was another Varied Bunting. So starting from:-

773. Lesser Whitethroat Clevedon, North Somerset 24th April
774. Whinchat Clevedon, North Somerset 24th April
775. Blackcap Wraxall, North Somerset 26th April

A few pics from the last week as well as the reclassified Bunting...

The pond dipping was from a local rewilding site where we continue ro monitor whatever species we can. Overall Species List approaching 2,250...

: Watercress Farm Life List | BUBO Listing

View all the species on any list for any lister, and check out their top targets and blockers!

bubo.org

All the best

Paul

 

[Paul Chapman]

An addition from the other day:-

776. Common Swift Clevedon, North Somerset 1st May 2025

I am due to spend the next week birding with a friend in Morocco so maybe a few year ticks to come later this week.

Apart from that, I have been doing some occasional invertebrate recording. Snakefly pic attached. Always a favourite.

All the best

Paul

 

[Owene]

Hemipode?

 

[Paul Chapman]

Hemipode?

🤞

I last looked for it in March 2012 but was too early in the year & it wasn't a priority target on a general trip with friends.

Morocco - 22nd to 27th March - coastal strip north & south of Casablanca

With three friends, I took a short break in Morocco between 22nd and 27th March. The essential preparation for the trip was Gosney – Finding Birds in Morocco: coast and mountains and Bergier – A Birdwatcher’s Guide to Morocco – as well as the usual trip reports kindly posted on Internet sites by...

www.birdforum.net

I notice that I didn't mention the species by name.

The sites have effectively not changed since it was twitched in 2008 & 2009. It took a couple of years before anyone told me that they had seen it... 😊

I hope to have a look again though not sure where a Western Palearctic list sits in my priorities these days. I got some pics in Uganda in 2019 where I have seen it twice.

If I bite the bullet, I'll add my WP list to Netfugl & try & do some tidying up over the next few years. Almost pulled together Algeria, Mauretania & Egypt trips over the last couple of years but some world trips have got in the way each time. A couple of other return trips are tempting such as Georgia.

All the best

Paul

 

[Owene]

Didn’t realise it was the same species. I saw it in Uganda too

 

[Paul Chapman]

Didn’t realise it was the same species. I saw it in Uganda too

It depends on whether you call it Andalusian Hemipode, Small Buttonquail or Common Buttonquail. Potential to get three ticks for one! 😅

All the best

Paul

 

[Paul Chapman]

Day one in Morocco arriving at Marrekech Airport & heading to the coast saw the year list climb a bit:-

777. Pallid Swift 06 May 2025 Marrekech Airport, Morocco
778. Little Swift 06 May 2025 Marrekech Airport, Morocco
779. Maghreb Magpie 06 May 2025 Marrekech Airport, Morocco
780. Common Bulbul 06 May 2025 Marrekech Airport, Morocco
781. Spotless Starling 06 May 2025 Marrekech Airport, Morocco
782. House Bunting 06 May 2025 Marrekech Airport, Morocco
783. European Turtle Dove 06 May 2025 Travelling Records, Morocco
784. White Stork 06 May 2025 Travelling Records, Morocco
785. Crested Lark 06 May 2025 Travelling Records, Morocco
786. Great Grey Shrike 06 May 2025 Travelling Records, Morocco
787. Cream-coloured Courser 06 May 2025 Travelling Records, Morocco
788. Laughing Dove 06 May 2025 Travelling Records, Morocco
789. Black-winged Stilt 06 May 2025 Travelling Records, Morocco
790. Yellow-legged Gull 06 May 2025 Travelling Records, Morocco
791. Glossy Ibis 06 May 2025 Travelling Records, Morocco
792. Audouin's Gull 06 May 2025 Coastal Strip, Morocco
793. Common Quail 06 May 2025 Coastal Strip, Morocco
794. Zitting Cisticola 06 May 2025 Coastal Strip, Morocco
795. Sardinian Warbler 06 May 2025 Coastal Strip, Morocco
796. Kentish Plover 06 May 2025 Coastal Strip, Morocco
797. Eurasian Hoopoe 06 May 2025 Coastal Strip, Morocco
798. European Red-rumped Swallow 06 May 2025 Coastal Strip, Morocco
799. Western Yellow Wagtail 06 May 2025 Coastal Strip, Morocco

No small things making mooing noises yet. Another attempt tomorrow.

All the best

Paul

 

[Muppit17]

🤞

I last looked for it in March 2012 but was too early in the year & it wasn't a priority target on a general trip with friends.

Morocco - 22nd to 27th March - coastal strip north & south of Casablanca

With three friends, I took a short break in Morocco between 22nd and 27th March. The essential preparation for the trip was Gosney – Finding Birds in Morocco: coast and mountains and Bergier – A Birdwatcher’s Guide to Morocco – as well as the usual trip reports kindly posted on Internet sites by...

www.birdforum.net

I notice that I didn't mention the species by name.

The sites have effectively not changed since it was twitched in 2008 & 2009. It took a couple of years before anyone told me that they had seen it... 😊

I hope to have a look again though not sure where a Western Palearctic list sits in my priorities these days. I got some pics in Uganda in 2019 where I have seen it twice.

If I bite the bullet, I'll add my WP list to Netfugl & try & do some tidying up over the next few years. Almost pulled together Algeria, Mauretania & Egypt trips over the last couple of years but some world trips have got in the way each time. A couple of other return trips are tempting such as Georgia.

All the best

Paul

Must admit I thought most people struggle before beginning of June for the hemipode.

 

[Paul Chapman]

Must admit I thought most people struggle before beginning of June for the hemipode.

The species is resident. Its presence changes due to crop rotation. It is difficult to hear. The percentage of suitable crops is continuing to decline. This is documented in the relevant study & my personal view from the last two days is that the decline has continued from the end of the study to now.

The best/only source of public data on when people have seen it is Netfugl but perhaps I could have done more research before the trip. The vast majority of sightings are way before the beginning of June as far as when the bird has been ticked. Indeed, it has been seen in April this year. I fear our timing is poor because a lot of Alfalfa has been harvested recently so we are between crops mainly.

Everything is a compromise really. I am combining this with a friend & other targets that I have seen before. To be blunt, currently that feels like a major mistake. I had anticipated two dusks & two dawns which was probably too few & we have hit neither dawn. Hopefully that view will change. Not a good day today with 20,000+ steps dipping my only real target all day & with my football team going out of the Champions League semi-final this evening. I'll get some sleep rather than dwell on padder year ticks.

All the best

Paul

 

[Muppit17]

The species is resident. Its presence changes due to crop rotation. It is difficult to hear. The percentage of suitable crops is continuing to decline. This is documented in the relevant study & my personal view from the last two days is that the decline has continued from the end of the study to now.

The best/only source of public data on when people have seen it is Netfugl but perhaps I could have done more research before the trip. The vast majority of sightings are way before the beginning of June as far as when the bird has been ticked. Indeed, it has been seen in April this year. I fear our timing is poor because a lot of Alfalfa has been harvested recently so we are between crops mainly.

Everything is a compromise really. I am combining this with a friend & other targets that I have seen before. To be blunt, currently that feels like a major mistake. I had anticipated two dusks & teo dawns which was probably too few & we have hit neither dawn. Hopefully that view will change. Not a good day today with 20,000+ steps dipping my only real target all day & with my football team going out of the Champions League semi-final this evening. I'll get some sleep rather than dwell on padder year ticks.

All the best

Paul

Sorry Paul, I wasn't questioning your research, nor that the birds are resident. They are simply almost impossible to find unless the female is calling and that they have nearly all abandoned their traditional natural habitat.

I assume that the research you mention is this paper https://www.sciencedirect.com/scien...erannual fluctuations and large uncertainties.

As you say the problem with May is it is the timing of the cropping of the first harvest of Alfalfa. The crop age and type is crucial for finding the species and that is rarely mentioned in bird lists (inc netfugl, e-bird - neither of which are used much by local birders).

As I know the recording on both systems are heavily skewed by the timing of birders visiting Morocco, not necessarily indicative of the best time for seeing the birds.