The Backyard's Weekly Bird Walk locations are found in the Backyard Bird Report at the very end of the most recent report. Any cancellations will be posted by 8am the day of the walk.

Sunday 10 October 2010

Nanaimo bird report, October 10, 2010


Greater White-fronted Geese: Ralph Hocken Photo.

NANAIMO BIRD REPORT
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To report your sightings
phone the Store at 250-390-3669
e-mail us at thebackyard@shaw.ca

Also check the birdstore blog for the latest bird alerts and updates:
www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

Post your sightings on this site:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bcbirdingvanisland/messages

Birding in Central and South America:
www.wildbirdtours.ca

Identify backyard birds:
National Geographic Bird Identifier Site
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birding/backyard-bird-identifier/

Birds of British Columbia:
http://www.geog.ubc.ca/biodiversity/efauna/SpeciesChecklists.html

International Birdwatching Guides
http://www.guidedbirdwatching.com

Birdwatching contacts and information find a local birder to go birdwatching
with: http://www.birdingpal.org/

Please remember, when reporting a sighting, to leave your name and phone
number, along with the date, the species and location of your sighting.

Sunday October 10, 2010:
The Sunday Bird Walk went to the Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.
The morning was mostly sunny and calm.
The highlights including seeing large flocks of Yellow-rumped Warblers moving through the bushes throughout the morning. We watched four Greater White-fronted Geese fly over us and then land on the marsh beside three Gadwall. We saw several large flocks of Band-tailed Pigeons heading south. A Red-tailed Hawk circled above us at the end of the walk and spooked a flock of about forty Band-tailed Pigeons.
Fourteen birders saw and heard the following forty species of birds.
Canada Goose, Greater White-fronted Geese, Mallard, American Wigeon, Gadwall, Wood Duck, American Coot, Pied-billed Grebe, Bald Eagle, Cooper's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Turkey Vulture, Northern Flicker, Rock Pigeon, Band-tailed Pigeon, Belted Kingfisher, Anna's Hummingbird, Common Raven, Northwestern Crow, Steller's Jay, Red-winged Blackbird, American Robin, Varied Thrush, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Brown Creeper, Bushtit, Marsh Wren, Bewick's Wren, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Dark-eyed Junco, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, American Goldfinch, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, House Finch and House Sparrows.

A Common Red Poll was spotted in with a flock of Pine Siskins along White Blossom Way in Nanaimo.

Saturday October 09:
Two Eurasian Collared Doves are at feeders in French Creek.

Tuesday October 05:
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Little Qualicum Beach Estuary just north of Qualicum Beach. The morning was clear and quite cool, but the winds and seas, at low tide, were calm. The highlights included seeing a flock of over twenty Black Scoters just offshore from the viewing platform in Qualicum Beach. One Common Murre, a Pigeon Guillemot, two Western Grebes and a Marbled Murrelet were spotted further offshore. We saw large numbers of Horned Grebes and Common Merganser during the morning. We watched as a Peregrine Falcon flew low over the water chasing a duck just offshore at the estuary near the "A" frame house. There was a mixed flock of Bonaparte's Gulls, Mew Gulls, California Gulls,Thayer's Gulls, and Glaucous-winged Gulls frolicking in the water where the fresh water meets the salt water at the estuary.
Fifteen birders saw and heard the following forty-seven species of birds:
Canada Goose, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Common Merganser, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Western Grebe, Brandt's Cormorant, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Killdeer, Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, Long-billed Dowitcher, Bonaparte's Gull, Mew Gull, California Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Common Murre, Pigeon Guillemot, Marbled Murrelet, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Steller's Jay, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, American Robin, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Savannah Sparrow and Golden-crowned Sparrow.

Monday October 04:
"Rare bird alert--Hudsonian Godwit"
A Hudsonian Godwit was seen in with a Western Sandpiper, a Pectoral Sandpiper, two Short-billed Dowitchers and two Long-billed Dowitchers at the mud flats on the incoming tide at the Plummer road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The Hudsonian Godwit nest on the tundra from Alaska to Hudson Bay and normally migrate through the Canadian Prairies and along the Atlantic Ocean to southern Argentina.

Canada Goose, Eurasian Wigeon, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Surf Scoter, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Black-bellied Plover, Killdeer, Mew Gull, California Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Steller's Jay, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bewick's Wren, American Robin, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Brewer's Blackbird and House Finch were seen on the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville.

Thursday September 30:
Twelve Snow Geese were seen flying over Lewis Road in north Nanaimo.

Several Flocks of Sandhill Cranes were spotted flying over the Little Qualicum River Village.

Thursday September 27:
One Hundred and fifty greater White-fronted Geese were seen flying over the Hillier area near Coombs.

Wednesday September 26:
A Black-throated Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, Western Tanager, two Anna's Hummingbirds, White-crowned Sparrows, Spotted Towhee, Steller's Jays, and Dark-eyed Juncos were seen in the 100 block of Cathmont Place in Nanaimo.

For further information on these sightings or for help in identifying a bird please
call The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store
@ 250-390-3669
Toll Free @ 1-888-249-4145
e-mail: thebackyard@shaw.ca
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The Nanoose Naturalists meeting.
Guest Speaker-- Dr. Bill Weller will give a talk and slide presentation on local Mushrooms.
October 14th at 7 pm
at the Library on Northwest Bay Road.
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The Arrowsmith Naturalists meeting.
Monday, October 25th at 7.30 pm
at Springwood School.
Parksville
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Everyone is welcome to join us for a 2-3 hour bird walk on the Sunday and Tuesday mornings. We leave from the Store at 9 A.M. Sunday Mornings and go to a different location in and around Nanaimo and from the Parksville Beach Community Park at 9 A.M. on Tuesdays and go to different areas in and
around the Oceanside area.
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The Tuesday Bird Walk on October 12, 2010. will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville.
We will meet at the Parksville Beach Community Park, at the parking area in front of the Lions Playground at 9 A.M. or the at the end of Shelly Road at about 9:20 A.M.
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The Sunday Bird Walk on September 17, 2010 will be going to Nanoose Bay
We will meet at The Backyard Bird Store at 9:00 A.M. or at the parking area behind the Church Camp, along Nanoose Beach Road (Turn off Highway 19 at Arlington Road) at about 9:20 A.M.
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Good birding
Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD
Wildbird & Nature Store
6314 Metral Drive, Nanaimo, BC V9T 2L8
250.390.3669
250.390.1633 fax
thebackyard@shaw.ca
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG---> www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

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