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 here by 8am the day of the walk. Our first bird walks of the year are going out on Sunday February 4th and Tuesday February 6th. Locations will be posted to our next Bird Report.

Tuesday 30 November 2010

Tuesday bird walk, November 23,2010


Harlequin Duck: Ralph Hocken Photo.

There were 3 hardy birders for the Tuesday bird walk to Rathtrevor Park. The morning was cold, but with some sun and only a small breeze on the water. Highlights were seeing Trumpeter Swans flying overhead, several Varied Thrush and also several Winter Wrens.


The following 41 species were identified:
Trumpeter Swans
Dunlin
Black Turnstone
Killdeer
Black-bellied Plover
Mallard
Harlequin Duck
Green-winged Teal
Black Scoter
Surf Scoter
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Barrows Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Northern Pintail
Long-tailed Duck
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Bald Eagle
Black Oystercatcher
Mew Gull
Thayer's Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Northern Flicker
Cooper's Hawk
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Winter (Pacific) Wren
Varied Thrush
Spotted Towhee
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Starling


Until next week,
Rhonda Fleming

Tuesday bird walk, November 16,2010


Hooded Merganser: Ralph Hocken Photo.


The Tuesday birdwalk to Little Qualicum River Estuary was fairly sunny with a slight breeze. A couple of highlights were sighting over 40 Trumpeter Swans and 25+ Eagles at the mouth of the Little Qualicum River. A Clark's Grebe was also sighted.
14 birders saw or heard the following 44 species:
Canada Goose
Trumpeter Swan
American Wigeon
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
Harlequin Duck
Common Murre
Marbled Murrelet
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Bufflehead
Long-tailed Duck
Northern Pintail
Common Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Western Grebe
Clark's Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Black Oystercatcher
Black Bellied Plover
Black Turnstone
Bonaparte's Gull
Mew Gull
Thayer's Gull
California Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
Northwestern Crow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Purple Finch
House Finch
Robin


Next Tuesday's (Nov 22nd) bird walk will be to Rathtrevor Provincial Park.


Until then, good birding
Rhonda Fleming

Tuesday bird walk November 09, 2010


Black-bellied Plover: Ralph Hocken Photo


In Neil's absence I've volunteered to send you the Tuesday Birdwalk counts so you can post them on your blogspot and disburse to the email listing.
Also, Paul and I went to Deep Bay Sunday (Nov. 7/10) and were lucky enough to site a Snow Bunting flitting around the grass and sand by the point.


Snow Geese were still sited at the Parksville Community Park.
The morning was cool and rainy with some high wind gusts, keeping most birds hunkered down out of sight. However, we did get a really great view of a Red-tailed Hawk as it sat perched atop an old log.
With John Purves as our guide, 8 hardy birders saw or heard the following 30 birds:
Canada Goose
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
Northern Pintail
Bufflehead
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Common Loon
Double-crested Cormorant
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed hawk
Dunlin
Mew Gull
California Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Thayer's Gull
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Varied Thrush
European Starling
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Bushtit


Next Tuesday Birdwalk is to the Little Qualicum River Estuary.




Until next week - good birding.
Rhonda Fleming

Monday 22 November 2010

Greetings from Peru!

Hi Birders..

The birding is hot here, as we expected, and us two birders are hot and sticky. Neil has added at least 400 Lifers to his list--his favorite to date is the Bat Falcon that he saw while we were cruising down the Rio Madre de Dios in a Long Boat. Marilynne was impressed with the sighting of hundreds of Inca Terns. See you all in a couple of weeks with lots of tales of our adventure in the very rugged country. Neil & Marilynne

Monday 15 November 2010

NANAIMO BIRD REPORT NOVEMBER 14/2010

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

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 November 14, 2010:

RARE BIRD ALERT:
American Tree Sparrow
was seen Sunday Morning at the Englishman River Estuary on the Shelly Road side in front of the viewing stand, feeding with a couple of Dark-eyed Juncos.

The Sunday Bird Walk went to the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville at the
Shelly Road.
The morning was cloudy but very nice as there was no wind. The highlights including seeing American Tree Sparrow by the viewing platform, female Evening Grosbeak in the top of a Maple tree and a Eurasian Widgeon in the estuary.
Thirteen birders saw and heard the following fifty-two species of birds.
American Wigeon, Eurasian Widgeon, Mallard, Buffhead, Northern Pintail,
Green-winged Teal, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Harlequin Duck, Common
Goldeneye, Northern Shoveler, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser,
Red-breasted Merganser, Common Loon, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue
Heron, Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Thayer's
Gull, Mew Gull, California Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Barred Owl, Anna's
Hummingbird, Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Belted Kingfisher,
Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Steller's Jay, Spotted Towhee, Varied
Thrush, European Starling, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch,
Bushtits, Brown Creeper, Pacific Wren, Bewick's Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet,
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Tree Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned
Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Brewer's Blackbird, House Finch, Pine Siskin, Evening
Grosbeak.

Friday November 12:
A Mute Swan was seen on the beach in front of the boardwalk at the Parksville
Community Park along with the six Snow Geese.

Thursday November 11:
Northern Goshawk was seen at Park Ridge Place in Qualicum Beach.

Wednesday November 10:
Merlin, Northern Harrier, Western Meadowlarks and a Northern Shrike were seen at the Nanaimo River Estuary.

Tuesday November 9:
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River
Estuary. The morning was cool and rainy with some high wind gusts, keeping most birds hunkered down out of sight. However, we did get a really great view of a Red-tailed Hawk as it sat perched atop an old log.
With John Purves as our guide, 8 hardy birders saw or heard the following 30 birds:
Canada Goose
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
Northern Pintail
Bufflehead
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Common Loon
Double-crested Cormorant
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed hawk
Dunlin
Mew Gull
California Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Thayer's Gull
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Varied Thrush
European Starling
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Bushtit

Sunday November 7:
A Snow Bunting was seen flitting about the grass and sand by the point in Deep
Bay.

The Sunday Bird Walk went to the Nanaimo River Estuary. It was a beautiful day
and only a couple of hunters. 15 birders saw and heard the following 30 species.
Canada Goose
Trumpeter Swan
Great Blue Heron
Pied-billed Grebe
Mallard
Common Merganser
Common Goldeneye
Bufflehead
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Bald Eagle
Ring-billed Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
Downy Woodpecker
Steller's Jay
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Bewick's Wren
Northern Shrike
European Starling
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Western Meadowlark
House Finch
Purple Finch

Tuesday November 2:
Ring-necked Pheasant and 4 Snow Geese were seen at the Cottonwood Golf
Course in Cassidy.

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
**********************************
The Nanoose Naturalists
**********************************
The Arrowsmith Naturalists meeting.
Monday, November 22nd at 7.30 pm
at Springwood School Parksville. Speaker Dr. John Gunton will return to present
Part 2 of his talk "Geohazards of the Georgia Basin". Visitors and new members
welcome. More information at 250-752-7588.
********************************
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.
**************************************************************
The Tuesday Bird Walk on November 16, 2010. will be going to the Little
Qualicum River Estuary.
We will meet at the Parksville Beach Community Park, at the parking area in front
of the Lions Playground at 9 A.M. or at the viewing platform on Hwy 19A and
Garret Road about 9:20 A.M.
**************************************************
The Sunday Bird Walk on November 21, 2010 will be going to Buttertubs Marsh
in Nanaimo.
We will meet at The Backyard Bird Store at 9:00 A.M. or at the parking lot at the
end of Buttertubs Drive (off Bowen Road).
*******************************************************
Good birding
Colin Bartlett

Wednesday 3 November 2010

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walks, for November, 2010


Tuesday birders: Peter Dunn Photo.

**************************************************
The Tuesday Bird Walk on November 09, 2010 will be going to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River 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 at the corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive at about 9:10 A.M.
*******************************************************
The Tuesday Bird Walk on November 16, 2010. will be going to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach
We will meet at the Parksville Beach Community Park, at the parking area in front of the Lions Playground at 9 A.M. or at the viewing platform at highway 19a and Garrett Road in Qualicum Beach at about 9:20 A.M.
**************************************************
The Tuesday Bird Walk on November 23, 2010. will be going to the Rathtrevor Provincial Park 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 at the main parking lot at Rathtrevor Provincial Park at about 9:20 A.M. (Please note there is a parking fee at the Park)
**************************************************************
The Tuesday Bird Walk on November 30, 2010 Will be going to Deep Bay.
We will meet at the Parksville Beach Community Park, at the parking area in front of the Lions Playground at 9 A.M. or at the parking area at the Deep Bay Marina at about 9:35 A.M.

Tuesday 2 November 2010

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, November 02, 2010


Western Meadowlark: Ralph Hocken Photo.

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was sunny and quite warm. The winds and seas were calm. The highlights included seeing eight Snow Geese at Parksville Bay before the walk. A Hutton's Vireo and a Warbling Vireo were gleaning insects on a tree just off the trail along the river.
We spotted a Gadwall, a Common Goldeneye and a Eurasian Wigeon in with a large flock of American Wigeon near the shoreline. A Cooper's Hawk was perched in a tall conifer tree along the river. A Short-eared Owl flew over the estuary and quickly disappeared. We watched as a Western Meadowlark perched on a bush near the trail and then flew onto an open meadow to join three other Western Meadowlarks that were perched on the root of a log. We had great looks at them as they posed for us. We spotted a Northern Shrike perched on a bush.

Twenty-six birders saw and heard the following sixty-four species of birds:
Snow Goose
Canada Goose
Gadwall
Eurasian Wigeon
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Cooper's Hawk
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Killdeer
Bonaparte's Gull
Mew Gull
Californian Gull
Thayer's Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Short-eared Owl
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Shrike
Hutton's Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Steller's Jay
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Bewick's Wren
Winter Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
European Starling
Orange-crowned Warbler
Spotted Towhee
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Brewer's Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Purple Finch
House Finch

Monday 1 November 2010

Canvasback Duck, Northern Shoveler at Morningstar Ponds

Hi birders,

I went out birding with John Purves this afternoon, we went to the Morningstar Ponds, near French Creek,we saw-- Canada Goose,American Wigeon, Mallard, a
Northern Shoveler, a Canvasback, several Ring-necked Duck, two Greater Scaup, Bufflehead ,Common Merganser, Bald Eagle, a Redtailed Hawk. We saw the other birds on the following list at Pebble Beach.
Canada Goose
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Shoveler
Canvasback
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Bufflehead
Common Merganser
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Red-throated Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Western Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Black-bellied Plover
Black Oystercatcher
Black Turnstone
Dunlin
Mew Gull
Californian Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Marbled Murrelet
Pileated Woodpecker
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
European Starling
Song Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Purple Finch

Good birding
Neil Robins
Parksville
British Columbia