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.

Sunday 24 February 2013

Nanaimo bird report, February 24, 2013

      
                             Gadwall: Ralph Hocken Photo.

NANAIMO BIRD REPORT -----” GO BIRDING--EXPLORE NATURE”
To report your sightings phone the Store at 250-390-3669 or e-mail us at thebackyard@shaw.ca
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, February 24, 2013:
The Sunday bird walk went to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. The morning was cloudy with rain showers and a strong cold wind. The highlights included seeing Marsh Wrens and hearing a Virginia Rail. We saw Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers feeding on the trees. A flock of eight Cedar Waxwings were perched on top of a Hawthorne Bush. Pied - billed Grebes and Gadwall were spotted on the water.
Fifteen hardy birder saw and heard the following forty-two species:
Canada Goose,  Great Blue Heron, Mallard,  Bufflehead,  Gadwall,  Hooded Merganser,  Ring-necked Duck,  Pied-billed Grebe,  Wood Duck,  American Coot,  Virginia Rail, Bald Eagle,  Glaucous-winged Gull,  California Quail,  Rock Pigeon,  Eurasian-collared Dove,  Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker,  Common Raven,  Northwestern Crow,  Chestnut-backed Chickadee,   Brown Creeper,  Bewick's Wren,  Marsh Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet,  Anna's Hummingbird,  American Robin,  Cedar Waxwing,  Varied Thrush, European Starling, Red-winged Blackbird,  Spotted Towhee,  Song Sparrow,  Fox Sparrow,  Golden-crowned Sparrow,  House Finch,  Dark-eyed Junco,  Pine Siskins and House Sparrows.

Saturday, February 23:
Over Forty Surf Scoters were seen in Departure Bay near the Ferry Terminal in Nanaimo.

Thursday, February 21:
“Rare Bird Alert- Citrine Wagtail”
The Citrine Wagtail has been seen again in Courtenay on February 21.
Directions to specific location: From Courtenay, cross the 17th St. Bridge (Courtenay River). Turn right onto Comox Road (Dyke Rd) until the Pumping Station on the right hand side of the road. There is a dirt road across the road with a For Sale sign on the left. Walk up the dirt road towards the steel chain blocking vehicle access. The Wagtail has been observed next to the dirt road, at the furthest brush pile.
A Northern Shrike was seen in a backyard in the 2700 block of Neyland Road in Nanaimo.

Tuesday, February 19:
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Victoria Quay and Somass Estuary in Port Alberni. The morning started out cloudy but soon turned sunny and warm. The highlight of the morning was great views of five Yellow-rumped Warblers fly catching along the Somass Estuary. A large flock of Lesser Scaup and Ring-necked Ducks were on the sewage ponds. We saw a Northern Shrike four different times during the morning. Two Western Grebe greeted us on the Alberni Inlet at the end of the walk. The Tuesday morning birders would like to say a special thanks to Sandy McRuer for guiding us--it turned out to be a marvelous morning of birding!
Seventeen birders including four birders from Port Alberni saw and heard the following fifty-three Species:
Trumpeter Swan, Canada Goose, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Surf Scoter, Black Scoter, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Loon, Pied-billed Grebe, Horned Grebe, Western Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Merlin, Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Shrike, American Coot, Virginia Rail, Mew Gull, Thayer's Gull, Western Gull, Herring Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Rock Pigeon, Belted Kingfisher, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bewick's Wren, Marsh Wren, Pacific Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Song Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, Red-winged Blackbird, House Finch, Red Crossbill and Pine Siskin.
****************************************************************
Monday, February 25:
Arrowsmith Naturalists will meet at 7.30pm at Knox United Church in Parksville.
Guest speaker will be Ramona de Graff. Her talk
"Forage Fish" All are welcome. For more info phone 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 February 26, 2013 will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville.
We will meet at Parksville Bay at the Lion's Playground parking area in Parksville at 9:00 a.m. or at the end of Shelly Road on the ocean side of highway 19a in Parksville at about 9:10 a.m.
.*************************************************************************************
The Sunday Bird Walk on March 03, 2013, will be going to the Nanaimo River Estuary in Nanaimo.  We will meet at the bird store at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking area at end of Raines Road in Nanaimo at about 9:30 A.M.

Good birding
Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE
6314 Metral Drive
Nanaimo B.C. V9T-2L8
Phone: 250-390-3669
Fax: 250-390-1633

No comments: