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 16 February 2014

Nanaimo bird report, February 16, 2014

NANAIMO BIRD REPORT

" EXPLORE NATURE---GO BIRDING" 

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 16, 2014:
The Sunday bird walk went to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach. The morning was cloudy with calm winds but quite cool. The highlight of the morning was the sighting of Palm Warbler along McFeely Drive on the bushes in the Marshall Stevenson Conservation area, not far from the houses. The Northern Mockingbird was in the same area.  We watched the Mockingbird fly across McFeely Drive and into the shrubs.
Twenty-three birders saw and heard the following fifty-four species:
Canada Goose, Brant, Trumpeter Swan, Mallard, American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, Greater Scaup, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Black-bellied Plover, Black Turnstone, Black Oystercatcher, Mew Gull, California Gull, Western Gull, Thayer's Gull, Herring Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Ring-necked Pheasant, California Quail, Anna’s Hummingbird, Palm Warbler,  Golden-crowned Kinglet, Bewick’s Wren, Marsh Wren, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, European Starling, Northern Mockingbird, Spotted Towhee, Golden-crowned Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-winged Blackbird, House Finch and House Sparrow.
 
                                                  Northern Mockingbird: John Purves Photo.

 Thursday, February 13
A Townsend’s Solitaire was spotted along Marina Drive, near the mud flats, on the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. 

 Tuesday, February 11:
The Tuesday bird walk went to Columbia Beach. The morning started out clear and cool and then turned very windy with rough seas near the end of the walk. Many flocks of Brant, Surf Scoters and Long-tailed Ducks were heading down the Strait of Georgia. Three Black-bellied Plovers, two Killdeer, a Greater Yellowlegs and a Eurasian Widgeon were near the gravel bar.  A large flock of American Robins, White-crowned Sparrows and Chestnut-backed Chickadees entertained us just off the road.
Eight birders saw and heard the following forty-eight species:
Canada Goose, Brant, Eurasian Widgeon, American Widgeon, Mallard, Green-winged Teal, Greater Scaup, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Common Murre, Bald Eagle, Belted Kingfisher, Black-bellied Plover, Killdeer, Black Oystercatcher, Greater Yellowlegs, Black Turnstone, Mew Gull, California Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, European Starling, Eurasian-collared Dove, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, American Robin, Spotted Towhee, White-crowned Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch and House Sparrow.

 

A Red-throated Loon was spotted at the Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach.

 

Monday, February 10: 
“Rare bird alert-King Eider”
An immature King Eider was spotted in with a flock of Black Scoters off shore from the “A” frame house at the end of Surfside Drive in Qualicum Beach. 

“Rare bird alert-Northern Mockingbird”
A Northern Mockingbird was seen along Surfside Drive and McFeely Drive in Qualicum Beach.

 

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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 February 18, 2014 will be going to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach.  Meet at the Parksville Community Park at the parking lot near the Lions Club playground at 9:00 am or at the viewing platform off highway 19a in north Qualicum Beach at about 9:20 am.
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The Sunday Bird Walk on February 23, 2014 will be going to Nanoose Bay. Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 am or at the beach behind the Church Camp (off Highway 19 and Arlington Road) at about 9:20 a.m.
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British Columbia rare bird alert link---
 http://www.bcbirdalert.blogspot.ca/  
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WildResearch link---

Spring Pelagic Seabird Trip Announced – May 11, 2014 
WildResearch is pleased to announce that WildResearch's 2014 Spring Pelagic Seabird Trip will run on Sunday May 11, 2014! Proceeds generated from the pelagic trip fundraiser will go towards running WildResearch’s research programs.
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West coast environment link--

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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
Blog:  www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

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