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 28 December 2014

Nanaimo bird report, December 28, 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.
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Sunday, December 28, 2014:
The Sunday bird walk went to the Nanoose Bay. The morning was partly cloudy with a cold wind off the Strait of Georgia. Five Black Scoters were seen swimming near the oyster beds.  We spotted a Northern Shrike perched on a short bush near Nanoose Creek. A Red-tailed Hawk was perched in a conifer not far from us. Common Mergansers, Red-breasted Mergansers and two Hooded Mergansers were not far from shore. A Pigeon Guillemot was seen further from shore.

Hooded Merganser: Ralph Hocken Photo  

Seven birders saw and heard the following thirty-nine species:
Mallard
American Widgeon
Green-wing Teal
Northern Pintail
Greater Scaup
Surf Scoter
Black Scoter
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Hooded Merganser
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Common Loon
Pacific Loon
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Pigeon Guillemot
Great Blue Heron
Belted Kingfisher
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Northern Shrike
Thayer’s Gull
Mew Gull
California Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Northern Flicker
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
European Starling
American Robin
Spotted Towhee
Red-winged Blackbird
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow

Red-tailed Hawk: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Saturday, December 27.
Six Ruby-crowned Kinglets were seen feeding near the ground close by two birders at Rebecca Spit on Quadra Island. 

Tuesday, December 23:
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Shelly road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. The morning started out with light showers and strong winds off the Strait of Georgia, but when the showers stopped we had a good morning of birding. We spotted a Ruby-crowned Kinglet feeding low in the bushes next to the parking lot.  A flock of Pine Siskins were feeding and singing at the top of a tall tree above the Ruby-crowned Kinglet.  A flock of Common Mergansers were resting on the banks of the river.  A flock of Canada Geese, a Cackling Goose and a Snow Goose all flew in and landed on the river.  Two flocks of Common Murre were flying up the Strait.  The resident Peregrine Falcon was perched in its usual spot high on a snag looking down on us as we looked up at him through our scopes.  An Anna's Hummingbird was perched on a snag next to the trail

Peregrine: Falcon: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Eight birders saw and heard the following forty-three species:
Canada Geese
Cackling Goose
Snow Goose
Brant
American Widgeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
White-winged Scoter
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Barrow's Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Common Loon
Pacific Loon
Common Murre
Pelagic Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Belted Kingfisher
Bald Eagle
Peregrine Falcon
Mew Gull
California Gull
Thayer's  Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Anna's Hummingbird
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Northern Flicker
Downy Woodpecker
Steller’s Jay
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
American Robin
Varied Thrush
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Pacific Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Pine Siskin
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18th Annual Tofino Shorebird Festival

May 1-3, 2015 

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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. on 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 December 30, 2014 will be going to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville. Meet
at the parking lot near the Lions Club Playground in Parksville Community Park at 9:00 a.m. or at the main parking lot at Rathtrevor Park at about 9:10 a.m.
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The Sunday bird walk on January 04, 2015 will be going to the Plummer Road  side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 a.m. or at the corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive in Parksville at about 9:25 a.m.

 

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British Columbia Rare Bird Alert link---
http://www.bcbirdalert.blogspot.ca/

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A must read for those of us who live along the Strait of Georgia.

 

THE SEA AMONG US
THE AMAZING STRAIT OF GEORGIA
RICHARD BEAMISH AND GORDON McFARLANE

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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
Email: 
thebackyard@shaw.ca
Blog:  www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com


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