Nanaimo bird report, September 20, 2015

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, September 20, 2015:

The Sunday bird walk went to Nanaimo River Estuary in Nanaimo.  The morning was sunny and warm. The highlight of the morning was the sighting of a Pectoral Sandpiper feeding on a stream with four Long-billed Dowitchers. A large number of Common Ravens were playing and talking above us throughout the morning. Savannah Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows and  American Goldfinch was feeding on a shrub near the trail.

Pectoral Sandpiper: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Eight birders saw and heard the following thirty-two species:

Common Loon

Mallard

Hooded Merganser

Common Merganser

Great Blue Heron

 Bald Eagle

Northern Harrier

Peregrine Falcon

 Turkey Vulture

 Dunlin

Killdeer

 Long-billed Dowitcher

Pectoral Sandpiper

Thayer’s Gull

Ring-billed Gull

 California Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

 Belted Kingfisher

 Northern Flicker

 Common Raven

 Steller's Jay

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

 Bewick's Wren

 American Robin

European Starling

 Spotted Towhee

 Savannah Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

 Purple Finch

 American Goldfinch

House Sparrow   

Saturday, September 19:

A Lincoln’s Sparrow has been a frequent visitor to a backyard along Meridian Way in Parksville, along with four Steller’s Jays who have taken up residence.

Tuesday, September 15:

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach. The morning was mostly sunny with calm winds until near the end of the walk when the winds picked up making for lots of whitecaps on the Strait. We saw large numbers of Red-necked Grebes, Common Loons, one Pacific Loon and several Horned Grebes. One Western Grebe, one Pigeon Guillemot and four Common Murre were spotted offshore. A large number of Mew Gulls, a Western Gull and two Thayer’s Gulls were perched on a gravel bar not far from shore. Two American Pipits flew by over the water. A Merlin was perched on a fir tree near the beach.

                                                                                                                                                         

 Red-neck Grebe: Ralph Hocken Photo.

                                                              

 Nineteen birders saw and heard the following forty-three species:

Canada Goose

Turkey Vulture

Merlin

Mallard

Harlequin Duck

Common Mergansers

Surf Scoters

White-winged Scoters

Black Scoter

Common Loon

Pacific Loon

Red-necked Grebe

Horned Grebe

Western Grebe

Pigeon Guillemot

Common Murre

Black Oystercatcher

Killdeer

Black Turnstone

American Pipit

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Western Sandpiper

Belted Kingfisher

Bonaparte's Gull

California Gull

Mew Gull

Western Gull

Thayer’s Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Eurasian Collared-Dove

Stellar Jay

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

American Robin

                                                     Song Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Lincoln's Sparrow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Bewick’s Wren 

                                                                                  

                      Merlin: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Monday, September 14:

Eight Common Loons, Two Canada Geese, forty American Wigeon, three Harlequin Ducks, twelve Surf Scoters, four White-winged Scoters, one Black Scoter, one Horned Grebe, one Red-necked Grebe, two Western Grebes, four Double-crested Cormorants, four Pelagic Cormorants, one Great Blue Heron, two Turkey Vultures, two Bald Eagles, fourteen Killdeer,one Greater Yellowlegs, two Bonaparte Gulls, forty California Gulls, sixty Glaucous-winged Gulls and two Common Murre were seen along the Strait of Georgia from the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River in 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. 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 September 22, 2015 will be going to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville.

Meet at the Parksville Community Park parking lot near the Lions playground at 9:00 am or at the main parking lot in Rathtrevor Provincial Park at about 9:10 am. 

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The Sunday bird walk on September 27, 2015 will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville.  Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 a.m. or at the end of Shelly Road on the ocean side of highway 19a  at about 9:30 a.m.
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British Columbia Rare Bird Alert link--- http://www.bcbirdalert.blogspot.ca/
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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.co