Nanaimo bird report, October 04, 2015

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, October 04, 2015  

The Sunday bird walk went to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. The morning was sunny and warm. The highlight sighting of the morning was a White-throated Sparrow near the large Oak Tree. In the same area we saw many Yellow-rumped Warblers feeding in the Oak Trees.

 

                                                                                    

Yellow-rumped Warbler: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Fifteen birders saw and heard the following Forty-Six species:

Canada Goose

Mallard

 American Wigeon

 Gadwall

 Wood Duck

Northern Pintail

Green-winged Teal

 Ring-necked Duck

 Hooded Merganser

 Great Blue Heron

  American Coot

 Pied-billed Grebe

Sora

Virginia Rail

Northern Harrier

Red-tailed Hawk

Northern Flicker

Red=breasted Sapsucker

Belted Kingfisher

  Anna's Hummingbird

 Common Raven

 Northwestern Crow

California Quail

 Steller's Jay

 Red-winged Blackbird

 American Robin

Varied Thrush

 Chestnut-backed Chickadee

 Ruby-crowned Kinglet

 Marsh Wren

 Bewick's Wren

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Orange-crowned Warbler

 European Starling

 Spotted Towhee

 Dark-eyed Junco

 Fox Sparrow

 Song Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow

 Golden-crowned Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Purple Finch

 Pine Siskin

House Sparrow 

 

Friday, October 02:

 Over fifty Sandhill Cranes and White-fronted Geese were seen flying over Horne Lake heading south. 

Tuesday, September 29:

The Tuesday bird walk went to Columbia Beach. The morning was sunny but windy by the Strait of Georgia. We saw over a huge number of Pacific Loons, one Greater Scaup, many Horned Grebes, many Red-necked Grebes and about fifty Western Grebes on the Strait. A large flock of Black-bellied Plovers flew in and landed near the gravel bar.  Killdeer and Black Oystercatchers were singing and feeding near the shore.  Two Western Meadowlarks, the surprise bird of the morning, flew in and landed near the parking area giving us great views. A flock of singing Red Crossbills landed on the top of a tall conifer near the creek. We watched a Red-breasted Nuthatch feeding on a conifer cone near the trail.  American Robins were plentiful all morning and we spotted a Varied Thrush near the marsh.

 

Western Meadowlark: Ralph Hocken Photo.

 

Eighteen birders including two visiting birders from Victoria saw and heard the following fifty-four Species:

                                                          Canada Geese

Mallard

American Wigeon

Greater Scaup

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Black Scoter

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Common Loon

Pacific Loon

Horned Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Western Grebe

Double-crested Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant

Common Murre

Pigeon Guillemot

Belted Kingfisher

Bald Eagle

Black-bellied Plover

Killdeer

Black Oystercatcher

Bonaparte's Gull

Mew Gull

California Gull

Thayer’s Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Eurasian collared-Dove

California Quail

Northern Flicker

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Steller’s Jay

European Starling

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Anna’s Hummingbird

American Robin

Varied Thrush

Cedar Waxwing

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Western Meadowlark

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red-wing Blackbird

House Finch

Red Crossbill

American Goldfinch 

House Sparrow 

 Monday, September 28:

A Townsend’s Solitaire and a Pacific Golden Plover were seen on the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville.  

Two Red Knots were seen at the Parksville Community Park in Parksville 

Friday, September 25:

 .  A Greater White-fronted Goose was seen at the Little Qualicum River Estuary 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. 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 October 06, 2015 will be going to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville.

meet at the Parksville Community Park at 9:00 am or the corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive at about 9:10 am.

 

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The Sunday bird walk on October 11, 2015 will be going to Rathtrevor Park in Parksville..  Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 a.m. or at the Main parking lot at Rathtrevor park 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