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 18 October 2015

Nanaimo bird report, October 18, 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 18, 2015  

The Sunday bird walk went to Nanoose Bay. The morning was cloudy with calm winds and fog.   A Western Grebe, two Pigeon Guillemots, Surf Scoters,  White-winged Scoters and a  Black Scoter were seen resting on the water near the oyster barrels.  A Eurasian Widgeon was spotted in with the American Widgeons.  A shorebird flew in and landed near the grassy shore by the Green-winged Teal and began feeding, giving us lots of time to identify him.  We concluded that it was a Red Knot--a first sighting for the Sunday bird walks.

Pigeon Guillemot: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Thirteen birders saw and heard the following Fifty-four species:
Canada Geese
  Mallard
  American Widgeon
Eurasian Widgeon
 Northern Pintail
Greater Scaup
 Green-winged Teal
  Surf Scoter
  White-winged Scoter
  Black Scoter
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
 Red-necked Grebe
Western Grebe
Pigeon Guillemot
  Double-crested Cormorant
  Pelagic Cormorant
Brandt’s Cormorant
  Great Blue Heron
  Red Knot
Killdeer
 Bald Eagle
 Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
 Red-Tailed Hawk
Mew Gull
California Gull
  Glaucous-winged Gull
 Belted Kingfisher
  Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Bewick’s Wren
Pacific Wren
Yellow-rumped Warbler
 Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Steller’s Jay
Pileated Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
  American Robin
  European Starling
Red-winged Blackbird
  Song Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
  Golden-crowned Sparrow
 Spotted Towhee
  Purple Finch
 Dark-eyed Junco
 House Finch
Pine Siskin  

Saturday, October 17:
A Cassin’s Finch was spotted feeding in a backyard along Meridian Way in Parksville. 

Friday, October 16: 
Twelve Western Meadowlarks were seen at the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo. 

”RARE BIRD ALERT”
A juvenile King Eider was seen offshore from the main beach at Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville
 

Tuesday, October 13:
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach. The morning was cloudy with a breeze off the Strait of Georgia.  A flock of twelve Black Scoters, three flocks of Surf Scoters, several White-winged Scoters, numerous Red-breasted Mergansers, Pacific Loons and Common Loons were seen on the Strait.  A Red-tailed Hawk, a Sharp-shinned Hawk and a Merlin flew overhead, entertaining us during the morning.  One Killdeer, four  Black Turnstones, a Dunlin, two Pectoral Sandpipers and nine Black Oystercatchers were seen feeding close to shore.  A large flock of  Bonaparte's Gulls gathered along the gravel bars not far from shore.

                                                                                   
                                                       Black Scoters: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Eleven birders saw and heard the following fifty-six species:
Canada Goose
 American Wigeon
 Mallard
Green-wing Teal
 Harlequin Duck
 Surf Scoter
 White-winged Scoter
 Black Scoter
 Red-breasted Merganser
 Common Merganser
 Pacific Loon
 Common Loon
 Horned Grebe
 Red-necked Grebe
 Western Grebe
 Double-crested Cormorant
 Pelagic Cormorant
 Great Blue Heron
 Bald Eagle
 Red-tailed Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Merlin
 Killdeer
 Black Turnstone
Dunlin
Pectoral Sandpiper
Black Oystercatcher
 Bonaparte's Gull
 Mew Gull
 California Gull
 Thayer's Gull
Western Gull
 Glaucous-winged Gull
 Belted Kingfisher
Eurasian Collared Dove
 Northern Flicker
Steller’s Jay
 Northwestern Crow
 Common Raven
European Starling
California Quail
 American Robin
Varied Thrush
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Anna’s Hummingbird
 Chestnut-backed Chickadee
 Red-winged Blackbird
 Spotted Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
 Song Sparrow
  Dark-eyed Junco  
House Finch
Purple Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow 

 Black Turnstones : Ralph Hocken Photo. 

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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 20, 2015 will be going to Deep Bay. Meet at the Parksville Community Parks at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at the Deep Bay Marina at about 9: 40 a.m.

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The Sunday bird walk on October 25, 2015 will be going to Neck Point in Nanaimo.  Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at Neck Point off Hammond Bay Road at about 9:15 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

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