The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

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 13, 2015

The Sunday bird walk went to Nanoose Bay. The morning started out steady rain, but soon stopped raining and the wind was calm. A large flock of Trumpeter Swans flew high over head heading south. We spotted a Red-tailed Hawk perched high on a tall tree and it was soon joined with another Red-tailed Hawk on the same branch.  A Bewick’s Wren, a Spotted Towhee, a Fox Sparrow, a Song Sparrow several  Golden-crowned Sparrows and a Dark-eyed Junco were feeding on the ground next to the cars, giving us great close up views.

           Red-tailed Hawk: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Three birders saw and heard the following thirty-four species:

Trumpeter Swan

Canada Geese

  American Wigeon

 Eurasian Wigeon

 Green-winged Teal

 Surf Scoter

Bufflehead

 Common Goldeneye

  Mallard

 Greater Scaup

 Northern Pintail

 Horned Grebe

 Red-necked Grebe

 Red-breasted Merganser

 Pelagic Cormorant

 Double-crested Cormorant

 Great Blue Heron

Belted Kingfisher

 Bald Eagle

 Red-tailed Hawk

Glaucous-winged Gull

 Northern Flicker

 American Robin

Northwestern Crow

  Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Bewick’s Wren

Redwing Blackbird

 Spotted Towhee

 Fox Sparrow

 Song Sparrow

 Golden-crowned Sparrow

 Dark-eyed Junco 

 Purple Finch

Pine Siskin

Saturday, December 12:

Several Evening Grosbeaks were seen along Lowery Road near the Cheese Factory in French Creek. 

Tuesday, December 08: 

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Shelly Road side of the English River Estuary in Parksville. The morning started out with light rain and calm winds, but the rain showers stopped shortly after we began and it was quite warm, making for a great morning of birding. We heard and then saw a Ringed-neck Pheasant at the base of a short bush at the edge of the meadow. A Merlin, a Red-tailed Hawk, a Sharp-shinned Hawk and a Cooper’s Hawk were seen in the same area along the meadow.  Six Western Meadowlarks were perched on a bush in the meadow. Four Gadwall were swimming in the flooded estuary. Twenty Trumpeter Swans were heading down the island high above us. Over forty Bald Eagle were circling overhead and  perched on the tall conifers all morning.

                         Western Meadowlark: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Four enthusiastic birders saw and heard the following sixty-one species:

Canada Geese

Trumpeter Swan

 American Widgeon

 Mallard

 Harlequin Duck

Gadwall

 Surf Scoter

White-wing Scoter

 Bufflehead

Barrow’s Goldeneye

 Common Goldeneye

Red-breasted Merganser

 Common Merganser

 Common Loon

 Pacific Loon

Pelagic Cormorant

  Double-crested Cormorant

Brandt’s Cormorant

Common Murre

Marbled Murrelet

 Great Blue Heron

 Bald Eagle

Merlin

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Coopers Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

 Mew Gull

 Thayer's Gull

 Glaucous-winged Gull

 Anna's Hummingbird

 Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

  Northwestern Crow

 Common Raven

Steller’s Jay

Eurasian Collared-Dove

Ringed-neck Pheasant

 American Robin

Varied Thrush

 Chestnut-backed Chickadee

 Bewick's Wren

 Pacific Wren

 Bushtit

 Golden-crowned Kinglet

 Ruby-crowned Kinglet

 European Starling

Western Meadowlark

 Spotted Towhee

Red-wing Blackbird

Brewers Blackbird

 Song Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

 Golden-crowned Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Purple Finch

Red Crossbill

American Goldfinch

 House Finch

Pine Siskin

                  Ring-necked Pheasant: 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 December 15, 2015 will be going to  Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park in Parksville. Meet at Parksville Community Park at the parking lot near the Lions Kids Playground 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 December 20, 2015 will be going to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. Meet at the birdstore at 9:00 a.m. or at the Bowen Road entrance to Buttertubs Marsh at about 9:15 a.m.
********************************************************************Nanoose Bay Christmas Bird Count --Friday, 18th

December 2015.
Please contact Rhys Harrison at 248-5305 or rhysharrison@shaw.ca 
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Parksville Qualicum Beach Christmas Bird Count, Sunday, December 20, 2015.
Please contact Sandra Gray, 250 248-5565 or saninerr@shaw.ca
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Nanaimo Christmas Bird Count, Sunday, December 27th, 2015.
Please contact Rhys Harrison at 248-5305 or rhysharrison@shaw.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