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 27 December 2015

Nanaimo bird report, December 27, 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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HAPPY NEW YEAR

                 From all of us at the birdstore

    Colin, Denise, Nichole, Carol, Ralph,

Marilynne and Neil

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For Rare bird reports of Indigo Bunting, Red Wing (old world thrush) and Summer Tanager
please check this site

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Tuesday, December 22.
 The Tuesday bird walk went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. The morning sun was shining when we started the walk, but it got cloudy and cool near the end. We spotted a young Northern Shrike whose “mask” was not complete, perched on the top of a bush just across the river. Several flocks of Pine Siskin and Red Crossbills flew in and landed at the top of the tall trees during the morning giving us great views through the scopes. A Yellow-billed Loon, a Rhinoceros Auklet and a Common Murre were seen on the Strait of Georgia, along with two Long-tailed Ducks, a small flock of Surf Scoters and one Black Scoter.

Northern Shrike: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Eight birders saw and heard the following fifty-five species:
Canada Geese
Brant
 American Widgeon
 Mallard
Greater Scaup
 Northern Pintail
 Green-winged Teal
 Harlequin Duck
Long-tailed Duck
 Surf Scoter
Black Scoter
 Bufflehead
 Common Goldeneye
 Common Merganser
 Red-breasted Merganser
 Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Yellow-billed Loon
Horned Grebe
 Double-crested Cormorant
 Brandt’s Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
 Bald Eagle
 Northern Shrike
Cooper’s Hawk
 California Quail
 Black Turnstone
Dunlin
Mew Gull
California Gull
 Thayer’s Gull
 Glaucous-winged Gull
 Common Murre
Rhinoceros Auklet
 Downy Woodpecker
 Northern Flicker
Steller’s Jay
 Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Anna’s Hummingbird
 Golden-crowned Kinglet
 American Robin
 European Starling
Brewer’s Blackbird
Red-wing Blackbird
 Spotted Towhee
 Golden-crowned Sparrow
 Song Sparrow
 Dark-eyed Junco
Purple Finch
Pine Siskin
House Finch

A Common Loon and a Yellow-billed Loon: Ralph Hocken Photo.
 

A Northern Shrike has been seen for the last four weeks on a field along Gomerich Road in South Wellington in south Nanaimo. 

Monday, December 14.
A Clarks Grebe and Western Grebes were seen from the viewing platform at north Qualicum Beach. 

A Red-throated Loon, hundreds of Pacific Loons, ninety-eight Brant and a Yellow-billed Loon were seen on 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 December 29 will be going to the Mills Street north side of the Englishman River in Parksville. Meet at the parking lot near the Lions Club Kids Playground at Parksville Community Park at 9:00 a.m. Or at the end of Mills Street north on the ocean side of highway 19A in Parksville.

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The Sunday bird walk on January 03, 2016 will be going to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo. Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 a.m. or at Neck Point parking lot off Hammond Bay Road at about 9:15 a.m.

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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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