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 here by 8am the day of the walk. Our first bird walks of the year are going out on Sunday February 4th and Tuesday February 6th. Locations will be posted to our next Bird Report.

Monday 11 April 2016

Nanaimo bird report, April 10, 2016

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, April 10, 2016: 
The Sunday bird walk went to the Shelly road side of the Englishman River in Parksville.. The morning was cloudy and calm. We spotted a Townsend’s Solitaire Perched on a snag close to the trail, giving us good views. A Hairy Woodpecker flew in and started feeding on a tree close to the trail. A Red-breasted Sapsucker was spotted climbing a tree and stopped to preen itself for a long time, giving us long looks. Violet-green Swallows and Tree Swallows were seen flying high over head. 

                               
Townsend’s Solitaire: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Twenty birders saw and heard the following fifty-two species:
Canada Geese
Brant
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Northern Shoveler
Green-winged Teal
Surf Scoter
Bufflehead
Horned Grebe
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Common Loon
Pelagic Cormorant
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Turkey Vulture
Black Oystercatcher
Killdeer
Mew Gull
California Gull
Thayer's Gull
Bonaparte’s Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
  Violet-green Swallow
Tree Swallow
Rufous Hummingbird
Anna’s Hummingbird
Northern Flicker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Northwestern Crow
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bewick’s Wren
Pacific Wren
American Robin
Townsend’s Solitaire
European Starling
Red-winged Blackbird
Spotted Towhee
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Purple Finch
House Finch
Dark-eyed Junco
Pine Siskin 

A House Wren, a Pacific Slope Flycatcher, a Black-throated Grey Warbler, several Rufous and Anna’s Hummingbirds, White-crowned Sparrows, Red Crossbills, Hutton's and Cassin's vireos were seen along the power lines right of way off Harwood Mines Road in Nanaimo.

 
                                                                                    Hermit Thrush:
 
 Friday, April 08: 
A Townsend’s Solitaire was seen on Little Mountain in Parksville. 

Tuesday, April 05:
The Tuesday Birdwalk went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was cloudy with a light shower but calm winds. We watched a Greater Yellowlegs sleeping on the mudflats while Killdeer sang and ran about nearby.  A Northern Harrier flew over the estuary looking for prey.  A fast flying Merlin flew over head. A Greater Scaup was spotted with a flock of Surf Scoters racing down the Strait of Georgia.  Common Loons, Red-necked Grebes, Horned Grebes, Common Merganser and Red-breasted Mergansers were on the strait sporting their new breeding plumage---a colorful sight!  A Common Murre, a Marbled Murrelet and Brandt’s Cormorant were also spotted on the strait.  A flock of Bonaparte's Gulls flew just over the water heading south.  Western Gulls, a Herring Gull and a Glaucous Gull were resting with a large number of gulls on a gravel bar.  
 
                                                   Glaucous Gull: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Twenty birders, including visiting birders from Saskatchewan and Edmonton, saw and heard the following sixty-seven species:
Canada Geese
Brant
American Wigeon
Mallard
Gadwall
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Bufflehead
Greater Scaup
Long-tailed Duck
Common Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Red-necked Grebe
Horned Grebe
Common Murre
Marbled Murrelet
Brandt’s Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Greater Yellowlegs
Black Oystercatcher
Killdeer
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Cooper’s Hawk
Northern Harrier
Merlin
Bonaparte's Gull
Mew Gull
California Gull
Thayer's Gull
Western Gull
Herring Gull
Glaucous Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Collared Dove
California Quail
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
American Robin
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Bushtit
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Marsh Wren
Bewick’s Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Rufous Hummingbird
Anna’s Hummingbird
European Starling
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Brown-headed Cowbird
Fox Sparrow
Red-wing Blackbird
Dark-eyed Junco
Purple Finch
Pine Siskin

 
                                                 Northern Harrier: Ralph Hocken Photo.
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TOFINO SHOREBIRD FESTIVAL
April 29 - May 1, 2016
tofinoshorebirdfestival.com
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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. ******************************************************************************* 

The Tuesday bird walk will be going to Springwood Park in Parksville. Meet at the parking lot near the Lions Club Kids playground at 9:00 a.m. or at the west end of Despard Avenue at about 9:10 a.m.  

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The Sunday bird walk on April 17, 2016 will be going to the Moorcroft Regional Park in Nanoose Bay. Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 a.m. or at the end parking lot at Moorecroft at about 9:30 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
Blog: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.co

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