The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

At the start of the Tuesday bird walk we scouted out a rare bird for this area—an Indigo Bunting.  We saw the Bunting where it had previously been reported, in the 4900 block of Nicholas Street in Port Alberni.  It was a rare treat to see this bird here.  The Indigo Bunting is usually seen in eastern and southern United States at this time of the year.

                                                                      Indigo Bunting: John Purves Photo.

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Somass Estuary in Port Alberni. The morning was cloudy with light showers and calm winds.

Hundreds of Violet-green Swallows and several Tree Swallows were flying overhead for most of the morning. We counted forty-two

Yellow-rumped Warblers feeding in the reeds and trees along side the estuary. Twelve Gadwall, a large flock of Ring-necked Ducks,

many Greater Scaup and several Lesser Scaup were seen resting on the side of the trail and flew into the estuary as we walked by.

Twelve birders including visiting birders from St Albert and Red Deer saw and heard the following forty-nine species:

Canada Geese

Gadwall

American Widgeon

Mallard

Bufflehead

Green-wing Teal

Ring-necked Duck

Greater Scaup

Lesser Scaup

Bufflehead

Common Goldeneye

Common Merganser

Pied-billed Grebe

Double-crested Cormorant

American Coot

Great Blue Heron

Belted Kingfisher

Bald Eagle

Red-tailed Hawk

Northern Shrike

Turkey Vulture

California Gull

Mew Gull

Thayer’s Gull

Western Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

American Robin

Indigo Bunting

Yellow-rumped Warbler

European Starling

Spotted Towhee

Northern Flicker

Downy Woodpecker

Violet-green Swallow

Tree Swallow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Marsh Wren

Bushtit

Song Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Golden-crowned Sparrow

House Finch

Purple Finch

Red-winged Blackbird

Red Crossbill

Pine Siskin

 

 

 

 

Yellow-rumped Warbler: Ralph Hocken Photo.

On the drive home from Port Alberni we saw a Turkey Vulture and four Trumpeter Swans along the highway. 

The Tuesday bird walk on April 04, 2017 will be going to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park at the parking lot near the Lions Club Kids Playground at 9:00 a.m. or at the main parking lot at Rathtrevor Park at about 9:10 a.m. 

Good birding

Neil Robins 

THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE

314 Metral Drive

 Nanaimo B.C.
V9T-2L8

Phone: 250-390-3669

Fax: 250-390-1633

Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca

Blog: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com