Nanaimo bird report, October 29, 2017

Nanaimo bird report, October 29, 2017

BIRD REPORT
“EXPLORE NATURE”---GO BIRDING:
To report your sightings phone the Store at 250-390-3669Or 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 29, 2017:  

This Sunday’s Bird Walk went to Nanoose Bay.  The morning was sunny with calm winds. Ten Bufflehead, one Barrow’s Goldeneye, twelve Common Mergansers, one Hooded Merganser and several Red-breasted Mergansers were seen close to shore.  A Red-tailed Hawk was spotted perched on a tall snag.   A Hairy Woodpecker was seen feeding in a tree near the trail.  Ruby-crowned Kinglets were feeding just off the trail.

Barrow’s Goldeneye: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Twenty-six birders saw and heard the following forty-five species:

Canada Geese
Mallard

Bufflehead
Northern Pintail
American Widgeon

Green-winged Teal
Surf Scoter
Barrow’s Goldeneye

Common Merganser

Hooded Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Common Loon
Pacific Loon

Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Pelagic Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorant
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk

Mew Gull
California Gull
Iceland Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull
Killdeer

Belted Kingfisher

Great Blue Heron

Northwestern Crow
Common Raven

Northern Flicker

Steller's Jay
Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Brown Creeper

Bushtit
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Varied Thrush
European Starling
Spotted Towhee
Fox Sparrow

Song Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red-tailed Hawk: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Saturday, October 28:

A Northern Shrike and six Western Meadowlarks were seen at the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.

Friday October 27:  

A Great Horned Owl and a Barred Owl were seen sitting on tree close to each other at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.  

Wednesday, October 25:  

A White-winged Crossbill was seen at the Englishman River Estuary on the Shelly Road side in Parksville:

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird Walk, October 24:

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Englishman River Estuary on the Shelly Road side in Parksville.. The morning was clear and sunny with calm winds, making for a very pleasant bird walk.  We had great views of a Great Horned Owl watching us as he perched next to the trunk of a tall tree just off the trail.  Golden-crowned Kinglets and Ruby-crowned Kinglets were seen feeding on the trees along the trail.  We were entertained royally by the five Woodpecker species on the island during morning.  A Pileated Woodpecker was perched at the top of a tall tree, six Northern Flickers were seen throughout the morning, a Red-breasted Sapsucker flew in to give us a quick view, a Downy Woodpecker was seen feeding on the trunk of a tree and two Hairy Woodpeckers, one we had close-up looks at as he was pecking at a log on the ground just off the trail and the other was feeding on a deciduous tree trunk.  Four Eurasian Widgeons were in with a very large flock of American Widgeons

Eurasian Wigeon: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Thirteen birders saw and heard the following fifty-four species:

Canada Goose

Eurasian Wigeon 

American Wigeon 

Mallard 

Northern Pintail 

Harlequin Duck

Greater Scaup

Green-wing Teal 

Gadwall

White-winged Scoter

Common Merganser 

Red-breasted Merganser

 Pacific Loon 

Common Loon

Horned Grebe 

Red-necked Grebe

Double-crested Cormorant 

Great Blue Heron 

Bald Eagle 

Great Horned Owl

Killdeer

Mew Gull

California Gull 

Iceland Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull 

Anna's Hummingbird 

Belted Kingfisher 

Pileated Woodpecker

Northern Flicker 

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Steller's Jay 

Northwestern Crow 

Common Raven

California Quail 

Chestnut-backed Chickadee 

Red-breasted Nuthatch 

Pacific Wren 

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet 

Bushtit

Brown Creeper

American Robin

European Starling 

Spotted Towhee 

Fox Sparrow  

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow 

Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco 

Red-winged Blackbird 

Brewer's Blackbird 

House Finch

Great Horned Owl: Hans Laue Photo:

Everyone is welcome to join us for a 2-3 hour bird walk on Sunday & Tuesday. We leave from the Store at 9 a.m. on Sunday Mornings and go to a different location in and around Nanaimo.  We leave from the Parksville Community Park at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday mornings and go to a different location in the Oceanside area.

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The Tuesday Bird walk on October 31, 2017 will be going to the Lot Ten in Qualicum Beach. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (at the parking lot in front of the Lions Club Playground) at 9:00 a.m. or at Brandt viewing platform (off highway 19a in north Qualicum Beach) at about 9:20 a.m.

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The Sunday walk on November 05, 2017 will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. Meet at the bird store at 9:00 a.m. or at the end of Shelly Road on the ocean side of highway 19a in Parksville at about 9:25 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: http://thebirdstore.blogspot.ca/