Nanaimo Bird Report November 18

The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store Weekly Bird Report Nanaimo Bird Report, November 20, 2018. 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 was seen and location of your sighting. *********************************************************** Please Note Please check this site (www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com) early Tuesday and Sunday mornings to see if the walks have been cancelled! ***********************************************************

Sunday Bird Walk, November 18, 2018 The Sunday bird walk went to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. The morning was sunny and a beautiful day for a bird walk. Just the usual suspects on the marsh when we first started, Pied-billed Grebe, Mallard, Wood Duck, Hooded Merganser and Rink-necked Duck. There was no sign of the Snow Geese that were seen there earlier in the week. ***********************************************************

Ring-neck Duck photo by Ralph Hocken

Twelve birders  saw and heard the following thirty four species: Trumpeter Swan Mallard Wood Duck Ring-neck Duck Hooded Merganser American Coot Pied-billed Grebe Great Blue Heron Bald Eagle Cooper's Hawk Glaucous-winged Gull Virginia Rail Rock Pigeon Belted Kingfisher Anna's Hummingbird Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Common Raven Chestnut-backed Chickadee Bushtit Bewick’s Wren Marsh Wren Ruby-crowned Kinglet American Robin European Starling Spotted Towhee Song Sparrow Golden-crowned Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Red-winged Blackbird Purple Finch Pine Siskin American Goldfinch House Sparrow ***********************************************************

Reported Sightings Friday Nov 16: A flock of 43 Canada Geese - Cackling landed at Buttertubs Marsh. Canvasback was also seen at Buttertubs Marsh Saturday Nov 17: possible Rufous Hummingbird was seen at French Creek. It was perched in the bushes on the creek side near the restaurant. Tuesday Nov 20: juvenile Snow Goose at Nexk Point Park near the parking lot. This bird has been sighted for the last couple of weeks there. ***********************************************************

Anna's Hummingbird photo by Mike Hamilton

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, November 13, 2018 The Tuesday bird walk went to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville. The morning was cloudy with very strong winds off the Strait of Georgia. A large flock of Surf Scoters and White-winged Scoters were seen far offshore. Two Brant Geese were heading into the shore from the strait and nine Brant were seen further off shore. Two Common Murre and a Marbled Murrelet were spotted heading up the Strait. A flock of Bufflehead and Common Goldeneye were riding the waves. Several Horned Grebes, many Red-neck Grebes and a Western Grebe were playing hide and seek in the rough surf. A Golden-crowned Kinglet was feeding in the tall trees along the trail. A large number of Dark-eyed Juncos were seen during the walk. ***********************************************************

Brant photo by Ralph Hocken

Twenty-three birders including a visiting birder from Fort MacMurray saw and heard the following thirty-nine species: Brant Geese Snow Geese Canada Goose Mallard American Widgeon Northern Pintail Bufflehead Common Goldeneye Greater Scaup Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter Red-breasted Merganser Common Merganser Horned Grebe Red-neck Grebe Western Grebe Pacific Loon Common Loon Double-crested Cormorant Pelagic Cormorant Common Murre Marbled Murrelet Bonaparte’s Gull Mew Gull California Gull Iceland (Thayer's) Gull Glaucous-winged Gull Bald Eagle Common Raven Northwestern Crow Northern flicker Golden-crowned Kinglet Anna’s Hummingbird Chestnut-backed Chickadee Pacific Wren American Robin Song Sparrow Spotted Towhee Purple Finch Dark-eyed Junco ***********************************************************

Upcoming Bird Walks The Tuesday Bird Walk on November 27, 2018 will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (near the Lions Club playground parking lot) in Parksville at 9:00 am, or at the end of Shelly Road on the oceanside of Highway 19a in Parksville at about 9:10 am. The Sunday Bird Walk on November 25, 2018 will be going to Columbia Beach near French Creek. Meet at the Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store, 6314 Metral Drive in Nanaimo at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot on Admiral Tryon blvd which is off of Columbia drive at about 9:30 am ***********************************************************

Backyard Bird News The backyard feeders are getting busy with what seems to be more Dark-eyed Juncos arriving. Song Sparrow and the Golden-crowned Sparrows along with the Spotted Towhees are also busy at the feeders. Very few reports of Steller's Jays but that is not surprising as the natural seed seems to be abundant this year compared to last year. There are also less Chestnut-backed Chickadees and Red-breasted Nuthatches visiting the feeders as well. Anna's Hummingbirds are busy and it seems as though they may have had a late brood in my area. Pine Siskings are about but not visiting the backyard feeders just yet, i figure they will make their apperance in January or February. Good Biridng Colin. ***********************************************************