Nanaimo Weekly Bird Report November 28, 2019

The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

Nanaimo Bird Report

November 28, 2019

“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.
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Photo: Marsh Wren (R. Hocken)

Sunday November 26, 2019:

The Sunday Bird Walk went to Buttertubs Marsh. The weather was sunny and the winds were calm. We watched as a Brown Creeper cling to the underside of a branch for several minutes without moving and a Steller’s Jay perch quietly and still in another tree, when suddenly a Sharp-shinned Hawk flew out chasing a Red-wing Blackbird. Two Virginia Rails called in the corner of the West Marsh near Oak Valley Estates.

Thirteen birders saw the following 44 species:

Canada Geese

Mallard

American Wigeon

Wood Duck

Green-winged Teal

Bufflehead

Pied-billed Grebe

Hooded Merganser

Ring-necked Duck

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Merlin

Virginia Rail

Glaucous-winged Gull

Rock Pigeon

Anna’s Hummingbird

Northern Flicker

Downy Woodpecker

Pileated Woodpecker

Steller’s Jay

Common Raven

Northwestern Crow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Bushtit

Brown Creeper

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Marsh Wren

Bewick’s Wren

American Robin

Varied Thrush

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red-winged Blackbird

House Finch

Purple Finch

American Goldfinch

Pine Siskin

House Sparrow

  

Photo: Male Wood Duck in eclipse/ non-breeding plumage (Google)

Monday November 25, 2019:

Peregrine Falcon was seen perched atop a tree by the Life Style fitness club on Stephenson Point road in Nanaimo.



Glaucous Gull juvenile was seen again at the Nanaimo River Estuary by the parking lot feeding on salmon. The bird was also seen and reported on November 24.



Hooded Merganser, large flock was seen at the Morningstar Pond in French Creek.



Tuesday November 26, 2019:

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to the Nanoose Bay Estuary. The weather was wet with rain and wet snow, temperatures around 0 and the wind was calm. Song birds were very quiet with only a few species of sparrows being seen and House Finch. There were a few Bald Eagles around the estuary that keep the ducks busy.

Eight birders heard and saw the following 32 species:

Mallard

Green-winged Teal

Northern Pintail

American Widgeon

Common Goldeneye

Red-breasted Merganser

Hooded Merganser

Bufflehead

Common Loon

Horned Grebe

White-winged Scoter

Double-crested Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Red-tailed Hawk

Killdeer

Mew Gull

Thayer’s Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Belted Kingfisher

Anna’s Hummingbird

Northern Flicker

Northwestern Crow

Steller’s Jay

Northern Shrike

Bewick’s Wren

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

House Finch

Photo: Anna’s Hummingbird (P. Beaton)

Backyard Feeder Notes:

By Nicole Renaud

At my bird feeders I have two Northern Flickers that visit my feeders between 8:00am and 8:30am, never together but only 5 minutes apart. Lately they have shown a greater interest in my medium chip sunflower, which they happily slurp up with their tongue while all the smaller birds wait their turn. My pair of Flickers are easy to tell apart, as I have a male and a female that visit, and the male is easily identifiable by his red cheek markings. With the colder weather my Bewick’s Wren has returned to my feeders to happily pick up the smaller pieces of sunflower seed, or feast on peanut butter suet. I had to switch to an upside-down styled suet feeder because European Starlings have been devouring my suet since September and I didn’t expect my wren to adapt so easily to feeding upside down. But now I get immense entertainment watching his single leg pull-ups each time he wants a mouthful of suet, or the casual way he switches to the opposite leg so he can continue eating.

 

Photo: Bewick’s Wren (R. Hocken)

The Sunday Bird Walk December 1, 2019:

This week the Sunday bird walk will be going to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo. Meet at The Backyard Wildbird & Nature Store at 9:00am or meet at the parking lot at Neck Point Park at 9:15 am.

The Tuesday Bird Walk December 3, 2019:

This week the Tuesday Bird Walk will be going to Rathtrevor Beach. NEW MEETING LOCATION – meet at the Parksville Tourist Information Center parking lot, located by Hwy 19A, Northwest Bay road and Franklin’s Gull road in Parksville, at 9:00 am or meet at Rathtrevor Provincial Park main parking lot by the beach entrance at 9:10.

Please Note:
Check this site (www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com) early Tuesday and Sunday on stormy mornings to see if the walks have been cancelled! 

Good birding!

Colin Bartlett

The Backyard

Wildbird and Nature Store
6314 Metral Drive V9T-2L8
Phone: 250-390-3669

Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca
Blog: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com