Bonaparte's Gull Ralph Hocken Photo.
NANAIMO BIRD REPORT
"GO BIRDING—EXPLORE NATURE"
Please remember, when reporting a sighting to leave your name and phone number along with the date, the species and location of your sighting.
To report your sightings phone the Store at 250-390-3669 or
e-mail us at thebackyard@shaw.ca
Sunday March 27, 2011:
The Sunday bird walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was cloudy with strong winds. The highlight of the morning was the sighting of massive numbers of the following Gulls--Bonaparte's Gulls, Mew Gulls, California Gulls, Thayer's Gulls, Herring Gulls and Glaucous-winged Gulls. An Anna’s Hummingbird was perched on top of a shrub giving us great looks.
Twenty birders saw and heard the following sixty species of birds:
Canada Goose, Brant, Eurasian Wigeon, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Greater Scaup, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Harlequin Duck, Common Goldeneye, Barrow's Goldeneye, Red-necked Grebe, Horned Grebe, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Loon, Double-crested Cormorant, Brandt’s Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Cooper’s Hawk, Killdeer, Dunlin, California Quail, Bonaparte's Gull, Mew Gull, California Gull, Thayer's Gull, Herring Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Pigeon Guillemot, Belted Kingfisher, Anna’s Hummingbird, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Steller’s Jay, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Bushtit, Pacific Wren, Bewick’s Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Golden-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, Varied Thrush, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, and Purple Finch.
Saturday March 26:
One female Pine Grosbeak was seen perched on top of a fir tree near Morrell Circle in Nanaimo.
Over one hundred Trumpeter Swans were spotted flying over the Morningstar ponds in Parksville.
An Osprey was seen on a high tree branch down the public access trail off Stevenson Point Road in Nanaimo.
A Rufous Hummingbird was seen at a feeder in the 100 block of Gulfview Drive in Nanaimo.
Thursday March 24:
Turkey Vultures were seen over the Ugly Dwarf Meadows near the ESSO Station at Nanoose Bay.
Wednesday March 23:
Violet-green Swallows, Tree Swallows and Yellow-rumped Warblers were seen at the Morningstar Ponds in Parksville.
A pair of American Goldfinch were visiting feeders along Gerald Street in Nanoose Bay,
Tuesday March 22:
The Tuesday bird walk went to Parksville Bay and Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville. The morning was cloudy with sunny periods and the wind was calm for most of the morning. Ten Trumpeter Swan's flew over heading up island. Hundreds of Brant Geese flew in and landed near the tide line. Thousands upon thousands of Gulls were along the shoreline for most of the morning. We were able to closely observe Bonaparte's Gulls, Mew Gulls, California Gulls, Thayer's Gulls, Glaucous-winged Gulls, two Herring Gulls, a Western Gull, and a Glaucous Gull. We saw thousands of Eurasian Wigeon, American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Greater Scaup, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck , Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye and Barrow's Goldeneye in a hugh moving raft off Parksville Bay.
Sixteen birders saw and heard the following fifty-one species of birds:
Canada Goose, Brant, Trumpeter Swan, Eurasian Wigeon, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Greater Scaup, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter,
White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Barrow's Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, Pacific Loon,
Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Merlin, Black Oystercatcher, Bonaparte's Gull, Mew Gull, California Gull, Herring Gull, Thayer's Gull, Western Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Glaucous Gull, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Pacific Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, Varied Thrush, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco.
A Red-tailed Hawk was seen soaring over the Chase River overpass on Highway 19 in Nanaimo.
Two Bewick’s Wrens, one Varied Thrush and a flock of Pine Siskins were visiting a backyard feeder in the 2700 block of Neyland Road in Nanaimo.
Monday March 21:
Over fifteen Yellow-rumped Warblers were seen at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.
The resident Short-eared Owl, three Northern Harriers, a small flock of Tree Swallows, a Western Meadowlark and a Lincoln's Sparrow were seen at the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.
A Common Teal, a flock of Green-wing Teal, twelve Northern Shovellers, Northern Pintail, a Lesser Scaup, Mallards, Canada Geese and American Wigeon were seen on Quesnell Lake.
A very large mixed flock of Tree Swallows, Violet-green Swallows were hawking insects over the back stretch of Quesnell Lake.
Sunday March 20:
Five California Quail were visiting a backyard in the 2800 block of Skrimshire Road in Shawnigan Lake.
Monday March 14:
A Saw-whet owl was spotted in yard on Benson View, near Witchcraft Lake in Nanaimo.
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Arrowsmith Naturalists Meeting
Monday March 28, 7.30 pm at Springwood School in Parksville.
Guest Speaker-Bill Merilees will speak on Mega herbs of Sub-Antarctic.
Nanoose Field Naturalists Meeting.
Thursday, April 14, 7 pm in the Library on Northwest Bay Road.
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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. 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.
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The Tuesday Bird Walk on March 29, 2011 will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. We will meet at the Parksville Beach Community Park at the parking area in front of the Lions Playground at 9 A.M. or at the end of Shelly Road on the Oceanside of Highway 19a at about 9:15 A.M.
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The Sunday Bird Walk, April 03, 2011 will be going to Neck Point in Nanaimo. We will meet at the Backyard Store at 9:00A.M. or at the parking lot at Neck Point off Hammond Bay Road at about 9:20A.M.
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Good birding
Neil Robins
THE BACKYARD
Wildbird & Nature Store
6314 Metral Drive, Nanaimo, BC V9T 2L8
250.390.36621
250.390.1633 fax
thebackyard@...
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG---> www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com
Big Day for the Brant – 2011 Birding Competition
For the 18th year a Big Day competition will be held to crown the teams that can see the most species of birds in one day.
WHERE: Parksville/Qualicum Beach, Vancouver Island, BC.
WHEN: Saturday April 9, 2011 from 4:30am to 3:00pm.
WHO: Teams of 3 to 5 in both Green and Motorized Categories. Novice, Intermediate, Experienced & young birders all welcomed.
PRIZES: Awards Presentations immediately following at Deez Bar & Grill, Qualicum Beach.
COST: $10 cash per person at the door.
HOW: TO REGISTER, contact RHYS HARRISON rhysharrison@shaw.ca or (250) 248-5305 with team names, category & experience level.
PROCEEDS: To the BRANT WILDLIFE FESTIVAL.
DETAILS: Instructions, Map, Checklist & Suggested Hotspots will be emailed to Team Members on registration.
EXTRAS:
Space may be limited so register early.
Singles & Couples are encouraged to enter and will be helped to form a team.
Several special prize categories have been added this year.
