Osprey: 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 April 10, 2011:
The Rufous Hummingbirds have arrived---we have had numerous reports from Cedar to Deep Bay of Rufous Hummingbirds.
Two Band-tailed Pigeons were seen perched on a high snag along Despard Avenue near Meridian Way in Parksville.
The Sunday bird walk went to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. It was cloudy with light rain and strong winds throughout the morning. The highlights included seeing an Osprey fly over and circle above us at the start of the walk. Over one hundred Violet-green Swallows and a few Tree Swallows were hawking insects just above the water. We heard and then saw one Purple Martin at the end of the walk.
Twelve hardy birders saw and heard the following forty-three species of birds:
Canada Goose, Mallard, Wood Duck, Ring-necked Duck, Hooded Merganser, Pied-billed Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Virginia Rail, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Anna's Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Northern Flicker, Downy Woodpecker, Steller’s Jay, Common Raven, Northwestern Crow, Violet-green Swallow, Tree Swallow, Purple Martin, Rock Pigeon, Bushtit, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bewick’s Wren, Marsh Wren, Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Great Blue Heron, American Robin, European Starling, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, House Finch, American Goldfinch, Purple Finch, House Sparrow
Thursday April 07:
Five Evening Grosbeaks were spotted landing in a group of Alder Trees at the Fairwinds Golf Course in Nanoose Bay.
An Osprey was seen flying high and calling over the Colliery Dam Park in Nanaimo.
A Silver Pheasant was seen along Fillinger Crescent in Nanaimo.
Tuesday April 05:
An Osprey, carrying a fish, was seen heading south from Highway 19 and Nanaimo Lakes Road in Nanaimo.
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Little Qualicum River Estuary. The morning started out cloudy with rain and a sharp wind off the Strait of Georgia, however the morning finished with only cloudy skies and no rain. Harlequin Ducks, Black Oystercatchers, Black Turnstones and large numbers of Bonaparte's Gulls, Mew Gulls, California Gulls, Thayer's Gulls, Glaucous-winged Gulls and a Herring and Western Gull lined the rocks along the shore line from the viewing platform in Qualicum Beach. A hugh raft of Brant Geese, Greater Scaup, Surf Scoters, White-winged Scoters, Black Scoter, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Barrow's Goldeneye, Common Mergansers, Red-breasted Mergansers, Pacific Loons, Common Loons, Horned Grebe's and a Red-necked Grebe were just off shore from the viewing platform. We spotted a Northern Shrike at the estuary. As we left the mouth of the river we saw a massive flock of Gulls lift from the water. The flock stretched from Qualicum Bay past Chrome Island and on towards the mainland---IT WAS A SPECTACULAR SIGHT!
Fourteen birders saw and heard the following fifty-one species of birds:
Canada Goose, Brant, Eurasian Wigeon, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Greater Scaup, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Barrow's Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe,
Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Northern Shrike, Killdeer, Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, Bonaparte's Gull,
Mew Gull, California Gull, Herring Gull, Thayer's Gull, Western Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Eurasian Collared Dove, Northern Flicker, Violet-green Swallow, American Robin,
European Starling, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-winged Blackbird, Brewer's Blackbird, House Finch, Pine Siskin and House Sparrow.
Monday April 04:
An Osprey was heard calling from above Harewood Creek off Glengary Crescent in Nanaimo.
A Yellow-rumped Warbler was spotted in the 2000 block of Labrieux Road in “Nanaimo.
Sunday April 03:
Rare bird alert—“Northern Mockingbird” The Northern Mockingbird is still being seen along Doumont Road in Nanaimo
Violet-green Swallows were seen along Doumont Road in Nanaimo.
Saturday March 26:
”Rare bird alert-Red-breasted Grosbeak”
The Bird Store just received a late unconfirmed report of a Red-breasted Grosbeak at feeders along Cedar by the Sea in Cedar.
*********************************************
Nanoose Field Naturalists Meeting.
Thursday, April 14, 7 pm in the Library on Northwest Bay Road.
Arrowsmith Naturalists Meeting
Monday April 18, 7.30 pm at Springwood School in Parksville.
Guest Speaker—Dr. John Gunton will speak on “Geo-hazards of the Georgia Basin”
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.
************************************************************
The Tuesday Bird Walk on April 12, 2011 will be going to the Plummer 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 corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive at about 9:15 A.M.
*******************************************************
The Sunday Bird Walk, April 17, 2011 will be going to Bowen Park in Nanaimo. We will meet at the Backyard Store at 9:00A.M. or at the parking lot in front of the Lawn Bowling Green at Bowen Park at about 9:20A.M.
*******************************************************
Good birding
Neil Robins
Nanaimo
British Columbia
No comments:
Post a Comment