Savannah Sparrow: 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 July 31, 2011:
The Sunday bird walk went to Beck Creek in south Nanaimo. The morning was partly cloudy and warm. We saw two Lesser Yellowlegs and three Spotted Sandpipers feeding on the mudflats. A Red-tailed Hawk flew by overhead. We heard several Pacific-slope Flycatchers and Red Crossbills during the morning. Two Black Swifts flew high overhead.
Twenty birders, including visiting birders from the United Kingdom, Australia and Texas saw and heard the following thirty-nine species:
Canada Goose, Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Glaucous-winged Gull, Band-tailed Pigeon, Rock Pigeon, Belted Kingfisher, Lesser Yellowlegs, Spotted Sandpiper, Anna’s Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Purple Martin, Barn Swallow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Black Swift, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Pacific Wren, Bewick's Wren, Bushtit, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Swainson's Thrush, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Black-headed Grosbeak, Brown-headed Cowbird, House Finch, American Goldfinch, Red-winged Blackbird, Pine Siskin and Red Crossbills.
Friday July 29:
Six Common Nighthawks were seen flying east over Corfield Street near Despard Avenue in Parkville.
Thursday July 28:
Four Semipalmated Plovers, Killdeer, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Western Sandpipers and Least Sandpipers were seen at San Pariel on the mud flats along the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville.
Wednesday July 27:
A Barred Owl was seen at Bowen Park in Nanaimo.
A Great Horned Owl chick was seen in Colliery Dam Park in the cedar grove above the rock cliff near the Upper Lake in Nanaimo. This chick has been seen from July 23 until July 27 at the same location.
Monday July 25:
The early birders went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. The morning was sunny and warm. We saw many Savannah Sparrows and Willow Flycatchers in the meadows. A female Northern Harrier flew over the meadows and then perched in a conifer tree for a long time. We spotted a pair of American Kestrels in the top of a tall conifer tree and the female Kestrel flew over just above us giving us great views. We spotted a Red-breasted Merganser, three Black-bellied Plovers, two Black Oystercatchers, three Caspian Terns, Mew Gulls and Glaucous-winged Gulls near the tide line.
Six birders saw and heard the following fifty-three species of birds:
Canada Geese, Mallard, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, California Quail, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, American Kestrel, Black-bellied Plover, Killdeer, Black Oystercatcher, Spotted Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Mew Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Caspian Tern, Band-tailed Pigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Barred Owl, Anna's Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher , Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Willow Flycatcher,Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Violet-green Swallow, Barn Swallow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bushtit, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Bewick's Wren, Pacific Wren, Swainson's Thrush, American Robin, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing,
Orange-crowned Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Brown-headed Cowbird, Purple Finch
House Finch, Red Crossbill, American Goldfinch and House Sparrow.
A pair of American Goldfinch were seen feeding at backyard feeders along Overlook Drive in Nanaimo.
Saturday July 23:
A Northern Harrier was seen along Rivers Edge in Parksville.
Five Caspian Terns were seen flying along shore line and resting on a bar at the beach access at Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach.
A Red-eyed Vireo was heard singing in a Lot Ten along the Little Qualicum River in Qualicum Beach.
A Common Nighthawk was spotted over the Eaglecrest area of Qualicum Beach.
Friday July 22:
“Rare bird alert-Yellow Grosbeak”
A possible female Yellow Grosbeak was seen along Jensen Avenue West in Parksville at a third floor balcony feeder for about ten minutes on Friday July 22 at 12:30 pm. The birder made notes of the large black beak and the very unusual streaking on top of the head and throughout the back and also there were white patches on the wings.
The Yellow Grosbeak has a large range reaching up to roughly 300,000 square kilometers. This bird is normally found in Guatemala, Mexico and the United States.
A female Yellow Grosbeak can be seen at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marysue2010/5590313630/
Tuesday July 19:
Sixty Common Nighthawks were seen over Country Club Mall in Nanaimo.
Five Common Nighthawks were spotted flying over Lancashire Avenue in Nanaimo.
Thursday July 14:
An American Bittern was seen at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.
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Everyone is invited 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 season has come to a close. The bird walks will resume on September 6, 2011. Have a great summer! ******************************************************
The Sunday Bird Walk on August 7 will be going to Bowen Park in Nanaimo. We will meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 A.M. or at the main parking area near the bowing greens off Bowen Road at about 9:20 A.M
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Good birding
Neil Robins
THE BACKYARD Wildbird & Nature Store
6314 Metral Drive, Nanaimo, BC V9T 2L8
250-390-3669
thebackyard@shaw.ca
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG---> www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com
“Pelagic birding trip in September”
WildResearch, a Vancouver base non-profit, is pleased to be offering a pelagic birding trip departing from Ucluelet on the Sunday the 18th September 2011. The ship we will be using is the M.V. Frances Barkley, a 39m (128ft), 300 ton coastal freighter. The cost per person is $200 for WildResearch members.
For details visit: www.wildresearch.ca
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