Nanaimo bird report, October 16, 2011

Eurasian Wigeon: 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 October 16, 2011:
The Sunday bird walk went to Nanoose Bay Estuary. The morning was mostly sunny with calm winds, giving us a very pleasant walk.
The highlights included seeing a Northern Shrike several times during the morning. We saw an Eurasian Wigeon behind a flock of Canada Geese. As we watched, the Wigeon swan past the Geese giving us good views.
Fifteen birders saw and heard the following forty-four species:
Canada Geese, Mallard, American Wigeon, Eurasian Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Greater Scaup, Common Merganser, Common Loon, Pacific Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Killdeer, Bald Eagle, Merlin, Red-Tailed Hawk, Northern Shrike, Mew Gull, California Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Belted Kingfisher, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, American Robin, European Starling, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, Purple Finch, Dark-eyed Junco, Red Crossbill and American Goldfinch.

Common Loons, Harlequin Ducks, Black Oystercatchers and Black Turnstones were seen on the beach at Qualicum Beach.

Saturday October 15:
Anna’s Hummingbird, White-crown Sparrows, Bewick’s Wren and Eurasian Collared-Doves were seen in a backyard along Glenayr Drive in Nanaimo.

Friday October 14:
A Ruddy Duck was seen at Morningstar Ponds in French Creek.

Thursday October 13:
Three Cackling Geese were seen in with Canada Geese at Morningstar Ponds in French Creek.

One Snow Goose was spotted on the grass at Parksville Bay Community Park in Parksville.

A Greater White-fronted Goose was seen at Parksville Bay Community Park in Parksville.

A varied Thrush was seen along the trail on the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary, in Parksville

Twenty American Goldfinch are visiting backyard feeders along Lancashire Avenue in Nanaimo.

Wednesday October 12:
A Steller’s Jay was spotted at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.

Tuesday: October 11:
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was partly cloudy with lots of sun and calm winds making for a very pleasant morning for a bird walk. A flock of over fifty Brant Geese flew past us heading down the Strait of Georgia. We spotted a Black-bellied Plover, a Pectoral Sandpiper and two Long-billed Dowitchers feeding on the edge of a sand bar near the ocean. A male Northern Harrier was spotted perched on a stump and he gave us good looks through the scope. We watched as he left his perch and dropped down to picked a rodent up in it's talens. We also had great looks at a Northern Shrike perched at the top of a bush not far from the viewing tower.
Seventeen birders saw and heard the following sixty-one species:
Canada Geese, Brant , American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Greater Scaup, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter , White-winged Scoter, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier,
Sharp-shinned Hawk, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Black-bellied Plover, Killdeer, Pectoral Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, Bonaparte's Gull, Mew Gull, California Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Eurasian Collared- Dove, Anna's Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher , Downy Woodpecker , Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Shrike,
Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Bewick's Wren, Pacific Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Spotted Towhee, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Brewer's Blackbird, Purple Finch, House Finch, Pine Siskin and American Goldfinch.

Monday October 10:
Hundreds of Snow Geese were spotted over the Morningstar ponds, heading east towards Parksville.

Sunday October 09:
A White-throated Sparrow was seen at Piper’s Lagoon in Nanaimo.

Eleven Greater White-fronted Geese were seen from Northwest Bay Road at the Nanoose Bay Estuary in Nanoose Bay.

A Merlin was seen perched in the Eagle Tree at Nanoose Bay.

A Lapland Longspur, in winter plumage, was seen behind the Church Camp at Nanoose Bay.
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Nanoose Naturalists Meeting
Thursday, November 10 at 7 pm.
@ The Library Centre along Northwest Bay Road, Nanoose Bay.
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Arrowsmith Naturalist Meeting
Monday, October 24 at 7:30 pm.
Springwood Middle School, Parksville.
Guest speaker-- Faye Smith will bring us up to date on the current projects and findings of the Mid Vancouver Island Habitat Enhancement Society.
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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 on October 18 will be going to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville. We will meet at Parksville Community Park at the parking lot near the Lions Playground at 9:00 A.M. or at the main parking near the beach at Rathtrevor Park at about 9:10 A.M.
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The Sunday Bird Walk on October 23 will be going to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville. We will meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 A.M. or at the main parking near the beach at Rathtrevor Park at about 9:30 A.M.

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

The Purple Martin charity dinner and silent auction:

Come join us on Saturday, November 12 at the Coast Bastion in Nanaimo for "A Night in Brazil" charity dinner and silent auction for the BC Purple Martin Recovery Program. We are celebrating the most successful year of the 25-year nest box recovery program (730 pairs up from 5 pairs in 1985) and the fall migration of our Purple Martins to SE Brazil, a 11,000 km trip one way as well as raising funds for the 2012 recovery program.

Guest speakers:

Tony Ransom, retired geologist and current President of the Nanoose Naturalists, on " A Tour of Brazil's Pantanal - the World's Largest Freshwater Wetland"
Mike Yip, well known Bird Photographer, on "Migratory Birds on Vancouver Island"
No Host Bar at 5 pm with a buffet dinner at 6 pm. Tickets: $60/person (includes a $23 donation) available at the Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store in Nanaimo or by emailing Charlene at gbears@island.net. Advance purchase of tickets required.