Parksville? Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, June 26, 2012

**************************************************************************************************************************************** Olive-sided Flycatcher: Ralph Hocken Photo. *********************************************************************************************************** The Tuesday bird walk went to Lot Ten near the Little Qualicum River in Qualicum Beach. The morning was cloudy with light rain to start and finished sunny and warm. We spotted a Black-throated Gray Warbler perched and feeding high in a conifer. A flock of Black Swifts flew high over head. We saw two American Dippers along the Little Qualicum River near the shore. Western Wood-Pewee, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Cassin’s Vireo, Warbling Vireo and Red-eyed Vireo were singing throughout the morning. A fledgling Red-breasted Sapsucker, looking like it was glued to the trunk of a tree, fascinated the group. ************************************************************************************************************************************* Twenty-one birders including visiting birders from Chicago, Seattle and Brussels saw and heard the following forty-one species. Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Merlin Barred Owl California Quail Spotted Sandpiper Rufous Hummingbird Belted Kingfisher Red-breasted Sapsucker Western Wood-Pewee Willow Flycatcher Pacific-slope Flycatcher Olive-sided Flycatcher Cassin’s Vireo Warbling Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Northwestern Crow Common Raven Black Swift Violet-green Swallow Chestnut-backed Chickadee Golden-crowned Kinglet Red-breasted Nuthatch Pacific Wren Bewick’s Wren Varied Thrush Swainson's Thrush American Robin American Dipper Cedar Waxwing Orange-crowned Warbler Yellow Warbler Black-throated Gray Warbler Wilson's Warbler Spotted Towhee Song Sparrow Black-headed Grosbeak Brown-headed Cowbird Purple Finch Pine Siskin American Goldfinch ****************************************************************************************************************************** This is the last Tuesday bird walk of the season. We will resume the Tuesday bird walks on September 04, 2012. Have a great summer. ************************************************************************************************* Good birding! Neil Robins Parksville British Columbia

Nanaimo bird report, June 24, 2012

************************************************************************************************************************** American Kestrel: 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 June 24, 2012: The Sunday bird walk went to Springwood Park in Parksville. The morning was sunny and warm. The highlight of the morning was an American Kestrel perched on the hydro line giving us great looks. We saw Willow Flycatchers perched and singing nearby. A Yellow Warbler and a Black-throated Grey Warbler were seen just off the trail. Sixteen birders saw and heard the following thirty-seven species: Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, Rufous Hummingbird, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Willow Flycatcher, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Violet-green Swallow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bushtit, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Pacific Wren, Swainson's Thrush, American Robin, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Warbling Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Spotted Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Brown-headed Blackbird, Purple Finch, House Finch, American Goldfinch. *********************************************************************************************************************** Wednesday June 20: Two Western Wood-Pewees has been seen in a backyard in the 6100 block of Bellflower Way in Nanaimo. ******************************************************************************************************************* Tuesday June 19: The Tuesday bird walk went to the Top Bridge Trail in Parksville. The morning stated out cloudy and cool but finished up sunny and warm with calm winds—almost a summers morning! We saw Vaux’s Swifts, Black Swifts and Purple Martins high overhead throughout the morning. Two young Bald Eagles were playing footsy and swooping and diving very high overhead for a good five minutes. Chipping Sparrows were singing and feeding on the ground not far from us. Willow Flycatchers were in abundance as they sang and perched nearby. A Red-tailed Hawk circled low right above us giving us great views near the end of the walk. ************************************************************************************************************** Fourteen birders saw and hear the following forty-two species: Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Coopers Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Killdeer, Band-tailed Pigeon, Vaux’s Swift, Black Swift, Rufous Hummingbird, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Willow Flycatcher, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Hammond’s Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Purple Martin, Violet-green Swallow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Brown Creeper, Swainson's Thrush, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, Orange-crowned Warbler, Wilson’s Warbler, MacGillivray’s Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Black-headed Grosbeak,Brown-headed Cowbird, Purple Finch American Goldfinch, House Finch and Pine Siskin. ******************************************************************************** Arrowsmith Naturalist Meeting, Monday June 25,7:30 P.M. Springwood Middle School, Parksville. Rob Adams and Lesley Fox who is from the Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals will speak on their efforts in seeing the use of body gripping traps being banned. ********************************************************************************** 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 Birdwalk on June 26, 2012 will be going to Lot Ten in Qualicum Beach. We will meet at Parksville Bay at the Lion's Playground parking area in Parksville at 9:00 a.m. or at the end of Kinkaid Road (on the mountain side of Highway 19a) in north Qualicum Beach at about 9:20 a.m. ************************************************************************************* The Sunday Bird Walk on Sunday July 01, 2012 will be going to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo. We will meet at the bird store at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at Neck Point Park off Hammond Bay Road at about 9:20 am. ********************************************************* Good birding Neil Robins *************************************************************************************************************************** THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE 6314 Metral Drive Nanaimo B.C. V9T-2L8 Phone: 250-390-3669 Fax: 250-390-1633 Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca Blog: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com ************************************************************************************************************************************************* WANTED Have you seen these birds? Western Bluebirds (Sialia mexicana) have been released in Maple Bay as part of aspecies recovery program. These rare native songbirds may be foraging and nesting in your area! We need your help to find them so that we can record their nesting locations andhabitat use, and monitor and care for them. General Identification Tips Smaller than a robin, about 5.5 inches, with a thin bill. Found in open habitat, pastureland, Garry Oak meadows; perched on fencelines or low branches. Some of the birds are wearing coloured leg bands—please note the colours if you can! To learn more about the Bring Back theBluebirds Project, see www.goert.ca/bluebird. Please help us watch for Western Bluebirds and contact us immediately if you think you see them: bluebird@goert.ca; 250-383-3427.

Green Herons in Nanaimo

**************************************************************************************** Green Heron chick: Ralph Hocken Photo ***************************************************************************************** Hi birders Three Green Herons chicks were seen at Yon Place off Jingle Pot Road(east),near the Shaw building in north Nanaimo. ********************************************************************************************** Good birding Neil Robins Parksville British Columbia

Western Bluebirds on Vancouver Island

Check this site for the lasest information on-------------- *************************************************************************************** “ Bring Back the Bluebirds" *************************************************************************************** http://www.goert.ca/news/2012/05/released-cowichan-valley/ *************************************************************************************** Good birding! Neil Robins Parksville British Columbia

Parksville/ Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, June 19, 1012

*********************************************************************************************************************************** Red-tailed Hawk: Ralph Hocken Photo. ************************************************************************************************************************************************ The Tuesday bird walk went to the Top Bridge Trail in Parksville. The morning stated out cloudy and cool but finished up sunny and warm with calm winds—almost a summers morning! We saw Vaux’s Swifts, Black Swifts and Purple Martins high overhead throughout the morning. Two young Bald Eagles were playing footsy and swooping and diving very high overhead for a good five minutes. Chipping Sparrows were singing and feeding on the ground not far from us. Willow Flycatchers were in abundance as they sang and perched nearby. A Red-tailed Hawk circled low right above us giving us great views near the end of the walk. ***************************************************************************************************************************** Fourteen birders saw and hear the following forty-three species: Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Coopers Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Killdeer Band-tailed Pigeon Rock Pigeon Vaux’s Swift Black Swift Rufous Hummingbird Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Willow Flycatcher Pacific-slope Flycatcher Hammond’s Flycatcher Warbling Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Northwestern Crow Common Raven Purple Martin Violet-green Swallow Chestnut-backed Chickadee Brown Creeper Swainson's Thrush American Robin Cedar Waxwing Orange-crowned Warbler Wilson’s Warbler MacGillivray’s Warbler Black-throated Gray Warbler Spotted Towhee Song Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Black-headed Grosbeak Brown-headed Cowbird Purple Finch American Goldfinch House Finch Pine Siskin ************************************************************************************************************************** The Tuesday bird walk on June 26 will be going to Lot Ten near the Little Qualicum River at Kinkade Road on the mountian side of highway 19a in Quilicum Beach. *************************************************************************************************************** Good birding! Neil Robins Parksville British Columbia

Nanaimo bird report, June 17, 20

***************************************************************************************************************************** House Wren: 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 June 17, 2012: The Sunday bird walk went to Legacy Marsh in upper Lantzville.. The morning was cloudy but warm. The highlight of the morning was a House Wren that flew out of it’s nest and sang as it perched nearby. A Black-headed Grosbeak gave us great looks as it sang from a perch. Fourteen birders saw and heard the following forty-five species: Wood Duck, Mallard, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Turkey Vulture, Band-tailed Pigeon, Rufous Hummingbird, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Willow Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Cassin’s Vireo, California Quail, Common Raven, Black Swift, Violet-green Swallow, Barn Swallow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Bushtit, House Wren, Marsh Wren, Pacific Wren, European Starling, Swanson’s Thrush, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Townsend’s Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, Red-winged Blackbird, Spotted Towhee, White-crowned Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, American Goldfinch, Purple Finch and House Finch. ************************************************************************************************************** Saturday June 16: Three Green Herons chicks and one adult were seen and photographed off Jingle Pot Road and Yon Place not far from the Shaw Cable building in Nanaimo. A Chukar was seen at the Little Qualicum Village. A Sandhill Crane has been seen near the Baseball Diamond just off Northwest Bay Road on Power Point Road in Nanoose Bay. ************************************************************************************************************************** Friday June 15: A Cock and Hen Ring-Necked Pheasants were seen running along the verge of Meadowood Drive at the Little Qualicum River Estates. A Northern Shrike was seen at the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo. Wednesday June 13: A Pileated Woodpecker is visiting a backyard feeder on Altavista Drive in Nanaimo. A flock of Common Nighthawks were seen over Morrell Circle and Nanaimo Lakes Road in Nanaimo. ************************************************************************************************************ Tuesday June 12: The Tuesday bird walk went to the Beaver Ponds at Nanoose Bay. The morning was cloudy with light rain and calm winds. We had great looks at a Townsend’s Warbler feeding and singing in a tall tree. We watched another Townsend’s Warbler feeding along the trail just ahead of us. A Hooded Merganser gave us an unusual sighting as it peered out of its tree cavity nest, high up in a snag just off the trail. We saw several Willow Flycatchers perched and singing and then fly catching. We heard and then saw an Orange-crowned Warbler and a McGillivray's Warbler in some Arbutus Trees. Overhead a flock of Black Swifts were hawking insects. Eight birders heard and saw the following thirty-four species: Hooded Merganser, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Black Swift , Anna’s Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Northern Flicker, Willow Flycatcher, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Purple Martin, Violet-green Swallow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch , Bushtit, Brown Creeper, Bewick’s Wren, Swainson's Thrush , American Robin, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Wilson’s Warbler, Townsend’s Warbler, McGillivray's Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Brown-headed Cowbird, Black-headed Grosbeak, Purple Finch, House Finch, American Goldfinch. Sunday June 10: An Olive-Sided Flycatcher was head singing on the hillside above Colbourne Drive in Nanaimo. A Western Tanager was heard singing on the hillside above Brookwood Marsh in north Nanaimo. ******************************************************************************** Arrowsmith Naturalist Meeting, Monday June 25.7:30 P.M. Springwood Middle School, Parksville. Rob Adams and Lesley Fox who is from the Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals will speak on their efforts in seeing the use of body gripping traps being banned. ********************************************************************************** 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 Birdwalk on June19, 2012 will be going to the Top Bridge Trail in Parksville. We will meet at Parksville Bay at the Lion's Playground parking area in Parksville at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking area along Industrial Way near Tuan Road at about 9:10 a.m. *************************************************************************************The Sunday Bird Walk on Sunday June 24, 2012 will be going to Springwood Park in Parksville. We will meet at the bird store at 9:00 a.m. or at the west end of Despard Avenue (from highway 19 take exit 51 into Parksville and onto highway 4a. Turn left at Despard Avenue and go to the end of Despard ) at about 9:30 am. ********************************************************* Good birding Neil Robins THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE 6314 Metral Drive Nanaimo B.C. V9T-2L8 Phone: 250-390-3669 Fax: 250-390-1633 Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca Blog: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, June 12, 2012

************************************************************************************************************************************************* Wilson’s Warbler: Ralph Hocken Photo. ***************************************************************************************************************************************************** The Tuesday bird walk went to the Beaver Ponds at Nanoose Bay. The morning was cloudy with light rain and calm winds. We had great looks at a Townsend’s Warbler feeding and singing in a tall tree. We watched another Townsend’s Warbler feeding along the trail just ahead of us. A Hooded Merganser gave us an unusual sighting as it peered out of its tree cavity nest, high up in a snag just off the trail. We saw several Willow Flycatchers perched and singing and then fly catching. We heard and then saw an Orange-crowned Warbler and a McGillivray's Warbler in some Arbutus Trees. Overhead a flock of Black Swifts were hawking insects.*********************************************************************************************************** Eight birders heard and saw the following thirty-four species: Hooded Merganser Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Black Swift Anna’s Hummingbird Rufous Hummingbird Northern Flicker Willow Flycatcher Pacific-slope Flycatcher Warbling Vireo Northwestern Crow Common Raven Purple Martin Violet-green Swallow Chestnut-backed Chickadee Red-breasted Nuthatch Bushtit Brown Creeper Bewick’s Wren Swainson's Thrush American Robin Orange-crowned Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Gray Warbler Wilson’s Warbler Townsend’s Warbler McGillivray's Warbler Spotted Towhee Song Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Brown-headed Cowbird Black-headed Grosbeak Purple Finch House Finch American Goldfinch ********************************************************************************************************************************************************** Good birding Neil Robins Parksville British Columbia

Nanaimo bird report, June 10, 2012

******************************************************************************************************************************************************* Black-throated Gray Warbler: 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 June 10, 2012: The Sunday bird walk went to the Beaver Ponds in Nanoose Bay. The morning was cloudy but warm. The highlight of the morning was a great sighting of a Black-throated Gray Warbler perched close to the trail. We heard the Black-throated Gray Warblers singing all morning. A flock of singing Red Crossbills flew overhead. The Black-headed Grosbeaks gave us good looks as it was singing from a perch. Twenty-two birders saw and heard the following thirty-eight species: Hooded Merganser, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Black Swift, Rufous Hummingbird, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Band-tailed Pigeon, Eurasian-collared Dove, Willow Flycatcher, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Cassin's Vireo, Hutton’s Vireo, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Tree Swallow, Violet-green Swallow, Purple Martin, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Bushtit, Bewick’s, Wren, Swainson's Thrush, American Robin, Orange-crowned Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Townsend’s Warbler, McGillivray’s Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Brown-headed Cowbird, Black-headed Grosbeak, Black-headed Grosbeak, Purple Finch, Red Crossbill, American Goldfinch. ************************************************************************************************************************************ Saturday June 09: ”Rare bird alert-Rose-breasted Grosbeak” A Rose-Breasted Grosbeak is visiting feeders at the Little Qualicum River Village. The Grosbeak was last seen at about 7P.M. this evening. ***************************************************************************************************************************** Tuesday June 05: The Tuesday bird walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The early morning was cloudy with misty rain and cool but it warmed up as the morning progressed. The big sighting of the morning was two fledging Barred Owls who were very fluffy and lacking tails. One adult Barred Owl perched not far from the trail, watching over them. We heard and saw several Willow Flycatchers throughout the morning. There were a large number of Savannah Sparrows perched on the low bushes on the meadows near the R.V. Park. Thirteen birders saw and heard the following fifty-one species. Canada Goose, Mallard, Common Merganser , White-winged Scoter, Pacific Loon, Double-crested Cormorant , Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Merlin, Barred Owl, Killdeer, California Quail, Marbled Murrelet, Mew Gull, California Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Band-tailed Pigeon, Eurasian-collared Dove, Anna's Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Downy Woodpecker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Barn Swallow, Violet-green Swallow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Bewick's Wren, Pacific Wren, Swainson’s Thrush, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing,European Starling, Warbling Vireo, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Willow Flycatcher, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Brewer’s Blackbird,Spotted Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow , Dark-eyed Junco, Brown-headed Cowbird,House Finch and American Goldfinch. ******************************************************************************************************************************************* Nanoose Naturalists Meeting Thursday, June 14th at 5:30 pm Summer picnic BBQ for members at the home of Tony and Jenny Ransom. ************************************************************************************* *************************************************** Arrowsmith Naturalist Meeting, Monday June 25.7:30 P.M. Springwood Middle School, Parksville. Rob Adams and Lesley Fox who is from the Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals will speak on their efforts in seeing the use of body gripping traps being banned. **************************************************************************************************************************************** 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 Birdwalk on June12, 2012 will be going to the Beaver Ponds at Nanoose Bay. We will meet at Parksville Bay at the Lion's Playground parking area in Parksville at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking area off Power Point Road at about 9:20 a.m. (from the Petro-Can on Highway 19 follow Northwest Bay Road to Power Point Road turn right and follow Power Point Road to about 100 feet past the four-way stop to the parking area on the left.) ****************************************************************************************************************************************************************** The Sunday Bird Walk on Sunday June 17, 2012 will be going to Legacy Marsh in upper Lantzville. We will meet at the bird store at 9:00 a.m. or under the Hydro lines on Normarel Drive at about 9:15 am. ********************************************************************************************************************** Good birding Neil Robins ************************************************************************************************************************************************ THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE 6314 Metral Drive Nanaimo B.C. V9T-2L8 Phone: 250-390-3669 Fax: 250-390-1633 Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca Blog: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

Tuesday bird walk, June 05,2012

**************************************************************************************************** Willow Flycatcher: Ralph Hocken. *************************************************************************************************** The Tuesday bird walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The early morning was cloudy with misty rain and cool but it warmed up as the morning progressed. The big sighting of the morning was two fledging Barred Owls who were very fluffy and lacking tails. One adult Barred Owl perched not far from the trail, watching over them. We heard and saw several Willow Flycatchers throughout the morning. There were a large number of Savannah Sparrows perched on the low bushes on the meadows near the R.V. Park. **************************************************************************************************** Thirteen birders saw and heard the following fifty-one species. Canada Goose Mallard Common Merganser White-winged Scoter Pacific Loon Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Merlin Barred Owl Killdeer California Quail Marbled Murrelet Mew Gull California Gull Glaucous-winged Gull Band-tailed Pigeon Eurasian-collared Dove Anna's Hummingbird Rufous Hummingbird Belted Kingfisher Northern Flicker Downy Woodpecker Northwestern Crow Common Raven Barn Swallow Violet-green Swallow Chestnut-backed Chickadee Red-breasted Nuthatch Bewick's Wren Pacific Wren Swainson’s Thrush American Robin Cedar Waxwing European Starling Warbling Vireo Orange-crowned Warbler Yellow Warbler Willow Flycatcher Pacific-slope Flycatcher Brewer’s Blackbird Spotted Towhee Chipping Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Brown-headed Cowbird House Finch American Goldfinch **************************************************************************************************** Gppd birding Neil Robins Parksville British Columbia

Nanaimo bird report, June 03, 2012

Western Tanager: 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 June 03, 2012: The Sunday bird walk went to Linley Valley in Nanaimo. The morning was cloudy with light rain showers but there were a few periods of sunshine. The bird of the morning was the Western Tanager. We had great close looks at the Tanager perched in some short bushes near the trail. Eighteen birders saw and heard the following thirty-nine species: Canada Goose, Mallard, Wood Duck, Hooded Merganser, Rufous Hummingbird, Anna’s Hummingbird, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Willow Flycatcher, Hammonds Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Common Raven, Violet-green Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow,Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Bewick's Wren, Pacific Wren, Bushtit, Swainson's Thrush, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, Orange-crowned Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Common Yellow-throat, Wilson's Warbler, Yellow warbler, Western Tanager, Spotted Towhee, Black-headed Grosbeak, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Fox Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Purple Finch and American Goldfinch. ******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Saturday June 02: One Greater White Fronted Goose was seen in with Canada Geese on the grounds of Parksville Beach Park . ******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Tuesday May 29: The Tuesday bird walk went to Springwood Park in Parksville. The morning was cloudy and a little cool with calm winds. We spotted and heard seven of the eight warbler species we get on the island---Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, McGillivray’s Warbler, Common Yellowthroat and Wilson's Warbler. We had excellent views of the Black-throated Gray Warbler as he perched high up on a snag singing his heart out. We saw a Western Wood-Pewee, Willow Flycatcher, Hammond's Flycatcher and heard a Pacific-slope Flycatcher singing for most of the morning. Twenty-three birders saw and heard the following forty-four species:Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Band-tailed Pigeon, Eurasian-collared Dove, Anna's Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Western Wood-Pewee, Willow Flycatcher, Hammond's 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, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, MacGillivray's Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Wilson's Warbler, Western Tanager, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Black-headed Grosbeak, Red-winged Blackbird, Purple Finch, House Finch and American Goldfinch. *********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Monday May 28: Two Sooty Grouse, one Barred Owl and ten to fifteen Black Swifts were seen from Westwood Ridge in Nanaimo. A pair of blue-winged Teal was seen at Holden Creek in south Nanaimo. A Northern Shrike was seen at the Nanaimo River in south Nanaimo A female American Kestrel spotted was hunting by Quennel Lake in Cedar. ******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Sunday May 27: One intrepid birder was on the bridge of the Coast Guard Ship VECTOR as it made its way around Cape St. James from Skincuttle Inlet to Flamingo and Louscoone Inlets. Highlights were travelling through ten miles of mixed flocks of Ancient Murrelet, Cassin's Auklet, Rhinoceros Auklet, Pigeon Guillemot, Tufted Puffin, Common Murre, Sooty Shearwater and three Black-Footed Albatross. Inshore species seen or heard included Bald Eagle, Glaucous-Winged Gull, Common Merganser, Marbled Murrelet, Pelagic Cormorant, Townsend's Warbler, Varied Thrush and Hermit Thrush. We collected, dried and released seven Leach's Storm-Petrels and one Fork-Tailed Storm Petrel that had made their way onto the ship last night. An added bonus was several Humpback Whales and a small pod of Orca. Other notables for the trip include Eurasian Collared-Dove, Caspian Tern and Glaucous Gull at Port Hardy, Red-throated Loon Fish Egg Inlet, Wandering Tattler at Penrose Island, and Sandhill Crane at Gale Passage and Skincuttle Inlet. **************************************************************************************************** Arrowsmith Naturalists meet Monday, June 25th, 7.30pm at Springwood School. ***************************************************************************************************** Nanoose Naturalists Meeting will be on Thursday, June 14th at 5:30 pm Summer picnic BBQ for members at the home of Tony and Jenny Ransom. ***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** 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 Birdwalk on June 05, 2012 will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. We will meet at Parksville Bay at the Lion's Playground parking area in Parksville at 9:00 a.m. or at the Oceanside of Shelly Road off Highway 19a at about 9:10.a.m. ******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** The Sunday Bird Walk on Sunday June 3, 2012 will be going to the Beaver Ponds at Nanoose Bay. We will meet at the bird store at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking area off Power Point Road-- about 100 feet past the four way stop at about 9:20 a.m. (from the Petro-Can on Highway 19 follow Northwest Bay Road to Power Point Road turn right and follow Power Point Road to about 100 feet past the four-way stop to the parking area on the left.) **************************************************************************************************** Good birding Neil Robins THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE 6314 Metral Drive Nanaimo B.C. V9T-2L8 Phone: 250-390-3669 Fax: 250-390-1633 Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca Blog: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com **************************************************************************************************************************************++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ “BIRDING AND NATURALIST GETAWAY” ALONG THE THOMPSON RIVER BETWEEN ASHCROFT AND LYTTON. JUNE 18-20 or JULY 1-3 For more information go to rafting@kumsheen.com 1-800-663-6667 www.kumsheen.com