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.