Nanaimo bird report, July 01, 2012

***************************************************************************************************************************** Orange-crowned 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 July 01, 2012: The Sunday bird walk went Neck Point in Nanaimo.The morning gave us intermittent clouds,with a warm breeze and a lot of dog walkers . Highlights were a good look at an Orange-Crowned Warbler foraging in an aspen and watching a frustrated group of birders trying to get a decent look at a Warbling Vireo that sounded very near but remained invisible. **************************************************************************************** Sixteen birders saw and heard the following thirty-seven species: Canada Goose, Harlequin Duck, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Black Oystercatcher, Glaucous-winged Gull, Northern Flicker, Warbling Vireo, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bushtit, Brown Creeper, Bewick’s Wren, Pacific Wren, Swainson’s Thrush, American Robin, European Starling, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Purple Finch, House Finch, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch. Thanks to Vicki for her recording skills and to Graham for leading the walk this morning. ************************************************************************************************************* Tuesday June 26: 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. ***************************************************************************************** A flock of Whimbrel was seen at Piper’s Lagoon in Nanaimo. **************************************************************************************************** A Gray Catbird was seen at the Seaview Farm near Merville close to Comox. *********************************************************************************************** Monday June 25: Pine Grosbeaks are visiting feeders on Gabriola Island. ******************************************************************************************************* Sunday, June 24: A pair of Barn Swallows is building a nest along Maxey Road in the Jingle Pot area of Nanaimo. ********************************************************************************************************** Saturday June 23: An albino Northern Flicker was seen at Rhododendron Lake. The lake is off highway 19 (on the mountain side) on the Northwest Bay Road Island Timberlands logging road. ********************************************************************************************** Monday May 28: A Lazuli Bunting was visiting feeders for one day at the south end of Quadra Island. ********************************************************************************** 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. ************************************************************************************* Tuesday bird walks have stopped for the season. We will resume the Tuesday bird walks on September 04, 2012. Have a great summer. ************************************************************************************* The Sunday Bird Walk on Sunday July 08, 2012 will be going Hemer Park in Cedar. We will meet at the bird store at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at Hemer Park in Cedar. Follow Cedar Road to Hemer Road (look for the Hemer Park sign) 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 ********************************************************************************************************* 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.