The Backyard's Weekly Bird Walk locations are found in the Backyard Bird Report at the very end of the most recent report. Any cancellations will be posted by 8am the day of the walk.

Sunday 21 October 2012

Nanaimo bird report, October 21, 2012


 
 
                                                      Red-tailed hawk; 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 21, 2012:
The Sunday bird walk went to Nanoose Bay.  The morning was sunny with cloudy periods but finished with a cold strong wind off the Strait of Georgia. The highlights included seeing a Red-tailed Hawk perched on a tall snag. We spotted a Northern Shrike perched on a fence post not from us, giving us great looks for about ten minutes.  At one point  it flew from the perch only to return with prey.
Fifteen birders saw and heard the following thirty-six species:
Canada Geese,  Mallard,  American Widgeon,  Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal,  Surf Scoter,  White-winged Scoter,  Black Scoter, Common Merganser, Common Loon,  Pacific Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe,  Double-crested Cormorant,  Pelagic Cormorant,  Great Blue Heron,  Greater Yellowlegs, Bald Eagle, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Red-Tailed Hawk, Peregrine Falcon,  Northern Shrike,   Glaucous-winged Gull, Belted Kingfisher,  Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bushtits, Northwestern Crow,   American Robin,  European Starling,  Song Sparrow,  Golden-crowned Sparrow, Spotted Towhee,  Purple Finch,  Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch and American Goldfinch.

Friday, October 19:
Four Greater White-fronted Geese were seen on the Nanaimo Golf Course in Nanaimo
Five Greater White-fronted Geese were seen at the Gabriola Golf Course on Gabriola Island.

Tuesday, October 16:
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach. The morning started and ended sunny and warm with clouds and wind greeting us midmorning.  The highlights included seeing six Western Grebe not far off shores. We saw several Horned Grebes, Red-necked Grebes, Pacific Loons and Common Loons on the open water.  One lone Long-tailed Duck flew low over the water heading up the Strait of Georgia.  We spotted a Northern Shrike perched on a post on the estuary.
Thirteen birders including a visiting birder from the United Kingdom saw and heard the following forty-six species.
Canada Geese, Mute Swan, American Widgeon, Mallard, Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter,
Black Scoter , Long-tailed Duck, Common Merganser, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Western Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Northern Shrike, Bald Eagle,
Dunlin, Black-bellied Plover, Killdeer, Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, Bonaparte's Gull, Mew Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Western Gull, California Gull, Herring Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull,
Belted Kingfisher , Northern Flicker, European Starling, American Robin,
Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Song Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-winged Blackbird,
House Finch, Purple Finch

Monday, October 15:
Two Snow Geese, twenty-four Canada Geese, four Cackling Geese, one Muscovy Duck, dozens of American Widgeon, several Mallards, five Northern Shoveler, lots of Northern Pintail, a male and female Redhead, twelve Yellow-rumped Warblers, two Steller's Jays and a Peregrine Falcon were seen at the Morningstar Ponds in French Creek.

Sunday, October 07:
A Palm Warbler was seen in with Yellow-rumped Warblers near the point at Deep Bay.
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Monday, October 22nd: Arrowsmith Naturalists meet at Knox United Church at 7.30pm in Parksville. Speaker - Terry Thormin photographer and naturalist retired from 23 years at the Royal Alberta Museum where he curated the entomology collection.
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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 bird walk on October 23, 2012 will be going to Columbia Beach. We will meet at Parksville Community Park at the parking lot near the Lions Playground at 9:00 A.M. or at parking area off Admiral Tryon Blvd. in Columbia Beach turn unto Columbia drive from Highway 19A just north of the French Creek Bridge.
*************************************************************************************The Sunday Bird Walk on Sunday October 28, 2012 will going to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville.
We will meet at the bird store at 9:00 a.m. or at the corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive in Parksville at about 9:30 A.M.
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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
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