Count feeder birds for science! Project FeederWatch begins November 1st. Join now.

Sunday, 28 October 2012

Nanaimo bird report, october 28, 2012

                    Northern Harrier: 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 28, 2012:
The Sunday bird walk went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was cloudy and quite cool. The highlights included seeing a Merlin catch a Pine Siskin and then perch with his catch high up on conifer tree. We spotted two Northern Harriers perched on huge roots on the estuary.  There were Bushtits, Golden-crowned Kinglets and Ruby-crowned Kinglets in the bushes close to the trail.

Sixteen birders including two visiting birders from Australia saw and heard the following fifty-six species: American Widgeon, Eurasian Widgeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser , Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Belted Kingfisher, Bald Eagle, Merlin, Northern Harrier, Dunlin, Killdeer, Mew Gull, California Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Marbled Murrelet,  Anna's Hummingbird, Northern Flicker, Downy Woodpecker, Steller’s Jay, Common Raven, Northwestern Crow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Pacific Wren, Bewick’s Wren, Bushtit, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet,  Red-breasted Nuthatch, American Robin,  European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-winged Blackbird, Brewer’s Blackbird, Purple Finch, House Finch and Pine Siskin. 
 
Saturday, October 27:
Six Yellow-rumped Warblers and an American Coot were seen at the Morningstar Ponds at French Creek. 

Friday, October 26
A Peregrine Falcon was spotted hunting near Old Victoria Road and Prideaux Street in Nanaimo. 

Thursday, October 25:
A Great Horned Owl was spotted along Morrell Circle in Nanaimo. 

Six Trumpeter Swans were seen above Cottonwood Golf Course in south Nanaimo. 

Wednesday, October 24:
Five Snow Geese were seen above Diver’s Lake in Nanaimo. 

One Snow Goose was spotted flying over highway 19a and Bowen Road in Nanaimo. 

Tuesday, October 23:
The Tuesday bird walk went to Columbia Beach. The morning started out cloudy with some sunshine but finished with a strong biting wind off the Strait of Georgia. We saw many small flocks of Common Murre, Bufflehead, and Common Golden-eye, Northern Pintail, Surf Scoter, White - winged Scoter, Black Scoter and Long - tailed Ducks heading down the Strait of Georgia just over the water. Flocks of American Widgeon, Mallards, Common Mergansers and Red-breasted Mergansers flew down the Strait in larger numbers.
Eighteen Black Oystercatchers were feeding along the shoreline. We spotted Pacific Loons, Common Loons, Horned Grebes, Red-necked Grebes and Western Grebes on the water not far from shore. 
Seven birders saw and heard the following forty-one species:
Canada Geese, American Widgeon, Mallard, Harlequin Duck, Bufflehead, Common Golden-eye, Northern Pintail, Surf Scoter,
White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Western Grebe, Common Murre, Double-crested Cormorant, Bald Eagle, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Back-bellied Plover, Black Oystercatcher, Bonaparte's Gull, Mew Gull, California Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, European Starling,
Spotted Towhee, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco and House Finch.

 *****************************************************************************
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 30, 2012 will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary. We will meet at Parksville Community Park at the parking lot near the Lions Playground at 9:00 A.M. or at end of Shelly Road on the ocean side of Highway 19A at about 9:10 A.M.

*************************************************************************************

The Sunday Bird Walk on Sunday November 04, 2012 will going to the Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. We will meet at the bird store at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at Buttertubs Marsh off Bowen Road at about 9:15 A.M.
*****************************************************************************
 

Christmas Bird Count—Parksville/Qualicum Beach, December 16, 2012.

Contact Sandra Gray at saninerr@shaw.ca or phone 250-248-5565

*************************************************************************************

Christmas Bird Count----Nanaimo, December 30, 2012

Contact Ryan Cathers at ryancathers@yahoo.com or phone 250-714-3947.

*************************************************************************************
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
*********************************************************

No comments: