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Sunday, 20 January 2013

Nanaimo bird report, January 20, 2013


 
 
NANAIMO BIRD REPORT -----” GO BIRDING--EXPLORE NATURE”

To report your sightings phone the Store at 250-390-3669 or e-mail us at
thebackyard@shaw.ca
Please remember, when reporting a sighting, to leave your name and phone number along with the date, the species and location of your sighting.

Sunday, January 20, 2013:

The Sunday bird walk went to the Nanaimo River Estuary. The morning was foggy and quite cool. The bird of the day was the sighting of two Short-eared Owls, as they perched giving us great views and then flew low over the Estuary hunting prey.  A Northern Harrier also flew low over the grass hunting.
Twenty-one birders saw and heard the following forty-one species:
Trumpeter Swan,  Mallard,  Northern Pintail,  Green-winged Teal,  American Widgeon,  Bufflehead,  Barrow's Goldeneye, Common Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser,  Common Merganser, Doubled-crested Cormorant, Great-blue Heron, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Bald Eagle,  Northern Harrier,  Red-tailed Hawk, Short-eared Owl, Northern Shrike, Thayer’s Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull,  Mew Gull,  Belted Kingfisher,  Northern Flicker,  Northwestern Crow,  Common Raven,  Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bewick’s Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Golden-crowned Kinglet,   Eurasian Starling, American Robin, Varied Thrush, Spotted Towhee,  Song Sparrow,  Dark-eyed Junco,  Fox Sparrow,  Golden-crowned Sparrow, Pine Siskin and House Sparrow.
 
Rare bird alert-Red-flanked Bluetail”

13 Jan - 20 Jan -- RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL in New Westminister!


A first-winter Red-flanked Bluetail is currently showing well in Queens Park, New Westminster. (https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=209184547269960571857.0004d346cbbf81bb15d10&msa=0&ll=49.216111,-122.907829&spn=0.014997,0.042272).
From the main parking lot, walk 1 minute north towards the playground where the bird was seen feeding around the picnic tables and the base of conifers as of January 20.
A Eurasian-collared Dove was seen in a yard near Diver Lake in Nanaimo. 
 
Friday, January 18:
An Orange-crowned Warbler was visiting a backyard at Wildwood Avenue and Dearborn Place in Nanaimo. 

Tuesday, January 15:
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was cloudy but quite warm. The highlights included seeing twenty Brant racing down the Strait of Georgia. We saw a Northern Shrike at six different perches throughout the morning. A Varied Thrush gave great views as it perched for a long time quite close to us.
 
Fourteen birders including visiting birders from Chicago and Belgium saw and heard the following fifty-four species:

Brant, Canada Goose, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Greater Scaup, Green-winged Teal, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Red-necked Grebe, Horned Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Northern Shrike, Mew Gull, Thayer's Gull, Western Gull, Herring Gull, Common Murre, Black-bellied Plover, Black Turnstone, California Quail, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Bewick's Wren, Pacific Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Belted Kingfisher, Anna’s Hummingbird, Varied Thrush, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-winged Blackbird, Pine Siskin, Common Redpoll, House Finch and Red Crossbill. 

Fifteen Pine Grosbeaks were seen at Neck Point Park in Nanaimo. 

Twelve Evening Grosbeaks were seen in the 700 block of Kasba circle in Parksville.  

Monday, January 14:
 Fifty American Widgeons were seen on the grass at the Kin Hut, Departure Bay in Nanaimo.  

A Barred Owl was seen being mobbed by an Anna’s Hummingbird along Quilchenia Crescent in Nanaimo. 

Sunday, January 13:
“Rare Bird Alert- Citrine Wagtail”
The Citrine Wagtail is still being seen in Courtenay.
Directions to specific location: From Courtenay, cross the 17th St. Bridge (Courtenay River). Turn right onto Comox Road (Dyke Rd) until the Pumping Station on the right hand side of the road. There is a dirt road across the road with a For Sale sign on the left. Walk up the dirt road towards the steel chain blocking vehicle access. The Wagtail has been observed next to the dirt road, at the furthest brush pile.
  

Eight Evening grosbeaks and a Townsend’s Warbler were seen visiting a backyard in Chartwell area of Qualicum Beach.  

Two Evening Grosbeaks visited a backyard feeder in the 800 block of Patrick Drive in French Creek.
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Arrowsmith Naturalists meeting---Monday, January 28th Arrowsmith Naturalists meet at Knox United Church in Parksville at 7.30pm.  Members Night - we share our photos.  Bring your favorites and an item for the raffle.  More info 250-752-7588

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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.
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The Tuesday bird walk will be going to Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville on Tuesday, January 22, 2013. We will meet at Parksville Community Park at the Lion’s Playground at 9:00, p.m. or at the corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive on the ocean side of Highway 19A. at about 9:10 a.m.

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The Sunday Bird Walk on January 27, 2013, will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. We will meet at the bird store at 9:00 a.m. or at the end of Shelly Road on the ocean side of highway 19a 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


 

Birds at risk!---Check this out…


 

 

 


6314 Metral Drive

Nanaimo B.C.

V9T-2L8

Phone: 250-390-3669

Fax: 250-390-1633



 

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