Nanaimo bird report, August 18, 2013

NANAIMO BIRD REPORT

“EXPLORE NATURE-- GO BIRDING”


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 August 18, 2013:  
The Sunday bird walk went to Beck Creek in south Nanaimo. The morning was cloudy and warm. A flock of Bushtits were spotted as they moved from bush to bush, singing as they flew.  A mixed flock of Western and Least Sandpipers flew into in clouds back and forth along the shore giving us great looks.   Purple Martins flew low over their nesting boxes, singing all the while.  We saw a large flock of Barn Swallows perched on a thin snag on the estuary. An Osprey flew high over Beck Creek with prey in it’s talons.

Nine birders saw and heard the following twenty-seven species:

Canada Goose,   Mallard,  Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail,  Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture,   Bald Eagle,   Osprey,

Glaucous-winged Gull, Band-tailed Pigeon,  Eurasian-collared Dove,   Belted Kingfisher,  Killdeer, Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper,  Northern Flicker, Downy Woodpecker,  Northwestern Crow,  Common Raven,  Purple Martin,  Barn Swallow,  Chestnut-backed Chickadee,  Red-breasted Nuthatch,  Bewick's Wren,   Bushtit,  Song Sparrow and House Finch.    

 

Osprey: Ralph Hocken Photo.

 

 

Saturday, August 17: 

Three Barred Owls were seen in a backyard that backs on to Departure Creek in the1800 block of Deerborne Place in Nanaimo.

 

Friday, August 16:

Twenty-two Long-billed Dowitchers were seen at the mud flats on the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville.

 

 A Merlin was spotted at the same time in the same area.

 

Long-billed Dowitcher: Ralph Hocken Photo.

 

Monday, August 12:

Bewick's Wren, Glaucous-winged Gull, California Gull, Bonaparte's Gull, Black Turnstone, Black-bellied Plover, Killdeer, Northwestern Crow, Bald Eagle, Eurasian Collared-Dove and Double-crested Cormorant were seen at Columbia Beach.

 

Purple Martin, Song Sparrow, Belted Kingfisher, Savannah Sparrow, Turkey Vulture and Rock Pigeons were seen at French Creek.

 

Least Sandpipers, Western Sandpipers, Semipalmated Sandpipers and two Baird's Sandpipers were seen on the mud flats on the Plummer Road side of the Englishman Estuary in Parksville.

 

Black Oystercatchers, Brewer's Blackbirds, House Sparrows, European Starlings, Great Blue Herons, Black Swifts, Red-tailed Hawk, Barn Swallows, American Robins, Pileated Woodpecker, and Northern Flickers were seen at Qualicum Beach.

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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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We will not be doing the Tuesday Bird Walks over the summer months.  They will resume on September 03, 2013

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The Sunday bird walk on August 25, will be going to the west Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. We will meet at the birdstore at 9:00 am or at the Buttertubs Marsh parking lot off Jingle Pot Road at about 9:15 AM. 

Please note the different location for the start of the walk.
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Good birding
Neil Robins
Nanaimo

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