Nanaimo bird report, December 01, 2013

NANAIMO BIRD REPORT
" EXPLORE NATURE-GO BIRDING"

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, December 01, 2013:

The Sunday bird walk went to Nanoose Bay. The first part of the morning was partly cloudy but we were treated to sunshine later on.  We were greeted with a Northern Shrike at the top of the tall snag as we started the bird walk. There was a Eurasian Wigeon in with a flock of Gulls along the estuary.  Pelagic Cormorants and Double-crested Cormorant were plentiful on the oyster barrels.  Horned Grebes and Red-necked Grebes were spotted on the Strait of Georgia throughout the morning.

 

 

Pelagic Cormorant: Ralph Hocken Photo.

 

Eleven birders saw and heard the following forty-five species:

Canada Geese,  American Wigeon, Eurasian Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Barrows Goldeneye,  Mallard, Greater Scaup, Northern Pintail, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Red-breasted Merganser, Pelagic Cormorant, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Belted Kingfisher, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Shrike, Mew Gull, Herring Gull, California Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Northern Flicker, American Robin, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Anna’s Hummingbird,  Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bushtit, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Redwing Blackbird, Spotted Towhee, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco and Purple Finch.

 

Saturday, November 30:

 A White-throated Sparrow was seen in a backyard along Hartwig Crescent in the Rocky Point area of Nanaimo.

 

 

Tuesday, November 26:

The Tuesday bird walk went to Columbia Beach.  The morning was mostly sunny and the winds were calm.  The sea was like glass except near the horizon where it was foggy.  We saw a large number of Horned Grebes, Red-necked Grebes, Pacific Loons and Common Loons on the Strait of Georgia.  Three Long-tailed Ducks were off shore on the Strait.  Black-bellied Plovers, Black Oystercatchers, Dunlin and Black Turnstones were resting on the gravel      bar at Pebble Beach.

      

      Dunlin: Ralph Hocken Photo.                                                                       

 

Eighteen birders saw and heard the following fifty species:

Canada Goose, Mallard, Harlequin Duck, American Widgeon, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Belted Kingfisher, Great Blue Heron, Common Murre, Marbled Murrelet, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Bald Eagle, Black-bellied Plover, Black Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Black Turnstone, Mew Gull, Herring Gull, Thayer's Gull,

California Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Eurasian-collared Dove, Rock Pigeon, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Anna’s Hummingbird, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, European Starling, American Robin, Spotted Towhee, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch, Purple Finch, American Goldfinch and House Sparrow

 

 Wednesday, November 20: 

A Northern Pygmy Owl was spotted at the Little Qualicum Fish Hatchery north of 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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The Tuesday bird walk on December 03 will be going to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville.  Meet at the Parksville Community Park at the parking lot near the Lions Club playground at 9:00 am or at the corner of

Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive at about 9:10 am.
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The Sunday Bird Walk on December 08 will be going to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville.  Meet at the birdstore at 9:00 am or at the main parking lot at Rathtrevor Park at about 9:25 am.
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British Columbia rare bird alert link---
 http://www.bcbirdalert.blogspot.ca/  
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WildResearch link---
http://www.wildresearch.ca/

 

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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