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 26th 2014:
The Sunday bird walk went to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. The morning was
foggy cold and foggy with poor visibility over the marsh.
Highlights included a pair of River Otters playing in the marsh, a Virginia
Rail which came right close to the path in view for several birders, and many
Anna’s Hummingbirds buzzing around the marsh in preparation of their breeding
season. Seventeen birders saw or heard the following thirty-three species:
Great-blue Heron, Mallard, Pied-billed Grebe, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead,
Hooded Merganser, American Wigeon, Gadwall, Glaucous-winged Gull, Rock Pigeon,
Virginia Rail, Anna’s Hummingbird, Northern Flicker, Downy Woodpecker, Common
Raven, Steller’s Jay, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bushtit, Bewick’s Wren, Marsh
Wren, American Robin, European Starling, Red-winged Blackbird, Spotted Towhee,
Song Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, American
Goldfinch, House Sparrow.
At the top of Little Mountain there were several Townsend’s solitaires,
Pine Siskins, and Evening Grosbeaks.
Saturday, January 25th 2014:
"OUT OF TOWN RARE BIRD ALERT"
Three birders relocated the Hooded Oriole, Dickissel, and a Yellow-billed
Loon in Port McNeil. The Oriole and the Dickissel have been seen in the area
for several weeks attending a hummingbird feeder.
Wednesday January 22nd 2014:
At Divers Lake in Nanaimo there were Mallards, Ring-necked Ducks, Anna’s
Hummingbirds, Bushtits, Bewick’s Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned
Kinglet, Spotted Towhee, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco and
Red-winged Blackbird.
A Cackling Goose was seen at Brannen Lake off Eyelash Rd in Nanaimo along
with Canada Geese, Eurasian Wigeon, American Wigeon, 2 Ruddy Duck, Red-tailed
Hawk, American Coot, Downy Woodpecker, 2 Steller’s Jays, Song Sparrow,
Golden-crowned Sparrow and Purple Finch.
Tuesday January 21st 2014:
Over 200 Brant Geese were seen at Rathtrevor Park in Parksville along with
Black-bellied Plovers, Killder, Dunlin, Mew Gulls, Thayer’s Gulls and
Glaucous-winged Gulls.
A Greater-white Fronted Goose was seen at Parksville Civic Centre with
Canada Geese.
At the Little Qualicum River Estuary there were Mallard, Ring-necked Duck,
Surf, Black and White-winged Scoter, Bufflehead, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Pacific and
Common Loon, Horned, Red-necked and Western Grebe, Pelagic Cormorants,
Great-blue Herons, Common Murre, Rhinoceros Auklet, Mew Gull, Thayer’s Gull
Glaucous Winged Gull, Northern Shrike and Song Sparrow.
Black-oystercatchers, Black-bellied Plovers, Black Turnstones, 3 Western
Gulls, Thayer’s Gulls and a few Glaucous-winged Gulls were seen at the Brant
Viewing Platform in Qualicum.
Two American Dippers were seen at the Little Qualicum River Fish Hatchery
in Qualicum.
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River
Estuary in Parksville. The morning was overcast calm winds and the Strait Of
Georgia was calm. We saw several Northern Flickers high in the conifers roosting
throughout the morning. Two Pileated Woodpeckers flew from tree to tree giving
us great views. Eleven Trumpeter Swans flew overhead. Several flocks of Brant
flew over the Strait. Golden-crowned Kinglets were feeding low to the ground
making it easy to view them. we spotted several flocks of Western Grebe, Ancient
Murrelet and Marbled Murrelet further offshore. Nineteen birders saw and heard
the following fifty-one species: Trumpeter Swan, Brant, Canada Goose, American
Widgeon, Eurasian Widgeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Surf
Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser,
Hooded Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Horned
Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Western Grebe, Ancient Murrelet, Marbled Murrelet,
Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Common Murre, Great Blue Heron,
Bald Eagle, Mew Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Thayer's Gull, Black-bellied Plover,
Black Turnstone, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker,
Pileated Woodpecker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee,
Red-breasted Nuthatch, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Belted
Kingfisher, Anna’s Hummingbird, Varied Thrush, American Robin, Spotted Towhee,
Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-winged Blackbird, House Finch.
Monday January 20th 2014:
2 Greater-white Fronted Geese and 1 Cackling Goose were seen with Canada
Geese at the end of Doole Road in Yellowpoint.
4 Ruddy Duck were seen on Quennel Lake.
At the Nanaimo River Estuary there were 2 Least Sandpipers, 500 Dunlin, 16
Black-bellied Plover, Ring Billed Hull, California Gull, Herring Gull and
Thayer’s Gull.
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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 January 28th will be going to Rathtrevor Beach
Provincial Park. Meet at Parksville Community Park at the Lions Playground
parking lot at 9:00 am or at the last parking area before the campground gate at
9:15 am.
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The Sunday Bird Walk on February 2nd will be going to Neck Point Park in
Nanaimo. Meet at the store at 9:00 am or at the parking area at the end of
Morningside Drive at 9:20 am.
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Good birding,
Ryan Cathers
THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE
6314 Metral Drive
Nanaimo B.C.
V9T-2L8
Phone: 250-390-3669
Fax: 250-390-1633
Blog: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com
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