The Backyard's Weekly Bird Walk locations are found in the Backyard Bird Report at the very end of the most recent report. Any cancellations will be posted by 8am the day of the walk.

Sunday 9 February 2014

Nanaimo bird report, February 09, 2014

 

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, February 09, 2014:
The Sunday bird walk went to the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo. The morning was cloudy with calm winds and quite cool. The highlight of the morning was the sighting of a Lincoln’s Sparrow in with a flock of Spotted Towhees, Song Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos and Golden-crowned Sparrows moving along the berm ahead of us.
 

                                                  Lincoln’s Sparrow: Ralph Hocken Photo.

 

Seventeen birders saw and heard the following twenty-seven species:
Trumpeter Swan, American Widgeon, Eurasian Widgeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Gadwall, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, Glaucous-winged Gull, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, American Robin, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Purple Finch and Red-winged Blackbird.  

“Rare bird alert-Northern Mockingbird”
A Northern Mockingbird was seen along Surfside Drive and McFeely in Qualicum Beach.  

“Rare bird alert-King Eider”
An immature King Eider was spotted in with a flock of Surf Scoters off shore from the “A” frame house at the end of Surfside Drive in Qualicum Beach. 

 Friday, February 07:
Band-tailed Pigeons were spotted at the end of Douglas and Seventh Street in Nanaimo. 

 Thursday, February 06:
A Northern Saw-whet Owl was heard at Morrell Wildlife Sanctuary in Nanaimo.

 Tuesday, February 04:
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was very chilly with a cold wind blowing and the waters of the Strait of Georgia were rough. We were rewarded with the sighting of an Eurasian Teal feeding in the mudflats. The Eurasian Teal breeds in northern Asia and Europe and winters in southern Asia and Africa and is seldom seen in this area. The mud flats were covered with Northern Pintail, Green-wing Teal, American Widgeon, Bufflehead, Mallards feeding along side the one Eurasian Teal. A large flock of Red-breasted Mergansers, a Western Grebe, Surf Scoters, White-winged Scoters, Common Murre, Pacific Loons and Greater Scaup were seen on the Strait of Georgia. Several Flocks of Dunlin and Brant flew down the Strait.                             
Fourteen birders saw and heard the following forty-six species:
Canada Geese, Brant, American Widgeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Eurasian Teal, Green-winged Teal, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Bufflehead, Greater Scaup, Long-tailed Duck, Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Red-necked Grebe, Horned Grebe, Western Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Brandt’s Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Dunlin, Black-bellied Plover, Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Mew Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Common Murre, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Belted Kingfisher, Anna’s Hummingbird, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Golden-crowned Kinglet, White-crowned Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco.                  

 A Western Meadowlark was checking out a backyard at Nicole Street and Needham Street in Nanaimo.         `

 Monday, February 03:
One Yellow-billed Loon was seen off shore from Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. 

 Hundreds and hundreds of Common Murre and Pacific Loons were seen off shore seen from the “A” frame house at the Little Qualicum River Estuary in 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 February 11, 2014 will be going to Columbia Beach.  Meet at the Parksville Community Park at the parking lot near the Lions Club playground at 9:00 am or at the parking area off Admiral Tryon Bld. at about 9:20 am.

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The Sunday Bird Walk on February 16, 2014 will be going to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach. Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 am at the viewing platform off highway 19a in north Qualicum Beach at about 9:30 a.m.

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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/

Spring Pelagic Seabird Trip Announced – May 11, 2014
WildResearch is pleased to announce that WildResearch's 2014 Spring Pelagic Seabird Trip will run on Sunday May 11, 2014! Proceeds generated from the pelagic trip fundraiser will go towards running WildResearch’s research programs.

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West coast environment link--

http://coastaltarsands.ca/w1/videos/

 

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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
Blog:  www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

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