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Sunday, 13 April 2014

Nnanaimo bird report, April 13, 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, April 13, 2014:

The Sunday bird walk went the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was sunny and the winds were calm. The highlights included seeing a Blue-winged Teal and a Eurasian Teal in with the Green-winged Teal on the mud flats. Thousands of Greater Scaup, Surf Scoters, White-winged Scoters and Brant Geese were in a large raft along the far shore where the estuary meets the ocean.  The raft extended on past French Creek. We saw several Ruby-crowned Kinglets feeding as we walked along the trail. 
                                                   Blue-winged Teal: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Seventeen birders saw and heard the following sixty-two species:
Canada Geese, Brant,  American Wigeon, Eurasian Wigeon, Gadwall, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Eurasian Teal, Blue-winged Teal, Green-winged Teal,  Ring-necked Duck, Greater Scaup, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Bufflehead, Harlequin Duck, Common Goldeneye, Barrow's Goldeneye, Red-necked Grebe, Horned Grebe, Western Grebe, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Pelagic Cormorant, Doubled-crested Cormorant, Marbled Murrelet, Common Murre, Pigeon Guillemot, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Turkey Vulture, Lesser Yellowlegs, Greater Yellowlegs, Killdeer, California Quail, Mew Gull, California Gull, Thayer's Gull, Bonaparte’s Gull, Glaucous Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull,  Violet-green Swallow, Rufous Hummingbird, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Common Raven, Pacific Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet,  American Robin, European Starling, Red-winged Blackbird, Brewer’s Blackbird, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Purple Finch, House Finch and American Goldfinch.  

A Mourning Dove was calling in the 800 block of Harewood Mines Road in Nanaimo.  

Friday, April 11:
 Two Mountain Bluebirds were seen at Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville. 

 Tuesday, April 08:
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Alberni Inlet in Port Alberni. The morning was mostly sunny with a strong wind off the inlet but it was calm in the forest.  We were greeted at the start of the walk with singing Yellow-rumped Warblers and a Orange-crowned Warbler just off the trail. We spotted four Red Crossbills down low to the ground, close to the trail, drinking at the waters edge.  A male and female Mountain Bluebird gave us great views on the meadow area near the pipeline right of way. We had great looks at a female American Kestrel perched on a hydro line near the pipeline trail. We heard and saw many Marsh Wrens throughout the morning.  A good number of Northern Shoveler's, Gadwall, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Greater Scaup and Lesser Scaup were on the ponds.          

                                                   Northern Shoveler: Ralph Hocken Photo.
 
Fifteen Birders saw and heard the following forty-nine species:
Canada Goose, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Mallard, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Pelagic Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, American Kestrel, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Turkey Vulture, American Coot, Mew Gull, Thayer's Gull, California Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Rock Pigeon, Belted Kingfisher, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Northern Flicker, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Brown Creeper, Bewick's Wren, Marsh Wren, Pacific Wren, Rufous Hummingbird, American Robin, Mountain Bluebird, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Song Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, Red-winged Blackbird, Purple Finch, American Goldfinch, House Finch, Red Crossbill and Pine Siskin. 

Monday, April 07:
Thousands of Mew Gulls, Thayer's Gulls, California Gulls and Glaucous-winged Gulls were seen on the mud flats at the Plummer road side of the Englishman River Estuary. Further off shore were hundreds of Pacific Loons and Common Murre. 
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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. on 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 April 15, 2014 will be going to Springwood Park in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park at the parking lot near the Lions Club playground at 9:00 am or at the west end of Despard Avenue at about 9:15 am. 

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There will not be a Sunday Bird Walk on Easter Sunday, April 20, The Sunday bird walks will resume on April 27.  

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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--


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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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