Nanaimo bird report, May 04, 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, May 04, 2014:

The Sunday bird walk went to Morrell Sanctuary in Nanaimo. The morning was cloudy with rain for most of the morning. The sighting of the morning was a Hammond’s Flycatcher. The flycatcher was feeding in a low bush just above our heads giving us excellent views for about five minutes--it was awesome!  We spotted a pair of Hairy Woodpeckers going into a nesting hole in a snag with food next to the trail.

Three very dedicated birders saw and heard the following twenty-two species:

Canada Geese, Mallard, Hooded Merganser, Bald Eagle, Hairy Woodpecker, Rufous Hummingbird, Hammond’s Flycatcher, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Brown Creeper, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Pacific Wren, Varied Thrush, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Cassin’s Vireo, Common Yellowthroat, Orange-crowned Warbler, Black-throated Grey Warbler, Townsend’s Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco. 

Saturday, May 03:

A Black-headed Grosbeak was seen along Morell Circle at Willows Park in Nanaimo. 

A Northern Saw-whet Owl has been heard for the last week at Willows Park in Nanaimo. 

American Goldfinch are visiting feeders in the 1500 block of The Bell in Nanoose Bay and along Altavista Drive in Nanaimo. 

Three Western Tanagers were seen on the trees at the Morningstar Ponds in French Creek.  

                                   Western Tanager: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Three Black-bellied Plovers in breeding plumage were spotted feeding on shore at Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville    

                                  Black-bellied Plover: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Friday, May 02:

A flock of Western Sandpipers, Least Sandpipers, two Semipalmated Plovers and two Greater Yellowlegs were seen at the mud flats at the Englishman River Plummer Road side. 

Tuesday, April 29:

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was cloudy and cool with a wind off the Strait of Georgia. The highlight of the morning was the sighting of two Bald Eagle tiny fledglings peeking out of their nest close to the river.  Several flocks of Brant Geese flew in and rested just off shore.  A pair of Gadwall were in amongst the American Wigeon near the low tide shoreline. We saw many Savannah Sparrows perched on shrubs and stumps in the meadow area next to the trail. A flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers and a few Orange-crowned Warblers followed us along the meadow trail singing and feeding on the low shrubs. 

Fourteen birders saw and heard the following sixty-three species:

Canada Goose, Brant, Mallard, Green-wing Teal, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Harlequin Duck, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Loon, Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Cooper’s Hawk, Dunlin, Killdeer, Black Oystercatcher, Bonaparte's Gull, California Gull, Thayer’s Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Belted Kingfisher, Eurasian-collared Dove, California Quail, Ring-necked Pheasant, Rufous Hummingbird, Anna’s Hummingbird, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Violet-green Swallow, Brown Creeper, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Bushtit, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Bewick’s Wren, Pacific Wren, American Robin, European Starling, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black-throated Grey Warbler, Townsend’s Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Red-winged Blackbird, Spotted Towhee, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Brown-headed Cowbird, Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch, Purple Finch and American Goldfinch. 

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Thursday, May 08:

Nanoose Naturalists Meeting 7pm. at the Nanoose Bay Library Hall  Guest Speaker-- Paula Wild, the author of the new book on Cougars.              Visitors welcome. Donation appreciated

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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 May 06, 2014 will be going to the Little Qualicum River Fish Hatchery in Qualicum Beach.  Meet at the Parksville Community Park at the parking lot near the Lions Club playground at 9:00 am or at the Brant viewing platform at the north end of Qualicum Beach off highway 19a at about 9:20 am. 

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The Sunday bird walk on May 11 will be going to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo.  Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 a.m. or at Neck Point parking lot off Hammond Bay Road at about 9:20 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

Email:  thebackyard@shaw.ca

Blog:  www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com