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.
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Sunday, October 26, 2014:
The Sunday bird walk went to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo.. The
morning was cloudy with sunny periods and calm winds. A Western Grebe was
spotted close to shore near the rocks. Three Black Oystercatchers were nosily singing
on the rocks. We spotted a Osprey and a Marbled Murrelet flying further
offshore. Mixed flocks of Chestnut-backed
Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Ruby-crowned Kinglets
and Bushtits
were feeding just off the trail. We spotted a Barred Owl after following a
flock of mobbing American Robins to its location. Large numbers of American
Robins and a Varied Thrush were feeding on Arbutus Berries.
Varied Thrush: Ralph Hocken Photo.
Ten birders saw and heard the following forty-five species:
Mallard
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Common Mergansers
Red-necked Grebe
Western Grebe
Common Loon
Pacific Loon
Brant
Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Spotted Sandpiper
Black Oystercatcher
Bald Eagle
Osprey
Barred
Owl
Marbled
Murrelet
Mew Gull
California Gull
Thayer’s Gull
Ring-billed
Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Northwestern
Crow
Common Raven
European Starling
Anna’s Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Pacific Wren
Bewick's Wren
Brown Creeper
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted
Nuthatch
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned
Kinglet
Bushtit
American Robin
Varied Thrush
Spotted
Towhee
Lincoln’s
Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed
Junco
Saturday,
October 25:
A Northern Pygmy-Owl was seen catching
a Dark-eyed Junco along Morrell Circle in Nanaimo.
A female
American Kestrel was spotted at a backyard bird bath in central Ladysmith.
Friday,
October 24:
A Western Screech Owl was seen in a backyard
at the end of Douglas Avenue beside the Chase River in south Nanaimo.
A Barred
Owl was visiting a patio along Dawkins Lane in Nanaimo.
Thursday,
October 23:
A Spotted
Sandpiper was seen at the Nanaimo River Estuary near the end of Raines Road in
south Nanaimo.
Wednesday,
October 22:
A Wilson’s Snipe was seen in Port Hardy.
Monday,
October 20:
An Arctic Loon was seen offshore from the
viewing platform in north Qualicum Beach.
Arctic Loon: John Purves
Photo.
Tuesday, October 21:
The Tuesday bird walk went to the
Englishman River Estuary, Plummer Road side in Parksville. The morning was
cloudy with a few light showers. There was a stiff sea breeze off the
Strait of Georgia. A Barred Owl was spotted perched on a hydro wire just
off Highway 19a along Plummer Road at the start of the walk. Two Bald Eagles, a
Sharp-shinned Hawk, a Northern Harrier and a Cooper’s Hawk were seen as we
walked along the trail next to the river. Large flocks of Northern Pintail, Green-winged
Teal, American Widgeon and two Eurasian Widgeons were seen on the estuary near
the mud flats. Large numbers of Harlequin
Ducks were on the Strait throughout the morning. Five Western Grebe’s, a Marbled Murrelet and a Common Murre
were seen further offshore. Red-necked Grebes, Horned Grebes, Pacific
Loons and Common Loons were seen closer to shore.
Harlequin Duck: Ralph
Hocken photo.
Twenty-three
birders including visiting birders from Whitecourt and Carstairs Alberta saw
and heard the following fifty-two species:
Canada
Geese
American Widgeon
Eurasian
Widgeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Green-winged
Teal
Harlequin Duck
Surf
Scoter
White-winged
Scoter
Black
Scoter
Red-breasted Merganser
Common
Merganser
Western
Grebe
Red-necked
Grebe
Horned
Grebe
Double-crested
Cormorant
Pelagic
Cormorant
Pacific Loon
Common
Loon
Marbled
Murrelet
Common
Murre
Great
Blue Heron
Belted Kingfisher
Bald Eagle
Cooper’s
Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Northern
Harrier
Barred
Owl
Dunlin
Thayer’s
Gull
Mew Gull
California Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Northern Flicker
Pileated
Woodpecker
Steller’s
Jay
Common Raven
Northwestern Crow
Chestnut-backed
Chickadee
Ruby-crowned
Kinglet
European Starling
White-crowned
Sparrow
Golden-crowned
Sparrow
Fox
Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Spotted Towhee
Dark-eyed
Junco
Brewer’s
Blackbird
Red-wing-Blackbird
Brown-headed
Blackbird
Purple
Finch
House
Finch
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Monday,
October 27:
The
Arrowsmith Naturalists meet at 7.30 pm at Knox Church on Pym Street in
Parksville. Alan Kinglet, manager of the VIU Deep Bay
Marine Station, will talk on how climate change is affecting the chemistry of
the oceans –“The Other CO2 Problem”. More info at 250-752-7588
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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
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The Tuesday bird walk on October 28, 2014 will be going to the Rathtrevor
Provincial Park in Parksville. Meet at the parking lot near the Lions Club
Playground in Parksville Community Park at 9:00 a.m. or at main parking lot at
Rathtrevor Provincial Park at about 9:10 a.m.
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The Sunday bird walk on November 02, 2014 will be going to Columbia
Beach. Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot off Admiral
Tryon Boulevard ( turn right off highway 19a at Columbia Drive and right on
Admiral Tryon Boulevard) 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---
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West coast environment link—http://coastaltarsands.ca/w1/videos/
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What's more important than the right to breathe fresh air, drink
clean water and eat healthy food?"-- David Suzuki
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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
