Hi birders, a Yellow-billed Loon and three Western Grebes were seen on the Strait of Georgia off the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville.
Good birding
Neil Robins
Parksville
Thursday, 29 January 2015
Wednesday, 28 January 2015
Parksville/Qualicum beach Tuesday bird walk, January 27, 2015
The Tuesday bird walk went to
the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. The morning was
cloudy with sunny periods and the winds were calm. Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets were seen feeding high up in the
trees. Many large flocks of
Common Mergansers,
Red-breasted
Mergansers, Pacific Loons,
Common Loons and
Common Murre's were
seen off shore. Several flocks of Surf
Scoters
were heading up and down the Strait of Georgia. A large flock of Pine Siskins
flew over and landed in a tall tree, giving us great views. A flock of Bushtits
joined the Siskins in feeding on the tree.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet:
Ralph Hocken Photo.
Twenty-two birders including visiting birders from
Chicago, Red Deer and Edmonton saw and hear the following fifty-three
species:
Brant
Canada
Geese
Mallard
American Wigeon
Northern Pintail
Green-wing Teal
Gadwall
Greater Scaup
Surf Scoter
White-wing Scoter
Bufflehead
Long-tailed Duck
Barrow’s Goldeneye
Common Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Ancient Murrelet
Common Murre
Double-crested
Cormorant
Pelagic
Cormorant
Bald Eagle
Belted
Kingfisher
Great Blue Heron
Mew Gull
Thayer’s Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Anna's Hummingbird
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Steller’s Jay
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Bewick's Wren
Pacific Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
Varied Thrush
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
House Finch
Purple Finch
American Goldfinch
Pine Siskin
.jpg)
Golden-crowned Kinglet: Ralph Hocken Photo.
The Tuesday bird walk on February 03, 2015
will be going to Rathtrevor Park in Parksville.
Good birding
Neil Robins
Parksville.
Sunday, 25 January 2015
Nanaimo bird report, January 25, 2015
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, January 25, 2015:
The Sunday bird walk went to the Bowen Park in Nanaimo. The morning was partly cloudy with sunny periods, making for a pleasant walk in the woods. We spotted Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Golden-crowned Kinglets high in the trees. We heard several Pacific Wrens singing throughout the morning. A Merlin was perched at the top of a tall snag. An American Dipper was bobbing on the large rocks in the salmon stream.
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 25, 2015:
The Sunday bird walk went to the Bowen Park in Nanaimo. The morning was partly cloudy with sunny periods, making for a pleasant walk in the woods. We spotted Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Golden-crowned Kinglets high in the trees. We heard several Pacific Wrens singing throughout the morning. A Merlin was perched at the top of a tall snag. An American Dipper was bobbing on the large rocks in the salmon stream.
American Dipper; Ralph
Hocken Photo.
Seventeen
birders saw and heard the following nineteen species:
Mallard
Glaucous-winged
Gull
Merlin
American
Dipper
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Anna's Hummingbird
Northern Flicker
Steller’s
Jay
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Rock Pigeon
Bewick's Wren
Pacific Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Brown Creeper
American Robin
Song Sparrow
Tuesday,
January 20:
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Plummer Road side of the
Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was cloudy with calm winds and
calm water on the Strait of Georgia. The highlights of the morning included
seeing three Gadwall near the mud flats. American Wigeon, Mallards, Northern
Pintails and Green-winged Teal were also feeding on the mud flats. Thousands of
Mew Gulls, Thayer's Gulls and Glaucous-winged Gulls were resting behind the
mudflats and lifted in a huge cloud as a Bald Eagle flew over. The gulls landed
close by giving us all lots of time to study the different gulls at close
range. A large flock of over sixty Brant Geese flew close to shore
heading down the strait.
.jpg)
Mew Gull: Ralph Hocken Photo.
Seventeen
birders, including visiting birders from Hinton Alberta and Chicago saw and
heard the following forty-five species:
Canada
Geese
Brant
American
Wigeon
Mallard
Northern
Pintail
Green-winged
Teal
Gadwall
Surf
Scoter
White-winged
Scoter
Bufflehead
Common
Goldeneye
Red-breasted
Merganser
Common
Merganser
Pacific
Loon
Common
Loon
Horned
Grebe
Red-necked
Grebe
Double-crested
Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Belted
Kingfisher
Great
Blue Heron
Bald
Eagle
Sharp-shinned
Hawk
Mew Gull
Thayer's
Gull
Glaucous-winged
Gull
Common
Murre
Black
Oystercatcher
Northern
Flicker
Pileated
Woodpecker
Steller’s
Jay
Northwestern
Crow
Common
Raven
Anna’s
Hummingbird
Chestnut-backed
Chickadee
Bewick's
Wren
Pacific
Wren
Ruby-crowned
Kinglet
American
Robin
Varied
Thrush
Spotted
Towhee
Fox
Sparrow
Song
Sparrow
Dark-eyed
Junco
House
Finch
Northern Pintail: Ralph Hocken Photo.
An American Pipit was
seen in a backyard along Haida Way in the Seacrest neighborhood of Nanoose Bay.
Sunday, January
18:
A Turkey Vulture flew over a large
flock of about two hundred very noisy Surfbirds and one Black Turnstone as they
were feeding near high tide at Pipers Lagoon Park in Nanaimo.
One hundred Dunlin and one Black-bellied Plover were seen roosting
offshore on Shack Islands across from Pipers Lagoon.
Hooded Merganser, Bufflehead,
Mallards, Ring-necked Duck, Double-crested Cormorant, Red winged Blackbirds, Dark-eyed
Junco, Chestnut -backed Chickadee, Song Sparrow, Golden- crown Sparrow,
Bewick’s Wren, Spotted Towhees, American Robins, Northern Flickers, Steller’s Jay
and a Bald Eagle were seen at Diver Lake in Nanaimo.
Common
Mergansers, Harlequin Ducks and Black Turnstones and over one hundred Sea Lions were hanging out off the point
by the parking lot at Neck Point Park in Nanaimo.
*************************************************************************************
Tofino-Shorebird –Festival
18th Annual May 1-3, 2015
*********************************************************************************
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
****************************************************************************
The Tuesday bird walk on January 27, 2015 will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. Meet
at the parking lot near the Lions Club Playground in Parksville Community Park at 9:00 a.m. or at the end of Shelly Road off the Oceanside of highway 19a at about 9:10 a.m.
*********************************************************************
The Sunday bird walk on February 01, 2015 will be going to Nanoose Bay. Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 a.m. or at the beach near the Church Camp off Highway 19 and Arlington Road at about 9:15 a.m.
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
****************************************************************************
The Tuesday bird walk on January 27, 2015 will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. Meet
at the parking lot near the Lions Club Playground in Parksville Community Park at 9:00 a.m. or at the end of Shelly Road off the Oceanside of highway 19a at about 9:10 a.m.
*********************************************************************
The Sunday bird walk on February 01, 2015 will be going to Nanoose Bay. Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 a.m. or at the beach near the Church Camp off Highway 19 and Arlington Road at about 9:15 a.m.
*********************************************************************
British Columbia Rare Bird Alert link--- http://www.bcbirdalert.blogspot.ca/
*******************************************************************************
A must read for those of us who live along the Strait of Georgia.
British Columbia Rare Bird Alert link--- http://www.bcbirdalert.blogspot.ca/
*******************************************************************************
A must read for those of us who live along the Strait of Georgia.
“READ AN
INTERESTING NEW BOOK “
THE SEA AMONG US
THE AMAZING STRAIT OF GEORGIA
RICHARD BEAMISH AND GORDON McFARLANE
THE SEA AMONG US
THE AMAZING STRAIT OF GEORGIA
RICHARD BEAMISH AND GORDON McFARLANE
*****************************************************************************
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
Tuesday, 20 January 2015
Parksville/Qualicum beach Tuesday bird walk, January 20, 2015
The
Tuesday bird walk went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary
in Parksville. The morning was cloudy with calm winds and calm water on the
Strait of Georgia. The highlights of the morning included seeing three Gadwall
near the mud flats.
American Wigeon, Mallards, Northern Pintails and
Green-winged Teal
were also feeding on the mud flats. Thousands of Mew Gulls,
Thayer's Gulls and Glaucous-winged Gulls were resting behind the
mudflats and lifted in a huge cloud as a Bald Eagle flew over. The gulls landed
close by giving us all lots of time to study the different gulls at close
range. A
large flock of over sixty Brant Geese flew close to shore heading down the strait .
.jpg)
Mew Gull: Ralph Hocken Photo.
Brant in flight: Ralph Hocken Photo.
Seventeen birders, including visiting birders from Hinton Alberta and
Chicago saw and heard the following forty-five species:
Canada Geese
Brant
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Gadwall
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Red-breasted Merganser
Common Merganser
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Belted Kingfisher
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Mew Gull
Thayer's Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Common Murre
Black
Oystercatcher
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Steller’s Jay
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Anna’s Hummingbird
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bewick's Wren
Pacific Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
Varied Thrush
Spotted Towhee
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
House Finch
Northern Pintail: Ralph Hocken
Photo.
The Tuesday bird walk on
January 27 will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary
in Parksville.
Good
birding
Neil
Robins
Parksville
Sunday, 18 January 2015
Nanaimo bird report, January 18, 2015
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, January 18, 2015:
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 18, 2015:
|
The Sunday bird walk went to the Plummer Road side of the
Englishman River in
Parksville. The morning was cloudy with sunny periods and the
wind was calm. The
highlights included seeing a Long-tailed Duck not far from
shore. Several flocks of
Common Murre flew up the Strait of Georgia. We spotted a
Pigeon Guillemot further
off shore. Many Pacific Loons and Common Loons were seen
throughout
the morning.
There were three Killer Whales ( Orcas) heading up the strait.
 |
Fifteen birders saw and heard the following
forty-one Species:
American
Wigeon
Mallard
Northern
Pintail
Green-winged
Teal
Harlequin
Duck
Gadwall
Surf
Scoter
Long-tailed
Duck
Bufflehead
Common
Goldeneye
Red-breasted
Merganser
Common
Merganser
Pacific
Loon
Common
Loon
Red-necked
Grebe
Horned
Grebe
Double-crested
Cormorant
Pelagic
Cormorant
Great
Blue Heron
Bald
Eagle
Mew Gull
Thayer's
Gull
Glaucous-winged
Gull
Common
Murre
Pigeon
Guillemot
Lesser
Yellowlegs
Northern
Flicker
Pileated
Woodpecker
Steller’s
Jay
Northwestern
Crow
Common
Raven
Anna’s
Hummingbird
Chestnut-backed
Chickadee
American
Robin
Spotted
Towhee
Fox
Sparrow
Song
Sparrow
Golden-crowned
Sparrow
Dark-eyed
Junco
House
Finch
Purple
Finch
Friday,
January 16:
A
Peregrine Falcon was spotted at top of a tall conifer overlooking the marshland
at the Little Qualicum River Estuary north of Qualicum Beach.
A
White Hummingbird is visiting backyard feeders in Qualicum Beach
White Hummingbird: Friend
of Dauna’s Photo.
Tuesday,
January 13:
The
Tuesday bird walk went to Columbia Beach. The morning was cloudy with calm
winds and a smooth Strait of Georgia.
The
highlight sighting of the morning was the exciting showing of a pod of four
Killer Whales heading up the Strait near the far horizon.
Killer
Whales or Orcas are the
largest of the dolphins and one of the world's most powerful predators. They
feast on marine mammals such as seals, sea lions and also on fish, squid, and
seabirds.
Watching
the whales blow as they travelled along the horizon and then dove below the
surface, only to rise again in a few moments was awesome!!!
Harlequin
Ducks, Common Goldeneye, Barrows Goldeneye, Common Mergansers, Red-breasted
Mergansers, Pacific Loons, Common Loon and Horned Grebes were see just off
shore throughout the morning. A Pigeon Guillemot, several Marbled Murrelets and
Ancient Murrelets along with hundreds of Common Murre were seen further off
shore. A Greater Yellowlegs was roosting on the gravel bar with two
Black-bellied Plovers. A Black Oystercatcher was resting on a big rock giving
us good views and a flock of six Black Turnstones flew low over the water. Along
the road we spotted a large number of singing House Finch, White-crowned
Sparrows,
Golden-crowned Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos and Pine Siskins.
Golden-crowned Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos and Pine Siskins.
Common Goldeneye: Ralph Hocken Photo.
Seventeen
birders saw and heard the following forty- seven bird species:
Mallard
Harlequin
Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black
Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Barrows
Goldeneye
Common
Merganser
Red-breasted
Merganser
Pigeon
Guillemot
Marbled
Murrelet
Ancient
Murrelet
Common
Murre
Pacific
Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Pelagic
cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Belted
Kingfisher
Greater
Yellowlegs
Black-bellied Plover
Black Oystercatcher
Black-bellied Plover
Black Oystercatcher
Black
Turnstone
Mew Gull
Mew Gull
California
Gull
Thayer's Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Eurasian-collared Dove
Thayer's Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Eurasian-collared Dove
Rock
Pigeon
Northern
Flicker
Pileated
Woodpecker
Northwestern Crow
Northwestern Crow
Common
Raven
Anna’s
Hummingbird
Chestnut-backed
Chickadee
Spotted
Towhee
Song Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Fox
Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
House
Finch
Dark-eyed Junco
Dark-eyed Junco
Pine
Siskin
House
Sparrow
Three
mammal species:
Killer
Whale
Harbour
Seals
Sea Lions
Greater
Yellowlegs: Ralph Hocken Photo.
Saturday, January 10:
Thirty
California Quail were seen feeding in a backyard in the 3000 block of
Barrington Road in Nanaimo.
The Snow
Goose and two Greater White-fronted Geese are still feeding on the grass at the
Parksville Community Park in Parksville.
**********************************************************************************
Monday,
January 26:
Arrowsmith
Naturalists meet at Knox United Church in Parksville at 7.30 pm. Members
Night when members share their photos. All welcome.
Information
at 752-7588.
*************************************************************************************
18th Annual Tofino Shorebird Festival
May 1-3, 2015
For information please contact----
http://raincoasteducation.org/events/tofino-shorebird-festival
*********************************************************************************
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
****************************************************************************
The Tuesday bird walk on January 20, 2015 will be going to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary. Meet at the parking lot near the Lions Club Playground in Parksville
Community Park at 9:00 a.m. or at the corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive in Parksville. at about
9:10 a.m.
*********************************************************************
The Sunday bird walk on January 25, 2015 will be going to Bowen Park in Nanaimo. Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 a.m. or at the main parking lot at Bowen Park(near the lawn bowling green) off Bowen Road at about 9:15 a.m.
*********************************************************************
British Columbia Rare Bird Alert link--- http://www.bcbirdalert.blogspot.ca/
****************************************************************************
A must read for those of us who live along the Strait of Georgia.
THE SEA AMONG US
THE AMAZING STRAIT OF GEORGIA
RICHARD BEAMISH AND GORDON McFARLANE
*****************************************************************************
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
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