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 22 February 2015

Nanaimoo bird report, February 22, 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.
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Sunday, February 22, 2015:

The Sunday bird walk went the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. The morning was partly cloudy with sunny periods. The highlights included seeing three Gadwall near the mudflats. Several Steller’s Jays were singing throughout the morning. We saw several Pacific Loons were showing their breeding plumage on the ocean. Many flocks of Brant were moving up and down the Strait of Georgia.

 

 

Steller’s Jay:: Ralph Hocken Photo.  

Twenty-nine birders saw and heard the following foty-eight species: 
Brant
Canada Geese
 Mallard
Gadwall
Bufflehead
Green-winged Teal
Northern Pintail
American Widgeon
  Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Common Goldeneye
Red-necked Grebe
Horned Grebe
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
 Red-breasted Merganser
Long-tailed Duck
 Pacific Loon
 Common Loon
 Double-crested Cormorant
 Pelagic Cormorant
Black Turnstone
Killdeer
Bald Eagle
Merlin
 Mew Gull
Thayer’s Gull
 Glaucous-winged Gull
Steller’s Jay
 Common Raven
 Northwestern Crow
Northern Flicker
Downy Woodpecker
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Pacific Wren
 Bewick's Wren
 Golden-crowned Kinglet
 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
 Spotted Towhee
Purple Finch
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Pine Siskin   

Saturday, February 21:
Two Rufous Hummingbirds we revisiting feeders in the Collage Heights area of Nanaimo. 

A Violet-green Swallow was seen at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. 

Tuesday, February 17:
The Tuesday bird walk went to Little Qualicum River Estuary.  The morning was calm, but unfortunately the fog remained over the water throughout the morning limiting our view. We saw a flock of Brant fly by at the viewing station and several Oystercatchers landed among the rocks.  There was also a Western Gull spotted just off shore.  A Yellow-rumped Warbler was spotted along the houses leading to the Estuary.  Surf Scoters were heard off in the fog at the end of our walk. 

Yellow-rumped Warbler: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

17 birders saw or heard the following 35 species.
Brant
Canada Geese
Mallard
American Widgeon
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
Bufflehead
Northern Pintail
Common Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Killdeer
Black-bellied Plover
Black Turnstone
Black Oystercatcher
Mew Gull
Western Gull
Thayer’s Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
European Starling
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
House Finch
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Eurasian-collared Dove
California Quail
Anna’s Hummingbird  

Good birding,
Rhonda Fleming
Parksville 

Sunday, February 15: 
A Yellow-billed Loon was seen off Piper’s Lagoon in Nanaimo. 

Friday, February 13:
A Cooper’s Hawk landed on top of a bird feeder in the San Pareil area of Parksville. 

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Monday, February, 23rd:

The Arrowsmith Naturalists meet at 7 pm at Knox United Church, Parksville.

Guest Speaker--- Christopher Stephens will speak about Swainson’s Thrush.

 

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Tofino-Shorebird –Festival

 

18th Annual May 1-3, 2015 


 

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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 February 24, 2015 will be going to the Little Qualicum River Fish Hatchery.  Meet at the Parksville Community Park playground parking lot at 9 a.m. or the Hatchery parking lot off Claymore Rd (off Laburnum Rd) in Qualicum Beach at 9:15 a.m.


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The Sunday bird walk on March 01, 2015 will be going to the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo. Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 a.m. or at the end of Rains Road in south Nanaimo.at about 9:25 a.m.

 

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British Columbia Rare Bird Alert link---
http://www.bcbirdalert.blogspot.ca/

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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

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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

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