Nanaimo bird report, March 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, March 22, 2015:

The Sunday bird walk went to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach. The morning was cloudy with calm winds.  A flock of over one thousand singing Brant were feeding along the tide line near the estuary. Two Turkey Vultures flew over head.

Seventeen birders saw and heard the following fifty-nine species:

Brant

Canada Geese

Mallard

Gadwall

Green-winged Teal

Blue-winged Teal

American Widgeon

Eurasian Widgeon

Harlequin Duck

Northern Shoveler

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Black Scoter

Long-tail Duck

Lesser Scaup

Greater Scaup

Bufflehead

Northern Pintail

Barrows Goldeneye

Common Goldeneye

Horned Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Red-breasted Merganser

Common Merganser

Common Loon
Pacific Loon

Double-crested Cormorant
Pigeon Guillemot

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Turkey Vulture

Killdeer

Black Oystercatcher

Black Turnstone

Bonaparte's Gull

Ring-billed Gull

Mew Gull

California Gull

Thayer’s Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Belted Kingfisher

Northern Flicker

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Eurasian-collared Dove
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

American Robin

European Starling

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red-winged Blackbird

Brewer’s Blackbird

House Finch 

 Over forty Snow Geese were seen and heard flying over Departure Bay, Nanaimo. 

Brant: Ralph Hocken Photo.

 

Tuesday, March 24: 

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach. The skies were cloudy and the water on the Strait of Georgia was calm.  The highlight was the sighting of two rafts of Surf Scoters, Long-tail Ducks, Lesser Scaup and Greater Scaup. The two rafts of seabirds stretched offshore from the viewing platform along highway 19a to the Little Qualicum River Estuary.   Over seventy Trumpeter Swans flew over and landed on the far side of the raft of seabirds. Bonaparte's Gulls, Herring Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls Mew Gulls, California Gulls, Thayer’s Gull and Glaucous-winged Gulls covered the gravel bars from the viewing platform and along the shore to the estuary. Three Eurasian Widgeon, a Herring Gull, a Ring-billed Gull, large numbers of Barrow’s Goldeneye and Common Goldeneye were seen from the estuary side offshore. Four Yellow-rumped Warblers were feeding near the parking area at the “A” frame house. We watched a Bewick’s Wren gathering nesting material close-by.

 

         Surf Scoters: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Greater Scaup & Lesser Scaup: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Eleven birders saw and heard the following fifty–two species:

Trumpeter Swans

Brant

Canada Geese

Mallard

American Widgeon

Eurasian Widgeon

Harlequin Duck

Northern Shoveler

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Black Scoter

Long-tail Duck

Lesser Scaup

Greater Scaup

Bufflehead

Northern Pintail

Barrows Goldeneye

Common Goldeneye

Horned Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Red-breasted Merganser

Common Merganser

Common Loon

Pacific loon

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Killdeer

Black Oystercatcher

Bonaparte's Gull

Herring Gull

Ring-billed Gull

Mew Gull

California Gull

Thayer’s Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Belted Kingfisher

Northern Flicker

Northwestern Crow

Eurasian-collared Dove

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Bewick’s Wren

American Robin

European Starling

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red-winged Blackbird

House Finch

Purple Finch

 

Saturday March 21:

An Orange-crowned Warbler was seen near the Bowen Road entrance to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.

 

Wednesday March 18.

A flock of Bushtits were seen covering a suet feeder by the Little Qualicum River in Qualicum Beach

 

Tuesday March 17.

 . A Virginia Rail was seen and heard on the west marsh at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. 

 A Northern Shrike was seen at the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.  

Monday, March 16.

A Northern Goshawk was seen at Milner Gardens in Qualicum Beach. 

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Monday March 23.

Arrowsmith Naturalists meet at 7 pm at Knox United Church in Parksville.  Meeting begins at 7.30 pm with guest speaker Michael Kusugak an Inuit Storyteller.  Cost for this time only $5. More info 752-7588.

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Tofino-Shorebird –Festival
18th Annual May 1-3, 2015
For  information please contact---- 
http://raincoasteducation.org/events/tofino-shorebird-festival

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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 March 24 will be going to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville..  Meet at the Parksville Community Park playground parking lot at 9 a.m. or at the corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive in Parksville at about  9:15 a.m.
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The Sunday bird walk on March 29, 2015 will be going to the Neck Point Park in Nanaimo.
Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at Neck Point off Hammond Bay Road at about 9:15 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