Nanaimo bird report, April 13, 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.

*************************************************************************************

A note from visiting birders

Jana and I have been house-sitting in Ladysmith for Jan - end of March.

We are avid birders and we wanted to express our appreciation to the store and especially Neil for letting us Albertans tag along on the Tues and Sun bird walks.

We enjoyed the knowledge that Neil and the group shared with us. It is so helpful for birders new to the area to be able to access local birding expertise. We enjoyed the social aspect (nice people in the group) and appreciate the folks that shared their scope with us.

Please pass on our thanks to Neil and the group.

Jana and Tony Sneep

Edmonton. 

*****************************************************************************

Sunday, April 12, 2015:

The Sunday bird walk went to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. The morning was cloudy with sunny periods. The highlights included seeing eight Cedar Waxwings feeding just off the trail. We heard several Common Yellowthroats singing throughout the morning. A Double-crested Cormorant was spotted high up in the sky catching a thermal.

Ninteen birders saw and heard the following forty-four species:

Canada Geese

Mallard

Wood Duck

Ring-neck Duck

Bufflehead

Pied-billed Grebe

Lesser Yellowlegs

Double-crested Cormorant

Bald Eagle

Red-tailed Hawk

Anna’s Hummingbird

Rufous Hummingbird

Northern Flicker

Common Raven

Northern Flicker

Downy Woodpecker

Steller ’s Jay

California Quail

Violet-green Swallow

Tree Swallow

Bushtit

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Bewick’s Wren

Marsh Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Great-blue Heron

American Robin

Varied Thrush

Cedar Waxwing

European Starling

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Orange-crowned Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Red-wing Blackbird

Brown-headed Cowbird

Dark-eyed Junco

House Finch

Pine Siskin

American Goldfinch

House Sparrow

Cedar Waxwing: Ralph Hocken Photo

Saturday, April 11:

A Sora was heard at the North-east corner of Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. 

Orange-crown Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warbler and Rufous Hummingbirds were seen on a walk along the foothills development in upper Lantzville. 

 

Tuesday, April 07:

The Tuesday bird walk went to Springwood Park in Parksville. The morning was sunny and warm making for a pleasant bird walk.  A Pileated Woodpecker flew in and began drumming on a snag off the trail putting on quite a show for us.  Many Orange-crowned Warblers and several Yellow-rumped Warblers sang for most of the morning.  We also had some great views of the Warblers during the walk. Violet-green Swallows were flying near the Bald Eagle’s nest on the far side of the meadows. We spotted a Red-tailed Hawk perched on top a snag looking over the meadow. A Peregrine Falcon flew in near the eagle’s nest and then landed in a tall snag further away on the far side of the meadow. Two calling Evening Grosbeaks were perched on a tree branch in the forest giving us good views of these colorful birds.

Pileated Woodpecker: Ralph Hocken Photo.

 

Twenty-one birders, including a visiting birder from Whitecourt Alberta, saw and heard the following thirty-four species:

Canada Geese

Mallard

Turkey Vulture

Bald Eagle

Red-tailed Hawk

Peregrine Falcon

Anna's Hummingbird

Rufous Hummingbird

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Violet-green Swallow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

Bewick's Wren

Pacific Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

American Robin

Varied Thrush

European Starling

Orange-crowned Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Evening Grosbeak

Dark-eyed Junco

Purple Finch

American Goldfinch

Pine Siskin

                                                                             

                                                Red-tail Hawk: Ralph Hocken Photo.

******************************************************************************

Monday, April 27:

 Arrowsmith Naturalists meet at Knox United Church in Parksville. 

Doors open at 7 pm.  Presentation on Ecological Reserves by Erica McClaren from BC Parks at 7.30.

*************************************************************************************
Tofino-Shorebird –Festival
18th Annual 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 April, 2015 will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park playground parking lot at 9 a.m. or at the end of Shelly Road on the Oceanside of highway 19a in Parksville at about 9:10 a.m.

*************************************************************************

The Sunday bird walk on Sunday, April 19 will be going to Legacy Marsh in upper Lantzville. . Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00a.m. or at parking  area under the Hydro lines on Normarel Drive (off highway 19 and Superior Road) at about 9:20 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
*****************************************************************************
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