Nanaimo bird report, April 19, 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 *****************************************************************************

Sunday, April 19, 2015:

The Sunday bird walk went to Legacy Marsh in upper Lantzville. The morning was sunny with a breeze. The highlights included seeing a Swamp on the edge of the marsh not far from us. The Swamp Sparrow is a rare bird for this area. We heard a Cassin's Vireo, Orange-crowned Warblers, Many Common Yellowthroat, Black-throated Grey Warblers and Yellow-rumped Warblers throughout the morning. A Red-tail Hawk and a Cooper’s Hawk flew overhead.

 

Black-throated Gray Warbler: Ralph Hocken Photo.       

 

Seventeen birders saw and heard the following forty-five species:

Canada Geese,

 Mallard

 Ring-neck Duck

 Wood Duck

 Hooded Merganser

 California Quail

 Great Blue Heron

Belted Kingfisher

 Turkey Vulture

 Bald Eagle

Red-tail Hawk

Cooper’s Hawk

Rock Pigeon

 Band-tailed Pigeon

 Rufous Hummingbird

Anna’s Hummingbird

 Downy Woodpecker

 Northern Flicker

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Steller’s Jay

 Northwestern Crow

 Common Raven

 Bewick's Wren

Pacific Wren

 Marsh Wren

Varied Thrush

American Robin

Barn Swallow

Violet-green Swallow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Cassin's Vireo

 Orange-crowned Warbler

 Common Yellowthroat

 Black-throated Grey Warbler

 Yellow-rumped Warbler

 Spotted Towhee

Swamp Sparrow

 Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

 Dark-eyed Junco

 Red-winged Blackbird

Brown-headed Cowbird

Purple Finch

American Goldfinch

 Pine Siskin 

Saturday, April 18:

A Yellow-headed Blackbird was seen at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.

 

Two Townsend’s Solitaire’s were seen on Little Mountain near Parksville. 

Tuesday, April 14:

 The Tuesday bird walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. The morning was sunny with a strong wind off the Strait of Georgia but it was very calm in the forest and meadows.  As we started the walk we spotted a Hermit Thrush feeding along the trail just in front of us. The birding got better as the morning went on.  A Townsend’s Warbler was singing and feeding high up in a big leaf maple tree.  He was soon joined by a Yellow-rumped Warbler, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet and an Orange-crowned Warbler.  An American Kestrel was perched on a snag and we watched as he flew and hunted over the meadow.  We were entertained as he hovered and flew over the meadow looking for prey. We spotted a Savannah Sparrow perched on a bush close to the shoreline.  A Snow Goose and two Greater White-fronted Geese were feeding in the meadow near the R.V. Park.  A Townsend’s Solitaire perched on a short bush along the trail giving us great looks. We watched a Red-breasted Sapsucker making a nest hole in a tall snag .  He would peck for a while and then go into it to see if it was big enough. We left before he accomplished that!  A Northern Flicker was drilling into a tree for a nest on another snag further on in the forest.  Spring is here!!

 

Townsend’s Solitaire: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Thirteen lucky birders saw and heard the following sixty-one species (a record for this time of the year!):

Canada Goose

Snow Goose

Brant

Greater White-fronted Geese

Mallard

Bufflehead

American Wigeon

Northern Pintail

Surf Scoter

Common Merganser

Great Blue Heron

Turkey Vulture

Bald Eagle

American Kestrel

Dunlin

Killdeer

Black Turnstone

Greater Yellowlegs

Mew Gull

California Gull

Thayer’s Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Belted Kingfisher

Band-tailed Pigeon

Eurasian-collared Dove

California Quail

Ring-necked Pheasant

Rufous Hummingbird

Anna’s Hummingbird

Hairy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Violet-green Swallow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Bushtit

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Bewick’s Wren

Pacific Wren

                                                    American Robin

Hermit Thrush

European Starling

Townsend’s Solitaire

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Townsend’s Warbler

Orange-crowned Warbler

Red-winged Blackbird

Spotted Towhee

Savannah Sparrow

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Purple Finch

American Goldfinch

Pine Siskin

                                                                           

    Savannah Sparrow: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Saturday April 11:

 A flock of Sandhill Cranes were seen flying up the Alberni Inlet in Port Alberni. 

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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.

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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 April 21, 2015 will be going to the Moorcroft Regional Park in Nanoose Bay. Meet at the Parksville Community Park playground parking lot at 9 a.m. or at the parking lot at Moorecroft off Stewart Road (look for the Moorcroft sign on Stewart Road near Dolphin) at about 9:20 a.m.

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The Sunday bird walk on Sunday, April 26 will be going to the West Buttertubs Marsh Nanaimo. Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot off Jingle Pot Road at Buttertubs Marsh (wear rubber boots it may be wet) 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