Nanaimo bird report, May 10, 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, May 10, 2015:

The Sunday bird walk went to Moorecroft Regional Park in Nanoose Bay. The morning was sunny and the winds were calm. The highlights included a close look at a singing Wilson’s Warbler just off the trail. A Black-throated Grey Warbler gave us great views through the scopes as it perched and sang high up in a tall tree. We spotted a Western Tanager and a Hammond’s Flycatcher near the beaver dam—more great sightings!

Western Tanager: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Eight birders saw and heard the following forty species:

Canada Geese

Pacific Loon

Turkey Vulture

Bald Eagle

Glaucous-winged Gull

Northern Flicker

Downy Woodpecker

Pileated Woodpecker

Rufous Hummingbird

Anna’s Hummingbird

Pacific-slope Flycatcher

Hammond’s Flycatcher

Orange-crowned Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Townsend’s Warbler

Black-throated Grey Warbler

Wilson’s Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Warbling Vireo

Cassin’s Vireo

Western Tanager

Black-headed Grosbeak

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Pacific Wren

Brown Creeper

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

American Robin

Spotted Towhee

Chipping Sparrow

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Purple Finch

Red-winged Blackbird

American Goldfinch

  Pine Siskin  

 Saturday, May 09:

A Western Tanager, a Bullock’s Oriole and a Black-headed Grosbeak were seen at Buttertubs Marsh West in Nanaimo.  

A Cassin’s Vireo and a Warbling Vireo were spotted at the old MacGreavor Marsh in Nanaimo.  

Friday, May 08:

Black-headed Grosbeaks were seen at Morrell Circle in Nanaimo and at Ladysmith.

Tuesday, May 05::

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. The morning was partly cloudy with a stiff breeze off the Strait of Georgia. We spotted a Hammond's Flycatcher and a Yellow Warbler flycatching at the start of the walk. A Wilson’s Warbler was seen feeding near the scotch broom across the river giving us great views through our binoculars and spotting scopes.  A pair of Cooper’s Hawks flew over head heading towards the forest. We heard a Warbling Vireo singing and then saw him on a bush near the trail. A flock of Western Sandpipers and Least Sandpipers flew in and circled the mud flats and then left the area. Several Canada Geese with goslings and a Cackling Goose were seen walking along the mud flats during the morning.

                                                                            

                                                      Warbling Vireo: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Sixteen birders saw and heard the following fifty-five species:

Canada Geese 

  Cackling Geese

  American Wigeon

Harlequin

 Mallard

Surf Scoter

Red-necked Grebe

 Common Merganser

 

Hooded Merganser

 Pacific Loon

 Common Loon

 Pigeon Guillemot

                                                   Great Blue Heron

Belted Kingfisher

 Bald Eagle

Cooper’s Hawk

                                                      Turkey Vulture

Western Sandpiper

Least Sandpiper

 Killdeer

 Mew Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

  Violet-green Swallow

Tree Swallow

Vaux Swift

 Rufous Hummingbird

 Northern Flicker

Hairy Woodpecker

 Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Band-tailed Pigeon

Eurasian-collared Dove

 Orange-crowned Warbler

 Yellow-rumped Warbler

MacGillivray’s Warbler

Wilson’s Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Warbling Vireo

Hammond's Flycatcher

Pacific-slope Flycatcher

 Common Raven

Bewick’s Wren

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

  American Robin

 European Starling

 Red-winged Blackbird

Brown-headed Cowbird

 Spotted Towhee

 Song Sparrow

Savannah’s Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

 Purple Finch

 American Goldfinch

Pine Siskin

This is our bird photographer Ralph Hocken

 

Good birding

Neil Robins

Parksville 

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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 May 12, 2015 will be going to the Springwood Park in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park by the Lions Club playground parking lot at 9 a.m. or at the west end of Despard Avenue in Parksville at about 9:10 a.m.

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The Sunday bird walk on May 17, 2015 will be going to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo. Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at Neck Point off Hammond bay Road 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