Nanaimo bird report, May 17, 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 17, 2015:   

The Sunday bird walk went to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo. The morning was cloudy with sunny periods and the winds were calm. The highlights included seeing three Rhinoceros Auklets, a Common Murre and twelve Marbled Murrelets just off shore—all great sightings! Three Vaux’s Swift was fly catching high overhead. A Wilson’s Warbler was spotted low in the bushes next to the trail. A Merlin flew over head as we were doing the tally at the end of the walk.

Common Murre: Ralph Hocken Photo.  

Twelve birders saw and heard the following forty-two species:

Bald Eagle

 Merlin

 Canada Geese

   Pacific Loon

 Double-crested Cormorant

 Pelagic Cormorant

 Glaucous-winged Gull

 Marbled Murrelet

Common Murre

Rhinoceros Auklet

  Belted Kingfisher

 Anna’s Hummingbird

Rufous Hummingbird

Downy Woodpecker

  Northern Flicker

 Pileated Woodpecker

  Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

  Chestnut-backed Chickadee

 Golden-crowned Kinglet

 Bewick’s Wren,

 Pacific Wren

 Brown Creeper

 Great Blue Heron

Vaux’s Swift

  Swainson’s Thrush

 American Robin

 European Starling

Pacific-slope Flycatcher

Hammond’s Flycatcher

 Orange-crown Warbler

 Wilson’s Warbler

Townsend’s Grey Warbler

Warbling Vireo

                                              Western tanager                                                                   

Red-breasted Nuthatch

  White-crowned Sparrow

 Spotted Towhee

 Song Sparrow

Purple Finch

  House Finch

  American Goldfinch

Saturday, May 16:

A Bullock’s Oriole was spotted at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.

Bullock’s Oriole: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Tuesday, May 12:

The Tuesday bird walk went to Springwood Park in Parksville. The morning started out cloudy and cool but when the sun came out it was a warm spring day. We heard and then saw a Black-throated Warbler feeding high up in a big leaf maple tree. Pacific-slope Flycatchers and Orange-crowned Warblers were singing for most of the morning and on occasion we did spot them feeding.  We saw a Hammond’s Flycatcher perched fairly low in a bush giving us great views. A Common Yellowthroat was perched on a fence just off the road. A very musical MacGillivray’s Warbler sang low in a bush close to the trail putting on a great show for us. A Black-headed Grosbeak was spotted singing high up in a conifer tree. Turkey Vultures, a Great Blue Heron, Vaux Swifts and Black Swifts flew high overhead. We spotted a Warbling Vireo singing and feeding in a low bush close to the trail at the end of the walk. 

 

Black-headed Grosbeak: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Fourteen birders saw and heard the following forty-two species:

Turkey Vulture

Bald Eagle

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

Northwestern Grow

Common Raven

Great Blue Heron

California Quail

Band-tailed Pigeon

Anna's Hummingbird

Rufous Hummingbird

Violet-green Swallow

Vaux Swift

Black Swift

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Bushtit

Bewick's Wren

Pacific Wren

American Robin

Swanson Thrush

European Starling

Pacific-slope Flycatcher

Hammond’s Flycatcher

Orange-crowned Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Black-throated Grey Warbler

MacGillivray’s Warbler

Townsend’s Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Warbling Vireo

Western Tanager

Spotted Towhee

Chipping Sparrow

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Black-headed Grosbeak

Brown-headed Cowbird

Dark-eyed Junco

House Finch

American Goldfinch

Pine Siskin

  Turkey Vulture: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

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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 19, 2015 will be going to Lot Ten in Qualicum Beach.  We meet at the Parksville Community Park by the Lions Club playground parking lot at 9 a.m. or on the mountain side of Highway19a along Kinkade Road in north Qualicum Beach. at about 9:20 a.m.

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The Sunday bird walk on May 24, 2015 will be going to Morrell Wildlife Sanctuary in Nanaimo.  Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at Morrell Sanctuary off Nanaimo Lakes Road at about 9:20 a.m.

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