Nanaimo bird report, October 18, 2015

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, October 18, 2015  

The Sunday bird walk went to Nanoose Bay. The morning was cloudy with calm winds and fog.   A Western Grebe, two Pigeon Guillemots, Surf Scoters,  White-winged Scoters and a  Black Scoter were seen resting on the water near the oyster barrels.  A Eurasian Widgeon was spotted in with the American Widgeons.  A shorebird flew in and landed near the grassy shore by the Green-winged Teal and began feeding, giving us lots of time to identify him.  We concluded that it was a Red Knot--a first sighting for the Sunday bird walks.

Pigeon Guillemot: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Thirteen birders saw and heard the following Fifty-four species:

Canada Geese

  Mallard

  American Widgeon

Eurasian Widgeon

 Northern Pintail

Greater Scaup

 Green-winged Teal

  Surf Scoter

  White-winged Scoter

  Black Scoter

Common Loon

Horned Grebe

 Red-necked Grebe

Western Grebe

Pigeon Guillemot

  Double-crested Cormorant

  Pelagic Cormorant

Brandt’s Cormorant

  Great Blue Heron

  Red Knot

Killdeer

 Bald Eagle

 Sharp-shinned Hawk

Cooper’s Hawk

 Red-Tailed Hawk

Mew Gull

California Gull

  Glaucous-winged Gull

 Belted Kingfisher

  Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Bewick’s Wren

Pacific Wren

Yellow-rumped Warbler

 Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Steller’s Jay

Pileated Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

  American Robin

  European Starling

Red-winged Blackbird

  Song Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

  Golden-crowned Sparrow

 Spotted Towhee

  Purple Finch

 Dark-eyed Junco

 House Finch

Pine Siskin  

Saturday, October 17:

A Cassin’s Finch was spotted feeding in a backyard along Meridian Way in Parksville. 

Friday, October 16: 

Twelve Western Meadowlarks were seen at the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo. 

”RARE BIRD ALERT”

A juvenile King Eider was seen offshore from the main beach at Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville

 

Tuesday, October 13:

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach. The morning was cloudy with a breeze off the Strait of Georgia.  A flock of twelve Black Scoters, three flocks of Surf Scoters, several White-winged Scoters, numerous Red-breasted Mergansers, Pacific Loons and Common Loons were seen on the Strait.  A Red-tailed Hawk, a Sharp-shinned Hawk and a Merlin flew overhead, entertaining us during the morning.  One Killdeer, four  Black Turnstones, a Dunlin, two Pectoral Sandpipers and nine Black Oystercatchers were seen feeding close to shore.  A large flock of  Bonaparte's Gulls gathered along the gravel bars not far from shore.

                                                                                   

                                                       Black Scoters: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Eleven birders saw and heard the following fifty-six species:

Canada Goose

 American Wigeon

 Mallard

Green-wing Teal

 Harlequin Duck

 Surf Scoter

 White-winged Scoter

 Black Scoter

 Red-breasted Merganser

 Common Merganser

 Pacific Loon

 Common Loon

 Horned Grebe

 Red-necked Grebe

 Western Grebe

 Double-crested Cormorant

 Pelagic Cormorant

 Great Blue Heron

 Bald Eagle

 Red-tailed Hawk

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Merlin

 Killdeer

 Black Turnstone

Dunlin

Pectoral Sandpiper

Black Oystercatcher

 Bonaparte's Gull

 Mew Gull

 California Gull

 Thayer's Gull

Western Gull

 Glaucous-winged Gull

 Belted Kingfisher

Eurasian Collared Dove

 Northern Flicker

Steller’s Jay

 Northwestern Crow

 Common Raven

European Starling

California Quail

 American Robin

Varied Thrush

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Anna’s Hummingbird

 Chestnut-backed Chickadee

 Red-winged Blackbird

 Spotted Towhee

Savannah Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

 Song Sparrow

  Dark-eyed Junco  

House Finch

Purple Finch

American Goldfinch

House Sparrow 

 Black Turnstones : 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 October 20, 2015 will be going to Deep Bay. Meet at the Parksville Community Parks at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at the Deep Bay Marina at about 9: 40 a.m.

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The Sunday bird walk on October 25, 2015 will be going to Neck Point in Nanaimo.  Meet at the Birdstore 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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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.co