Nanaimo bird report, November 01, 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, November 01, 2015  

The Sunday bird walk went to the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo. The morning was cloudy to begin with but heavy rains started and ended the walk at about 10:40 am. We did see a large number of Barrow’s Goldeneye on the river.  A Northern Harrier put in an appearance.

 A Short-eared Owl put on a show for us for about ten minutes—making the wet morning well worth it.  Ten Western Meadowlarks flew over the estuary as the Short-eared Owl was hunting for prey.  Over two hundred American Widgeon were sitting on the rising tides. 

Short-eared Owl: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Twenty-one hardy birders saw and heard the following twenty-six species:

Canada Geese

Mallard

American Widgeon

Barrow’s Goldeneye

Northern Pintail

Great Blue Heron

  Bald Eagle

Short-eared Owl

Cooper’s Hawk

Northern Harrier

Thayer’s Gull

California Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Northern Flicker

  Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

  Western Meadowlark

  American Robin

Spotted Towhee

Bewick’s Wren

Red-wing Blackbird

Song Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

 Purple Finch  

Saturday, October 31:

A Northern Pygmy Owl was seen near the Oak Trees close to the town houses at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo 

A Barred Owl was spotted at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo

 

                                 Tuesday, October 27:

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Shelly road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was cloudy and cool. Three Trumpeter Swans flew over head and headed down the island.  We saw a Northern Shrike perched near Surfside and another one perched near the river. A flock of over two hundred noisy Pine Siskins landed in the top of the trees near the trail.  A large flock of Black Turnstones landed near the gravel bar that was loaded with a large number of gulls just off shore.  We spotted a Eurasian Wigeon in with the American Wigeon near the tide line.  A Cooper’s Hawk was perched just off the trail at the end of the walk.

                Seventeen birders saw and heard the following fifty-eight species:

Trumpeter Swan

Canada Goose

Eurasian Wigeon

American Wigeon

Mallard

Northern Pintail

Harlequin Duck

Greater Scaup

Green-wing Teal

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Black Scoter

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

 Pacific Loon

Common Loon

Horned Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Brandt’s Cormorant 

Pelagic Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Cooper’s Hawk

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Northern Shrike

Black Turnstone

Mew Gull

Bonaparte’s Gull

California Gull

Thayer's Gull

Western Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Anna's Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Northern Flicker

Steller's Jay

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

California Quail

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Bewick's Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

American Robin

Varied Thrush

European Starling

Spotted Towhee

Lincoln's Sparrow 

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red-winged Blackbird

Brewer's Blackbird

House Finch

Purple Finch

American Goldfinch

Pine Siskin  

Eurasian Wigeon: Ralph Hocken Photo.g Eider and a Red-throated Loon were seen on the Strait of Georgia looking from Madronia Point and looking towards Rathtrevor Park, in Parksville.

A King Eider and a Red-throated Loon were seen on the Strait of Georgia looking from Madronia Point and looking towards Rathtrevor Park, in Parksville.A King Eider and a Red-throated Loon were seen on the Strait of Georgia looking from Madronia Point and looking towards Rathtrevor Park, in Parksvi ********************************************************************************
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 November 03 will be going to Columbia Beach. Meet at the Parksville Community Park at the parking lot near the Lions club Playground at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking area off Admiral Tyron Bld. (take Columbia Drive off highway 19a turn right on Admiral Tyron Bld. Go about 100 yards to the parking area on the left.) 

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The Sunday bird walk on November 08, 2015 will be going Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.  Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 a.m. or at parking lot at Buttertubs Marsh, off Bowen Road at about 9:15 am. 

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British Columbia Rare Bird Alert link--- http://www.bcbirdalert.blogspot.ca/
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Rare Birds of Vancouver Island:

http://ibis.geog.ubc.ca/biodiversity/efauna/documents/RareBirdRecordsofVancouver%20IslandVersionXZAB.pdf

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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