Nanaimo Bird Report, February 28 2016

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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Saturday, February 27, 2016:

Evening Grosbeak (Photo: Malcom)

An American Dipper was spotted at the Top Bridge Trail in Parksville.

8 – 10 swallows were seen at Buttertubs Marsh

Some Cackling Geese were spotted at Piper’s Lagoon, blending in with 6 Canadian Geese

30 Evening Grosbeaks were spotted near Lowry’s Rd. in Parksville

Sunday, February 28, 2016: 

The Sunday bird walk went to Buttertubs Marsh, where it was a wet, windy day. There were five hardy birders in total on the blustery day, one visiting from Alberta and one visiting from Seattle.

Belted Kingfisher (Photo: Ralph Hocken)

Five birders saw and heard the following twenty-nine species.

Canada Goose

Great Blue Heron

Mallard

Bufflehead

Ring-necked Duck

Bald Eagle

Pied-billed Grebe

California Quail

Glacous-winged Gull

Northern Flicker

Steller’s Jay

Common Raven

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Bushtit

Bewick’s Wren

Marsh Wren

Anna’s Hummingbird

American Robin

Red-winged Blackbird

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

House Finch

Dark-eyed Junco

American Goldfinch

House Sparrow

Belted Kingfisher

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Tuesday, February 23: 

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. The morning was sunny and the Strait of Georgia was calm. Two pair of Gadwall were on the river as the walk started. Many Green-winged Teal and Northern Pintail were resting on the mud flats. A large flock of migrating Canada Geese with one Cackling Goose flew over head eventually landing on the far side of the estuary. California Gulls, Mew Gulls, Thayer’s Gulls, one Western Gull and a large number of Glaucous-winged Gulls were resting on gravel bars along the estuary.  Barrow’s Goldeneye, American Wigeon and an Eurasian Wigeon were feeding along the side of a gravel bar not far from shore. Twenty Long-tailed Ducks and Surf Scoters were seen swimming further from shore. We saw hundreds of Brant Geese on the strait swimming and flying during the morning. We spotted three large flocks of Bushtits feeding on big Scotch broom bushes along the road.

 

Bushtit: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Twenty-three birders, including visiting birders from Edmonton, Winnipeg and Seattle saw and heard the following fifty-eight species:

Brant

Cackling Geese

Canada Geese

 Mallard

Gadwall

Bufflehead

Green-winged Teal

Greater Scaup

Northern Pintail

American Wigeon

Eurasian Wigeon

  Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Common Goldeneye

Barrow’s Goldeneye

Red-necked Grebe

Horned Grebe

Western Grebe

Common Merganser

 Red-breasted Merganser

Long-tailed Duck

 Pacific Loon

 Common Loon

 Double-crested Cormorant

 Pelagic Cormorant

Brant’s Cormorant

Common Murre

Great Blue Heron

Belted Kingfisher

California Gull

 Mew Gull

Thayer’s Gull

Western Gull

 Glaucous-winged Gull

Black Oystercatcher

Bald Eagle

Steller’s Jay

 Common Raven

 Northwestern Crow

Northern Flicker

Anna’s Hummingbird

Bushtit

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

 Golden-crowned Kinglet

 Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Hutton's Vireo

European Starling

Red-wing Blackbird

American Robin

 Spotted Towhee

House Finch

Purple Finch

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Red Crossbill

Dark-eyed Junco

Pine Siskin   

 

California Gull: Ralph Hocken Photo.

The Tuesday bird walk on March 01, 2016 will be going to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach. Meet at Parksville Community Park at the Lions Club Kids Playground Parking lot at 9:00 a.m. or at the Brant viewing platform in north Qualicum Beach at about 9:15 a.m.

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. *******************************************************************************

The Tuesday bird walk on March 01, 2016 will be going to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach. Meet at Parksville Community Park at the Lions Club Kids Playground Parking lot at 9:00 a.m. or at the Brant viewing platform in north Qualicum Beach at about 9:15 a.m.

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The Sunday bird walk on March 6, 2016 will be going to Neck Point. Please meet at the Birdstore at 9:00am, or at Neck Point Park at about 9:15am. *************************************************************************************

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

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