Nanaimo bird report, September 11, 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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Sunday, September 11, 2016:

The Sunday bird walk went to Buttertubs West in Nanaimo. The morning was sunny with strong winds. We had an excellent talk and demonstration by Eric Demers and the VIU banders on the banding of birds and the environment of Buttertubs West.  We watched in fascination as Eric banded and measured each of the following species--- Common Yellowthroat, Bewick’s Wren, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow and a Swainson’s Thrush.

Sixteen birders saw and heard the following twenty species:   

Canada Geese

Turkey Vulture

Red-tailed Hawk

Band-tailed Pigeon

Eurasian-collared Dove

Rock Dove

Anna’s Hummingbird

Common Yellowthroat

Northern Flicker

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Marsh Wren

Bewick’s Wren

Bushtit

Lincoln’s Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

American Robin

Swainson’s Thrush

Spotted Towhee 

Saturday, September 10:

American Pipits, a Baird’s Sandpiper and a Whimbrel were seen at the Englishman River Mud flats in Parksville.

Tuesday bird walk, September 06:

The first Tuesday bird walk of the season went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was mostly cloudy with calm winds. We spotted a family of Brown Creepers moving up the trunk of a tall Big Leaf Maple Tree at the start of the walk. The seabirds are beginning to arrive for the winter----Surf Scoters, Common Loons, Horned Grebes, Red-necked Grebes, Pelagic Cormorants Common Murre and a Marbled Murrelet were all seen on the Strait of Georgia.  A Barn Swallow, a Purple Martin, a Vaux’s Swift and a  Black Swift were seen overhead.  A Yellow Warbler, several Orange-crowned Warblers, a Wilson’s Warbler, a Common Yellowthroat, a Warbling Vireo, a Willow Flycatcher and a  Lincoln's Sparrow was seen near the end of a great walk.

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

Canada Geese

Mallard

Northern Pintail

Surf Scoter

Common Loon

 Horned Grebe

 Red-necked Grebe

 Pelagic Cormorant

Common Murre

Marbled Murrelet

 Turkey Vulture

 Bald Eagle

 Sharp-shinned Hawk

 Great Blue Heron

 Mew Gull

Thayer’s Gull

 California Gull

 Glaucous-winged Gull

Killdeer

Band-tailed Pigeon

Belted Kingfisher

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

  Northwestern Crow

 Common Raven

 Barn Swallow

Purple Martin

 Vaux’s Swift

 Black Swift

 Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

Bushtit

Bewick's Wren

 Ruby-crowned Kinglet

 American Robin

Anna’s Hummingbird

Yellow Warbler

Orange-crowned Warbler

 Wilson’s Warbler

 Common Yellowthroat

 Warbling Vireo

 Willow Flycatcher

 Spotted Towhee

 Lincoln's Sparrow

 Song Sparrow

 White-crowned Sparrow

 House Finch

 Purple Finch

American Goldfinch

Pine Siskin

 

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Everyone is welcome to join us for a 2-3 hour bird walk on Sunday & Tuesday. We leave from the Store at 9 a.m. on Sunday Mornings and go to a different location in and around Nanaimo.  We leave from the Parksville Community Park at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday mornings go to a different location in the Oceanside area.

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The Sunday bird walk on September 18, 2016 will be going to the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.  Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 a.m. or at the end of Raines Road at about 9:30 a.m.

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The Tuesday bird walk on September 13, 2016 will be going to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach. Meet at the Parksville Community Park at the parking lot near the Lions Club playground at 9:00 a.m. in Parksville, or at the Brant Viewing Platform in north Qualicum Beach at about 9:20 a.m.

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For more information on VIU Banding check this site https://wordpress.viu.ca/gooseproject/. 

     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