Bird Report December 4 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, December 4, 2016

The Sunday bird walk went to the Shelley Rd. side of the Englishman River estuary in Parksville. The weather was a nice, cool, winter morning with lots of wind resulting in some crazy waves. We were able to see some great views of some Brant as they flew out of the estuary. 

Brant: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Eighteen birders saw and heard the following thirty-eight species

Double-breasted Cormorant

Mallard

American Widgeon

 Northern Pintail

White-winged Scoter

Bufflehead

Common Goldeneye

Barrow’s Goldeneye

Common Merganser

Common Loon

Great Blue Heron

Belted Kingfisher

Bald Eagle

Glaucous-winged Gull

Thayer’s Gull

Surf Scoter

Mew Gull

California Gull

Anna’s Hummingbird

Northern Flicker

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Northwestern Crown

Common Raven

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Bewick’s Wren

American Robin

Spotted Towhee

Fox Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Pacific Wren

Pine Siskin

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Eurasian Widgeon

Hooded Merganser

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Brant

November 28 2016

A Swainson’s thrush was spotted north of Nile’s Creek.

November 25 2016

A yellow-rumped warbler was spotted between Rym rd. and Highway 19

November 24 2016

Two western grebes were spotted in Departure Bay

December 4 2016

Due to the cold weather a birder reported seeing seven Anna’s Hummingbirds at their hummingbird feeder in the morning at Fairbanks Rd.

Tuesday, December 6 2016

The Parksville/Qualicum Beach bird walk was to go to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park.  Unfortunately, due to the snowfall causing tree damage and possible danger to visitors the park was closed.  We therefore headed over to Plummer Road.  It was a brisk, snow covered morning with several sunny breaks.  We saw two flocks of Snow Geese fly over and spotted 4 Trumpeter Swans in the estuary.   We had great views of a Cooper’s Hawk perched high on a branch at the start of our walk, and we also got our first of the season view of several Varied Thrush.  Once we were on the ocean side we viewed hundreds of Ancient Murrelet’s flying low over the water.

12 adventurous birders saw and heard the following 51 species:

Canada Geese

Snow Geese

Brant

Trumpeter Swan

American Widgeon

Mallard

Greater Scaup

Northern Pintail

Green-winged Teal

Harlequin Duck

Long-tailed Duck

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Bufflehead

Common Goldeneye

Barrow’s Goldeneye

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Pacific Loon

Common Loon

Horned Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Double-crested Cormorant

Brandt’s Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant

Ancient Murrelet

Marbled Murrelet

Common Murre

Great Blue Heron

Belted Kingfisher

Bald Eagle

Cooper’s Hawk

Mew Gull

California Gull

Thayer’s Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Herring Gull

Northern Flicker

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Anna’s Hummingbird

American Robin

Varied Thrush

Spotted Towhee

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Purple Finch

Pine Siskin

House Finch

Good Birding,

Rhonda Fleming

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.
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 The Tuesday bird walk on December 13, 2016 will be returning to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park at the parking lot near the Lions Club Kids Playground at 9:00 a.m. or at the main parking lot at Rathtrevor Park at about 9:10 a.m.

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The Sunday bird walk will resume in January. Happy holidays everyone!

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Good birding
Colin Bartlett

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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