Nanaimo bird report, October 08, 2017

Nanaimo bird report”
Explore Nature ---Go Birding

To report your sightings call the birdstore at 250-390-3669 or e-mail
thebirdstore@shaw.ca

Please remember, when reporting a sighting, to leave your name and phone number with the date and location of the sighting.

Sunday Bird Walk, October 08, 2017:

The Sunday bird walk went to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo.  The morning was cloudy with very strong winds off the Strait of Georgia.  Three Harlequin Ducks and one Red-necked Grebe were seen on the Strait at the start of the walk. Twenty five Black Oystercatchers and two Black Turnstones were seen on the rocks just offshore.  Several Varied Thrushes,  a Ruby-crowned Kinglet and a Downy Woodpecker entertained us royally while they were feeding in an Arbutus tree just above the trail. 

Ruby-crowned Kinglet: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Sixteen birders saw and heard the following thirty-six species:

Mallard

  Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

  Common Mergansers

Horned Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Common Loon

Pacific Loon

  Double-crested Cormorant

  Pelagic Cormorant

  Great Blue Heron

    Black Oystercatcher

Black Turnstones

Mew Gull

                                                                 California Gull

Iceland Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

  Downy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Steller’s Jay

  Common Raven

European Starling

Anna’s Hummingbird

Bewick's Wren

  Brown Creeper

  Chestnut-backed Chickadee

  Golden-crowned Kinglet

 Ruby-crowned Kinglet

 American Robin

Varied Thrush

Spotted Towhee

Savannah Sparrow

  Song Sparrow

House Finch

Dark-eyed Junco

Harlequin Duck: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, October 03, 2017 

The Tuesday bird walk went to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park in Parksville.  The morning was sunny and the winds were calm.  A Bald Eagle was spotted high in a conifer tree near the parking lot. Twelve Savannah Sparrows were perched in a bush next to the trail.  A Yellow-rumped Warbler was seen hawking insects from a tall tree near the trail. A Merlin was spotted high in a conifer tree.  Twelve Horned Grebes, twenty Red-necked Grebes and five Western Grebes were seen not far from shore.  A large number of Pacific Loons, several Common Loons, four Double-crested Cormorants, six Pelagic Cormorants and one Pigeon Guillemot were seen heading up the Strait of Georgia.  Two flocks of over one hundred Bonaparte's Gulls were seen heading up the Strait near the horizon.  A Brown Creeper was spotted climbing a fir tree next to the trail. Two Bewick’s Wrens were feeding on a small bush. Two Varied Thrush were spotted high up on a fir tree.  A Cooper’s Hawk flew over head and landed in a short tree giving us great views.  We had a great birding morning!  

Bonaparte's Gulls: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Twenty-five birders including visiting birders from California and Vancouver saw and heard the following fifty-five species:

Canada Geese

Mallard

American Wigeon
Harlequin Duck

Green-wing Teal

Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter

Common Merganser

Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe

Western Grebe

Great Blue Heron

Black-bellied Plover

Black Turnstone

Pacific Loon

    Common Loon

Double-crested Cormorant
 Pelagic Cormorant

Pigeon Guillemot

Bald Eagle

Merlin

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Cooper’s Hawk

Bonaparte's Gull

 Mew Gull

Iceland Gull
 California Gull
      Glaucous-winged Gull

     Northern Flicker

        Pileated Woodpecker
       Red-breasted Sapsucker

Northwestern Crow 

                                                Common Raven

                                      Chestnut-backed Chickadee 

                                                  Brown Creeper
                                         Red-breasted Nuthatch 

                                            Ruby-crowned Kinglet

                                         Golden-crowned Kinglet

                                         Yellow-rumped Warbler 

                                           Anna’s Hummingbird 

                                                American Robin      
                                                 Varied Thrush

                                                 Bewick’s Wren                                                                                                             Pacific Wren   

                                             European Starling  

                                              Spotted Towhee 

                                       Golden-crowned Sparrow 

                                        White-crowned Sparrow                                                                                                       Savannah Sparrow  

                                                 Song Sparrow
                                                Dark-eyed Junco  

                                                    Purple Finch

                                                    Pine Siskin 

                House Finch                        

Savannah Sparrow: Ralph Hocken Photo:

The Tuesday Bird walk on October 10, 2017, will be going to Deep Bay. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (at the parking lot in front of the Lions Club Playground) at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at the Deep Bay Marina at about 9:35 a.m.

The Sunday Bird walk on October 15, 2017 will be going to The Plummer Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. Meet at the Bird store at 9:00 a.m. or at the corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive in Parksville at about 9:30 a.m.

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