Nanaimo bird report, October 22, 2017

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, October 22, 2017:  

This Sunday’s Bird Walk went to Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.

The morning started with light showers but cleared up for the rest of the morning.  We spotted a Northern Shrike in a bush near the parking lot and saw several more during the morning.  Common Ravens were very plentiful flying high overhead during the walk.  Several Western Meadowlarks were perched in short bushes giving us great views.  We had several sightings of a Northern Harrier.

Northern Shrike: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Twelve birders saw and heard the following thirty-seven species:

Canada Geese

Mallard,

American Widgeon

Great Blue Heron

Green-winged Teal

Common Merganser

Common Loon

Double-crested Cormorant

Bald Eagle

Northern Harrier

Northern Shrike

Belted Kingfisher

Killdeer

Wilson’s Snipe

Mew Gull

Bonaparte’s Gull

California Gull

 Glaucous-winged Gull

 European Starling

Northern Flicker

Downy Woodpecker

Steller’s Jay

Western Meadowlark

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

American Robin

Bushtit

Bewick’s Wren

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Spotted Towhee

 Song Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco 

 House Finch
American Goldfinch

Purple Finch

Northern Harrier: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Saturday, October 21:  

A Short-eared Owl was seen at the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.

An unconfirmed sighting of a White-breasted Nuthatch was reported along Alice Place near Stephenson Point.

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, October 17, 2017

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach. The morning was cloudy and with rain for the first half of the walk but it turned clear and sunny later on---making for a pleasant bird walk.  We spotted an American Kestrel high up in a tall conifer tree.  A Brandt’s Cormorant and a Long-tailed Duck were seen just off shore heading up the Strait of Georgia. Twenty-five Bald Eagles were seen during the walk, many right along the shore line.  A Ring-billed Gull, two Herring Gulls and a Glaucous Gull were seen during the morning.  A large flock of Red-breasted Mergansers flew low over the water heading down the Strait. 

                                                    Bald Eagle: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Eleven birders saw and heard the following forty-two species:

Canada Goose

 American Wigeon

 Mallard

Northern Pintail

Green-wing Teal

 Harlequin Duck

 Surf Scoter

 White-winged Scoter

 Black Scoter

Long-tailed Duck

 Red-breasted Merganser

 Common Merganser

 Pacific Loon

 Common Loon

 Horned Grebe

 Red-necked Grebe

  Brandt’s Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

American Kestrel

Merlin

Black Oystercatcher

Bonaparte's Gull

 Mew Gull

 California Gull

Ring-billed Gull

Herring Gull

Iceland Gull

 Glaucous Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Belted Kingfisher

 Eurasian-collared Dove

European Starling

Northern Flicker

 Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

American Robin

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-winged Blackbird

Spotted Towhee

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Song Sparrow

 Dark-eyed Junco 

 House Sparrow

Glaucous Gull: Ralph Hocken Photo:

A Wilson’s Snipe was seen in a backyard along Parton Drive in Nanaimo.

Monday, October 16:

A Rufous Hummingbird was seen in the 4900 block of Homestead Way in Ladysmith.

A Palm Warbler saw spotted at the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.

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 and go to a different location in the Oceanside area.

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The Tuesday Bird walk on October 24, 2017, will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. 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 end of Shelly Road on the ocean side of highway 19a in Parksville at about 9:10 a.m.

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The Sunday bird walk on October 29, 2017 will be going to Nanoose Bay. Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 a.m. or at beach near the Church Camp off highway 19 and Arlington Road at about 9:15 a.m.     

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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: http://thebirdstore.blogspot.ca/