The Backyard's Weekly Bird Walk locations are found in the Backyard Bird Report at the very end of the most recent report. Any cancellations will be posted by 8am the day of the walk.

Sunday 10 December 2017

Nanaimo bird report, December 10, 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 bird walk, December 10, 2017  
The Sunday bird walk went to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. The morning was mostly sunny with calm winds. One Trumpeter Swan flew high over head. We saw one Canada Goose on the marsh. Two Pied-billed Grebe, and three Hooded Mergansers were also on the marsh. We spotted three Downy Woodpeckers feeding on the tall trees. A Golden-crowned Sparrow, a Fox Sparrow, several Pine Siskins and American Goldfinch were seen just off the trail. A Merlin was perched at the top of a very tall tree, preening itself.

                                                Pied-billed Grebe: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Seventeen birders saw and heard the following thirty-nine species:
Trumpeter Swan
Canada Geese
Mallard
American Wigeon
Bufflehead
Pied-billed Grebe
Hooded Merganser
Ringed-necked Duck
Great Blue Heron
Glaucous-winged Gull
Belted Kingfisher
Bald Eagle
Merlin
Northern Flicker
Downy Woodpecker
Eurasian Collared-Dove
American Robin
Varied Thrush
European Starling
Steller's Jay
Common Raven
Northwestern Crow
Anna’s Hummingbird
Brown Creeper
Marsh Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Bushtit
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Pine Siskin
Purple Finch
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow   

                                                                                              Fox Sparrow: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Tuesday, December 05:
Tuesday bird walks December 05, 2017:
Finally it wasn’t raining and the Tuesday bird walk went to Columbia Beach in French Creek! Third try lucky!  The morning was cloudy with calm winds. A Merlin was spotted perched high up in a tall snag. Several flocks of Surf Scoters, White-winged Scoters, Common Loons and Long-tailed Ducks were seen just off shore. Many flocks of Common Mergansers, Red-breasted Mergansers and Pacific Loons were seen further offshore. Eight Brant Geese were seen heading down the Strait of Georgia.  Flocks of Ancient Murrelets and Common Murre were seen heading up the Strait all morning.  We spotted a Fox Sparrow, a Song Sparrow, four Varied Thrush and four White-crowned Sparrows just off the trail.  Looking towards the horizon from French Creek, we were entertained by two Hump-backed Whales for fifteen minutes as they spouted and came in and out of the ocean. 
                                                                               
                                                          Merlin: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Eleven birders saw and heard the following forty-nine species:
Trumpeter Swan
Canada Geese
Brant
Harlequin Duck
American Wigeon
Mallard
Surf Scoter 
 White-winged Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead 
 Common Goldeneye
 Common Merganser 
 Red-breasted Merganser
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
 Horned Grebe
 Red-necked Grebe
 Double-crested Cormorant
 Pelagic Cormorant
Pigeon Guillemot
Ancient Murrelet
Common Murre
 Bald Eagle
Merlin
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Black-bellied Plover
 Black Oystercatcher
Dunlin
 Black Turnstone
 Mew Gull
 California Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Iceland Gull
 Glaucous-winged Gull 
 Eurasian-collared Dove 
 Northern Flicker
                                                             Northwestern Crow
Steller’s Jay
Anna’s Hummingbird
 Chestnut-backed Chickadee 
 American Robin
Spotted Towhee
Fox Sparrow
 Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
House Finch
Dark-eyed Junco


Over sixty Common Redpolls were seen in the Alders near the parking lot at Neck Point Park in Nanaimo.

A flock of thirty Evening Grosbeaks were seen at the end of Lowery’s Road near the Little Qualicum Cheese works in Qualicum Beach.

Thursday, December 07:
An American Kestrel was spotted along Cameron Road near the Nanaimo Airport in south Nanaimo. 

Please Note
Check this site early Tuesday and Sunday mornings on stormy mornings to see if the walks have been cancelled!

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The Tuesday Bird walk on December 12, 2017, will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River 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 Oceanside of Highway 19A in Parksville at about 9:10 a.m.
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The Sunday walk on December 17, 2017 will be going to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville, depending on the weather. Meet at the bird store at 9:00 a.m. or at main parking at Rathtrevor Park off highway 19a, at about 9:30 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

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