Nanaimo bird report, December 17, 2017

Nanaimo bird report, December 17, 2017:

“MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR” 

FROM EVERYONE AT THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE. 

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 17, 2017  

The Sunday bird walk went to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park in Parksville. The morning was cloudy with light rain showers and very strong winds off the Strait of Georgia. Over fifty Brant Geese were spotted along the shoreline. A cloud of an estimated five hundred Dunlin lifted and flew along the shore giving us great views. We saw a Red-breasted Nuthatch, three Chestnut-backed Chickadees, five Golden-crowned Kinglets and two Ruby-crowned Kinglets feeding on bushes about six feet off the ground, next to the trail.

Dunlin: Ralph Hocken Photo: 

Six birders saw and heard the following thirty-one species:

Brant Geese

American Widgeon

Mallard

Bufflehead

Common Goldeneye

Surf Scoter

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Pacific Loon

Common Loon

Double-crested Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant

Bald Eagle

Mew Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Dunlin

 Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Northern Flicker

Varied Thrush

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Pacific Wren

Brown Creeper

Spotted Towhee

Golden-crowned Sparrow 

 Dark-eyed Junco

Song Sparrow

Pine Siskin  

Brant: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Saturday, December 16:

Over two hundred Pacific White-sided Dolphins were seen corralling herring at Nanoose Bay at 11:30 a.m. 

Tuesday, December 12:

Parksville/Qualicum Beach, Tuesday birds walk December 12, 2017:

The Tuesday went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was cloudy with calm winds. The highlight of the morning was the sighting of two Common Redpolls feeding in a tall birch tree next to the trail.  We heard a flock of Red Crossbills fly overhead.  We saw a Golden-crowned Kinglet and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet moving very quickly in the trees along the trail.  A large flock of Brant Geese were spotted on the ocean. Ten Gadwall were seen near the shore line.  We had great views of a Hairy Woodpecker feeding in a tall conifer.  A Brandt’s Cormorant, several Barrow’s Goldeneye, Common Goldeneye and Red-breasted Mergansers were seen just offshore.

 Hairy Woodpecker: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Twenty-two birders including two visiting birders from St. Albert, Alberta saw and heard the following fifty-four species:

Canada Geese

Brandt Geese

American Widgeon

Mallard

Northern Pintail

Gadwall

Surf Scoter

White-wing Scoter

Bufflehead

Barrow’s Goldeneye

Common Goldeneye

Red-breasted Merganser

Common Merganser

Hooded Merganser

Common Loon

Pacific Loon

Double-crested Cormorant

Brandt’s Cormorant

Common Murre

Belted Kingfisher

Killdeer

Great Blue Heron

Mew Gull

California Gull

Thayer's Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Bald Eagle

Merlin

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Northern Shrike

Anna's Hummingbird

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Steller’s Jay

American Robin

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Brown Creeper

Bewick's Wren

Pacific Wren

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

European Starling

Spotted Towhee

Brewers Blackbird

Song Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Common Redpoll

Red Crossbill

House Finch

Pine Siskin

  Northern Shrike: Ralph Hocken Photo:  

Please Note

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

 The Tuesday Bird walk on December 19, 2017, will be going to the Plummer 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 corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive on the Oceanside of Highway 19A in Parksville at about 9:10 a.m.

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The Sunday Bird walks will resume on January 07, 2018

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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