Nanaimo bird report, March 11, 2018

Nanaimo bird report, March 11, 2018:

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.

***********************************************************

Sunday bird walk, March 11, 2018:

The Sunday bird walk went to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo. The morning was sunny with calm winds. A large flock of Common Mergansers were seen on the bay next to the parking lot. Many Harlequin Ducks were seen along the rocks just off shore. We had great views of a singing Hutton’s Vireo seen just off the trail. A flock of Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Golden-crowned Kinglets were spotted near the trail. Several Double-crested Cormorants and Pelagic Cormorants were seen heading up the Strait of Georgia. One Brandt’s Cormorant was seen heading down the Strait. A Pileated Woodpecker was feeding on a fallen log.

Yellow-rumped Warbler: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Seventeen birders saw and heard the following thirty-eight species:

Canada Geese

Mallard

Double-crested Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant

Brandt’s Cormorant

Bufflehead

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Common Goldeneye

Harlequin Duck

Common Merganser

Hooded Merganser

Horned Grebe

Bald Eagle

Mew Gull

Iceland Gull

California Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Pigeon Guillemot

Downy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

Steller’s Jay

Common Raven

Northwestern Crow

European Starling

American Robin

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Hutton’s Vireo

Anna’s Hummingbird

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Pacific Wren

Bewick's Wren

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Harlequin Duck: Ralph Hocken Photo.

                                                                 Friday, March 09:  

Twelve Red crossbills were seen visiting a backyard feeder along Honeysuckle Terrace in Nanaimo.

Thursday, March 08:

Fifteen Bald eagles were seen circling high overhead above Meridian Way in Parksville.

Parksville/Qualicum Beach, Tuesday bird walk, March 06, 2018:

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville.  The morning was cloudy with a calm wind off the Strait of Georgia—the feel of spring is in the air!  A Northern Shrike watched us from a short tree.  Three Gadwall were seen along the river.  The Strait of Georgia was covered with millions of birds! The herring spawn was in full force with thousands and thousands of Mew Gulls, Iceland Gulls, California Gulls and Glaucous-winged Gulls on the gravel bars in the estuary and on the Strait.  A Bald Eagle flew over the gulls and they  lifted and covered the sky in flight. Many flocks of Brant Geese flew down the Strait during the walk.  Very large rafts of Surf Scoters, White-winged Scoters, Greater Scaup and Lesser Scaup stretched for a long distance from the estuary into the Strait.  An Eurasian Wigeon was spotted in with a small flock of American Wigeon just off shore.  Five Orcas (Killer Whales) put on a great show us for a very long time. It was a whale of a bird walk!  A huge flock of Common Redpolls flew overhead at the end of the walk and landed in a tree giving us great views. 

Greater Scaup: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Thirty-two birders including visiting birders from Ottawa, Saskatoon and Inverness saw and heard the following fifty-eight species:

 Canada Goose
Brant
Gadwall
Eurasian Wigeon

American Wigeon
Mallard
Harlequin Duck

Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter

Long-tailed Duck
Greater Scaup

Lesser Scaup

Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Barrow's Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Brandt’s Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Northern Shrike

Black Oystercatcher
Dunlin
Mew Gull
Iceland-Thayer's Gull
California Gull
Herring Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull
Common Murre
Rufous Hummingbird

Anna's Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
                                           Downy Woodpecker                                                    Pileated Woodpecker 

Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Brown Creeper

Pacific Wren

Bewick’s Wren

American Robin
European Starling
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
House Finch 

Common Redpoll

Surf Scoters: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Please Note

Check this site (www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com)early Tuesday and Sunday on stormy mornings to see if the walks have been cancelled!

Please Note

Check this site (www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com)early Tuesday and Sunday on stormy mornings to see if the walks have been cancelled!

The Tuesday Bird Walk on March 13, 2018 will be going to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial park in Parksville.. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (near the Lions Club playground parking lot) in Parksville at 9:00 am, or at the main parking lot at Rathtrevor Park about 9:10 am.

The Sunday Bird Walk on Marsh 18, 2018 will be going to the Englishman River Shelly Road side in Parksville. Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 AM. Or the end of Shelly Road on the ocean side of highway 19a in Parksville at about 9:25 AM.

Good birding

Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE

314 Metral Drive

Nanaimo B.C.
V9T-2L8

Phone: 250-390-3669

Fax: 250-390-1633

Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca

www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com