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 18 March 2018

Nanaimo bird report, March 18, 2018




Nanaimo bird report, March 18, 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 18, 2018:
The Sunday bird walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville.  The morning was cloudy with calm winds. We watched a pair of Ruby-crowned Kinglets building a nest near the trail.  A large raft of Long-tailed Ducks and Surf Scoters were seen offshore. A  Western Meadowlark and a Yellow-rumped Warbler were seen and heard.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Eighteen birders including a visiting birder from Ottawa saw and heard the following fifty-seven species:
Canada Geese
Brant
Trumpeter Swan
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Long-tailed Duck
Surf Scoter
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Barrow's Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant,
Great Blue Heron
Killdeer
Bald Eagle
Mew Gull
Iceland(Thayer's) Gull
California Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Eurasian-collared Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Virginia Rail
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Northern Shrike
Hutton's Vireo
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven,
California Quail
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Steller’s Jay
Red-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper
Pacific Wren
Bewick's Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
Varied Thrush
                                                           Western Meadowlark
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Anna’s Hummingbird
European Starling
Spotted Towhee,
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Purple Finch
House Finch
Pine Siskin
Fox Sparrow: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Eight Red Crossbills are visiting a backyard feeder along Honeysuckle Terrace and Forest Drive in Nanaimo.

Wednesday, March 14:

A Rufous Hummingbird was visiting feeders along Bluebell Terrace and Meredith in Nanaimo.

Friday, March 16:

Nineteen Trumpeter Swans were seen flying above Long Lake in Nanaimo.


Three Swallows were seen flying above Morrell Circle by Morrell Wildlife Sanctuary in Nanaimo.

Monday, March 12:

BC Rare bird alert.

KING EIDER (1 male)
Location: Eaglecrest area of Qualicum Beach; originally found off Bluffs Dr, but last seen off Whitmee Rd

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park in Parksville.  The morning was cloudy with a calm wind off the Strait of Georgia.  Light rain started just as we were finishing the walk.  Over three hundred Dunlin, several Black-bellied Plovers and one Sanderling were seen feeding along the shoreline.  Hundreds of Mew Gulls, California Gulls, Iceland (Thayer's) Gulls and Glaucous-winged Gulls noisily filled the shore all morning.  A very large raft of thousands of Brant, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Surf Scoters, White-winged Scoters, Black Scoters and  Long-tailed Ducks were  seen further offshore. Pacific Loons and Common Loons were spotted even further offshore. As we were doing the tally at the end of the walk a Northern Harrier did a fly pass!


Dunlin: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Seventeen birders including a visiting birder from Edmonton saw and heard the following fifty-six species:
Canada Geese
Brant
American Widgeon
Green-wing Teal
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Common Murre
Pigeon Guillemot
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Brandt’s Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Mew Gull
California Gull
Iceland(Thayer's} Gull
Herring Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Black Oystercatcher
Dunlin
Black-bellied Plover
Sanderling
Northern Flicker
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Anna’s Hummingbird
Brown Creeper
Pacific Wren
Bewick’s Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
Varied Thrush
European Starling
Spotted Towhee
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Harrier: Ralph Hocken Photo:

PleaseNote
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 20, 2018 will be going to the Little Qualicum River Fish Hatchery.  Meet at the Parksville Community Park (near the Lions Club playground parking lot) in Parksville at 9:00 am, or at the Brant viewing platform in north Qualicum Beach at about 9:20 am.



The Sunday Bird Walk on Marsh 25, 2018 will be going to the Bowen Park in Nanaimo. Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 AM., or the main parking lot at Bowen Park near the bowling green of at about 9:20AM.

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


www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

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