Vancouver Island Weekly Bird Report - September 12 2018

The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

Weekly Bird Report

September 12, 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 was seen and location of your sighting.

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Sunday Bird Walk, September 9, 2018

The Sunday bird walk went to the Englishman River Estuary on the Plummer road side. The morning was breezy with rain showers. Three hardy, or foolish, birders went out and saw 28 species. One of our highlights was watching an Anna’s Hummingbird put the run on a Cooper’s Hawk by the viewing platform. Also had some good views of American Pipits, about 20, flying around the edge of the mud flats.

Three birders saw and heard the following twenty eight species:

Common Loon

Pacific Loon

Mallard

American Widgeon

Green-winged Teal

Northern Pintail

Common Merganser

Great Blue Heron

Red-tailed Hawk

Cooper’s Hawk

Western Sandpiper

Least Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper

Killdeer

Black Oystercatcher

Glaucous-winged Gull

Marbled Murrelet

California Quail

Eurasian Collared Dove

Belted Kingfisher

Anna’s Hummingbird

Northern Flicker

Common Raven

Northwestern Crow

American Pipit

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Spotted Towhee

Turkey Vultures are moving south and we have received reports from Black Creek to Chemainus. Watch for them as after September we won’t see them till next year.

We are hearing House Finches are busy at many backyard feeders right now and we are seeing flocks of Bushtits visiting the suet feeders.

Whimbrel: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Tuesday bird walk Parksville/Qualicum Beach

September 11, 2018

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. The morning was cloudy and calm. At the start of the walk we were rewarded with a mix of over 60 Black Swift and Vaux’s Swift circling high above. Many of them were seen throughout the walk. There was also a Whimbrel on the mudflats. An American Pipit landed within 10 feet of us, giving great views. Several American Goldfinch were flying among the trees and a Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler and Common Yellowthroat were also spotted.

9 birders saw and heard the following 49 species:

Mallard

Green-winged Teal

Surf Scoter

Common Merganser

American Wigeon

Northern Pintail

Double-crested Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant

Red-necked Grebe

Horned Grebe

Great-blue Heron

Black Oystercatcher

California Gull

Mew Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Common Loon

Pacific Loon

Western Sandpiper

Least Sandpiper

Semipalmated Plover

Black-bellied Plover

Whimbrel

Greater Yellowlegs

Killdeer

Black Swift

Vaux’s Swift

Belted Kingfisher

Cooper’s Hawk

Turkey Vulture

Anna’s Hummingbird

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Bewick’s Wren

Eurasian-collared Dove

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Spotted Towhee

American Pipit

Orange-crowned Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Savannah Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

American Goldfinch

House Finch

Purple Finch

The Sunday Bird Walk on September 16, 2018 will be going to the Buttertubs Marsh, Nanaimo. Meet at the Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store, 6314 Metral Drive in Nanaimo at 9:00 a.m. or at the end of Buttertubs Drive at the marsh entrance.

The Tuesday Bird Walk on September 18, 2018 will be going to the Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach. 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.

Good birding, Colin

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: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com