Nanaimo bird report, January 22, 2019

Nanaimo bird report, January 20, 2019:


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, January 20, 2019
The Sunday bird walk went to the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo. The morning was sunny with calm winds.  A Cooper’s Hawk was spotted on a mound in the estuary, to start our busy morning.  Several Red-tailed Hawks were perched on the tall trees.  A flock of Black-bellied Plovers flew along the shoreline giving us great views.  A large flock of Black-bellied Plovers flew past overhead.  An American Tree Sparrow was spotted near the trail giving us great views.  A Harris Sparrow was seen in with a flock of Golden-crowned Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows and Song Sparrows just off the trail.  After the walk some of the birders went to Gordon Road in Cedar and spotted the rare Dusky Thrush that was reported in the British Columbia Rare Bird Alert.  It was a lifer for most of us!  This is only the third time the Dusky Thrush has been seen and recorded in the province of British Columbia.  A Northern Shrike was seen in the same area

Harris Sparrow:

Fourteen birders saw and heard the following thirty-four species:

Trumpeter Swan

Mallard

Northern Pintail

Bufflehead

American Widgeon

Common Goldeneye

  Common Merganser

Great Blue Heron

Killdeer

Black-bellied Plover

Bald Eagle

Cooper’s Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Iceland(Thayers) Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Belted Kingfisher

Northern Flicker

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

European Starling

Eurasian-collared Dove

Black-bellied Plover

American Robin

Anna’s Hummingbird

Bushtit

Bewick’s Wren

Spotted Towhee

American Tree Sparrow

Harris Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Song Sparrow

House Finch

Dark-eyed Junco

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, Englishman River Estuary, Shelly Road side, January 15, 2019.

The morning was very foggy with calm winds.  A lone female Common Goldeneye was spotted on the river. Many American Wigeons and Green-wing Teal were seen through the fog near the shore on the estuary. We heard and saw a great number of Bald Eagles during the morning.  An Anna's Hummingbird was perched on a tree giving us great views.  A large flock of Pine Siskins landed on the top of a short tree.  A Lincoln’s Sparrow, Song Sparrows, A Fox Sparrow, several Purple Finch and  House Finch were seen along the trail.

Lincoln’s Sparrow: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Seventeen birders saw and heard the following forty-six species:

Canada Geese

American Wigeon

Northern Pintail

Mallard
Bufflehead

Common Goldeneye

Common Merganser

Green-wing Teal

Mew Gull

Iceland (Thayer’s) Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

 Great Blue Heron

Virginia Rail

California Quail

Belted Kingfisher

Bald Eagle

Cooper’s Hawk

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Northern Harrier

Eurasian-collared Dove
Chestnut-backed Chickadee

 Red-breasted Nuthatch

 Anna's Hummingbird

  Downy Woodpecker

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Northwestern Crow

 Common Raven

  Bewick's Wren

Pacific Wren

 Ruby-crowned Kinglet

 Golden-crowned Kinglet

Bushtit

 Brown Creeper

American Robin

Varied Thrush

European Starling

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Spotted Towhee

Lincoln’s Sparrow

Song Sparrow 

Fox Sparrow

Purple Finch

 House Finch

Pine Siskin

House Sparrow

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 January 22, 2019 will be going to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (near the Lions Club playground parking lot) in Parksville at 9:00 am, or corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive on the ocean side of highway 19a at about 9:10 am

The Sunday walk on January 27, 2019 will be going to the Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. Meet at the BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE, 6314 Metral Drive at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at Buttertubs off Bowen Road at about 9:15 am.  

Good birding
Neil Robins


THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE
6314 Metral Drive
Nanaimo, B.C. V9T-2L8
Phone: 250-390-3669
Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca

www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com