Nanaimo bird report, April 07, 2019

The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store Weekly Bird Report
Nanaimo Bird Report, April 07, 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 was seen and location of your sighting.
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Sunday Bird Walk, April 07, 2019 :

This week’s Sunday bird walk went to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.  The weather was mostly cloudy with calm winds. Wood Ducks, Mallards, Ring-necked Ducks, Pied-billed Grebes, Bufflehead, American Coot, and a  female Hooded  Merganser were seen on the Marsh. We heard a Virginia Rail singing for most of the morning. Violet-green Swallows, Tree Swallows, a Barn Swallow, and a Northern Rough-wing Swallow were seen flying low over the Marsh all morning.

Virginia Rail: Lynda Stevens Photo:

Seventeen birders saw and heard the following forty-eight species:
Canada Geese
American Widgeon
Wood Duck
Mallard
Red-necked Duck
Pied-billed Grebe
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Great-blue Heron
Virginia Rail
American Coot
Glaucous-winged Gull
Belted Kingfisher
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Peregrine Falcon
Turkey Vulture
Violet-green Swallow
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Northern Rough-wing Swallow
Anna’s Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Northwestern Crow
Eurasian-collared Dove
Rock Pigeon
Ring-necked Pheasant
Northern Flicker
Downy Woodpecker
California Quail
Common Yellowthroat
Cedar Waxwing
European Startling
American Robin
Ruby crowned Kinglet
Bushtit
Bewick’s Wren
Marsh Wren
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Spotted Towhee
Gold-crowned Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-wing Blackbird
American Goldfinch
Song Sparrow  
Pine Siskin
House Sparrow

 Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday Bird Walk, April 02, 2019:

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to the Little Qualicum River Fish Hatchery in north of Qualicum Beach. The morning was sunny with calm winds.   We saw thousands of Surf Scoters, White-wing Scoters, Red-necked Grebes, Brant Geese, Pacific Loons and Common Loons on the Strait of Georgia when we stopped on the way to the hatchery at the Brant Viewing Area in North Qualicum Beach.  We spotted a pair of busy Bushtits building a nest just above the trail at the hatchery--a great sighting. Two Orange-crowned Warblers, the first of the season, entertained us about four feet above the ground near the trail. Three Red Crossbills were seen near the river. At the end of the walk we saw an American Dipper on the river.

Orange-crowned Warbler: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Seventeen birders saw and heard the following forty-nine Species:

Canada Geese

Brant

American Wigeon

Mallard

Northern Pintail

Surf Scoters

White-wing Scoter

Red-necked Grebe

Green-winged Teal

Horned Grebe

Bufflehead

Red-breasted Merganser

Common Merganser

Pelagic  Cormorant

Pacific loon

Common Loon

Pigeon Guillemot

Belted Kingfisher

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Cooper’s Hawk
Black Oystercatcher

Bonaparte’s Gull

Mew Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Violet-green Swallow

Anna’s Hummingbird

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Downey Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Pacific Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

American Dipper

Bushtit

American Robin

Varied Thrush

European Starling

Orange-crowned Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow

Purple Finch

Dark-eyed Junco

Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin

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 April 09, 2019 will be going to the Shelly 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 at the ocean side of highway 19a on Shelly Road in Parksville at about 9:10 am.

The Sunday Bird Walk on April 14, 2019 will be going to Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo. Meet at the Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store (6314 Metral Drive in Nanaimo) at 9:00am or at the end of Raines Road in south Nanaimo at about 9:30 am.

Good Birding
Neil Robins

6314 Metral Drive, Nanaimo V9T-2L8
Phone: 250-390-3669
Fax: 250-390-1633
Email: thebackyard @shaw.ca
Blog: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com