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Tuesday, 20 August 2019

Nanaimo Weekly Bird Report August 20, 2019




The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store



Nanaimo Bird Report

August 20, 2019


“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 August 18:

There was no bird walk this Sunday.


Cedar Waxwing, photo by Steen Petersen

 

Tuesday August 20:

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to the Plummer road side of the Englishman River Estuary. The morning was sunny and the winds were light. A few highlights from the walk were a Ring-billed Gull, Long-bill Dowitcher, and Cedar Waxwings. There was not much on the strait except for a Pigeon Guillemot, Common Murre, Marbled Murrelet and Surf Scoter.



Sixteen birders including birders from Alberta, Vermont and Switzerland, saw and heard the following thirty nine (39) species:



Mallard

Green-winged Teal

Common Merganser

Northern Pintail

Surf Scoter

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Turkey Vulture

Merlin

Black-bellied Plover

Killdeer

Black Oystercatcher

Lesser Yellowlegs

Greater Yellowlegs

Western Sandpiper

Least Sandpiper

Long-billed Dowitcher

California Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Ring-billed Gull

Pigeon Guillemot

Common Murre

Marbled Murrelet

Belted Kingfisher

Anna’s Hummingbird

Pacific-sloped Flycatcher

Hammond’s Flycatcher

Northwestern Crow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Bushtit

American Robin

Cedar Waxwing

Orange-crowned Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

House Finch

Purple Finch

American Goldfinch




Green-winged Teal, photo by Ralph Hocken.





Monday August 19:

A Yellow-billed Loon was seen off the mouth of the Little Qualicum River.



Backyard Feeder Notes:

The woodpeckers are back at my suet feeders in mass. The other day there were six Northern Flickers on the feeders and then the Downy woodpeckers arrived. It s always fun to watch the juvenile feeding by itself until an adult arrives and then begins to beg to be fed, I call these teenagers.

Chickadee, Bushtits and nuthatches are still busy at the feeders and are beginning to cache seed away for the winter. Peanut halves and black oil sunflower seed are a favorite for caching.

In some parts of Ladysmith we have had reports of Steller’s Jays visiting backyard feeders. They will also be caching seed away for winter and their favorites are sunflower seeds and peanuts in the shell.

This can be a fun time to watch the birds at the backyard feeders, as all the juveniles are out and about and some birds are beginning to migrate south while others are returning to winter here. It can be a busy and interesting time to watch the birds in your backyard.




Flock of Bushtits on a suet feeder, photo Google images





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 August 27, 2019:

Will be going to Little Qualicum River Estuary. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (near the Lions Club playground parking area) in Parksville at 9:00 am or at the north parking area on Surfside drive off of Kinkade road in Qualicum Beach, at 9:20 a.m. 



The Sunday Bird Walk August 25, 2019:

Will be going to Buttertubs Marsh. Meet at The Backyard Wildbird & Nature Store at 9:00 am or at the end of Buttertubs drive off of Bowen road at 9:15 am.





Good birding!

Colin Bartlett











The Backyard

Wildbird and Nature Store
6314 Metral Drive V9T-2L8
Phone: 250-390-3669


Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca
Blog:
www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

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