Caspian Terns

Caspian Terns: Ralph Hocken Photo.


Two Caspian Terns, one Yellow-billed Loon, one Common Murre and lots of Bonaparte's Gulls were seen at Columbia Beach on April 14, 2010.

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, April 13, 2010

Long-tailed Ducks and Surf Scoters in flight: Ralph Hocken Photo.


The Tuesday bird walk went to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville. The morning was mostly cloudy with a strong wind off the Strait of Georgia.
The tide was low and Brant Geese lined most of the shoreline in single file. A Pigeon Guillemot, a Marbled Murrelet and two Cassin's Auklet flew low over the water heading up the
Straight of Georgia. Several flocks of about forty Bonaparte's Gulls flew up the Strait just along the shoreline. Rafts of Surf Scoters, White-winged Scoters, Black Scoters, Long-tailed Ducks, Greater Scaup, a Red-throated Loon, a Common Loon and Barrow's and Common Goldeneye were just offshore. There was a large raft of Pacific Loons and three Western Grebes further offshore.
We heard a Common Yellowthroat singing and saw and heard an Orange-crowned Warbler singing from the top of a Alder Bush near the marsh. Near the end of the walk we heard and saw a Ruby-crowned Kinglet sing his deep and very rich courtship song.

Nine birders saw and heard the following fifty-one species of birds:
Brant
American Wigeon
Mallard
Greater Scaup
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Barrows Goldeneye
Common Goldeneye
Red-breasted Merganser
Red-throated Loon
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Western Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Bald Eagle
Black Oystercatcher
Dunlin
Bonaparte's Gull
Mew Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Pigeon Guillemot
Marbled Murrelet
Cassin's Auklet
Rufous Hummingbird
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Hutton's Vireo
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Winter Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
Varied Thrush
European Starling
Orange-crowned Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin

Good birding!
Neil Robins
Parksville
British Columbia

Nanaimo bird report, April 11, 2010

Yellow-rumped Warbler; Ralph Hocken Photo.

NANAIMO BIRD REPORT

To report your sightings
phone the Store at 250-390-3669
e-mail us at thebackyard@shaw.ca
call the Bird Report at 250-390-3029

Also check the birdstore blog for the latest bird alerts and updates:
www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

Post your sightings on this site:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bcbirdingvanisland/messages

Birds of British Columbia:
http://www.geog.ubc.ca/biodiversity/efauna/SpeciesChecklists.html

International Birdwatching Guides
http://www.guidedbirdwatching.com

Birdwatching contacts and information find a local birder to go birdwatching
with:
http://www.birdingpal.org/

Please remember, when reporting a sighting, to leave your name and phone
number, along with the date, name and location of your sighting.

Sunday April 11, 2010:
The Sunday Bird Walk went to the Morrell Nature Sanctuary in Nanaimo. We
saw and heard both Orange-crowned and Yellow-rumped Warblers near the
beginning of the walk. We saw three different pairs of Brown Creepers
building nests behind the bark in trees. We head a Hutton's Vireo singing
near the Beaver Ponds.
Twenty-three birders saw and heard the following thirty-two species: Canada
Goose, Mallard, Turkey Vulture, Cooper's Hawk, Rock Pigeon, Band-tailed
Pigeon, Anna's Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Northern Flicker, Pileated
Woodpecker, Steller's Jay, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Brown
Creeper, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Winter Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet,
American Robin,Varied Thrush, European Starling, Hutton's Vireo,
Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Fox Sparrow,
Song Sparrow , White-crowned Sparrow, House Finch, Dark-eyed Junco, Purple
Finch, Red Crossbills, and Pine Siskin.

Saturday April 10:
Fifteen Western Grebes were seen offshore from Columbia Beach.

Thirty Trumpeter Swans were seen circling several times then heading
northwest over Departure Bay in Nanaimo.

Four Mountain Bluebirds and one American Kestrel were seen at the Nanaimo
River Estuary in south Nanaimo.

Eight American Pipits were seen at the Holden Creek side of the Nanaimo
River Estuary.


A Steller's Jay was seen visiting feeders along Douglas Avenue in the
Harewood area of Nanaimo.

Eight California Quail are visiting feeders in the 2500 block of Glenayr
Drive in Nanaimo.

Friday April 09:
An Osprey and a Northern Harrier were seen over the Nanaimo River Estuary in
south Nanaimo.

Tuesday April 06:
The Tuesday bird walk went to Springwood Park in Parksville. The morning
was cloudy but pleasant, with calm winds. The highlights included hearing
as well as seeing an Orange-crowned Warbler and a Yellow-rumped Warbler in
the same area of the park. A Cooper's Hawk gave us good looks as it glided
in a large circle above us. There were several Bald Eagles perched in the
tall snags and Turkey Vultures and Bald Eagles circled in the sky above us
. We saw a Pileated Woodpecker feeding on bugs in a tall snag. Through out
the morning we saw several Brown Creepers moving up the fir trees along the
trails.
Fifteen birders saw and heard the following thirty-three species of birds.
Canada Goose, Ring-necked Pheasant, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Cooper's
Hawk, Glaucous-winged Gull, Rufous Hummingbird, Northern Flicker, Pileated
Woodpecker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven,
Violet-green Swallow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bushtit, Red-breasted
Nuthatch, Brown Creeper,
Bewick's Wren, Winter Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet,
American Robin, Varied Thrush, European Starling, Orange-crowned Warbler,
Yellow-rumped Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow,
Dark-eyed Junco, Purple Finch, House Finch, Red Crossbill and
Pine Siskin.

Tuesday April 06:
A pair of Downy Woodpeckers, American Goldfinch, Pine Siskins, White-crowned
Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos are visiting feeders along Beaconsfield Road
in Nanaimo.

Eight Great Blue Herons were seen flying over Beaconsfield Road in Nanaimo.

April 05:
A Varied Thrush was seen on the garden fence along Meridian Way in
Parksville.

A Sharp-shinned Hawk was seen chasing an American Robin at a backyard in the
2100 block of Lancashire Avenue in Nanaimo. There were also six Varied
Thrush, Bushtits, Dark-eyed Juncos, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pine
Siskin, House Finch, Anna's Hummingbird and Bewick's Wrens in the same
backyard.

Sunday April 04:
A male Mountain Bluebird was spotted perched on one of the fence posts at
the south end of the Nanaimo Airport in south Nanaimo.

A mostly albino American Robin was seen at the cross of Cypress Street and
St. Andrews Street near the railway track in Nanaimo.

The Mountain Bluebird was seen again on the estuary at the Nanaimo River
Estuary in south Nanaimo.

Saturday April 03:
A Mountain Bluebird, two Yellow-rumped Warblers, Three Red Crossbills, A
male Northern Harrier and a Short-eared Owl was being mobbed by two Crows at
the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.

Two Pileated Woodpeckers were seen along Sea Otter Place in Nanoose Bay.

A Steller's Jay and an Orange-Crowned Warbler were seen from a backyard on
Colbourne Street in Nanaimo.

A Canada Goose, Mallard, Bufflehead, Turkey Vulture, Cooper's Hawk, Virginia
Rail, Anna’s Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Downy
Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Tree Swallow,
Violet-green Swallow, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Winter Wren, Marsh Wren,
American Robin, Varied Thrush, Bushtit, Chestnut-backed Chickadee,
Red-breasted Nuthatch, Steller's Jay, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven,
European Starling, Cassin's Vireo, Purple Finch, House Finch, Red Crossbill,
Pine Siskin, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Spotted Towhee,
Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-winged Blackbird were seen and heard at
Legacy Marsh in upper Lantzville.

Orange-Crowned Warblers were seen drinking at the hummingbird feeders for
the past week along Cross Road in Nanoose Bay along with many female Rufous
Hummingbirds.

Thursday April 01:
A Sooty Grouse was seen along the Westfield Range above Westwood Lake in
Nanaimo.

Five Greater Yellowlegs were seen catching small "bullheads" (sculpins) in
tide pools at low tide at the creek mouth in the northwest corner of Nanoose
Bay, off Rowland Road.

One female Ring-necked Pheasant was seen crossing Wall Beach Road at
Northwest Bay in Nanoose Bay.

Wednesday March 31:
A Mountain Bluebird was seen again today at the Nanaimo River Estuary, in
south Nanaimo..

Monday March 29:
A White-throated Sparrow was seen in the 100 block of Green Lane Crescent in
Nanaimo.

For further information on these sightings or for help in identifying a
bird please
call The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store
@ 250-390-3669
Toll Free @ 1-888-249-4145
e-mail: thebackyard@shaw.ca
**********************************
Arrowsmith Naturalists
Guest speaker: Karen Barry of Bird Studies Canada will present information
about several of the current surveys in which volunteers can participate.
Monday April 26, 2010 @ 7:30 pm.
Springwood School
Parksville
**********************************
The Nanoose Naturalists
Thursday May 13, 2010 @ 7:00 pm
Nanoose Library,
Nanoose Bay
**********************************
Everyone is welcome to join us for a 2-3 hour bird walk on the Sunday and
Tuesday mornings. We leave from the Store at 9 A.M. Sunday Mornings and go
to a different location in and around Nanaimo and from the Parksville
Beach.Community Park at 9 A.M. on Tuesdays and go to different areas in and
around the Oceanside area.
**************************************************************
The Tuesday Bird Walk on April 13, 2010 will be going to Rathtrevor
Provincial Park in Parksville.
We meet the Parksville Beach Community Park at the parking area near the
Lions playground at 9 A.M. or at the main parking area at Rathtrevor at
about 9:15 A.M. Please note there are parking fees at the park.
*****************************************************
The Sunday Bird Walk on April 18, 2010 will be going to Legacy Marsh in
Upper Lantzville.
We meet at The Backyard Bird Store at 9:00 A.M. or under the hydro lines
along Normarel Drive off Superior Road at about 9:15 A.M.

*******************************************************
Good birding
Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD
Wildbird & Nature Store
6314 Metral Drive, Nanaimo, BC V9T 2L8
250.390.3669
250.390.1633 fax
thebackyard@shaw.ca
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG---> www.thebirdstore.blogspot

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, April 06, 2010

Yellow-rumped Warbler: Ralph Hocken Photo


The Tuesday bird walk went to Springwood Park in Parksville. The morning was cloudy but pleasant, with calm winds. The highlights included hearing as well as seeing an Orange-crowned Warbler and a Yellow-rumped Warbler in the same area of the park. A Cooper's Hawk gave us good looks as it glided in a large circle above us. There were several Bald Eagles perched in the tall snags and Turkey Vultures and Bald Eagles circled in the sky above us . We saw a Pileated Woodpecker feeding on bugs in a tall snag. Through out the morning we saw several Brown Creepers moving up the fir trees along the trails.

Fifteen birders saw and heard the following thirty-three species of birds.
Canada Goose
Ring-necked Pheasant
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Cooper's Hawk
Glaucous-winged Gull
Rufous Hummingbird
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Violet-green Swallow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Bewick's Wren
Winter Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
Varied Thrush
European Starling
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Purple Finch
House Finch
Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin

Good birding
Neil Robins
Parksville
British Columbia

Nanaimo Bird Report, April 03, 2010

Snow Goose: Ralph Hocken Photo.

NANAIMO BIRD REPORT

To report your sightings
phone the Store at 250-390-3669
e-mail us at thebackyard@shaw.ca
call the Bird Report at 250-390-3029

Also check the birdstore blog for the latest bird alerts and updates:
www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

Post your sightings on this site:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bcbirdingvanisland/messages

Birds of British Columbia:
http://www.geog.ubc.ca/biodiversity/efauna/SpeciesChecklists.html

International Birdwatching Guides
http://www.guidedbirdwatching.com

Birdwatching contacts and information find a local birder to go birdwatching
with:
http://www.birdingpal.org/

Please remember, when reporting a sighting, to leave your name and phone
number, along with the date, name and location of your sighting.

Saturday April 03, 2010:
Three Band-tailed Pigeons were seen visiting feeders along Meridian Way in
Parksville.

Thursday April 01:
A Mountain Bluebird was seen again today on a small tree near the middle of
the Nanaimo River Estuary by the row of old fence posts that run toward the
sawmill at Duke Point.

Male and female American Goldfinch, California Quail, Chestnut-backed
Chickadees, White-crowned Sparrows, Northern Flickers and male and female
Rufous Hummingbirds are visiting feeders in the 2500 block of Lyburn
Crescent in Nanaimo.

Wednesday March 31:
A Mountain Bluebird was seen today at the Nanaimo River Estuary, in south
Nanaimo.

Tuesday March 30:
A female Rufous Hummingbird was spotted a feeders in the 4100 block of
Gulfview Drive in Nanaimo.

Fifteen Black Turnstones were seen at Neck Point in Nanaimo.

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman
Estuary in Parksville. The morning was cloudy but the wind was calm. The big
highlight of the morning was the sighting of a Eurasian Teal (also known as
a Common Teal) in with Green-winged Teal in the San Pariel mud flats off
Mariner Way. The Eurasian Teal is a Northern European duck that winters in
Britain, Holland and France. It is a regular visitor to Western Alaska and
is a rare, but regular visitor along the Pacific Coast.
Other highlights included seen a Merlin being chased by one feisty Rufous
Hummingbird at the start of the walk. We saw a Snow Goose and a Greater
White-fronted Goose in with the Canada Geese from the viewing platform.
Offshore from Mariner Way there was a mixed flock of an estimated
fifty-thousand seabirds including Brant Geese, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup,
Surf Scoters, White-winged Scoters, Black Scoters, Long-tailed Ducks,
Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Barrow's Goldeneye, Common Mergansers,
Red-breasted Mergansers, Pacific Loon, Common Loon and Pelagic Cormorants.
Eight birders saw and heard the following fifty-eight species of birds:
Greater White-fronted Goose, Snow Goose, Canada Goose, Brant, Trumpeter
Swan, Eurasian Wigeon, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Eurasian
Teal, Green-winged Teal, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Surf Scoter,
White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Common
Goldeneye, Barrow's Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser,
Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Pelagic Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle,
Merlin, Black-bellied Plover, Dunlin, Bonaparte's Gull, Mew Gull, California
Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Pigeon Guillemot, Rufous
Hummingbird, Ringed-necked Pheasant, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker,
Northern Shrike, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee,
Red-breasted Nuthatch, American Robin, Varied Thrush, Yellow-rumped Warbler,
Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow,
Dark-eyed Junco,
Red-winged Blackbird, Purple Finch, House Finch, Red Crossbill and Pine
Siskin.

Thursday March 25:
A female Common Yellowthroat was seen bouncing round the bushes near the
feeders along 2000 Sanders Drive in Nanoose Bay. This is early in the
season to have a sighting of a Common Yellowthroat.

For further information on these sightings or for help in identifying a
bird please
call The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store
@ 250-390-3669
Toll Free @ 1-888-249-4145
e-mail: thebackyard@shaw.ca
**********************************
The Nanoose Naturalists
Guest Speaker: Bill Turner--"The role of The Land Conservancy".
Thursday April 08, 2010 @ 7:00 pm
Nanoose Library,
Nanoose Bay
**********************************
Arrowsmith Naturalists
Monday April 26, 2010 @ 7:30 pm.
Springwood School
Parksville
**********************************
Everyone is welcome to join us for a 2-3 hour bird walk on the Sunday and
Tuesday mornings. We leave from the Store at 9 A.M. Sunday Mornings and go
to a different location in and around Nanaimo and from the Parksville
Beach.Community Park at 9 A.M. on Tuesdays and go to different areas in and
around the Oceanside area.
**************************************************************
The Tuesday Bird Walk on April 05, 2010 will be going to Springwood Park in
Parksville.
We meet the Parksville Beach Community Park at the parking area near the
Lions
playground at 9 A.M. or at the west end of Despard Avenue at about 9:15 A.M.
*****************************************************
There will be no Sunday Bird Walk on Easter Sunday, April 04, 2010.

The Sunday Bird Walk on April 11, 2010 will be going to the Morrell
Wildlife Sanctuary in Nanaimo.
We meet at The Backyard Bird Store at 9:00 A.M. or at parking lot near the
entrance to Morrell off the Nanaimo Lakes Road at about 9:20A.M.
*******************************************************
Good birding
Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD
Wildbird & Nature Store
6314 Metral Drive, Nanaimo, BC V9T 2L8
250.390.3669
250.390.1633 fax
thebackyard@shaw.ca
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG---> www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com