Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, October 06, 2015

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. The morning was cloudy with sunny periods with only a light shower.   A Townsend’s Solitaire perched on a tall tree at the start of the walk.  A Hutton’s Vireo was spotted near the top of the bushes near the trail.  We saw a  Northern Shrike  flying out from a short snag near the estuary in search of prey and returning to the perch.  A Black-bellied Plover, an American Golden-Plover, several Killdeer, three Greater Yellowlegs and one Lesser Yellowlegs were seen feeding on the mudflats as the tide was coming in.  We had another sighting of the Townsend’s Solitaire off the trail at the end of the mudflats, giving us great views.  A Peregrine Falcon and a Merlin gave chase to the birds on the mudflats. We had a terrific morning of birding.

                                                                                                 

                                                   American Golden Plover: Len Bettam Photo.         

Fifteen birders saw and heard the following sixty-three species:

Canada Geese

 American Widgeon

 Mallard

 Northern Pintail

Green-winged Teal

 Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Black Scoter

 Red-breasted Merganser

Hooded Merganser

Western Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Horned Grebe

 Pacific Loon

Common Loon

Common Murre

Black-bellied Plover

American Golden-Plover

Killdeer

Greater Yellowlegs

Lesser Yellowlegs

Great Blue Heron

 Belted Kingfisher

Northern Rough-wing Swallow

 Bald Eagle

Cooper’s Hawk

Peregrine Falcon

Merlin

Red-tailed Hawk

Northern Harrier

Northern Shrike

Ring-necked Pheasant

Bonaparte's Gull

Thayer’s Gull

  Mew Gull

 California Gull

 Glaucous-winged Gull

 Northern Flicker

Steller’s Jay

 Common Raven

 Northwestern Crow

American Robin

Varied Thrush

Townsend’s Solitaire

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Anna’s Hummingbirds

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Hutton’s Vireo 

Yellow-rumped Warbler

 European Starling

Savannah’s Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

 Song Sparrow

 Spotted Towhee

Dark-eyed Junco

Brewer’s Blackbird

Purple Finch

House Finch 

American Goldfinch 

                                                               

Townsend’s Solitaire: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

The Tuesday bird walk on October 13 will be going to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach. We meet at the Parksville Community Park at the parking lot close to the Lions Club Playground at 9:00 a.m., or at the Brant Viewing Platform in north Qualicum Beach at about 9:20 a.m. 

Good birding

Neil Robins

Parksville

 

 

 

 

 

A heads up on a possible sighting of a Steller's sea eagle

A possible sighting of a Steller's sea eagle was reported to the Birdstore this morning. The bird was seen over the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.

 

 

 

Steller's sea eagle

Bird

Steller's sea eagle is a large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae found in coastal northeastern Asia and mainly preys on fish and water birds. Wikipedia

Scientific name: Haliaeetus pelagicus

Higher classification: Sea eagle

Wingspan: 2.1 m

Mass: 4.9 – 6 kg (Male)

Length: 85 – 100 cm

Rank: Species

Tail length: 32 – 39 

Nanaimo bird report, October 04, 2015

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, October 04, 2015  

The Sunday bird walk went to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. The morning was sunny and warm. The highlight sighting of the morning was a White-throated Sparrow near the large Oak Tree. In the same area we saw many Yellow-rumped Warblers feeding in the Oak Trees.

 

                                                                                    

Yellow-rumped Warbler: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Fifteen birders saw and heard the following Forty-Six species:

Canada Goose

Mallard

 American Wigeon

 Gadwall

 Wood Duck

Northern Pintail

Green-winged Teal

 Ring-necked Duck

 Hooded Merganser

 Great Blue Heron

  American Coot

 Pied-billed Grebe

Sora

Virginia Rail

Northern Harrier

Red-tailed Hawk

Northern Flicker

Red=breasted Sapsucker

Belted Kingfisher

  Anna's Hummingbird

 Common Raven

 Northwestern Crow

California Quail

 Steller's Jay

 Red-winged Blackbird

 American Robin

Varied Thrush

 Chestnut-backed Chickadee

 Ruby-crowned Kinglet

 Marsh Wren

 Bewick's Wren

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Orange-crowned Warbler

 European Starling

 Spotted Towhee

 Dark-eyed Junco

 Fox Sparrow

 Song Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow

 Golden-crowned Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Purple Finch

 Pine Siskin

House Sparrow 

 

Friday, October 02:

 Over fifty Sandhill Cranes and White-fronted Geese were seen flying over Horne Lake heading south. 

Tuesday, September 29:

The Tuesday bird walk went to Columbia Beach. The morning was sunny but windy by the Strait of Georgia. We saw over a huge number of Pacific Loons, one Greater Scaup, many Horned Grebes, many Red-necked Grebes and about fifty Western Grebes on the Strait. A large flock of Black-bellied Plovers flew in and landed near the gravel bar.  Killdeer and Black Oystercatchers were singing and feeding near the shore.  Two Western Meadowlarks, the surprise bird of the morning, flew in and landed near the parking area giving us great views. A flock of singing Red Crossbills landed on the top of a tall conifer near the creek. We watched a Red-breasted Nuthatch feeding on a conifer cone near the trail.  American Robins were plentiful all morning and we spotted a Varied Thrush near the marsh.

 

Western Meadowlark: Ralph Hocken Photo.

 

Eighteen birders including two visiting birders from Victoria saw and heard the following fifty-four Species:

                                                          Canada Geese

Mallard

American Wigeon

Greater Scaup

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Black Scoter

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Common Loon

Pacific Loon

Horned Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Western Grebe

Double-crested Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant

Common Murre

Pigeon Guillemot

Belted Kingfisher

Bald Eagle

Black-bellied Plover

Killdeer

Black Oystercatcher

Bonaparte's Gull

Mew Gull

California Gull

Thayer’s Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Eurasian collared-Dove

California Quail

Northern Flicker

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Steller’s Jay

European Starling

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Anna’s Hummingbird

American Robin

Varied Thrush

Cedar Waxwing

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Western Meadowlark

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red-wing Blackbird

House Finch

Red Crossbill

American Goldfinch 

House Sparrow 

 Monday, September 28:

A Townsend’s Solitaire and a Pacific Golden Plover were seen on the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville.  

Two Red Knots were seen at the Parksville Community Park in Parksville 

Friday, September 25:

 .  A Greater White-fronted Goose was seen at the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach.

 

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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. on 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
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The Tuesday bird walk on October 06, 2015 will be going to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville.

meet at the Parksville Community Park at 9:00 am or the corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive at about 9:10 am.

 

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The Sunday bird walk on October 11, 2015 will be going to Rathtrevor Park in Parksville..  Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 a.m. or at the Main parking lot at Rathtrevor park at about 9:30 a.m.
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British Columbia Rare Bird Alert link--- http://www.bcbirdalert.blogspot.ca/
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Good birding
Neil Robins

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.co

Rare Bird Sighting

Approximately 50 Sandhill Cranes were spotted flying South above Horne Lake road at 4:15pm. They are reported to have been flying approximately 40ft above ground and some Greater White-fronted Geese were also heard at the same time as the cranes were spotted.

Sandhill Crane (Photo: Ralph Hocken)

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, September 29, 2015

The Tuesday bird walk went to Columbia Beach. The morning was sunny and windy by the Strait of Georgia. We saw over two hundred Pacific Loons, one Greater Scaup, many Horned Grebes, many Red-necked Grebes and fifty Western Grebes on the Strait. A large flock of Black-bellied Plovers flew in and landed near the gravel bar. Killdeer and Black Oystercatchers were singing and feeding near the shore. Two Western Meadowlarks, the surprise bird of the morning, flew in and landed near the parking area giving us great views. A flock of singing Red Crossbills landed on the top of a tall conifer near the creek. We watched a Red-breasted Nuthatch feeding on a conifer cone near the trail. American Robins were plentiful all morning and we did spot a Varied Thrush near the marsh.

                                                           Black Oystercatcher: Ralph Hocken Photo.

 

Eighteen birders including two visiting birders from Victoria saw and heard the following fifty-four Species:

Canada Geese

Mallard

American Wigeon

Greater Scaup

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Black Scoter

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser 

Common Loon

Pacific Loon 

Horned Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Western Grebe

Double-crested Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant

Common Murre

Pigeon Guillemot

Belted Kingfisher

Bald Eagle

Black-bellied Plover

Killdeer

Black Oystercatcher

Bonaparte's Gull

Mew Gull

California Gull

Thayer’s Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Eurasian collared-Dove

California Quail 

Northern Flicker

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Steller’s Jay

European Starling

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Anna’s Hummingbird 

American Robin

Varied Thrush

Cedar Waxwing

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Western Meadowlark 

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red-wing Blackbird

House Finch

Red Crossbill

American Goldfinch

House Sparrow

Red Crossbill: Ralph Hocken Photo.

 

The Tuesday bird walk on October 06, 2015 will be going to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. meet at the Parksville Community Park at 9:00 am or the corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive at about 9:10 am. 

Good birding

Neil Robins

Parksville