Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, May 17, 2016

The Tuesday bird walk went to Lot Ten in Qualicum Beach, the morning was sunny and warm with calm winds. We spotted a Black-throated Gray Warbler singing from a perch high atop a snag. We watched Red-breasted Sapsuckers fly in and climb up the trunks of trees several times during the morning. Two Western Tanagers were seen building a nest high up in a tree near the trail. Wilson's Warblers were singing throughout the morning and one came close to us near the river. We saw two Northern Rough-winged Swallows perched along the river bank and then fly over the river hawking insects and return to the bank to rest. Black-headed Grosbeaks entertained us with their melodious songs for most of the morning.

 

                                              Black-headed Grosbeak: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Twenty-two birders including a visiting birder from Whitecourt saw and heard the following thirty-six species:

Canada Geese

Mallard

 Bald Eagle

 Spotted Sandpiper

 Band-tailed Pigeon

 Rufous Hummingbird

 Belted Kingfisher

Red-breasted Sapsucker

 Downy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

Willow Flycatcher

Hammond's Flycatcher

 Pacific-slope Flycatcher

 Warbling Vireo

 Northwestern Crow

 Common Raven

 Violet-green Swallow

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

 Chestnut-backed Chickadee

 Red-breasted Nuthatch

 Pacific Wren

 Swainson's Thrush

 American Robin

 European Starling

 Orange-crowned Warbler

 Townsend’s Warbler

Black-throated Gray Warbler

Wilson's Warbler

 Western Tanager

 Spotted Towhee

 Chipping Sparrow

 Song Sparrow

 Dark-eyed Junco

Black-headed Grosbeak

Purple Finch

  

Western Tanager: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

The Tuesday bird walk on May 24, 2016 will be going to Moorecroft Regional Park in Nanoose Bay. Meet at the Parksville Community Park at the parking lot near the Lions Club Kids Playground at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at Moorecroft Park off Stewart Road ( follow the signs) from Northwest Bay Road, in Nanoose Bay. 

Good birding

Neil Robins

Parksville

Nanaimo bird report, May 15, 2016

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, May 15, 2016:

The Sunday bird walk went to the Beaver Ponds in Nanoose Bay. The morning was cloudy with calm winds--a pleasant morning for birding.  We heard and then saw a MacGillivray’s Warbler close to the trail.  Swainson's Thrush serenaded us for most of the morning. We heard and saw a Pacific-slope Flycatcher, a Hammond’s Flycatcher and had a great look of a first of the season Willow Flycatcher near the trail.  A Western Tanager was singing from a tall conifer tree near the marsh.

Nine birders saw and heard the following thirty-seven species:

Pied-billed grebe

Turkey Vulture

Northern Flicker

Hairy Woodpecker

Rufous Hummingbird

Willow Flycatcher

Pacific-slope Flycatcher

Hammond’s Flycatcher

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Willow Flycatcher

Common Raven

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Swainson's Thrush

American Robin

Varied Thrush

Orange-crowned Warbler

Black-throated Gray Warbler

Townsend’s Warbler

MacGillivray’s Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Warbling Vireo

Cassin’s Vireo

Western Tanager

Bushtit

Pacific Wren

Bewick’s Wren

Spotted Towhee

Chipping Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red-winged Blackbird

Brown-headed Cowbird

Purple Finch

American Goldfinch

Pine Siskin   

Friday, May 13:

A Swainson’s Thrush was seen at Nanoose Bay. 

A Western Tanager was seen in Lower Lantzville and one was also seen on Gabriola Island.  

Saturday, May 14: 

Blue-wing Teal, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs along with Long-billed and Short-billed Dowitchers were seen at Quennell Lake in Cedar. 

Four Whimbrel were seen at Pipers Lagoon in Nanaimo 

A Yellow-headed Blackbird is visiting feeders along Gomerich Road in Nanaimo. 

 

                                                       Yellow-headed Blackbird: Colin Henson Photo.

Tuesday, May 10: 

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was sunny and warm with calm winds. A Common Yellowthroat was singing from the top of a bush just across the river. A mixed flock of a Semipalmated Plover, a Pectoral Sandpiper,a Black-bellied Plover, a Dunlin and two Killdeer, several Western Sandpipers and a few Least Sandpipers greeted us along the mudflats and kept us entertained for a good part of the morning.  We heard a Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Orange-crowned Warblers, a Yellow Warbler and a Wilson's Warbler singing during the walk. Two immature Bald Eagles were seen chasing a Glaucous-winged Gull overhead before giving up the chase and flying away. 

Semi-palmated Plover: Ralph Hocken Photo.  

Twenty-one birders including visiting birders from England, Edmonton, Port Hardy and Gabriola Island saw and heard the following forty-four species:

Canada Geese

Mallard

Harlequin Duck

Double-crested Cormorant

Bald Eagle

Merlin

Turkey Vulture

Great Blue Heron

Semi-palmated Plover

Killdeer

Pectoral Sandpiper

Western Sandpiper

Least Sandpiper

Black Oystercatcher

Black-bellied Plover

Dunlin

Mew Gull

California Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Band-tailed Pigeon

Eurasian-collared Dove

Rufous Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Northern Flicker

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Violet-green Swallow

Tree Swallow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

American Robin

European Starling

Pacific-slope Flycatcher

Orange-crowned Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Wilson's Warbler
Common Yellowthroat

Spotted Towhee

Chipping Sparrow

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Red-wing Blackbird

Brown-headed Cowbird

Purple Finch

American Goldfinch 

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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 May 17, 2016 will be going to Lot Ten in north Qualicum Beach. Meet at the Parksville Community Park at the parking lot near the Lions Club Kids Playground at 9:00 a.m. or on the forest side of highway 19a on Kinkade Road in north Qualicum Beach at about 9:20 a.m.

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The Sunday bird walk on May 22, 2016 will be going to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 a.m. or at the Bowen Park entrance to Buttertubs Marsh at about 9:20 a.m. 

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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

 

 

Whimbrel at Piper's Lagoon

This morning we received a report of 4 Whimbrel being spotted at Piper's Lagoon in the tidal pool area. The report came in at 9:40am.

Parksville/Qualicum beach Tuesday bird walk, May 10, 2016

 

 

 

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was sunny and warm with calm winds. A Common Yellowthroat was singing from the top of a bush just across the river. A mixed flock of a Semipalmated Plover, a Pectoral Sandpiper,a Black-bellied Plover, a Dunlin and two Killdeer, several Western Sandpipers and a few Least Sandpipers greeted us along the mudflats and kept us entertained for a good part of the morning.  We heard a Pacific-slope Flycatcher,  Orange-crowned Warblers, a Yellow Warbler and a Wilson's Warbler singing during the walk. Two immature Bald Eagles were seen chasing a Glaucous-winged Gull  overhead before giving up the chase and flying away.

 

 

 

 

Semipalmated Plover: Ralph Hocken Photo.

 

Twenty-one birders including visiting birders from England, Edmonton, Port Hardy and Gabriola Island saw and and heard the following forty-fourspecies:

Canada Goose

Mallard

Harlequin Duck

Double-crested Cormorant

Bald Eagle

Merlin

Turkey Vulture

Great Blue Heron

Semipalmated Plover

Killdeer
 Pectoral Sandpiper

Western Sandpiper

Least Sandpiper

Black Oystercatcher

Black-bellied Plover

Dunlin

Mew Gull

California Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Band-tailed Pigeon

Eurasian-collared Dove

Rufous Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Northern Flicker

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Violet-green Swallow

Tree Swallow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

American Robin

European Starling

Pacific-slope Flycatcher

Orange-crowned Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Wilson's Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Spotted Towhee

Chipping Sparrow

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Red-wing Blackbird

Brown-headed Cowbird

Purple Finch

American Goldfinch

 

Common Yellowthroat: Ralph Hocken Photo.

 

The  Tuesday bird walk on May 17, 2016 will be going to Lot Ten in north Qualicum Beach. Meet at the Parksville Community Park at the parking lot near the Lions Club Kids Playground at 9:00 a.m. or on the forest side of highway 19a on Kinkade Road in north Qualicum Beach at about 9:20 a.m.

 

Good birding

Neil Robins

Parksville

 

thebirdstore.blogspot.com

thebackyard@shaw.ca

Clear Skies - Viewing the Transit of Mercury Monday morning

As I mentioned in my last Clear Skies, tomorrow (Monday, May 9) we will be able to see a transit of Mercury, an event that will only happen 14 times this century.  We won’t have another opportunity in our area to see one this good until 2032.

The orbits of Earth and Mercury are slightly tilted in relation to each other, so when Mercury passes between the Earth and the Sun, it is usually slightly above or below the Sun.  However, every now and then it will pass directly between the Sun and Earth.  When this occurs, we will be able to see Mercury as a small dark silhouette against the Sun.

NEVER LOOK AT THE SUN WITHOUT PROPER PROTECTION; use either an actual solar filter, #14 Welder’s Glass, or solar eclipse glasses.  Still, Mercury is less than 5,000 km across while the Sun is almost 1.4 million km across, so without a telescope you will not be able to view this.

Monday’s transit starts before the Sun rises for us in BC, and will finish for us just after 11:30.  I will be setting up a telescope – with a proper solar filter – on the Qualicum Beach waterfront, just up island from the Beach Hut (and just a bit before Rotary Park if you are coming from Qualicum/Parksville).  I invite anyone who would like to view this event to join me from about 9:30 a.m. up until 11:30.

If you happen to be in the Nanaimo area, the Nanaimo Astronomy Society will also be setting up several scopes with solar filters in Mafeo Sutton Park, from about 9 a.m. until 11:30.  They will also have special Hydrogen-Alpha telescopes which can show the massive solar flares emanating from the Sun's surface!

Clear skies.

David