The Tuesday bird walk went to Deep Bay. The morning was cloudy and with rain for the first half of the walk and then turned clear and sunny, making for a pleasant bird walk. Hundreds of Surf Scoters, White-winged Scoters and singing Black Scoters were seen on the Strait of Georgia.  We spotted the first of the season Long-tailed Ducks just offshore.  Three Pigeon Guillimots, seven Ancient Murrelets and four Marbled Murrelets were seen on the Strait during the walk.  We watched a Merlin chasing a flock of crows high above a conifer tree near the trail.  Two Black Turnstones and seven Black Oystercatchers were seen on the gravel bar near the shore.

Long-tailed Duck: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Ten birders saw and heard the following fifty-three species:

American Widgeon

Northern Pintail

Mallard

Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Black Scoter

Long-tailed Duck

Greater Scaup

Common Merganser

Pacific Loon

Common Loon

Red-necked Grebe

Horned Grebe

Western Grebe

Pigeon Guillimot

Ancient Murrelet

Marbled Murrelet

Pelagic Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorant

Belted Kingfisher

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Cooper’s Hawk

Merlin

Black Turnstone

Black Oystercatcher

Killdeer

Bonaparte’s Gull

Mew Gull

California Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Eurasian-collared Dove

Rock Pigeon

                                                               Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Northern Flicker

Steller's Jay

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

White-crowned Sparrow

Anne’s Hummingbird

American Robin

European Starling

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Brewer’s Blackbird

House Finch

Purple Finch

American Goldfinch

Black Scoter: Ralph Hocken Photo:

The Tuesday Bird walk on October 17, 2017, will be going to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum . Meet at the Parksville Community Park (at the parking lot in front of the Lions Club Playground) at 9:00 a.m. or at the Brant viewing platform in north Qualicum Beach at about 9:15 a.m.

Good birding 

Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE

314 Metral Drive

Nanaimo B.C.
V9T-2L8

Phone: 250-390-3669

Fax: 250-390-1633

Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca

Blog: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

Nanaimo bird report, October 08, 2017

Nanaimo bird report”
Explore Nature ---Go Birding

To report your sightings call the birdstore at 250-390-3669 or e-mail
thebirdstore@shaw.ca

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

Sunday Bird Walk, October 08, 2017:

The Sunday bird walk went to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo.  The morning was cloudy with very strong winds off the Strait of Georgia.  Three Harlequin Ducks and one Red-necked Grebe were seen on the Strait at the start of the walk. Twenty five Black Oystercatchers and two Black Turnstones were seen on the rocks just offshore.  Several Varied Thrushes,  a Ruby-crowned Kinglet and a Downy Woodpecker entertained us royally while they were feeding in an Arbutus tree just above the trail. 

Ruby-crowned Kinglet: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Sixteen birders saw and heard the following thirty-six species:

Mallard

  Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

  Common Mergansers

Horned Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Common Loon

Pacific Loon

  Double-crested Cormorant

  Pelagic Cormorant

  Great Blue Heron

    Black Oystercatcher

Black Turnstones

Mew Gull

                                                                 California Gull

Iceland Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

  Downy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Steller’s Jay

  Common Raven

European Starling

Anna’s Hummingbird

Bewick's Wren

  Brown Creeper

  Chestnut-backed Chickadee

  Golden-crowned Kinglet

 Ruby-crowned Kinglet

 American Robin

Varied Thrush

Spotted Towhee

Savannah Sparrow

  Song Sparrow

House Finch

Dark-eyed Junco

Harlequin Duck: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, October 03, 2017 

The Tuesday bird walk went to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park in Parksville.  The morning was sunny and the winds were calm.  A Bald Eagle was spotted high in a conifer tree near the parking lot. Twelve Savannah Sparrows were perched in a bush next to the trail.  A Yellow-rumped Warbler was seen hawking insects from a tall tree near the trail. A Merlin was spotted high in a conifer tree.  Twelve Horned Grebes, twenty Red-necked Grebes and five Western Grebes were seen not far from shore.  A large number of Pacific Loons, several Common Loons, four Double-crested Cormorants, six Pelagic Cormorants and one Pigeon Guillemot were seen heading up the Strait of Georgia.  Two flocks of over one hundred Bonaparte's Gulls were seen heading up the Strait near the horizon.  A Brown Creeper was spotted climbing a fir tree next to the trail. Two Bewick’s Wrens were feeding on a small bush. Two Varied Thrush were spotted high up on a fir tree.  A Cooper’s Hawk flew over head and landed in a short tree giving us great views.  We had a great birding morning!  

Bonaparte's Gulls: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Twenty-five birders including visiting birders from California and Vancouver saw and heard the following fifty-five species:

Canada Geese

Mallard

American Wigeon
Harlequin Duck

Green-wing Teal

Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter

Common Merganser

Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe

Western Grebe

Great Blue Heron

Black-bellied Plover

Black Turnstone

Pacific Loon

    Common Loon

Double-crested Cormorant
 Pelagic Cormorant

Pigeon Guillemot

Bald Eagle

Merlin

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Cooper’s Hawk

Bonaparte's Gull

 Mew Gull

Iceland Gull
 California Gull
      Glaucous-winged Gull

     Northern Flicker

        Pileated Woodpecker
       Red-breasted Sapsucker

Northwestern Crow 

                                                Common Raven

                                      Chestnut-backed Chickadee 

                                                  Brown Creeper
                                         Red-breasted Nuthatch 

                                            Ruby-crowned Kinglet

                                         Golden-crowned Kinglet

                                         Yellow-rumped Warbler 

                                           Anna’s Hummingbird 

                                                American Robin      
                                                 Varied Thrush

                                                 Bewick’s Wren                                                                                                             Pacific Wren   

                                             European Starling  

                                              Spotted Towhee 

                                       Golden-crowned Sparrow 

                                        White-crowned Sparrow                                                                                                       Savannah Sparrow  

                                                 Song Sparrow
                                                Dark-eyed Junco  

                                                    Purple Finch

                                                    Pine Siskin 

                House Finch                        

Savannah Sparrow: Ralph Hocken Photo:

The Tuesday Bird walk on October 10, 2017, will be going to Deep Bay. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (at the parking lot in front of the Lions Club Playground) at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at the Deep Bay Marina at about 9:35 a.m.

The Sunday Bird walk on October 15, 2017 will be going to The Plummer Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. Meet at the Bird store at 9:00 a.m. or at the corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive in Parksville at about 9:30 a.m.

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

Parksville/Qualicum beach Tuesday bird walk, October 03, 2017

The Tuesday bird walk went to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park in Parksville.  The morning was sunny and the winds were calm.  A Bald Eagle was spotted high in a conifer tree near the parking lot. Twelve Savannah Sparrows were perched in a bush next to the trail.  A Yellow-rumped Warbler was seen hawking insects from a tall tree near the trail. A Merlin was spotted high in a conifer tree.  Twelve Horned Grebes, twenty Red-necked Grebes and five Western Grebes were seen not far from shore.  A large number of Pacific Loons, several Common Loons, four Double-crested Cormorants, six Pelagic Cormorants and one Pigeon Guillemot were seen heading up the Strait of Georgia.  Two flocks of over one hundred Bonaparte's Gulls were seen heading up the Strait near the horizon.  A Brown Creeper was spotted climbing a fir tree next to the trail. Two Bewick’s Wrens were feeding on a small bush. Two Varied Thrush were spotted high up on a fir tree.  A Cooper’s Hawk flew over head and landed in a short tree giving us great views.  We had a great birding morning!  

Bonaparte's Gulls: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Twenty-five birders including visiting birders from California and Vancouver saw and heard the following fifty-five species:

Canada Geese

Mallard

American Wigeon
Harlequin Duck

Green-wing Teal

Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter

Common Merganser

Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe

Western Grebe

Great Blue Heron

Black-bellied Plover

Black Turnstone

Pacific Loon

    Common Loon

Double-crested Cormorant
 Pelagic Cormorant

Pigeon Guillemot

Bald Eagle

Merlin

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Cooper’s Hawk

Bonaparte's Gull

 Mew Gull

Iceland Gull
 California Gull
      Glaucous-winged Gull

     Northern Flicker

        Pileated Woodpecker
       Red-breasted Sapsucker

Northwestern Crow 

                                                   Common Raven

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Brown Creeper
    Red-breasted Nuthatch
     Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Anna’s Hummingbird

 American Robin      
Varied Thrush

Bewick’s Wren

Pacific Wren

European Starling 

 Spotted Towhee

Golden-crowned Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

                                                              Savannah Sparrow

  Song Sparrow
     Dark-eyed Junco 

 Purple Finch

Pine Siskin

House Finch

Savannah Sparrow: Ralph Hocken Photo:

The Tuesday Bird walk on October 10, 2017, will be going to Deep Bay . Meet at the Parksville Community Park (at the parking lot in front of the Lions Club Playground) at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at the Deep Bay Marina at about 9:35 a.m.

Good birding 

Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE

314 Metral Drive

Nanaimo B.C.
V9T-2L8

Phone: 250-390-3669

Fax: 250-390-1633

Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca

Blog: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

Tropical Kingbird

   Tropical Kingbird: John Purves Photo.

                       Tropical Kingbird at Rathtrevor Beach Park in Parksville, October 02, 2017

Nanaimo bird report, October 01, 2017

Nanaimo bird report”

Explore Nature ---Go Birding
To report your sightings call the birdstore at 250-390-3669 or e-mail
thebirdstore@shaw.ca

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

Sunday Bird Walk, October 01, 2017:

The Sunday bird walk went to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.  The morning was cloudy with calm winds.  Four Pied-billed Grebes, three Green-wing Teal, a flock of Ring-necked Ducks and American Widgeons were seen on the marsh at the start of the walk.  We spotted a young Red-tailed Hawk perched in a snag near the trail. Three more Red-tailed Hawks and three Turkey Vultures were seen flying overhead.  Several Yellow-rumped Warblers were feeding just off the trail.  A Varied Thrush was perched just off the trail.  We heard several Steller’s Jays squawking and then spotted a young Great Horned Owl who was being mobbed by the Jays.

Great Horned Owl: Lynda Stevens Photo:

Nineteen birders saw and heard the following forty-two species:

Canada Geese 

Mallards

  Wood Ducks

 Green-wing Teal

Ring-necked Duck

American Widgeon

Hooded Merganser

  Pied-billed Grebe

 American Coot

Belted Kingfisher

Great Blue Heron

Red-tailed Hawk

Merlin

Great Horned Owl

Turkey Vulture

  Band-tailed Pigeon

  Eurasian-collared Dove

  Northern Flicker

Downy Woodpecker

Anna’s Hummingbird

Common Raven

Northwester Crow

Steller’s Jay

European Starling

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

  Chestnut-backed Chickadee

  Marsh Wren

Bewick’s Wren

  Pacific Wren

American Robin

Varied Thrush

Dark-eyed Junco

Spotted Towhee

  Song Sparrow

  Fox Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

  Purple Finch

Red-winged Blackbird

  American Goldfinch 

 House Finch 

Saturday, September 30: 

Three Greater White-fronted Geese, three Ring-necked Ducks, one Greater Scaup and several yellow-rumped Warblers were seen at the Morningstar Pond in French Creek.

Friday, September 29:

A large flock of Black Swifts and several Northern Pygmy Owls were seen at Little Mountain in Parksville.

A White-throated Sparrow was seen in a backyard along Berry Point Road on Gabriola Island.

Parksville/Qualicum Beach, Tuesday bird walk, September 26, 2017

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Columbia Beach in French Creek. The morning was foggy with calm winds.  We spotted hundreds of Pacific Loons and Common Loons through the fog, on the water not far from shore. Ten Western Grebes and two Pigeon Guillemots were seen further off shore.  A Bald Eagle was perched high in a conifer tree.  A Merlin was being chased by a feisty Anna’s Hummingbird.  Several Black Oystercatchers were seen along the shore line.  Large numbers of Black-bellied Plovers and Black Turnstones as well as Iceland Gulls, Mew Gulls, California Gulls, Glaucous-winged Gulls and two Herring Gulls were roosting along the gravel bar along with two Greater Yellowlegs.

Greater Yellowlegs: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Twenty-one birders saw and heard the following forty-one species:

Surf Scoter
Common Merganser
Pacific Loon

Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Western Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant

Great Blue Heron
Pigeon Guillemot

Bald Eagle

Merlin

Greater Yellowlegs

Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Black Oystercatcher
Black Turnstone 

Western Sandpiper

Iceland Gull
Mew Gull
California Gull
Herring Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull
Belted Kingfisher

Eurasian-collared Dove
Steller’s Jay

Northern Flicker
Northwestern Crow 

Common Raven

Anna’s Hummingbird

Chestnut-backed Chickadee
American Robin 

Cedar Waxwing

Spotted Towhee
American Pipit

Fox Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Song Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow

House Finch

Varied Thrush: Ralph Hocken Photo:

The Tuesday Bird walk on October 03, 2017, will be going to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (at the parking lot in front of the Lions Club Playground) at 9:00 a.m. or at the main parking lot at Rathtrevor Park at about 9:10 a.m.

The Sunday Bird walk on October 08, 2017 will be going to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo. Meet at the Bird store at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at Neck Point off Hammond Bay Road at about 9:15 a.m.

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