Glaucous-winged Gull: Ralph Hocken Photo.
NANAIMO BIRD REPORT
“GO BIRDING--EXPLORE NATURE”
Please remember, when reporting a sighting, to leave your name and phone number along with the date, the species and location of your sighting.
To report your sightings phone the Store at 250-390-3669 or e-mail us at thebackyard@shaw.ca
Sunday October 30, 2011:
The Sunday bird walk went to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. The morning was cloudy with calm winds.
The highlights included seeing a Eurasian Wigeon in with American Coots when we first arrived at the marsh. Six Gadwall were seen swimming with American Widgeon. Five Trumpeter Swans flew over head. A Northern Shrike flew low over us and landed on the top of tree just off the trail giving us great views. The big surprise of the morning was the sighting of Ruddy Duck on the water as we neared the end of the walk.
Eight birders saw and heard the following forty species:
Trumpeter Swans, Canada Geese, Mallard, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Eurasian Wigeon, American Wigeon, Gadwall, Wood Duck, Ruddy Duck, Ringed Necked Duck, American Coot, Pied-billed Grebe, Bald Eagle, Merlin, Cooper’s Hawk, Northern Shrike, Great Blue Heron, Glaucous-winged Gull, Northern Flicker, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Band-tailed Pigeon, American Robin, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Brown Creeper, Steller’s Jay, Common Raven, Marsh Wren, Bewick’s Wren, Spotted Towhee, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Brewer’s Blackbird, Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch and House Sparrows.
Friday October 28:
Over 150 Pine Siskins are visiting feeders along Lancashire Avenue in Nanaimo.
Tuesday: October 25:
The Tuesday bird walk went to Columbia Beach. The morning was clear and cool with calm winds. Two Trumpeter Swans flew high overhead to start the morning off. We saw Surf Scoters, White-winged Scoters, Black Scoters and our first sighting of the season of a Long-tailed Duck. There were Pacific Loons in breeding plumage, a large number of Horned Grebes and Red-necked Grebes. One lone Western Grebe was not far off shore. Further off shore we saw a long line covering miles of an estimated 1.5 million gulls that including Bonaparte's Gulls, Mew Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls, California Gulls, Thayer's Gulls and Glaucous-winged Gulls. They were in a hugh feeding frenzie--an awesome sight through the scopes as the sun shone down on them. Near the Pebble Beach gravel bar, close to shore, three Sea Lions put on a spectacular show as they fed on salmon.
Fourteen birders saw and heard the following forty-two species of birds:
Trumpeter Swan, American Wigeon, Mallard, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter,
White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Common Merganser,
Red-breasted Merganser, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Horned Grebe,
Red-necked Grebe, Western Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Merlin, Black-bellied Plover,
Black Oystercatcher, Bonaparte's Gull, Mew Gull, Ring-billed Gull, California Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Eurasian Collared Dove, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, European Starling,
Spotted Towhee, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Purple Finch, House Finch and House Sparrow.
Nanoose Naturalists Meeting
Thursday, November 10 at 7 pm.
@ The Library Centre along Northwest Bay Road, Nanoose Bay
Guest Speaker-- Nick Raeside will speak on “The Use of Fire as a Forest Management Tool.
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Arrowsmith Naturalist Meeting
Monday, November 28 at 7:30 pm.
Springwood Middle School, Parksville.
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Everyone is invited 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.
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The Tuesday Bird Walk on November 01 will be going to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach. We will meet at Parksville Community Park at the parking lot near the Lions Playground at 9:00 A.M. or at viewing platform near Garrett Road and Highway 19a at about 9:15A.M.
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The Sunday Bird Walk on November 6 will be going to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo. We will meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 A.M. or at the parking lot at Neck Point Park, off Hammond Bay Road at about 9:20 A.M.
Good birding
Neil Robins
THE BACKYARD Wildbird & Nature Store
6314 Metral Drive, Nanaimo, BC V9T 2L8
250-390-3669
thebackyard@shaw.ca
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG---> www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com
The Purple Martin charity dinner and silent auction:
Come join us on Saturday, November 12 at the Coast Bastion in Nanaimo for "A Night in Brazil" charity dinner and silent auction for the BC Purple Martin Recovery Program. We are celebrating the most successful year of the 25-year nest box recovery program (730 pairs up from 5 pairs in 1985) and the fall migration of our Purple Martins to SE Brazil, a 11,000 km trip one way as well as raising funds for the 2012 recovery program.
Guest speakers:
Tony Ransom, retired geologist and current President of the Nanoose Naturalists, on " A Tour of Brazil's Pantanal - the World's Largest Freshwater Wetland"
Mike Yip, well known Bird Photographer, on "Migratory Birds on Vancouver Island"
No Host Bar at 5 pm with a buffet dinner at 6 pm. Tickets: $60/person (includes a $23 donation) available at the Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store in Nanaimo or by emailing Charlene at gbears@island.net. Advance purchase of tickets required.
