NANAIMO BIRD REPORT
" EXPLORE NATURE---GO BIRDING"
Please remember, when reporting a sighting, to leave your name and phone
number along with the date, the species and location of your sighting.
Sunday, March 30, 2014:
The Sunday bird walk went to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. The morning was
cloudy with calm winds. We were greeted with the sighting of a flock of
Yellow-rumped Warblers at the start of the walk. The Warblers then spent the
best part of the morning following us around the trail. Violet-green Swallows,
Tree Swallows and Northern Rough-winged Swallows were flying low over the marsh
all morning. Spring is here!
Violet-green Swallow: Ralph Hocken Photo.
Fourteen birders saw and heard the following forty-three species:
Canada Geese, Mallard, Wood Duck, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, Hooded
Merganser, Pied-billed Grebe, Belted Kingfisher, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle,
Cooper’s Hawk, Merlin, Red-tailed Hawk, Anna's Hummingbird, Northern Flicker,
Common Raven, Northwestern Crow, Steller’s Jay, Violet-green Swallow, Tree
Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Eurasian-collared Dove, Bushtit, Brown
Creeper, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bewick’s Wren, Marsh Wren, Ruby-crowned
Kinglet, Great Blue Heron, American Robin, European Starling, Yellow-rumped
Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow,
Golden-crowned Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, American Goldfinch, House Finch,
Purple Finch, Dark-eyed Junco and House Sparrow.
Saturday, March 29:
A Black-chinned Hummingbird has been visiting a feeder in the Sand Pariel
area of Parksville.
A Sandhill Crane was seen at May Bennett Park in north Nanaimo.
Friday, March 28:
A King Eider has been seen at the Little Qualicum River off the parking
area on Surfside Drive in Qualicum Beach.
Wednesday, March 26:
A bird that was similar in shape and size of a Blue Heron but had a white
neck and front was seen at Buttertubs Marsh today.
A Townsend’s Warbler was seen at a bird feeder in a back yard along
Meridian Way in Parksville.
A flock of Pine Siskins were spotted feeding and singing at the top of
Alder trees just off the road along Corfield Street in Parksville.
Tuesday, March 25:
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Shelly road side of the Englishman River
Estuary in Parksville. The morning was cloudy with light showers but we did see
a few sunny periods. There was a strong wing off the Strait of Georgia. We
started the walk with the sighting of a Red-breasted Sapsucker tapping on a tall
tree. An Anna’s Hummingbird perched on a tall bush near the trail. Two
Band-tailed Pigeons landed in a tall conifer tree. Four Eurasian Widgeons and
four Gadwalls were feeding with a flock of American Widgeons. A large flock of
Mew Gulls, California Gulls, Thayer’s Gulls and Glaucous-winged Gulls were seen
along a gravel bar and a large flock of Pelagic Cormorants and Double-crested
Cormorants flew past heading down the strait.
Pelagic Cormorant: Ralph Hocken
Photo.
Fourteen birders including two visiting birders from Ontario saw and heard
the following fifty-one species:
Canada Goose, Brant, American Wigeon, Eurasian Widgeon, Mallard, Northern
Pintail, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Surf Scoter, Greater Scaup, Bufflehead,
Barrows Goldeneye, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Common Loon, Pelagic
Cormorant, Doubled-crested Cormorant, Pigeon Guillemot, Great Blue Heron, Bald
Eagle, Killdeer, Mew Gull, California Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull,
Band-tailed Pigeon, Violet-green Swallow, Anna’s Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher,
Red-breasted Sapsucker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Northwestern
Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bewick's Wren, Pacific Wren,
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Brown Creeper, American Robin,
Varied Thrush, European Starling, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Song
Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Purple Finch, Dark-eyed
Junco and House Finch.
A deceased Northern Cardinal was turned in to the store today. The bird
was found after hitting a window on Metral Drive back in December and has been
in someone’s freezer since then. This could be the first record for British
Columbia.
A Townsend’s Warbler was visiting a backyard in the Little Qualicum River
Village.
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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 April 01, 2014 will be going to Rathtrevor
Provincial Park in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park at the
parking lot near the Lions Club playground at 9:00 am or at the main parking lot
at Rathtrevor at about 9:10 am.
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The Sunday Bird Walk on April 06, 2014 will be going to the Nanaimo River
estuary in south Nanaimo. Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 am or at the end of
Raines Road 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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WildResearch link---
Spring Pelagic Seabird Trip Announced – May 11, 2014
WildResearch is pleased to announce that WildResearch's 2014 Spring Pelagic
Seabird Trip will run on Sunday May 11, 2014! Proceeds generated from the
pelagic trip fundraiser will go towards running WildResearch’s research
programs.
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West coast environment link--
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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
Blog: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com
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