“Nanaimo
bird report”
“Explore Nature--Go Birding”
Please remember when
reporting a sighting please leave your name and Phone number with the date and
location of the sightings.
The Sunday bird walk on
January 15, 2017 went to Nanoose Bay. The morning was sunny but cool with calm
winds.
Surf Scoters, a Black
Scoter, Red-breasted Mergansers, Hooded Mergansers and Common Mergansers were
seen not far from shore. Three Red Crossbills flew in to the top of a conifer
tree next to the trail, giving us great views.
Red-breasted Merganser:
Ralph Hocken Photo.
Sixteen birders saw and
heard the following thirty-six species:
Canada Geese
American Wigeon
Mallard
Greater Scaup
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Surf Scoter
Black Scoter
Red-breasted Merganser
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Belted Kingfisher
Bald Eagle
Common Raven
Northwestern Crow
American Robin
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Pacific Wren
Killdeer
Mew Gull
Thayer’s Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Great Blue Heron
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
European Starling
Spotted Towhee
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Red Crossbill
House Finch
Red Crossbill: Ralph
Hocken Photo.
The Parksville/Qualicum
Beach Tuesday bird walk, January 10, 2017:
This
week’s Tuesday Bird Walk went to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in north Qualicum
Beach. The morning was cloudy with a very strong wind off the Strait of
Georgia. Black-bellied Plovers, Black Turnstones, Black Oystercatchers
and Killdeer were seen walking not far from us along the tide line. Large
flocks of Greater Scaup, Surf Scoters, White-winged Scoters and Black Scoters were
seen bouncing in the waves not far from shore. Thirty-two seals were
lounging on the gravel bar near the estuary. We spotted twenty Trumpeter Swans
along the river and the estuary during the morning. A large number of great
Blue Heron were resting in the tall grass on the estuary.
Black Scoter: Ralph Hocken Photo.
Twelve birders including a visiting birder from California saw and
heard the following thirty-four species.
Canada Goose
Brant
Trumpeter Swan
Mallard
American Widgeon
Green-winged Teal
Northern Pintail
Lesser Scaup
Greater Scaup
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Red-necked Grebe
Great Blue Heron
Black-bellied Plover
Black Turnstone
Dunlin
Black Oystercatcher
Killdeer
Mew Gull
California Gull
Thayer's Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Common Murre
Marbled Murrelet
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Anna’s Hummingbird
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Dark-eyed Junco
Trumpeter Swans: Ralph Hocken Photo.
The Tuesday bird walk on January 17, 2017 will be going to the
Shelly Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville
Community Park at the parking lot next to the Lions Club Kids Playground at
9:00 a.m. or at the end of Shelly Road on the Oceanside of Highway 19a at about
9:10 a.m.
The Sunday bird walk on January 22, 2017 will be going to the Nanaimo
River Estuary in south Nanaimo. Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 a.m. or at the
end of Raines Road at about 9:25 a.m. (Go south on highway 19, take the Cedar
Road exit follow Cedar Road and turn left off Cedar Road after you cross the
Nanaimo Rive Bridge and go to the end of Raines Road)
Good birding, Neil Robins, Parksville
