Nanaimo bird report, January 13,2019

The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store Weekly Bird Report Nanaimo Bird Report,January 13, 2019 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 was seen and location of your sighting. *********************************************************** Please Note Please check this site (www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com) early Tuesday and Sunday mornings to see if the walks have been cancelled! **********************************************************

Nanaimo bird report, January 13, 2019: BIRD REPORT“EXPLORE NATURE”---GO BIRDING:To report your sightings phone the Store at 250-390-3669 or e-mail us at thebackyard@shaw.caPlease remember, when reporting a sighting, to leave your name and phone number along with the date, the species and location of your sighting. Sunday bird walk, January 13, 2019 The Sunday bird walk went to Bowen Park in Nanaimo. The morning was sunny with calm winds. The highlight sighting of the morning was an American Dipper feeding in the rushing water of the river. Seventeen birders saw and heard the following twenty-four species: Mallard Hooded Merganser Glaucous-winged Gull Bald Eagle Merlin Great Blue Heron American Dipper Chestnut-backed Chickadee Red-breasted Nuthatch Anna's Hummingbird Northern Flicker Northwestern Crow Common Raven Bewick's Wren Pacific Wren Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Brown Creeper American Robin Varied Thrush Spotted Towhee Song Sparrow Fox Sparrow Pine Siskin Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park, January 08, 2019: There was light snow during the walk with some rain and the wind off the Strait of Georgia was very strong. We started the walk with a small flock of Brant and a very large flock of Surf Scoters riding the rough seas far offshore. A large number of Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted Mergansers, Common Mergansers, Horned Grebes, Red-necked Grebes and Common Loons were seen offshore. Flocks of Pacific Loons were heading up the Strait. A great number of Brant were seen heading to the shore during the morning. A Brandt’s Cormorant was spotted further off shore. A flock of over two hundred Dunlin was seen heading to the shoreline. Many Black Turnstones were resting on the point. Two Varied Thrush were seen near the ground next to the trail. Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Golden-crowned Kinglets were heard and then seen in the forest. Sixteen birders saw and heard the following forty-four species: Brant American Widgeon Mallard Harlequin Duck Surf Scoter Bufflehead Common Goldeneye Red-breasted Merganser Common Merganser Common Loon Pacific Loon Horned Grebe Red-necked Grebe Marbled Murrelet Common Murre Pelagic Cormorant Brandt’s Cormorant Double-crested Cormorant Mew Gull Iceland-(Thayer's) Gull Glaucous-winged Gul lBlack-bellied Plover Black Turnstone Dunlin Black Oystercatcher Bald Eagle Common Raven Northwestern Crow Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker American Robin Varied Thrush Brown Creeper Anna’s Hummingbird Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Red-breasted Nuthatch Beswick’s Wren Pacific Wren Spotted Towhee Song Sparrow Golden-crowned Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Pine Siskin Please NoteCheck this site (www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com) early Tuesday and Sunday on stormy mornings to see if the walks have been cancelled! The Tuesday Bird Walk on January 15, 2019 will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (near the Lions Club playground parking lot) in Parksville at 9:00 am, or end of Shelly Road on the ocean side of highway 19a at about 9:10 am The Sunday walk on January 20, 2019 will be going to the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo. Meet at the BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE, 6314 Metral Drive at 9:00 a.m. or at the end of Raines Road at about 9:35 am. Again, please check this blog spot if the weather is stormy. Good birding Neil Robins THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE 6314 Metral Drive Nanaimo, B.C. V9T-2L8 Phone: 250-390-3669Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com i ***********************************************************

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park, January 08, 2019. 

There was light snow during the walk with some rain and the wind off the Strait of Georgia was very strong. We started the walk with a small flock of Brant and a very large flock of Surf Scoters riding the rough seas far offshore.  A large number of Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted Mergansers, Common Mergansers, Horned Grebes, Red-necked Grebes and Common Loons were seen offshore.  Flocks of Pacific Loons were heading up the Strait. A great number of Brant were seen heading to the shore during the morning.  A Brandt’s Cormorant was spotted further off shore.  A flock of over two hundred Dunlin were seen heading to the shoreline.  Many Black Turnstones were resting on the point. Two Varied Thrush were seen near the ground next to the trail. Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Golden-crowned Kinglets were heard and then seen in the forest.

Brant in flight: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Sixteen birders saw and heard the following forty-four species:

Brant                                         

American Widgeon

Mallard 

Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

 Bufflehead

Common Goldeneye

Red-breasted Merganser

Common Merganser

Common Loon

Pacific Loon

Horned Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Marbled Murrelet

Common Murre

Pelagic Cormorant

Brandt’s Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorant

Mew Gull
Iceland-(Thayer's) Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Black-bellied Plover

Black Turnstone

Dunlin

Black Oystercatcher

Bald Eagle

Common Raven
Northwestern Crow

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

American Robin

Varied Thrush

Brown Creeper

Anna’s Hummingbird

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglet
Red-breasted Nuthatch

Beswick’s Wren

Pacific Wren

Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Pine Siskin

Dunlin in flight: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Please Note
Check this site (www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com) early Tuesday and Sunday on stormy mornings to see if the walks have been cancelled!

The Sunday Bird Walk on January 13 2019 will be going to Bowen Park in Nanaimo. Meet at the Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store, 6314 Metral Drive in Nanaimo at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at Bowen Park near the Bowing green off Bowen Road at about 9:20 am.

The Tuesday Bird Walk on January 15, 2019 will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (near the Lions Club playground parking lot) in Parksville at 9:00 am, or end of Shelly Road on the ocean side of highway 19a at about 9:10 am. 

Good birding

Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD& NATURE STORE

6314 Metral Drive

Nanaimo, B.C. V9T-2L8

Phone: 250-390-3669
Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca

www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

Nanaimo bird report:

Nanaimo bird report, January 06, 2019:

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.
**************************************************

Sunday bird walk, January 06, 2019

The Sunday bird walk went to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo. The morning was sunny with calm winds. After a month of missed Sunday bird walks because of the weather, we finally got to bird Neck Point!  Highlight of the morning was the sighting of a Yellow-billed Loon.  We followed the Loon for about one hour with great views. A Red-breasted Sapsucker was seen feeding on a tree trunk right next to the trail again, giving us great views. We saw many Harlequin Ducks, Common Mergansers, Red-breasted Mergansers and big flocks of Pacific Loons on the Strait of Georgia.  One lone Western Grebe was spotted further off shore. 

Yellow-billed Loon: Ralph Hocken Photo:

 Seventeen birders saw and heard the following thirty-four species:

Mallard

Harlequin Duck

Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser

Pacific Loon

Common Loon

Yellow-billed Loon

Western Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Pelagic Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorant

Pigeon Guillemot

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Black Oystercatcher

Black Turnstone

Dunlin

Glaucous-winged Gull

North-western Crow

Common Raven

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Northern Flicker

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Brown Creeper

Bewick’s Wren

Song Sparrow

American Robin

European Starling

Anna’s Hummingbird

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red-breasted Sapsucker: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Please Note

Check this site early Tuesday and Sunday mornings on stormy mornings to see if the walks have been cancelled!

The Tuesday bird walk on January 08, 2019 will be going to Rathtrevor  Beach Provincial Park in Parksville.  Please check this blog spot if the weather is stormy.  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.

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The Sunday walk on January 13, 2019 will be going to Bowen Park in Nanaimo. Meet at the BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE, 6314 Metral Drive at 9:00 a.m. or at the main parking lot at Bowen Park near the Bowing Greens at about 9:15 am.  Again, please check this blog spot if the weather is stormy.

********************************************************************** 

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:http://thebirdstore.blogspot.ca

Nanaimo bird report, December 30, 2018:

 A Fieldfare has been seen in Salmon Arm. A Fieldfare, spotted only once before in British Columbia, has been seen by many birders near the corner of Krick Road and Kernaghan Road in Salmon Arm. The Fieldfare breeds in the eastern part of Russia, but migrates towards  Western Europe.  It likely got blown off course by a big storm and found his way down the Alaska-B.C. coast.  A Fieldfare was spotted in B.C. only once before, in December 2003, near Pitt Meadows. 

Christmas Bird Count, Nanaimo, December 29, 2018
Seventy birders saw a total of one hundred and thirteen species!

Friday, December 28:
A Northern Shrike, a Coopers Hawk, twelve American Goldfinch, a large number of Dark-eyed Juncos, two Spotted Towhees, huge flocks of Brewers Blackbirds & Red Winged Blackbirds, four California Quail, seven Northern Flickers, a male and female Downy Woodpecker and two Pileated Woodpeckers, as well as five feisty Anna’s Hummingbirds are visiting several backyard feeders along Meridian Way in Parksville. 

Sunday, December 23:

A Nashville Warbler was seen
at the intersection of Grilse Road and Tyee Crescent in Nanoose Bay.

Please Note
Check this site (www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com) early Tuesday and Sunday on stormy mornings to see if the walks have been cancelled!

The Sunday Bird Walk on January 06, 2018 will be going to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo. Meet at the Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store, 6314 Metral Drive in Nanaimo at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at Neck Point off Hammond Bay Road at about 9:15 am.

The Tuesday Bird Walk on January 08, 2019 will be going to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (near the Lions Club playground parking lot) in Parksville at 9:00 am, or at Rathtrevor Park main parking lot at about 9:10 am. 

Good birding

Neil Robins

A Happy New Year from all of us at 
THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD& NATURE STORE

6314 Metral Drive

Nanaimo, B.C. 

V9T-2L8

Phone: 250-390-3669
Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca

www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

Nanaimo bird report, December 23, 2018:

Bird Walk, December 23, 2018

With all the wind and rain storms this week, for safety sake,  we  decided to cancel the Sunday bird walk to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo.   We will try Neck Point again on January 6, 2019.

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, Columbia Beach, December 18, 2018.  

The rains & winds let up and the Tuesday bird walk finally got to go to Columbia Beach in French Creek. The morning was sunny and with calm winds off the Strait of Georgia. We did have a few light showers near the end of the walk.  A Brandt’s Cormorant, four Rhinoceros Auklets, several Ancient Murrelets, a large flock of Western Grebe and  many Common Murre were seen on the Strait.  Eight Black-bellied Plovers, four Black Oystercatchers, many Dunlin and several Black Turnstones were seen on the gravel bar.  A Cooper’s Hawk and a Sharp-shinned Hawk were seen near French Creek. A Bewick’s Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet and seven Golden-crowned Kinglets, several American Robins, three Varied Thrush and a Cedar Waxwing were seen in the bushes near the Creek.

Rhinoceros Auklet  

Fifteen birders including a young visiting birder from California saw and heard the following sixty-two species:

Canada Geese

Brant

Harlequin Duck

American Wigeon

Mallard

Surf Scoter 

 White-winged Scoter

Black Scoter

Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead 

 Common Goldeneye

                                                 Barrow’s Goldeneye 

Common Merganser 

 Red-breasted Merganser

Pacific Loon
Common Loon

 Horned Grebe

 Red-necked Grebe
 Western Grebe

Double-crested Cormorant

 Pelagic Cormorant

Brandt’s Cormorant

Rhinoceros Auklet

Ancient Murrelet

Common Murre

 Bald Eagle

Coopers Hawk

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Black-bellied Plover

 Black Oystercatcher

Dunlin

 Black Turnstone

 Mew Gull

 California Gull

Ring-billed Gull

Iceland Gull

Herring Gull

 Glaucous-winged Gull 

 Rock Pigeon 

Great Blue Heron
 European Starling

Northern Flicker

 Common Raven

Northwestern Crow

Anna’s Hummingbird

 Chestnut-backed Chickadee 

Bewick’s Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglet

 American Robin

Varied Thrush

                                                           Cedar Waxwing

Spotted Towhee

Fox Sparrow

 Song Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow
Purple Finch

House Finch

Dark-eyed Junco

Pine Siskin

House Sparrow

Golden-crowned Kinglet: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Please Note
Check this site (www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com) early Tuesday and Sunday on stormy mornings to see if the walks have been cancelled!

The Sunday Bird Walk on January 06, 2018 will be going to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo. Meet at the Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store, 6314 Metral Drive in Nanaimo at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at Neck Point off Hammond Bay Road at about 9:15 am.

The Tuesday Bird Walk on January 08, 2019 will be going to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (near the Lions Club playground parking lot) in Parksville at 9:00 am, or at Rathtrevor Park main parking lot at about 9:10 am. 

Good birding

                                                            Neil Robins

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of us at 

              THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD& NATURE STORE

6314 Metral Drive

Nanaimo, B.C. 

V9T-2L8

Phone: 250-390-3669
Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca

www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com