The Backyard's Weekly Bird Walk locations are found in the Backyard Bird Report at the very end of the most recent report. Any cancellations will be posted by 8am the day of the walk.

Sunday 17 April 2011

Nanaimo bird report, April 17, 2011


Anna's Hummingbird on nest, April 13, 2011: Keith MacDonald Photo.

NANIMO 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 April 17, 2011:
The Sunday bird walk went to Bowen Park in Nanaimo. The morning was sunny with a cool wind. The highlights included seeing a pair of Red-breasted Sapsuckers playing on the high trees. A Barred Owl called from the forest. We watched as Yellow-rumped Warblers and Orange-crown Warblers gleaned insects from the tall Alder Trees.

Fourteen birders saw and heard the following thirty-one species of birds: Mallard, Turkey Vulture, Barred Owl, Glaucous-winged Gull, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Anna's Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Downy Woodpecker, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Bewick's Wren, Pacific Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Brown Creeper, Bushtit, Red-breasted Nuthatch, American Robin, Varied Thrush, Hermit Thrush, European Starling, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Pine Siskin and House Sparrow.

Violet-green Swallows were seen swooping and circling over Millard Drive in Lantzville.

Saturday April 16:
The Birdstore has received three different reports of Anna’s Hummingbirds nesting. This is likely their second brood as probably the first brood failed because of the cold weather that we had in February. We had reports from Shell Beach Road in Evening Cove south of Nanaimo, Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo and along Aulds Road in north Nanaimo.

A Mountain Blue Bird was seen at Pipers Lagoon in Nanaimo.

A Townsend’s Warbler was observed feeding the nectar feed from a hummingbird feeder and from a suet feeder at Long Lake Heights in Nanaimo

Friday April 15:
A Sooty grouse and a Northern Pygmy Owl were seen along Westwood Ridge in Nanaimo.

Two American Goldfinch were seen along Dawkins Lane in Nanaimo.

Thursday April 14: One Yellow-rumped Warbler, five Orange-crowned Warblers, fifteen Violet-green Swallows, two Tree Swallows, one Barn Swallow, two Wood Ducks, two Anna’s Hummingbirds and three Rufous Hummingbirds were seen at Cathers Lake in Nanaimo

Wednesday April 13:
A flock of Evening grosbeaks and a flock of Red-winged Blackbirds are visiting feeders in South Wellington.

Two Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Violet-green Swallows, Tree Swallows and Yellow-rumped Warblers were seen at the Morningstar Ponds off Lee Road in Parksville.

A Townsend’s Solitare was spotted in a backyard along Cameo Place on Gabriola Island.

Tuesday April 12:
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Englishman River Estuary on the Plummer Road side. The morning was cloudy with a strong biting wind. At the start of the walk we saw a Rufous Hummingbird perched on the top of a short bush on one side of the trail. On the other side of the trail an Anna's Hummingbird was perched on top of a short bush. Just off the Englishman River, we spotted a Northern Shoveler and a Gadwall roosting in among a flock of Mallards, American Wigeon and Northern Pintail. A large flock of Green-winged Teal were feeding on the mud flats. Three Marbled Murrellets flew by just above the water heading down the Strait of Georgia and a Pigeon Guillemot was riding the waves offshore. Large numbers of Brant Geese, Greater Scaup, Harlequin Ducks, Surf Scoters, White-winged Scoters, Long-tailed Ducks, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye and Red-breasted Mergansers were moving down the Strait throughout the morning, giving us great views.

Sixteen birders saw and heard the following fifty-one species of birds:
Canada Geese, Brant, Gadwall, Eurasian Wigeon, American Wigeon, Mallard,
Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Greater Scaup, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, California Quail, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Black Oystercatcher, Mew Gull, California Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Pigeon Guillemot, Marbled Murrelet, Anna's Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bushtit,Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, Varied Thrush, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco and Purple Finch.

American Goldfinch and a large flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers were seen at Buttertubs Marsh In Nanaimo.

Monday April 11:
A Flock of Pine Siskins and one Bewick’s Wren were seen visiting a backyard in the 2700 block of Neyland Road in Nanaimo.

April 06:
Two Common Red Polls were seen along Dover Road in Nanaimo.

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Arrowsmith Naturalists Meeting
Monday April 18, 7.30 pm at Springwood School in Parksville.
Guest Speaker—Dr. John Gunton will speak on “Geo-hazards of the Georgia Basin”

Nanoose Field Naturalists Meeting.
Thursday, May 12, 7 pm in the Library on Northwest Bay Road.
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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. 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 19, 2011 will be going to Columbia Beach. We will meet at the Parksville Beach Community Park at the parking area in front of the Lions Playground at 9 A.M. or at the parking area off Admiral Tryon Blvd off Columbia Drive on the Oceanside of Highway 19a at about 9:20 A.M.
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There will be no Sunday Bird Walk on Easter Sunday April 24, 2011. The Sunday bird walks will resume on May 01, 2011.
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Good birding
Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD
Wildbird & Nature Store
6314 Metral Drive, Nanaimo, BC V9T 2L8
250.390.36621
250.390.1633 fax
thebackyard@...
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG---> www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

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