Nanaimo bird report, April 21, 2013

NANAIMO BIRD REPORT -----” GO BIRDING--EXPLORE NATURE”

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, April 21, 2013:
The Sunday bird walk went to Nanaimo River Estuary in south in Nanaimo.  The morning was windy and cloudy with a few sunny periods. We had great looks at a Lapland Longspur feeding in the tall grasses on the estuary. One Lesser Yellowlegs and twenty Greater Yellowlegs were feeding along the gravel bar on the river. A Short-eared Owl was spotted on the ground not far from us. A Northern Shrike was perched in a bush on the estuary. A flock of over sixty Greater White-fronted Geese flew high overhead heading north.

                               Lapland Longspur: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Twenty-four birders, including visiting birders from Calgary, saw and heard the following twenty-nine species:

Greater White-fronted Geese, Canada Goose,  Great Blue Heron,   Common Mergansers,  Green-winged Teal,  Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Northern Shrike,  Bald Eagle, Turkey Vulture,  Short-eared Owl,  Northern Harrier,  Red-tailed Hawk, Glaucous-winged Gull, Northern Flicker,  Common Raven, Northwestern Crow,  Violet-green Swallows,  Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Tree Swallows,  Belted Kingfisher,  American Robin, European Starling,  Lapland Longspur, Spotted Towhee,   White-crowned Sparrow,  Savannah Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow and Song Sparrow.

Saturday, April 20:

Two Evening Grosbeaks were seen along Douglas Avenue and 7^th Avenue in Nanaimo.   

Wednesday, April 17:

A Lapland Longspur was seen at the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.

Tuesday, April 16:

The Tuesday bird walk went to Springwood Park in Parksville. The morning was sunny and warm. We saw and heard several Orange-crowned Warblers throughout the morning.  A Common Yellowthroat entertained us from a perch on some Scotch broom next to the road giving us great views.  An American Kestrel was perched in a tree along the farmer’s field. We spotted a Great Horned Owl with a fledgling as well as two pairs of Townsend's Warblers on the way back to the parking area to finish off a great morning of birding.

 

                              Common Yellowthroat: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Twenty-five birders including visiting birders from Lethbridge saw and heard the following thirty-six species:

Canada Geese, Ring-necked Pheasant, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, American Kestrel, Great Horned Owl, Anna's Hummingbird,
Rufous Hummingbird, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Violet-green Swallow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Bewick's Wren, Pacific Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, Varied Thrush, Cedar Waxwing, European Starling, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Spotted Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch and Pine Siskin. 

Sunday, April 14: Three Common Yellowthroats, Yellow-rumped and Orange-crowned Warblers were seen at the Nanoose Estuary in Nanoose Bay. 

An Osprey was seen heading south on Highway 19 coming from Harewood Mines Road in Nanaimo. 

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Arrowsmith Naturalists - GENERAL MEETING  Knox United Church, 345 Pym, Parksville, on Monday April 22 @ 7:30 p.m.
Topic: Bear Smart Program  Speaker: Crystal McMillan

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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 23, will be going to the Little Qualicum River Hatchery. We will meet at Parksville Bay next to the Lions Playground at 9:00 a.m. or at the viewing platform in north Qualicum Beach near Garrett Road at about 9:15 a.m.

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The Sunday Bird Walk on April 28, 2013, will be going to Moorecroft Regional Park in Nanoose Bay. We will meet at the bird store at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking area at Moorecroft Regional Park off Stewart Road at about 9:20 a.m.
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Here is an interesting website re-the Coastal Tar Sands-http://coastaltarsands.ca/w1/

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: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com