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 5 January 2014

Nanaimo bird report, January 05, 2014

 

NANAIMO BIRD REPORT
" EXPLORE NATURE-GO BIRDING" 

To report your sightings phone the Store at 250-390-3669 or e-mail us at

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 January 05, 2014:
The Sunday bird walk went to the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo. The morning was clear and sunny with calm winds--a great morning to bird at the estuary. We watched as four Common Ravens mobbed a Short-eared Owl.  The Owl evaded the Ravens and landed on a short bush giving us great looks. Two Northern Harriers were flying low in search of prey. We saw a Northern Shrike perched close to the trail. 

                                        Short-eared Owl being mobbed: Ralph Hocken Photo.
 
Twenty-one birders saw and heard the following thirty-one species:
Trumpeter Swan, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Bufflehead, Wood Duck, Ring-necked Duck, Barrow's Goldeneye,  Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Great Blue Heron,  Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk,  Merlin, Short-eared Owl,  Northern Shrike, Glaucous-winged Gull, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Downy Woodpecker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, European Starling, Western Meadowlark,  American Robin, Bushtits, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Purple Finch, House Finch and Dark-eyed Junco.  

Saturday, January 04:
A Glaucous Gull was seen along Departure Bay in Nanaimo. 

“Rare Bird Alert”
The Hooded Oriole and the Dickcissel are still being seen in Port McNeill.
Hooded Orioles are usually found in Mexico and Southern California and Dickcissels are residents of the eastern United States. 

 

Friday, January 03:
One hundred and seventy Surfbirds were seen at Neck Point in Nanaimo. 

Three Short-billed Dowitchers were seen at the Courtney Air Park in Courtney. 

 Wednesday, January 01:
Two Hundred Brant were seen offshore at Sand Pariel near the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. 

Tuesday, December 31:
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach. The morning was cloudy with calm winds and fairly warm for this time of the year.  We spotted a Western Gull feeding on the rocky shore.  Black-bellied Plovers, Dunlin, Black Oystercatchers and Black Turnstones were seen along the gravel bar.  Thirty Ancient Murrelets were seen offshore at the viewing platform. Over one hundred Black Scoters were singing just offshore at the “A” frame house near the estuary.  Hundreds of Pacific Loons and several Common Loons were seen far offshore.  A Eurasian Widgeon and a Ring-billed Gull was seen feeding with the American Widgeon in the estuary.  Thirty-six Trumpeter Swans were swimming in the fresh water as it entered the salt water at the estuary.  At the end of the walk we spotted one Long-tailed Duck flying down the Strait of Georgia  

Black Scoter: Ralph Hocken Photo.
 
Nineteen birders saw and heard the following forty-seven species:
Canada Goose, Trumpeter Swan, American Widgeon, Eurasian Widgeon, Mallard, Green-winged Teal, Greater Scaup, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Pelagic Cormorant, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Common Murre, Marbled Murrelet, Ancient Murrelet, Bald Eagle, Black-bellied Plover, Dunlin, Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, Mew Gull, California Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Thayer's Gull, Western Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Eurasian-collared Dove, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-winged Blackbird and Brewer’s Blackbird. 

Monday, December 30: A Mourning Dove and a Peregrine Falcon were spotted at Holden Creek in south Nanaimo.

 

Sunday, December 29:

Preliminary Results of the Nanaimo Christmas Bird Count 

Areas reporting – 8  

Checklist species – 101 

Additional write-in species – 5 (Lincoln’s Sparrow, Cackling Goose, Townsend’s Warbler, Rufous Hummingbird, Golden Eagle) 

Preliminary total (pending confirmation) – 106 

Additional count week species – 4 (Surfbird, Dunlin, Black-bellied Plover, Black-crowned Night-heron) 

Checklist gaps hopefully to be filled in the remaining three days of count week: 

Western Grebe 

Greater White-fronted Goose 

Greater Scaup 

Long-tailed Duck 

Ring-necked Pheasant 

Ruffed or Sooty Grouse 

American Coot 

Greater or Lesser Yellowlegs

Spotted  or Rock Sandpiper

Wilson’s Snipe 

Ring-billed or Western Gull 

Any owl other than Great-horned, Short-eared or Barred 

Hutton’s Vireo 

 Saturday, December 28:
A Rusty Blackbird was seen at Holmes Park in Comox. 

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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 January 07, will be going to
Columbia Beach. Meet at the Parksville Community Park at the parking lot near the Lions Club playground at 9:00 am or at the parking area off Admiral Tryon Blvd. at about 9:10 am.

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The Sunday Bird Walk on January 12  will be going to Bowen Park in Nanaimo.  Meet at the birdstore at 9:00 am or at the parking lot near the bowling green in Bowen Park Nanaimo at about 9:20 am.

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British Columbia rare bird alert link---
 http://www.bcbirdalert.blogspot.ca/  

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WildResearch link---
http://www.wildresearch.ca/

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West coast environment link--
http://coastaltarsands.ca/w1/videos/

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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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