Nanaimo bird report, January 12, 2014

NANAIMO 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 January 12, 2014:

The Sunday bird walk went to Bowen Park in Nanaimo. The morning was overcast  with calm winds. The Millstone River was raging following our rainfall this past week.  We saw several flocks of Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets feeding throughout the morning.  There were feathers falling from above as a Cooper’s Hawk, high on top of a tall snag, was eating prey. We saw an American Dipper on the stream near the duck pond.  The Dipper was near the top of a little waterfall, pumping his tail.  We saw six Varied Thrush just off the trail at the end of the walk.

American Dipper: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Sixteen birders saw and heard the following twenty-three species:

Mallard, Glaucous-winged Gull, Bald Eagle, Cooper’s Hawk, American Dipper, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Anna's Hummingbird,  Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Rock Pigeon, Bewick's Wren, Pacific Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Golden-crowned Kinglet,  Brown Creeper, American Robin, Varied Thrush, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow and Fox Sparrow.  

 Tuesday, January 07:

The Tuesday bird walk went to Columbia Beach. The morning was cloudy, a little windy with a high tide. A flock of Common Goldeneye was riding the waves with a single female Greater Scaup close to shore.  Common Murre, Ancient Murrelet and Marbled Murrelet were spotted flying down the Strait of Georgia for most of the morning.  Hundreds of Pacific Loon were seen further offshore. Twelve Black Oystercatchers were resting on point at the pond. 

Black Oystercatcher: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Fifteen saw and heard the following forty-five species:

Canada Geese, Brant, Mallard, American Widgeon, Harlequin Duck, Greater Scaup, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Pelagic Cormorant, Double-crested Cormorant, Bald Eagle, Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, Killdeer, Mew Gull, California Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Common Murre, Ancient Murrelet, Marbled Murrelet, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian-collared Dove, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, European Starling, Northern Flicker, Anna’s Hummingbird, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, American Robin, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, House Finch, Purple Finch and

House Sparrow. 

Tuesday, December 31:  

 ” Rare bird alert-Boreal Owl”

A Boreal Owl was seen and heard at the Yellowpoint Lodge near Ladysmith. The Boreal Owl is usually found east and north of Vancouver Island. 

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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 14, will be going to Deep Bay.  Meet at the Parksville Community Park at the parking lot near the Lions Club playground at 9:00 am or at the parking lot at the Deep Bay Marina at about 9:35 am.
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The Sunday Bird Walk on January 19 will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville.  Meet at the birdstore at 9:00 am or at the end of Shelly Road (on the ocean side of highway 19a) at about 9:30 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
Email:  thebackyard@shaw.ca
Blog:  www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com