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 6 April 2014

Nanaimo bird report, April 06, 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, April 06, 2014:
The Sunday bird walk went the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo. The morning was partly with sunny periods and calm winds. Tree Swallows and a few Violet-green Swallows were chasing insects all morning as well as perching a few times. We saw Savannah Sparrows for most of the morning. Three Short-eared Owls put in an appearance then flew out of sight.
Twenty birders including a visiting birder from North Carolina saw and heard the following thirty-five species:
Canada Goose, Mallard, Gadwall, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser, Common Mergansers, Green-winged Teal, Greater Yellowlegs, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Turkey Vulture, Short-eared Owl, Northern Harrier. Red-tailed Hawk, Glaucous-winged Gull, Eurasian-collared Dove, Northern Flicker, Common Raven, Northwestern Crow, Violet-green Swallows, Tree Swallows, Belted Kingfisher, American Robin, European Starling, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, House Finch, Spotted Towhee, White-crowned Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Song Sparrow, Fox Sparrow and House Sparrow.

A male American Kestrel was seen along Macmillan Road in Cedar. 

 Tuesday, April 01:
The Tuesday bird walk went to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville. The morning was sunny and warm with a breeze off the Strait of Georgia. We estimated that we saw at least three thousand Brant flocking and then landing near shore after the Bald Eagle flew over. Further off shore we saw Western Grebes, Common Murre, Pigeon Guillemots and Brandt’s Cormorant. Horned Grebes and Red-necked Grebes showed off their colorful breeding plumage not far from shore. Yellow-rumped Warblers were singing and we spotted our first of the season Orange-crowned Warbler also singing from a perch not far from us.                   
Twenty-four birders saw and heard the following forty-nine species:
Brant, American Wigeon, Mallard, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Bufflehead, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Western Grebe, Common Murre, Pigeon Guillemot, Brandt’s Cormorant, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Bald Eagle, Turkey Vulture, Mew Gull, California Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Dunlin, Black-bellied Plover, Black Oystercatcher, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Anna’s Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Brown Creeper, Pacific Wren, Bewick’s Wren, Bushtit, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, Varied Thrush, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco. 

A Ring Necked Pheasant walked through a front garden along Benson Street in Parksville. 

One hundred Greater White-fronted Geese were seen flying past Parksville Beach in Parksville.  

  Monday, March 31:
A Townsend’s Solitaire was seen on the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. 

Sunday, March 30:
A Barn Swallow was seen at Somonos Marsh in Duncan. 

A Ruddy Duck was seen at Quennel Lake in Cedar.
 

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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. on 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 08, 2014 will be going to the ponds in Port Alberni. Meet at the Parksville Community Park at the parking lot near the Lions Club playground at 8:00 am or at Tim Horton's on highway four going into Port Alberni at at about 8:45 am. 

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The Sunday Bird Walk on April 13, 2014 will be going to the Englishman River Estuary Plummer road side in Parksville. Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 am or at the corn of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive in Parksville at about 9:25 a.m. 

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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/
 

Spring Pelagic Seabird Trip Announced – May 11, 2014 

WildResearch is pleased to announce that WildResearch's 2014 Spring Pelagic Seabird Trip will run on Sunday May 11, 2014! Proceeds generated from the pelagic trip fundraiser will go towards running WildResearch’s research programs. 

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West coast environment link-- 


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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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