Nnanaimo bird report, Juner 01, 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.

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Sunday, June 01, 2014:

The Sunday bird walk went to Morden Colliery provincial Park in south Nanaimo. The morning was sunny and warm.  We had the good fortune to see a Pacific Wren nest next to the trail. It was great to see four chicks being fed by their parent so close to us. We heard a Red-eyed Vireo sing nearby.  Three Spotted Sandpipers were feeding near the river shore. We saw a fledgling Pileated Woodpecker peering out of its nest box Swainson's Thrushes and Black-headed Grosbeaks were singing all morning. Two Red-breasted Sapsuckers were busy feeding in their holes on the maple tree not far from the trail very exciting to watch.

Red-breasted Sapsucker: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Seventeen birders saw and heard the following thirty-eight species:

Common Merganser, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Spotted Sandpiper, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Rufous Hummingbird, Hammond’s Flycatcher, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo,  Warbling Vireo,  Northwestern Crow, Eurasian Dove, California Quail, Violet-green Swallow, Rough-winged Swallow, Purple Martin, Chestnut-backed Chickadee,  Brown Creeper,  Bewick's Wren, Pacific Wren ,European Starling, Swainson's Thrush, American Robin, Orange-crowned Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Western Tanager,  Black-headed Grosbeak, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, and American Goldfinch.

 

Tuesday, May 27:

The Tuesday bird walk went to Springwood Park in Parksville. The morning began cloudy and cool but soon turned sunny and warm. The bird of the morning was the MacGillivray's Warbler.  It was feeding just above our heads in a cedar tree just off the trail giving us all great views. The songs of the Warbling Vireos, MacGillivray's Warblers, Black-throated Gray Warblers, Common Yellowthroat, Wilson's Warblers, Pacific-slope Flycatchers, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Bewick's Wrens and Swainson's Thrush made for a great morning of birding by ear. We spotted several species of Swallows flying low over the hay field just off the road. A Red-tailed Hawk perched on a snag before being mobbed by a Northwestern Crow and flying away. We spotted a Great Horned Owl and a Barred Owl who were being mobbed by several American Robins near the end of the walk.

           MacGillivray’s Warbler: Photo by Ralph Hocken  

Eighteen birders including a visiting birder from Whitecourt, Alberta saw and heard the following fifty-four species:

Canada Geese, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Barred Owl, Great Horned Owl, Rock Pigeon, Band-tailed Pigeon, Eurasian-collared Dove, California Quail, Anna's Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Hammond's Flycatcher, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Violet-green Swallow, Barn Swallow, Tree Swallow, Rough-winged Swallow, Purple Martin, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bewick's Wren, Pacific Wren, Swainson's Thrush, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, European Starling, Warbling Vireo, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Townsend's Warbler , MacGillivray's Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Wilson's Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Black-headed Grosbeak, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Purple Finch, House Finch and American Goldfinch.

 

Monday, May 26:

 Three Caspian Terns were seen at the mouth of the French Creek.

 

                                              Caspian Terns: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Sunday, May 25:

A female Lazuli Bunting was seen and photographed at the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.

 

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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 June 03, 2014 will be going to Moorecroft Regional Park in Nanoose Bay.  Meet at the Parksville Community Park in Parksville at the parking lot near the Lions Club playground at 9:00 am. or at the parking lot at Moorecroft off Stewart Avenue in Nanoose Bay at about 9:30 a.m.

 

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The Sunday bird walk on June 08, 2014 will be going to Moorecroft Regional Park in Nanoose Bay.  Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at Moorecroft off Stewart Avenue in Nanoose Bay at about 9:30 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/

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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