Nanaimo bird report, January 03, 2016

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, January 03, 2016

The Sunday bird walk went to Neck Point in Nanaimo. The morning was cloudy and cool with calm winds. We saw the following five species of woodpeckers-Northern Flickers, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers and a Red-breasted Sapsucker, during the morning. A Double-crested Cormorant was heading up the Strait of Georgia followed by a Common Murre. A Pelagic Cormorant and a Brandt’s Cormorant roosting on the rocks near the shore. Several male Red-breasted Mergansers were just off shore giving us great views.

Red-breasted Merganser: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Thirteen birders saw and heard the following forty-three species

Bufflehead

American Wigeon

Surf Scoter

Common Goldeneye

Harlequin Duck

Horned Grebe

Red-neck Grebe

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Pacific Loon

Common Loon

Double-crested Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant

Brandt’s Cormorant

Common Murre

Black Oystercatcher

Bald Eagle

Mew Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Northern Flicker

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Steller’s Jay

Common Raven

Northwest Crow

American Robin

Varied Thrush

Anna's Hummingbird

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Brown Creeper

Bewick's Wren

Pacific Wren

Spotted Towhee

European Starling

Dark-eyed Junco

Fox Sparrow

House Finch

Song Sparrow

Pine Siskin

A Peregrine Falcon and about 20 Western Meadowlarks were seen at the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo. 

Tuesday, December 29 05.

The Tuesday bird walk went to the North Entrance to the Englishman River Estuary off of Mills Road in Parksville. The morning was cloudy with sunny periods and the winds were calm. The highlight of the morning was the sighting of a Common Redpoll perched on top of a tall Cedar Tree not far from the viewing platform. The Redpoll stayed on it’s perch for a long period of time, looking in all directions, and giving us great views!  We saw a female Pine Grosbeak feeding along the Corfield Trail. Ten Western Meadowlarks were perched in a tall deciduous tree near the edge of the estuary on the Community Park side.  A Northern Shrike was also perched in the same area.  We saw a large number of Northern Flickers throughout the morning.  

  Flocks of Brant and Long-tail Ducks flew up the Strait of Georgia.

 

Thirteen birders including a visiting birder from New Brunswick saw and heard the following fifty-three species:

Canada Geese

Brant

 American Widgeon

 Mallard

Northern Pintail

Green-wing Teal

Gadwall

 Surf Scoter

White-wing Scoter

 Bufflehead

Long-tail Duck

Barrow’s Goldeneye

 Common Goldeneye

Red-breasted Merganser

 Common Merganser

 Common Loon

 Pacific Loon

Pelagic Cormorant

  Double-crested Cormorant

Brandt’s Cormorant

Common Murre

 Great Blue Heron

 Bald Eagle

Coopers Hawk

Northern Shrike

 Mew Gull

California Gull

 Thayer's Gull

Herring Gull

 Glaucous-winged Gull

California Quail

 Anna's Hummingbird

 Northern Flicker

  Northwestern Crow

 Common Raven

Steller’s Jay

Varied Thrush

 Chestnut-backed Chickadee

 Ruby-crowned Kinglet

 European Starling

Western Meadowlark

 Spotted Towhee

Red-wing Blackbird

 Song Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

 Golden-crowned Sparrow

Pine Grosbeak

Dark-eyed Junco

Purple Finch

Red Crossbill

Common Redpoll

 House Finch

Pine Siskin 

              Northern Flicker: Ralph Hocken Photo.              

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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 January 05, 2016 will be going to Deep Bay. Meet at the Parksville Community Park at the parking lot near the Lions Club Kids playground at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at the Deep Bay Marina at about 9:35 a.m.

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The Sunday bird walk on January 10, 2016 will be going to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park in Parksville. Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 a.m. or at the main parking lot at Rathtrevor at about 9:30 a.m.

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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.co