Nanaimo bird report, October 16, 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-*q
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, October 16, 2016: 

This Sundays Bird Walk to Nanoose Bay is cancelled due to weather conditions.

We have re-schedule the walk to Nanoose Bay for next Sunday.

Saturday, October 15:

A Northern Shrike was seen at the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.

A Red-breasted Sapsucker was spotted at Cottle Lake in Nanaimo.

Steller’s Jays were seen in the Extension area of south Nanaimo. 

Wednesday, October 12:

A White-throated Sparrow was seen in a backyard at Willow Park near Morrell Wildlife Sanctuary in Nanaimo.

 A Leucistic American Robin was seen in with a flock of American Robins at Craig Creek near Craig Bay in Parksville.

Leucistic Robin: Photo by Randy:

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, October 11, 2016

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was sunny and warm.  We saw and heard a large number of Golden-crowned Kinglets at the start of the walk.  A Barred Owl was perched on a snag not far from the trail, giving us great long views.  We had six sightings of Northern Shrike perched at the top of shrubs on the meadows.  A large flock of Black Turnstones landed on a log next to the shoreline near American Wigeons, Mallards, a Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintails and Harlequin Ducks. We watched in fascination as a  Bald Eagle swooped in and chased a Mallard for a about 10 minutes before catching him. The Eagle held the Mallard under the water until the Mallard broke free, with the Eagle in hot pursuit.  The Mallard escaped to the cheering birders!  A  Sharp-shinned Hawk and a Red-tailed Hawk were seen high overhead.

Barred Owl: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Sixteen birders saw and heard the following fifty-eight species:

Canada Geese

 American Wigeon

 Mallard

Northern Shoveler

 Northern Pintail

 Harlequin Duck

 Green-wing Teal

 Surf Scoter

 White-winged Scoter

 Common Merganser

 Red-breasted Merganser

 Pacific Loon

 Common Loon

 Horned Grebe

 Red-necked Grebe

 Double-crested Cormorant

 Great Blue Heron

Barred Owl

 Bald Eagle

 Red-tailed Hawk

 Sharp-shinned Hawk

Merlin

 Killdeer

Black Turnstone

Northern Shrike

 Mew Gull

 Bonaparte’s Gull

 California Gull

 Thayer's Gull

 Glaucous-winged Gull

 Anna's Hummingbird

 Belted Kingfisher

 Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

 Northwestern Crow

 Common Raven

American Pipit

 Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

 Pacific Wren

Bewick's Wren

 Golden-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Yellow-rumped Warbler

 American Robin

Townsend’s Solitaire

 European Starling

 Spotted Towhee

 Savannah Sparrow

 Song Sparrow

 Golden-crowned Sparrow

 Dark-eyed Junco

 Red-winged Blackbird

 Brewer's Blackbird

 House Finch

Purple Finch

Red Crossbill

American Goldfinch

Northern Shrike: Ralph Hocken Photo.

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Everyone is welcome to join us for a 2-3 hour bird walk on Sunday & Tuesday. We leave from the Store at 9 a.m. on Sunday Mornings and go to a different location in and around Nanaimo.  We leave from the Parksville Community Park at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday mornings and go to a different location in the Oceanside area.

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The Tuesday bird walk on October 18, 2016 will be going to Lot Ten north of Qualicum Beach. Meet at the Parksville Community Park at the parking lot near the Lions Club Kids playground at 9:00 a.m. or at the Brant Viewing platform in north Qualicum Beach at about 9:20 a.m.

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The Sunday bird walk on October 23, 2016 will be going to Nanoose Bay. Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking near the Church Camp off Highway 19 and Nanoose Station Road (across the road from Arlington Pub) at about 9:20 a.m.

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Reporting Collared Canada Goose Sightings

Hello fellow birders:

As part of the Vancouver Island University (VIU) Bird Banding project, we banded and collared 200 Canada Geese around Nanaimo last June.  This banding effort is part of an undergraduate research project by VIU biology student Stew Pearce, with main objective to determine the abundance, distribution and movement of geese in the Nanaimo area.  The geese have white neck collars with black lettering that ranges from 000P to 199P.

We are conducting regular surveys to track geese, but we hope to increase the number of collared goose sightings by encouraging birders and members of the public to report their sightings through our project website - https://wordpress.viu.ca/gooseproject/.  There is a simple form to fill out to report sightings.  We are interested in any sightings of these geese, whether in the Nanaimo area or elsewhere, including the number of “uncollared” geese they may associated with.

We appreciate your help with this project.  Feel free to contact us off list to find out more about the project or results so far (stew.pearce@shaw.ca).

Eric Demers, Ph.D., R.P.Bio.
Biology Department
B.Sc. Degree Advisor
Vancouver Island University

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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: http://thebirdstore.blogspot.ca/