Nanaimo bird report, February 08, 2015

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, February 08, 2015:

The Sunday bird walk went to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. The morning started with rain showers but soon turned into a dry morning of birding. The highlights included seeing three Trumpeter Swans fly in and land on the marsh to start feeding. The woods were alive with the sounds of songbirds including Dark-eyed Juncos, Red-winged Blackbirds, Marsh Wrens, Bewick's Wrens, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Fox Sparrow  and American Robins. A Hermit Thrush was perched low on a shrub just off the trail. We spotted three Downy Woodpeckers were feeding along the trail.

Hermit Thrush: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Nine birders saw and heard the following thirty-four species: 

Trumpeter Swan

Canada Geese

Mallard

Gadwall

Hooded Merganser

Common Merganser

Pied-billed Grebe

Belted Kingfisher

Great Blue Heron

Barred Owl

Red-tailed Hawk

Glaucous-winged Gull

Northern Flicker

Downy Woodpecker

American Robin

Hermit Thrush

European Starling

Steller's Jay

Common Raven

Northwestern Crow

Anna’s Hummingbird

Marsh Wren

Bewick's Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

Pine Siskin

Dark-eyed Junco

Red-winged Blackbirds

House Finch  

  A Turkey Vulture was seen flying over Cathers lake and Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.

 

Tuesday, February 03:

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville. The morning was cloudy and the winds were calm, but it was a little choppy further off shore on the Strait  of Georgia.  A flock of well over one hundred singing Pine Siskins flew overhead at the start of the walk—they are back!  An estimated five hundred to six hundred Dunlin, thirty Surfbirds, twenty Black-bellied Plovers and four Black Turnstones were feeding at the tide line and in the tide pools nearby.  A large mixed flock of gulls---Mew Gulls, Thayer’s Gulls, California Gulls and Glaucous-winged Gulls--were also feeding and resting along the shoreline.  A very large number of Pacific Loons, many Common Murre, several Red-breasted Mergansers, a Pigeon Guillemot, a Marbled Murrelet and two Eared Grebe were seen further offshore.

Surfbirds: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Twenty birders saw and heard the following forty-one species:

Brant

Mallard

Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Bufflehead

    Common Goldeneye

                          Barrow’s Goldeneye             

                                                        Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Pacific Loon

Common Loon

Long-tailed Duck

Red-necked Grebe

Horned Grebe

Eared Grebe

Double-crested Cormorant

Bald Eagle

Black-bellied Plover

Black Turnstone

Dunlin

Surfbird

Mew Gull

Thayer’s Gull

California Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Pigeon Guillemot

Marbled Murrelet

Common Murre

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

American Robin

Varied Thrush

Anna’s Hummingbird

       Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Pacific Wren

Bewick’s Wren

Spotted Towhee

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Pine Siskin 

Eared Grebe: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Wednesday, February 04:

 A Northern Hawk Owl was seen at the southwest corner of the parking lot at Wal-Mart in Duncan. 

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Thursday, February 12.

Nanoose Naturalists at 7pm at the Nanoose Library Hall in Nanoose Bay.

Guest speaker -- Dr. John Black, Dean of Social Sciences at VIU who will speak on Alexandro Malaspina and his voyage of discovery in this area. 

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Monday, February, 23^:

The Arrowsmith Naturalists meet at 7pm at Knox United Church, Parksville.

 Guest Speaker--- Christopher Stephens will speak about Swainson’s Thrush . 

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Tofino-Shorebird –Festival

18th Annual May 1-3, 2015 

For  information please contact---- http://raincoasteducation.org/events/tofino-shorebird-festival 

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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 February 10, 2015 will be going to Columbia Beach. Meet
at the parking lot near the Lions Club Playground in Parksville Community Park at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking area off Admiral Tyron Bld.( off highway 19a and Columbia Drive at about 9:20 a.m.
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The Sunday bird walk on February 15, 2015 will be going to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo. Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at Neck Point off Hammond Bay Road at about 9:15 a.m. 

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British Columbia Rare Bird Alert link--- http://www.bcbirdalert.blogspot.ca/

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A must read for those of us who live along the Strait of Georgia.

THE SEA AMONG US
THE AMAZING STRAIT OF GEORGIA
RICHARD BEAMISH AND GORDON McFARLANE

 

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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