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 28 June 2015

Nanaimo bird report, June 28, 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, June 28, 2015:
 The Sunday bird walk went to Beck Creek in south Nanaimo. The morning was sunny and hot--a little cooler in the forest. A fledging Barn Swallow was being feed by its parent along the power line near the road. A singing Western Tanager caught our attention as he sang from a perch high up in a conifer. A large number of singing and flying Purple Martins entertained us throughout the morning. Two Cedar Waxwings were perched on the top of a tall conifer tree.

Purple Martin: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Eighteen birders  saw and heard the following thirty-six species:
Canada Geese
 Mallard
Common Merganser
 Great Blue Heron
 Turkey Vulture
 Bald Eagle
 Glaucous-winged Gull
  Band-tailed Pigeon
  Eurasian Collared Dove
Anna’s Hummingbird
Pacific-sloped Flycatcher
 Willow Flycatcher
  Orange-crowned Warbler
  Northern Flicker
  Northwestern Crow
 Common Raven
 Purple Martin
   Violet-green Swallow
Barn Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
   Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
 Pacific Wren
Bewick’s Wren
Bushtit
  European Starling
 Swainson's Thrush
American Robin
Western Tanager
 Cedar Waxwing
 Spotted Towhee
 Song Sparrow
 White-crowned Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Purple Finch
 
Tuesday, June 23:
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was sunny and warm.  A Yellow Warbler was perched above the trail giving us great views.  A Willow Flycatcher was heard singing and then seen perched on the top of a short snag.  We watched as ten Killdeer with three fledglings, six Least Sandpipers, two Western Sandpipers and two Semipalmated Plovers were feeding on the mudflats.  Violet-green Swallows were seen hawking insects over the mudflats.  Turkey Vultures and Bald Eagles were higher in the sky, riding thermos.  We spotted two Marbled Murrelets riding the waves on the Strait.                                                                                                  

Yellow Warbler: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Nineteen birders including visiting birders from Seattle and Victoria saw and heard the following forty-three species:
Marbled Murrelet
Canada Goose
Great Blue Heron
Common Merganser
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Cooper’s Hawk
Killdeer
Least Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Semipalmated Plover
Glaucous-winged Gull
Band-tailed Pigeon
Eurasian-collared Dove
California Quail
Rufous Hummingbird
Anna’s Hummingbird
Northern Flicker
Willow Flycatcher
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Violet-green Swallow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Swainson's Thrush
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
European Starling
Wilson’s Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Brown-headed Cowbird
Purple Finch
Red Crossbill
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Pine Siskin
Semi-palmated Plover: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

 Monday, June 22.
Two Common Nighthawks were spotted flying over Ladysmith.  

Good birding
Neil Robins
Parksville

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 30, 2015 will be going to Lot Ten in Qualicum Beach. We meet at the Parksville Community Park by the Lions Club playground parking lot at 9 a.m. or on the mountain side of Kinkade Road off Highway 19a in north Qualicum Beach at about 9:20 a.m.

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The Sunday bird walk on July 05, 2015 will be going to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo.  Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 a.m. or at the Neck Point parking lot at off Hammond Bay Road about 9:15 a.m.

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

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