Neil Robins
Well-known member
NANAIMO BIRD REPORT “EXPLORE NATURE---GO BIRDING”
To report your sightings phone the Store at 250-390-3669 or e-mail us at
[email protected]
Please remember, when reporting a sighting, to leave your name and phone number along with the date, the species and location of your *****************************************************************************
Sunday, April 19, 2015:
The Sunday bird walk went to Legacy Marsh in upper Lantzville. The morning was sunny with a breeze. The highlights included seeing a Swamp Sparrow on the edge of the marsh not far from us. The Swamp Sparrow is commonly seen East of the Rocky Mountains and is a rare bird for this area. We heard a Cassin's Vireo, Orange-crowned Warblers, many Common Yellowthroat, Black-throated Grey Warblers and Yellow-rumped Warblers throughout the morning. A Red-tail Hawk and a Cooper’s Hawk flew overhead.
Seventeen birders saw and heard the following forty-five species:
Canada Geese,
Mallard
Ring-neck Duck
Wood Duck
Hooded Merganser
California Quail
Great Blue Heron
Belted Kingfisher
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Red-tail Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Rock Pigeon
Band-tailed Pigeon
Rufous Hummingbird
Anna’s Hummingbird
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Steller’s Jay
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Bewick's Wren
Pacific Wren
Marsh Wren
Varied Thrush
American Robin
Barn Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Cassin's Vireo
Orange-crowned Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Black-throated Grey Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Spotted Towhee
Swamp Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Purple Finch
American Goldfinch
Pine Siskin
Saturday, April 18:
A Yellow-headed Blackbird was seen at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.
Two Townsend’s Solitaire’s were seen on Little Mountain near Parksville.
Tuesday, April 14:
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. The morning was sunny with a strong wind off the Strait of Georgia but it was very calm in the forest and meadows. As we started the walk we spotted a Hermit Thrush feeding along the trail just in front of us. The birding got better as the morning went on. A Townsend’s Warbler was singing and feeding high up in a big leaf maple tree. He was soon joined by a Yellow-rumped Warbler, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet and an Orange-crowned Warbler. An American Kestrel was perched on a snag and we watched as he flew and hunted over the meadow. We were entertained as he hovered and flew over the meadow looking for prey. We spotted a Savannah Sparrow perched on a bush close to the shoreline. A Snow Goose and two Greater White-fronted Geese were feeding in the meadow near the R.V. Park. A Townsend’s Solitaire perched on a short bush along the trail giving us great looks. We watched a Red-breasted Sapsucker making a nest hole in a tall snag . He would peck for a while and then go into it to see if it was big enough. We left before he accomplished that! A Northern Flicker was drilling into a tree for a nest on another snag further on in the forest. Spring is here!!
Thirteen lucky birders saw and heard the following sixty-one species (a record for this time of the year!):
Canada Goose
Snow Goose
Brant
Greater White-fronted Geese
Mallard
Bufflehead
American Wigeon
Northern Pintail
Surf Scoter
Common Merganser
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
American Kestrel
Dunlin
Killdeer
Black Turnstone
Greater Yellowlegs
Mew Gull
California Gull
Thayer’s Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Belted Kingfisher
Band-tailed Pigeon
Eurasian-collared Dove
California Quail
Ring-necked Pheasant
Rufous Hummingbird
Anna’s Hummingbird
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Violet-green Swallow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Bushtit
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Bewick’s Wren
Pacific Wren
American Robin
Hermit Thrush
European Starling
Townsend’s Solitaire
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Townsend’s Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Red-winged Blackbird
Spotted Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Purple Finch
American Goldfinch
Pine Siskin
Saturday April 11:
A flock of Sandhill Cranes were seen flying up the Alberni Inlet in Port Alberni.
******************************************************************************
Monday, April 27:
Arrowsmith Naturalists meet at Knox United Church in Parksville. Doors open at 7 pm. Presentation on Ecological Reserves by Erica McClaren from BC Parks at 7.30.
*************************************************************************************
Tofino-Shorebird –Festival
18th Annual May 1-3, 2015
For information please contact----
http://raincoasteducation.org/events/tofino-shorebird-festival
*********************************************************************************
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
****************************************************************************
The Tuesday bird walk on April 21, 2015 will be going to the Moorcroft Regional Park in Nanoose Bay. Meet at the Parksville Community Park playground parking lot at 9 a.m. or at the parking lot at Moorecroft off Stewart Road (look for the Moorcroft sign on Stewart Road) at about 9:20 a.m.
*************************************************************************
The Sunday bird walk on Sunday, April 26 will be going to the West Buttertubs Marsh Nanaimo. Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot off Jingle Pot Road at Buttertubs Marsh (wear rubber boots it may be wet) at about 9:15 a.m.
**********************************************************************************
British Columbia Rare Bird Alert link--- http://www.bcbirdalert.blogspot.ca/
*******************************************************************************
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
*****************************************************************************
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: [email protected]
Blog: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com
To report your sightings phone the Store at 250-390-3669 or e-mail us at
[email protected]
Please remember, when reporting a sighting, to leave your name and phone number along with the date, the species and location of your *****************************************************************************
Sunday, April 19, 2015:
The Sunday bird walk went to Legacy Marsh in upper Lantzville. The morning was sunny with a breeze. The highlights included seeing a Swamp Sparrow on the edge of the marsh not far from us. The Swamp Sparrow is commonly seen East of the Rocky Mountains and is a rare bird for this area. We heard a Cassin's Vireo, Orange-crowned Warblers, many Common Yellowthroat, Black-throated Grey Warblers and Yellow-rumped Warblers throughout the morning. A Red-tail Hawk and a Cooper’s Hawk flew overhead.
Seventeen birders saw and heard the following forty-five species:
Canada Geese,
Mallard
Ring-neck Duck
Wood Duck
Hooded Merganser
California Quail
Great Blue Heron
Belted Kingfisher
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Red-tail Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Rock Pigeon
Band-tailed Pigeon
Rufous Hummingbird
Anna’s Hummingbird
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Steller’s Jay
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Bewick's Wren
Pacific Wren
Marsh Wren
Varied Thrush
American Robin
Barn Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Cassin's Vireo
Orange-crowned Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Black-throated Grey Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Spotted Towhee
Swamp Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Purple Finch
American Goldfinch
Pine Siskin
Saturday, April 18:
A Yellow-headed Blackbird was seen at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.
Two Townsend’s Solitaire’s were seen on Little Mountain near Parksville.
Tuesday, April 14:
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. The morning was sunny with a strong wind off the Strait of Georgia but it was very calm in the forest and meadows. As we started the walk we spotted a Hermit Thrush feeding along the trail just in front of us. The birding got better as the morning went on. A Townsend’s Warbler was singing and feeding high up in a big leaf maple tree. He was soon joined by a Yellow-rumped Warbler, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet and an Orange-crowned Warbler. An American Kestrel was perched on a snag and we watched as he flew and hunted over the meadow. We were entertained as he hovered and flew over the meadow looking for prey. We spotted a Savannah Sparrow perched on a bush close to the shoreline. A Snow Goose and two Greater White-fronted Geese were feeding in the meadow near the R.V. Park. A Townsend’s Solitaire perched on a short bush along the trail giving us great looks. We watched a Red-breasted Sapsucker making a nest hole in a tall snag . He would peck for a while and then go into it to see if it was big enough. We left before he accomplished that! A Northern Flicker was drilling into a tree for a nest on another snag further on in the forest. Spring is here!!
Thirteen lucky birders saw and heard the following sixty-one species (a record for this time of the year!):
Canada Goose
Snow Goose
Brant
Greater White-fronted Geese
Mallard
Bufflehead
American Wigeon
Northern Pintail
Surf Scoter
Common Merganser
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
American Kestrel
Dunlin
Killdeer
Black Turnstone
Greater Yellowlegs
Mew Gull
California Gull
Thayer’s Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Belted Kingfisher
Band-tailed Pigeon
Eurasian-collared Dove
California Quail
Ring-necked Pheasant
Rufous Hummingbird
Anna’s Hummingbird
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Violet-green Swallow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Bushtit
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Bewick’s Wren
Pacific Wren
American Robin
Hermit Thrush
European Starling
Townsend’s Solitaire
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Townsend’s Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Red-winged Blackbird
Spotted Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Purple Finch
American Goldfinch
Pine Siskin
Saturday April 11:
A flock of Sandhill Cranes were seen flying up the Alberni Inlet in Port Alberni.
******************************************************************************
Monday, April 27:
Arrowsmith Naturalists meet at Knox United Church in Parksville. Doors open at 7 pm. Presentation on Ecological Reserves by Erica McClaren from BC Parks at 7.30.
*************************************************************************************
Tofino-Shorebird –Festival
18th Annual May 1-3, 2015
For information please contact----
http://raincoasteducation.org/events/tofino-shorebird-festival
*********************************************************************************
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
****************************************************************************
The Tuesday bird walk on April 21, 2015 will be going to the Moorcroft Regional Park in Nanoose Bay. Meet at the Parksville Community Park playground parking lot at 9 a.m. or at the parking lot at Moorecroft off Stewart Road (look for the Moorcroft sign on Stewart Road) at about 9:20 a.m.
*************************************************************************
The Sunday bird walk on Sunday, April 26 will be going to the West Buttertubs Marsh Nanaimo. Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot off Jingle Pot Road at Buttertubs Marsh (wear rubber boots it may be wet) at about 9:15 a.m.
**********************************************************************************
British Columbia Rare Bird Alert link--- http://www.bcbirdalert.blogspot.ca/
*******************************************************************************
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
*****************************************************************************
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: [email protected]
Blog: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com
