Nanaimo bird alert

Dunlin: Photo by Ralph Hocken


To report your sightings
please phone the Store at 390-3669
or e-mail us at thebackyard@shaw.ca
www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com
Bird Alert --390-3029---
Post your sightings on this site--
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bcbirdingvanisland/messages

Please remember, when reporting a sighting, to leave your name and phone
number, along with the date and location of your sighting.

Sunday November 11, 2007:

OUT OF TOWN RARE BIRD ALERT "IVORY GULL"

A Ivory Gull was seen at Matsqui Flats near Abbotsford on the lower mainland. The Ivory Gull winters in the Arctic Sea and is a casual visitor along the Atlantic Coast.

The Sunday Bird Walk went to the Nanoose Bay Estuary in Nanoose Bay. Among the highlights were the sighting of a Common Murre in the Bay, over three hundred White Scoters, an estimated 3000 Bushtits moving in a hugh cloud from bush to bush and four Dunlin landing close to shore.

Fourteen hardy birders found the following thirty-four species: Common Murre, Canada Goose, American Wigeon, Mallard, Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, Bufflehead, White-winged Scoter, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Loon, Pacific Loon, Horned Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Dunlin, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Mew Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, American Pippit, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, House Finch, Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Bushtit, Purple Finch, and Red Crossbill.

Saturday November 10:

OUT FOX TOWN RARE BIRD ALERT "ROSS'S, GULL"

This afternoon there was a non-breeding Adult Ross's Gull on Tachick Lake southwest of Vanderhoof (west of Prince George). The Ross's Gull is an Old World Arctic species that usually winters at sea.

Wednesday November 07:
The Wednesday Bird Walk went to Columbia Beach at French Creek.
The rain was with us for the walk short. We saw six species of gulls--Bonaparte's Gull, Mew Gull, Ring-billed Gull,California Gull, Thayer's Gull and Glaucous-winged Gull. We also saw a large number of Pacific Loons and shorebirds including Black-bellied Plovers,Black Oystercatchers, Black Turnstones and Dunlin.
Five wet birders still found twenty-six species: Canada Goose, American Wigeon,Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Bufflehead, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Horned Grebe,Red-necked Grebe, Bald Eagle, Black-bellied Plover, Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, Dunlin, Bonaparte's Gull, Mew Gull, Ring-billed Gull, California Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow and House Finch

Tuesday November 06:
Two Great Horned Owls were seen along Morrell Circle in Nanaimo.

A Ringed-necked Pheasant and two flocks of Trumpeter Swans were seen near the Cottonwood Golf Course in south Nanaimo.

A Rough-legged Hawk was seen flying out from a perch near the Qualicum Beach exit on highway 19.

Ten Trumpeter Swans were seen flying over highway 19 near Courtenay.

Canada Goose, Trumpeter Swan, American Wigeon, Mallard, Harlequin Duck,Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Bufflehead, Common Merganser,Red-throated Loon, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Rough-legged Hawk, Mew Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Northwestern Crow Common Raven, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bushtit, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Bewick's Wren, Winter Wren,
Golden-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, European Starling, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch, Red Crossbill and Pine Siskin were seen on the Lazo Marsh and the ocean at Comox.

Over thirty-six Dark-eyed Juncos, three Northern Flickers, a Spotted Towhee and six American Robins were seen in a yard along Cedar Road in Cedar.

Monday November 05:
A Wilson's Snipe was seen along Port Trail Drive near Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.
Anna's Hummingbirds have been seen in the 200 block of Dawkins Lane, in the 700 block of Aulds Road and in the 3300 block of Edgewater Drive in Nanaimo.

Mallard, Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Bald Eagle, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Glaucous-winged Gull, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bushtit, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Bewick's Wren, Winter Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, European Starling,

Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-winged Blackbird, Brewer's Blackbird, Purple Finch, House Finch and Pine Siskin were seen around the edge of Morningstar Golf Course in French Creek.

Sunday November 04:
A juvenile Northern Shrike and four Red Crossbills were seen visiting feeders at the top of Scarlet Hill Road area of Departure Bay in Nanaimo
Anna's Hummingbirds are visiting feeders in the 7400 block of Aulds Road in Lantzville.

RARE BIRD ALERT "HOODED WARBLER" The Hooded Warbler is normally found in the eastern USA during the summer and is fairly common in swamps, moist woodlands. It winters in southern Mexico, Central America, and Caribbean.
A Hooded Warbler was seen behind the John Hart Generating Station on the Canyon View Trail in Campbell River at ~10:30 AM Sunday November 4, 2007. Bird Description: Male bright yellow face surrounded by continuous black throat bib, neck ring and cap on top of head and nape. Underparts bright yellow, back

olive greenish brown. White in tail visible when it moves. Listen for sharp chips.Location and Access: Park in BC Hydro Parking lot and walk west (toward the generating station) on the paved part of the Canyon View trail, across the front of the generating station and up the stairs and trail on the north side no further than the look-out over the penstocks. The bird was vocalizing and flitting around in a large patch of blackberry that is growing on the chain-link fence that separates the penstock/generating station yard from the treed area to the north.

Saturday November 03:
An Anna's Hummingbird is visiting Chinese Lantern Plants in the 5600 block of Lost Lake Road in Nanaimo.

For further information on these sightings or for help in identifying a
bird please call The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store
@ (250) 390-3669
Toll Free @ 1-888-249-4145
e-mail: thebackyard@shaw.ca
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Arrowsmith Naturalists
Monthly Meeting,
Monday November 26, 2007@ 7:30 pm.
Springwood School
Parksville.
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Parksville--Qualicum Beach Christmas Bird Count
December 16, 2007
Contact- Sandra Gray at
saninerr@shaw.ca
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The Nanoose Naturalists
Monthly Meeting
Thursday December 13, 2007 @ 7:00 pm
Nanoose Library,
Nanoose Bay
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Nanoose Bay Christmas Bird Count
December 14, 2007
Contact-Rhys Harrison at
rhysharrison@shaw.ca
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The Nanaimo Christmas Bird Count
Sunday December 30, 2007
Contact- Carlo Pavan
cpavan@uvic.ca
Phone-758-3765
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The Wednesday Bird Walk on November 14, 2007 will be going to Columbia Beach. Meet at the Visitor Centre in Parksville on Highway 19A and Northwest Bay Road at 9 a.m. or at the parking area off Admiral Tryon Boulevard at about 9:20am. (Turn off highway 19a at Columbia Drive across from Windsor Plywood Store follow Columbia Drive to the "T" intersection turn right to the parking area on the left on Admiral Tryon Bld.)
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The Sunday Bird Walk on November 18, 2007, will be going to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo.
Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 am or at the parking lot at Neck Point off Hammond Bay Road about 9:20 a.m.
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Good Birding!
Neil Robins
Nanaimo