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 9 March 2008

NANAIMO BIRD ALERT, MARCH 09, 2008

Violet-green Swallow: Ralph Hocken Photo.

To report your sightings
please phone the Store at 390-3669
or e-mail us at
thebackyard@shaw.ca
or call the Bird Alert at 390-3029
Check out the birdstore blog.
www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com
International Birdwatching Guides
http://www.guidedbirdwatching.com

Please remember, when reporting a sighting, to leave your name and phone
number, along with the date and location of your sighting.
Sunday March 09:
The Sunday Bird Walk went to the Little Qualicum River Estuary. Among
the highlights were the sighting of at least 30,000 seabirds off shore at the Viewing Tower in Qualicum Beach. At the Little Qualicum River Estuary we estimated that we saw over 40,000 seabirds fly by for about thirty minutes. There were White-winged and Surf, Scoters, Long-tailed Ducks, Common and Barrow's Goldeneye, Brandt's, Pelagic and Double-crested Cormorants. Off shore we spotted approximately 2,000 Common Murres. Just past the sand bar on the water, there was a flock of at least 1,000 Red-breasted Mergangers. The herring spawn last week certainly attracted the seabirds to the area!
Twenty-four birders found the following fifty-four species:
Common Loon, Pacific Loon, Brandt's, Pelagic and Double-crested Cormorants, Canada Goose, Brant, Great Blue Heron, Mallard, Northern
Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Surf, Black and White-winged Scoters, Buffhead, Common Goldeneye, Barrow's Goldeneye, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Greater Scaup, Harlequin Duck,
American Wigeon, Eurasian Wigeon, Red-breasted Merganser, Common
Merganser, Common Murre, Bald Eagle, Dunlin, Black Oystercatcher, Killdeer, Black Turnstone, Mew Gull, California Gull, Western Gull, Bonaparte's Gull, Thayer's Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Belted Kingfisher, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Common Raven, Northwestern Crow, American Robin, European Starling, Brewer's Blackbird, Red-winged Blackbird, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch, Purple Finch, Red Crossbill and Pine Siskin.
Three Snow Geese were seen above Highway 19A and Resort Way in Parksville.
Twenty-four Snow Geese were seen flying over south Nanaimo.

Saturday March 08:

An Orange-crowned Warbler has been visiting feeders since January 08, 2008, at
MacLeary Street and Bowen Road in Nanaimo.
Four Violet-green Swallows were seen over Cathers Lake in Nanaimo.
A Rufous Hummingbird is visiting feeders along Kenwill Drive in north Nanaimo.
Two large flocks of Trumpeter Swans and a Turkey Vulture were seen over
Morrell Circle in Nanaimo.
A Violet-green Swallow and Steller's Jays were seen along Morrell Circle.
Barred Owls were calling and a pair of Pine Siskins were collecting dog hair near
Colliery Dam Park in the 800 block of Harewood Mines Road in Nanaimo.
Friday March 07:
At least twenty Violet-green Swallows were spotted flying above the ponds at
Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.
A Townsend's Warbler was heard calling from the tops of fir trees, along with
Red crossbills and flocks of Pine Siskins in the Harewood Plains just south of Harewood Mines Road in Nanaimo.
Monday March 03:
A Chukar was seen in the 700 block of Primrose Street in Qualicum Beach.
A White-throated Sparrow is visiting feeders in the 100 block of Green Lake
Crescent in Nanaimo.
Thursday February 28:
Evening Grosbeaks were seen along Gomerich Road and Scottown in south
Wellington.
Wednesday March 05:
The Wednesday Bird Walk went to the Englishman River, Shelly Road side in
Parksville. Thirteen birders found fifty-two species of birds. Among the highlights of the morning were the sightings of several Red Crossbills, some within close view just ahead of us on the path. A pair of Barred Owls entertained us a couple of times during the morning walk with their very loud calls sounding like "Who Cooks for You-Who Cooks for You". Several Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Golden-crowned Kinglets kept our eyes constantly moving as they
continually hawked insects from the trees. We watched as a Red-breasted Sapsucker tapped into a tall Popular Tree, seeking sap.
We saw the following fifty-two species:
Canada Goose, Brant, Trumpeter Swan, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Mallard, Green-winged Teal, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Bufflehead, Common
Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Merlin, Mew Gull, California Gull, Thayer's Gull, Western Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Barred Owl, Belted Kingfisher, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed
Chickadee, Bushtit, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Bewick's Wren, Winter Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, Varied Thrush, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-winged Blackbird, Purple Finch, House Finch, Red Crossbill and Pine Siskin .
Tuesday February 26:
In Parksville from Soriel Road, looking over Parksville Bay, thousands upon
thousands of Gulls, Black, White-winged and Surf Scoters, Common and Barrow's Goldeneye, Greater Scaup, Long-tailed Ducks can be seen. The water near the shore has turned aqua-blue and the Herring Spawn is on. The sight is awesome--the yearly natural phenomenon has begun again!!!!
Sunday February 24:
Two Barred Owls were heard talking and calling in the 800 block of Harewood
Mines Road at Colliery Dam Park 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
***********************************
The Nanoose Naturalists
Monthly Meeting
Thursday March 13, 2008 @ 7:00 pm
Nanoose Library,
Nanoose Bay
**********************************
Arrowsmith Naturalists
Monthly Meeting,
Monday March 31, 2008@ 7:30 pm.
Springwood School
Parksville
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Everyone is welcome to join us for a 2-3 hour bird walk on the Sunday and
Wednesday mornings. We leave from the Store at 9 A.M. Sunday Mornings and go to a different location in and around Nanaimo and from the Parksville Visitor Centre in Parksville at 9 A.M. Wednesdays and go to different areas in and around the Oceanside area.
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The Wednesday Bird Walk on March 12, 2008 will be going to the Little Qualicum
River Estuary, in Qualicum Beach. We will meet at the Parksville Visitor Centre at Highway 19A and Northwest Bay Road, near Craig Bay in Parksville, at 9:00 A.M. or at the Viewing Tower at highway 19a and Garrett Road in Qualicum Beach at about 9:20 A.M.
*****************************************
The Sunday Bird Walk on March 16, 2008 will be going to Neck Point Park in
Nanaimo. We will meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking area at Neck Point Park about 9:20 a.m.
**************************************
Good Birding!
Neil Robins
Nanaimo

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