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 here by 8am the day of the walk. Our first bird walks of the year are going out on Sunday February 4th and Tuesday February 6th. Locations will be posted to our next Bird Report.

Tuesday 30 March 2010

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, March 30, 2010


Long-tailed Duck: Ralph Hocken Photo.

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman Estuary in Parksville. The morning was cloudy but the wind was calm. The big highlight of the morning was the sighting of a Eurasian Teal (also known as a Common Teal) in with Green-winged Teal in the San Pariel mud flats off Mariner Way. The Eurasian Teal is a Northern European duck that winters in Britain, Holland and France. It is a regular visitor to Western Alaska and is a rare, but regular visitor along the Pacific Coast.
Other highlights included seen a Merlin being chased by one fiesty Rufous Hummingbird at the start of the walk. We saw a Snow Goose and a Greater White-fronted Goose in with the Canada Geese from the viewing platform. Offshore from Mariner Way there was a mixed flock of an estimated fifty-thousand seabirds including Brant Geese, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Surf Scoters, White-winged Scoters, Black Scoters, Long-tailed Ducks, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Barrow's Goldeneye, Common Mergansers, Re-breasted Mergansers, Pacific Loon, Common Loon and Pelagic Cormorants.

Eight birders saw and heard the following fifty-seven species of birds:
Greater White-fronted Goose
Snow Goose
Canada Goose
Brant
Trumpeter Swan
Eurasian Wigeon
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Eurasian Teal
Green-winged Teal
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Barrow's Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Pelagic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Merlin
Semipalmated Plover
Dunlin
Bonaparte's Gull
Mew Gull
California Gull
Thayer's Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Pigeon Guillemot
Rufous Hummingbird
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Shrike
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
American Robin
Varied Thrush
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Purple Finch
House Finch
Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin

Good birding
Neil Robins
Parksville
British Columbia

Rare Bird Alert--Eurasian Teal


Eurasian Teal (Common Teal) at San Pariel mud flats off Mariner Way in Parksville. Bill Pranke Photo.

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman Estuary in Parksville. The morning was cloudy but the wind was calm. The big highlight of the morning was the sighting of a Eurasian Teal (also known as a Common Teal) in with Green-winged Teal in the San Pariel mud flats off Mariner Way. The Eurasian Teal is a Northern European duck that winters in Britain, Holland and France. It is a regular visitor to Western Alaska and is a rare, but regular visitor along the Pacific Coast.

Good birding
Neil Robins
Parksville
British Columbia

Sunday 28 March 2010

Nanaimo bird report, March 28, 2010


Bonaparte's Gull: Ralph Hocken Photo.


NANAIMO BIRD REPORT

To report your sightings
phone the Store at 250-390-3669
e-mail us at thebackyard@shaw.ca
call the Bird Report at 250-390-3029

Also check the birdstore blog for the latest bird alerts and updates:
www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

Post your sightings on this site:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bcbirdingvanisland/messages

Birds of British Columbia:
http://www.geog.ubc.ca/biodiversity/efauna/SpeciesChecklists.html

International Birdwatching Guides
http://www.guidedbirdwatching.com

Birdwatching contacts and information find a local birder to go birdwatching with:
http://www.birdingpal.org/

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

Sunday March 28, 2010:
The Sunday bird walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville.
The morning was partly cloudy and quite windy, but the rains held off until the walk was finished.
The highlights included seeing a large flock of Brant Geese. We watched two pairs of Bushtits working on building their nest. We spotted a Barred Owl perched on a tree near the end of the walk.
Twenty birders saw and heard the following fifty-two species of birds:
Snow Goose, Canada Goose, Brant, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, White-winged Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Surf Scoter, Greater Scaup, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Common Loon, Pelagic Cormorant, Pacific Loon, Bald Eagle, Barred Owl, Northern Shrike, Killdeer, Mew Gull, California Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Rufous Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Bewick's Wren, Winter Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Brown Creeper, Bushtit, American Robin, Varied Thrush, European Starling, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Purple Finch, Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch, Red Crossbill and Pine Siskin.

Twenty-five Trumpeter swans were seen in the far fields at the Ugly Dwarf Meadows in Nanoose Bay

Black Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Surf Scoter, Long-tailed Ducks, Greater Scaup, Common Goldeneye, Barrow's Goldeneye, Green-winged Teal, Brant, Canada Geese, Mallards, American Wigeon, Eurasian Wigeon, Mew Gulls, Bonaparte's Gull, California Gull and Glaucous-winged Gulls were seen offshore at Shorewood Drive in Parksville.

Saturday March 27:
An American Kestrel was spotted perched on the hydro power lines at Ugly Dwarf Meadows at Nanoose Bay.

Rufous Hummingbirds have been visiting feeders in the 3300 block of Whitetail Place in Nanaimo for several days.

Thursday March 25:
A Eurasian Collared Dove was seen at Black Creek.

A Chukar was seen along Gary Oaks Drive in Nanoose Bay.

Tuesday March 23:
The Tuesday bird walk went to Columbia Beach. The morning was cloudy with calm winds. We got close looks at Brant Geese, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter and Long-tailed Ducks that were in four rafts of thousand upon thousand of seabirds not far from shore. Three smaller rafts of Bufflehead and Common Goldeneye were just offshore. We saw a raft of at least forty Pacific Loons, along with a Pigeon Guillemot further offshore. We saw Black-bellied Plover, Black Turnstone and Dunlin on the big rocks past the gravel bar near the Pebble Beach Townhouses. Two Killdeer and four Black Oystercatcher along with about fifty Brant Geese were resting on the gravel bar.
Eighteen birders saw and heard the following forty-one species of birds:
Canada Goose, Brant, American Wigeon, Mallard, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup,
Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead,
Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Pacific Loon,
Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Pelagic Cormorant, Bald Eagle, Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer, Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, Dunlin, Bonaparte's Gulls, Mew Gull, California Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Pigeon Guillemot,
Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Red-breasted Nuthatch,
American Robin, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, House Finch and House Sparrow.

Monday March 22:
A male Rufous Hummingbird is now sharing the feeder with Anna's Hummingbirds that over-wintered in the 5400 block of Altavista Drive in Nanaimo.

Twenty to twenty-five Red Crossbills were feeding on Douglas Fir cones along Harlequin Crescent in Nanoose Bay.

Very large rafts of Surf, White-winged and Black Scoters along with Greater Scaup were seen off Neck Point 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
Guest Speaker: Bill Turner "The role of The Land Conservancy".
Thursday April 08, 2010 @ 7:00 pm
Nanoose Library,
Nanoose Bay
**********************************
Arrowsmith Naturalists
Monday April 26, 2010 @ 7:30 pm.
Springwood School
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. 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 March 30, 2010 will be going to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville.
We meet the Parksville Beach Community Park at the parking area near the Lions
playground at 9 A.M. or at the corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive at about 9:10 A.M.
*****************************************************
There will be NO Sunday Bird Walk on Easter Sunday, April 04, 2010.
The Sunday Bird Walk will resume on April 11.
*******************************************************
Good birding
Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD
Wildbird & Nature Store
6314 Metral Drive, Nanaimo, BC V9T 2L8
250.390.3669
250.390.1633 fax
thebackyard@shaw.ca
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG---> www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

Saturday 27 March 2010

bird alert

Tuesday 23 March 2010

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, March 23, 2010


Black Oystercatcher: Ralph Hocken photo.


The Tuesday bird walk went to Columbia Beach. The morning was cloudy with calm winds. We got close looks at Brant Geese, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter and Long-tailed Ducks that were in four rafts of thousand upon thousand of seabirds not far from shore. Three smaller rafts of Bufflehead and Common Goldeneye were just offshore. We saw a raft of at least forty Pacific Loons, along with a Pigeon Guillemot further offshore. We saw Black-bellied Plover, Black Turnstone and Dunlin on the big rocks past the gravel bar near the Pebble Beach Townhouses. Two Killdeer and four Black Oystercatcher along with about fifty Brant Geese were resting on the gravel bar.
Eighteen birders saw and heard the following forty-one species of birds:
Canada Goose
Brant
American Wigeon
Mallard
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Pelagic Cormorant
Bald Eagle
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Black Oystercatcher
Black Turnstone
Dunlin
Bonaparte’s Gulls
Mew Gull
California Gull
Thayer's Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Pigeon Guillemot
Northern Flicker
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Red-breasted Nuthatch
American Robin
European Starling
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
House Finch
House Sparrow

Good birding
Neil Robins
Parksville
British Columbia

HUGE RAFT OF SCOTERS & SCAUP

Good day everyone. We have received a few reports of large rafts of scoters and scaup out at Neck Point in Nanaimo. They first arrived Monday evening but were still there Tuesday morning March 23. There is a lot of birding activity happening on the water and now is a great time to see a part of nature at its best.
Good birding Colin.

Sunday 21 March 2010

Nanaimo bird alert, March 21, 2010


Savannah Sparrow: Ralph Hocken Photo.

NANAIMO BIRD ALERT

To report your sightings
phone the Store at 250-390-3669
e-mail us at thebackyard@shaw.ca
call the Bird Alert at 250-390-3029

Also check the birdstore blog for the latest bird alerts and updates:
www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

Post your sightings on this site:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bcbirdingvanisland/messages

Birds of British Columbia:
http://www.geog.ubc.ca/biodiversity/efauna/SpeciesChecklists.html

International Birdwatching Guides
http://www.guidedbirdwatching.com

Birdwatching contacts and information find a local birder to go birdwatching
with:
http://www.birdingpal.org/

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

Sunday March 21, 2010:
The Sunday bird walk went to the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.
The morning started off cloudy and cool but it warmed up as the morning
progressed.
The highlights included seeing a flock of fifty Greater White-fronted Geese
flying overhead, heading southeast. A female Northern Harrier made several
passes over the estuary. A flock of low flying Tree Swallows and Violet-green
Swallows gave us some great views as they hawked insects.
Twelve birders saw and heard the following thirty species of birds:
Trumpeter Swans, Greater white-fronted Geese, Canada Goose, Great Blue Heron,
Mallard, Common Mergansers, Buffhead, American Wigeon, Glaucous-winged Gulls,
California Gulls, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Turkey Vulture, Northern
Flicker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven,Bewick's Wren, Tree Swallows,
Violet-green Swallows, Yellow-rumped Warbler, American Robin, European
Starling, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow,
Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Juncos, Red-winged Blackbird and Purple
Finch.

Saturday March 20:
Two Ringed Turtle Doves were seen along Garner Crescent in Nanaimo.

A flock of thirty Trumpeter Swans were seen in the fields of the Ugly Dwarf
Meadows in Nanoose Bay.

A Rufous Hummingbird was seen at feeders along Lintlaw Road in the Divers Lake
area of Nanaimo.

Friday March 19:
Rufous Hummingbirds have been seen at feeders along Cougar Ridge Place near Lost
Lake in Nanaimo, along Fawcett Road in Cedar and along Seablush Drive in Nanoose
Bay.

Thursday March 18:
Violet-green Swallows were seen over Cathers Drive in Nanaimo.

A Eurasian Collared Dove was spotted along Honeysuckle Crescent in Nanaimo.

Wednesday March 17:
A Rufous Hummingbird was visiting feeders in the 100 block of Meridian Way in
Parksville. He had a long drink and then hovered at the window as if to say
"Hello--here I am!"

A Northern Saw-whet Owl was calling at the Morrell Wildlife Sanctuary in
Nanaimo.

A Rufous Hummingbird was spotted at feeders in the Morrell Mobile Home Park off
Nanaimo Lakes Road in Nanaimo.

Tuesday March 16:
Four Black-legged Kittiwake's were seen during a storm at Chestermans Beach
near Tofino and eight Greater White-fronted Geese were seen on a small islet in
the Tofino Harbour.

A Rufous Hummingbird, the first of the season, was seen in the 2400 block of
Cross Road in Nanoose Bay.

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River
Estuary in Parksville. The morning was cloudy with light showers and calm winds.
We heard and saw a Yellow-rumped Warbler. A Savannah Sparrow, the first of the
season, was in with Dark-eyed Juncos, House Finch, White-crowned and
Golden-crowned Sparrows that were feeding in a shrub along the trail. A Snow
Goose was in with the Canada Geese along the Estuary. A raft of Common Murre
and Pacific Loons were seen further offshore. There were about three hundred
Brant Geese flying low, heading towards Parksville Bay. A Red-tailed Hawk was
perched high up in a tall Fir Tree along the River. We had some great close
looks at six Red Crossbills feeding under a big fallen snag along the Estuary
near the viewing platform.
Six birders saw and heard the following fifty-three species of birds:
Snow Goose, Canada Goose, Brant, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail,
Green-winged Teal, Surf Scoter, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Barrow's
Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser,
Pacific Loon, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Cooper's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk,
Merlin, Black-bellied Plover, Killdeer, Black Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Mew Gull,
California Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Common Murre, Belted
Kingfisher, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow,
Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Bewick's Wren,
Winter Wren, American Robin, Varied Thrush, European Starling,
Yellow-rumped Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow,
White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch, Red
Crossbill, Pine Siskin and House Sparrow.

Monday March 15:
A Cassin's Vireo was heard calling at the Morrell Wildlife Sanctuary in Nanaimo.

A Rufous Hummingbird was seen in the 100 block of Sandpiper Drive in Nanaimo.

Saturday March 13:
A flock of Violet-green Swallows were seen over the Cottonwood Golf Course in
south 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
**********************************
Arrowsmith Naturalists
Guest Speaker-Colin Bartlett: The Birds and the Bees in the Backyard.
Monday March 22, 2010 @ 7:30 pm.
Springwood School
Parksville
**********************************
The Nanoose Naturalists
Thursday April 08, 2010 @ 7:00 pm
Nanoose Library,
Nanoose Bay
**********************************
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. 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 March 23, 2010 will be going to Columbia Beach.
We meet the Parksville Beach Community Park at the parking area near the Lions
playground at 9 A.M. or at the parking area off Admiral Tryon Bld.(turn off
Highway 19a at Columbia Drive, go to the tee intersection at Admiral Tryon Bld.
turn right and go about 100 yards turn left onto the parking area) at about 9:15
A.M.
*****************************************************
The Sunday Bird Walk on March 28, 2010, will be going to the Shelly Road side of
the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville..
Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 A.M. or at the end of Shelly Road on the ocean
side of Highway 19a in Parksville at about 9: 25 A.M.
*******************************************************
Good birding
Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD
Wildbird & Nature Store
6314 Metral Drive, Nanaimo, BC V9T 2L8
250.390.3669
250.390.1633 fax
thebackyard@shaw.ca

CHECK OUT OUR BLOG---> www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

Tuesday 16 March 2010

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday Bird Walk, March 16, 2010



California and Mew Gulls: Ralph Hocken Photo.


The Tuesday Bird Walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was cloudy with light showers and calm winds.
We heard and saw a Yellow-rumped Warbler. A Savannah Sparrow, the first of the season, was in with Dark-eyed Juncos, House Finch, White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows that were feeding in a shrub along the trail. A Snow Goose was in with the Canada Geese along the Estuary. A raft of Common Murre and Pacific Loons were seen further offshore. There were about three hundred Brant Geese flying low, heading towards Parksville Bay. A Red-tailed Hawk was perched high up in a tall Fir Tree along the River. We had some great close looks at six Red Crossbills feeding under a big fallen snag along the Estuary near the viewing platform.

Six birders saw and heard the following fifty-three species of birds:
Snow Goose
Canada Goose
Brant
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Surf Scoter
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Barrow's Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Pacific Loon
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Cooper's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Merlin
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Black Oystercatcher
Dunlin
Mew Gull
California Gull
Thayer's Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Common Murre
Belted Kingfisher
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Bewick's Wren
Winter Wren
American Robin
Varied Thrush
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Spotted Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
House Finch
Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin
House Sparrow

Good birding
Neil Robins
Parksville
British Columbia

Sunday 14 March 2010

Nanaimo Bird Alert, March 14, 2010


Thousands upon Thousands of Gulls at Parksville Bay in March, 2010: John Purves Photo.

NANAIMO BIRD ALERT

To report your sightings
phone the Store at 250-390-3669
e-mail us at thebackyard@shaw.ca
call the Bird Alert at 250-390-3029

Also check the birdstore blog for the latest bird alerts and updates:
www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

Post your sightings on this site:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bcbirdingvanisland/messages

Birds of British Columbia:
http://www.geog.ubc.ca/biodiversity/efauna/SpeciesChecklists.html

International Birdwatching Guides
http://www.guidedbirdwatching.com

Birdwatching contacts and information find a local birder to go birdwatching with:
http://www.birdingpal.org/

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

Sunday March 14, 2010:
The Sunday bird walk went to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo.
The morning was cloudy and the winds were bitterly cold.
Yellow-rumped Warblers and Ruby-crowned Kinglets caught our attention when they were singing at different times during the morning. A raft of Buffhead, Barrow's Goldeneye, Harlequin Duck, Red-breasted Merganser and Common Merganser were in the protection of the bay at Sunset Beach. A Glaucous Gull and a pair of Pigeon Guillemots were not far from shore. Small rafts of Pacific Loon, Common Loon and Common Murre were further offshore.
Ten hardy birders found the following forty species of birds:
Canada Geese, Mallard, Double-crested Cormorant, Brandt's Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Wood Duck, Buffhead, Barrow's Goldeneye, Harlequin Duck, Wood Duck, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Merganser, Bald Eagle, Mew Gulls, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous Gull, California Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Common Murre, Pigeon Guillemot, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Northwestern Crow, European Starling, American Robin, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Brown Creeper, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Winter Wren, Bewick's Wren, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Red Crossbill, Pine Siskin and Dark-eyed Junco.

Saturday March 13:
Twelve Evening Grosbeaks are visiting feeders along Butler Road in Parksville.

Friday March 12:
A Glaucous Gull was again spotted among California Gulls, Thayer's Gulls and Glaucous-winged Gulls in the grassy area at the Community Park in Parksville.

A Turkey Vulture was spotted above Sunshine Ridge in Nanaimo.

Thursday March 11:
Two Cackling Geese, eighteen Northern Shovelers and a Snow Goose were seen in with over seven hundred Canada Geese at Quennell Lake in Cedar.

Wednesday March 10:
A Glaucous Gull was seen in with a large flock of California Gulls,Thayer's Gulls and Glaucous-winged Gulls along the grass area at the Community Park in Parksville.

Tuesday March 09:
The first reported male Rufous Hummingbird of the season was spotted at feeders in the 4100 block of Gulfview Drive in Nanaimo.

The Tuesday Bird Walk started in Rathtrevor Provincial Park but we were quickly convinced by the brisk winds to go to the more protected beach at Parksville Community Park. Before we left Rathtrevor we did spot twelve Trumpeter Swans.
The morning was cloudy with a strong southeast wind.
We were greeted at the Parksville Bay by an estimated one thousand Brant Geese and at least one hundred thousand gulls--Bonaparte's Gulls, Mew Gulls, California Gulls, Herring Gulls,Thayer's Gull, Western Gulls, Glaucous-winged Gulls. We had good close looks and were able to compare the yellow legs, black wingtips and short yellow bill of the Mew Gull with the deep yellow legs, black wingtips and bright yellow bill with a bright red and black marks of the larger California Gull who are in their clean crisp breeding plumage. Greater Scaup, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Barrow's Goldeneye and Red-breasted Merganser were seen further offshore. A flock of Black-bellied Plover and Dunlin left the gravel bar in a large cloud flew south down the Strait of Georgia. A Pigeon Guillemot, one Pacific Loon and one Common Loon were seen off the tip of the hovercraft landing pad at the north end of the Bay. We saw two male Yellow-rumped Warblers, one Song Sparrow and three White-crowned Sparrows on the bushes near the RV Park at the north end of the Bay.
Eleven birders saw and heard the following thirty-five species of birds:
Canada Goose, Brant, Trumpeter Swan, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Greater Scaup, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Barrow's Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Pelagic Cormorant, Bald Eagle, Black-bellied Plover, Black Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Bonaparte's Gull, Mew Gull, California Gull, Herring Gull,
Thayer's Gull, Western Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Pigeon Guillemot, Northwestern Crow, American Robin, European Starling, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Song Sparrow and White-crowned Sparrow.

Monday March 08:
A Turkey Vulture was seen soaring over south 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
**********************************
Arrowsmith Naturalists
Guest Speaker-Colin Bartlett, topic Birds and Bees in the Backyard.
Monday March 22, 2010 @ 7:30 pm.
Springwood School
Parksville
**********************************
The Nanoose Naturalists
Thursday April 08, 2010 @ 7:00 pm
Nanoose Library,
Nanoose Bay
**********************************
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. 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 March 09, 2010 will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville.
We meet the Parksville Beach Community Park at the parking area near the Lions
playground at 9 A.M. or at the end of Shelly Road (ocean side of highway 19a) at about 9:15 A.M.
*****************************************************
The Sunday Bird Walk on March 21, 2010, will be going to the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.
Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 A.M. or at the end of Raines Road at about 9: 30 A.M.
*******************************************************
Good birding
Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD
Wildbird & Nature Store
6314 Metral Drive, Nanaimo, BC V9T 2L8
250.390.3669
250.390.1633 fax
thebackyard@shaw.ca
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG---> www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

Tuesday 9 March 2010

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday Bird Walk, March 09, 2010


Black-bellied Plover: Ralph Hocken Photo.


The Tuesday Bird Walk started in Rathtrevor Provincial Park but we were quickly convinced by the brisk winds to go to the more protected beach at Parksville Community Park. Before we left Rathtrevor we did spot twelve Trumpeter Swans.
The morning was cloudy with a strong southeast wind.
We were greeted at the Parksville Bay by an estimated one thousand Brant Geese and at least one hundred thousand gulls--Bonaparte's Gulls, Mew Gulls, California Gulls, Herring Gulls,Thayer's Gull, Western Gulls, Glaucous-winged Gulls. We had good close looks and were able to compare the yellow legs, black wingtips and short yellow bill of the Mew Gull with the deep yellow legs, black wingtips and bright yellow bill with a bright red and black marks of the larger California Gull who are in their clean crisp breeding plummage. Greater Scaup, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Barrow's Goldeneye and Red-breasted Merganser were seen further offshore. A flock of Black-bellied Plover and Dunlin left the gravel bar in a large cloud flew south down the Strait of Georgia. A Pigeon Guillemot, one Pacific Loon and one Common Loon were seen off the tip of the hovercraft landing pad at the north end of the Bay. We saw
two male Yellow-rumped Warblers, one Song Sparrow and three White-crowned Sparrows on the bushes near the RV Park at the north end of the Bay.
Eleven birders saw and heard the following thirty-five species of birds:
Canada Goose
Brant
Trumpeter Swan
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Greater Scaup
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Barrow's Goldeneye
Red-breasted Merganser
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Pelagic Cormorant
Bald Eagle
Black-bellied Plover
Black Oystercatcher
Dunlin
Bonaparte's Gull
Mew Gull
California Gull
Herring Gull
Thayer's Gull
Western Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Pigeon Guillemot
Northwestern Crow
American Robin
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow

Good birding!
Neil Robins
Parksville
British Columbia

Sunday 7 March 2010

Nanaimo Bird Alert, March 07, 2010


Yellow-rumped Warbler: Ralph Hocken Photo.


NANAIMO BIRD ALERT

To report your sightings
phone the Store at 250-390-3669
e-mail us at thebackyard@shaw.ca
call the Bird Alert at 250-390-3029

Also check the birdstore blog for the latest bird alerts and updates:
www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

Post your sightings on this site:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bcbirdingvanisland/messages

Birds of British Columbia:
http://www.geog.ubc.ca/biodiversity/efauna/SpeciesChecklists.html

International Birdwatching Guides
http://www.guidedbirdwatching.com

Birdwatching contacts and information find a local birder to go birdwatching with:
http://www.birdingpal.org/

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

Sunday March 07, 2010:
The Sunday bird walk went to Buttertubs March in Nanaimo.
The morning was cloudy, but winds were cold.
We saw our first Yellow-rumped Warblers, Violet-green Swallows and Tree Swallows of the season--- spring is near! A Wilson's Snipe flushed out over the trail as we walked by. A Northern Shrike perched across the fields from us and eventually flew over and perched on a tall snag near the trail giving us close up views. We saw both the male and female Anna's Hummingbirds. The female was gleaning insects from the branch of a tree and the male was perched close to the trail, giving us great views of his colorful gorget. A pair of colorful Wood Ducks swam slowly past us.
Eighteen birders found the following forty-five species of birds:
Canada Goose, Great Blue Heron, Mallard, Pied-billed Grebe, Bufflehead, Wood Duck, Hooded Merganser, California Quail, Virginia Rail, Wilson's Snipe, Bald Eagle, Merlin, Northern Shrike, Glaucous-winged Gull, Rock Pigeon, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Downy Woodpecker, Common Raven, Northwestern Crow, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bushtit, Brown Creeper, Bewick's Wren, Marsh Wren, Belted Kingfisher, Anna's Hummingbird, American Robin, Varied Thrush, European Starling, Violet-green Swallow, Tree Swallow, Red-winged Blackbird, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, House Finch, Pine Siskin, Purple Finch, Dark-eyed Junco and House Sparrows.

Saturday March 06:
Western Meadowlarks, Golden-crowned Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows, White-throated Sparrow. Fox Sparrow,Red-tailed Hawk and Red Crossbills were seen at the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.

Twenty Trumpeter Swans were spotted flying north over the 2500 block of Glenayr Drive in Nanaimo. Anna's Hummingbird was feeding on hyacinth blooms in the same yard.

Wednesday March 03:
Two Tree Swallows were checking Purple Martin nest boxes at Cowichan Bay.

Eight California Quail were feeding in a backyard in the 2500 block of Glenayr Drive in Nanaimo.

The Wednesday Bird Walk this week visited Famosa Marsh and Mission Bay in San Diego, California.
There were many highlights, pick a favorite. One exhausted (but ecstatic) birder saw the following 77 species:
Pied-billed Grebe, Horned Grebe, Eared Grebe, Western Grebe, Clark’s Grebe, Brown Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Little Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, Brant, American Wigeon, Gadwall, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Blue-winged Teal, Cinnamon Teal, Northern Shoveler, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, Red-tailed Hawk, Clapper Rail, American Coot, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Killdeer, Long-billed Dowitcher, Marbled Godwit, Whimbrel, Long-billed Curlew, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Willet, Ruddy Turnstone, Black Turnstone, Sanderling, Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Dunlin, Heermann’s Gull, Mew Gull, Ring-billed Gull, California Gull, Western Gull, Caspian Tern, Elegant Tern, Royal Tern, Forster’s Tern, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Red-masked Parakeet, Anna’s Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Black Phoebe, Horned Lark, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Bewick’s Wren, Marsh Wren, Northern Mockingbird, Bushtit, Western Scrub-Jay, American Crow, Common Raven, European Starling, House Sparrow, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Brewer’s Blackbird, Great-tailed Grackle.
Cheers
Graham Gillespie

Tuesday March 02:
The Tuesday Bird Walk went to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach.
The water was turquoise blue with the Herring spawn. A huge raft of thousands upon thousands of seabirds, including Brant Geese, Greater Scaup, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye and Barrow's Goldeneye were offshore at the viewing platform in Qualicum Beach. Black-bellied Plovers, Black Oystercatchers, Black Turnstones and Dunlin along with Mew Gulls, California Gulls, one lone Herring Gull, Thayer's Gulls and Glaucous-winged Gulls were roosting along the shoreline. A pair of Bald Eagles appeared overhead and all the seabirds, shorebirds and gulls lifted in a spectacular display.
We saw an Eurasian Wigeon and a Northern Shoveler in among American Wigeon feeding along the Little Qualicum River. Twenty-one Trumpeter Swans swam lazily in the Estuary.
Thirteen birders saw and heard the following forty-eight species of birds:
Canada Goose, Brant, Trumpeter Swan, Eurasian Wigeon, American Wigeon,
Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Greater Scaup,
Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck,
Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Barrow's Goldeneye, Common Merganser,
Red-breasted Merganser, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle ,
Black-bellied Plover, Killdeer, Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, Dunlin,
Bonaparte's Gull, Mew Gull, California Gull, Herring Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow,
Common Raven, American Robin, European Starling, Dark-eyed Junco,
Red-winged Blackbird, Brewer's Blackbird and Red Crossbill.

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
Thursday March 11, 2010 @ 7:00 pm
Guest Speaker, Guy Monty, topic Black Brant.
Nanoose Library,
Nanoose Bay
**********************************
Arrowsmith Naturalists
Guest Speaker-Colin Bartlett, topic--The Birds and Bees in the Backyard.
Monday March 22, 2010 @ 7:30 pm.
Springwood School
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. 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 March 09, 2010 will be going to Rathtrevor Provincal Park in Parksville.
We meet the Parksville Beach Community Park at the parking area near the Lions
playground at 9 A.M. or at the main parking area near the beach at Rathtrevor Park at about 9:15 A.M.
Please note there is a parking fee at the park.
*****************************************************
The Sunday Bird Walk on March 14, 2010, will be going to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo.
Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 A.M. or at the parking lot off Hammond Bay Road at about 9: 20 A.M.
*******************************************************

Good birding
Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD
Wildbird & Nature Store
6314 Metral Drive, Nanaimo, BC V9T 2L8
250.390.3669
250.390.1633 fax
thebackyard@shaw.ca
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG---> www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

Tuesday 2 March 2010

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday Bird Walk, March 02, 2010


Brant: Ralph Hocken Photo.

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach.
The water was turquoise blue with the Herring spawn. A huge raft of thousands upon thousands of seabirds, including Brant Geese, Greater Scaup, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye and Barrow's Goldeneye were offshore at the viewing platform in Qualicum Beach. Black-bellied Plovers, Black Oystercatchers, Black Turnstones and Dunlin along with Mew Gulls, California Gulls, one lone Herring Gull, Thayer's Gulls and Glaucous-winged Gulls were roosting along the shoreline. A pair of Bald Eagles appeared overhead and all the seabirds, shorebirds and gulls lifted in a spectacular display.
We saw an Eurasian Wigeon and a Northern Shoveler in among American Wigeon feeding along the Little Qualicum River. Twenty-one Trumpeter Swans swam lazily in the Estuary.

Thirteen birders saw and heard the following forty-eight species of birds:
Canada Goose
Brant
Trumpeter Swan
Eurasian Wigeon
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Greater Scaup
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Barrow's Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Black Oystercatcher
Black Turnstone
Dunlin
Bonaparte's Gull
Mew Gull
California Gull
Herring Gull
Thayer's Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
American Robin
European Starling
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Red Crossbill

Good birding
Neil Robins
Parksville
British Columbia