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.

Tuesday 27 December 2011

Nanaimo bird report, December 27, 2011




















Red-necked Grebe: Ralph Hocken Photo.

NANAIMO BIRD REPORT

“GO BIRDING--EXPLORE NATURE”

Please remember, when reporting a sighting, to leave your name and phone number along with the date, the species and location of your sighting.
To report your sightings phone the Store at 250-390-3669 or e-mail us at thebackyard@shaw.ca

“HAPPY NEW YEAR”
From all of us at the Backyard Wildbird & Nature Store
Denise, Colin, Tyler, Lexi, Ralph, Natalie, Ryan, Neil and Marilynne

Wednesday December 21:
A Snowy Owl has been sighted at Pauline Haarer School in downtown Nanaimo.

Tuesday December 20:
The Tuesday bird walk went the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was partly sunny with a strong biting wind that calmed down as the morning progressed, turning into a really great birding day to finish off 2011. The highlights included seeing a male Northern Harrier in his finest colors fly over the estuary and then circle over the forest close to us. We spotted a Downy Woodpecker perched in a tall tree not far from the trail. A pair of Trumpeter Swans flew low over the water, not far from shore, heading up the Strait of Georgia. We were treated with a spectacular sight of thousands of Common Murre and hundreds of Pacific Loons riding the waves on the Strait
Ten birders saw and heard the following fifty-five species:
Canada Goose, Brant, Trumpeter Swan, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, California Quail, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Black-bellied Plover, Black Turnstone, Mew Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Common Murre, Marbled Murrelet, Ancient Murrelet, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bushtit, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, Varied Thrush, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-winged Blackbird, Brewer's Blackbird and House Finch.

Saturday December 17:
A Clay-colored Sparrow was seen the Carmanah Point Light Station on the west side of Vancouver Island.

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Nanoose Naturalists Meeting
January, 2012 at 7:30 pm.
@ The Library Centre along Northwest Bay Road, Nanoose Bay
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Arrowsmith Naturalist Meeting
Monday, January 23, 2012 at,7:30 pm. Members night.
Springwood Middle School, Parksville.
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Everyone is invited 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.

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There will be no Tuesday Birdwalk on December 27. We will resume on January 3, 2012 and will be going to Columbia Beach. We will meet at Parksville Community Park at the parking lot near the Lions Playground at 9:00 A.M. or at the parking area of Admiral Tryon Bld. At Columbia Beach.
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There will no Sunday Birdwalk on December 25 or January 1, 2012.
We will resume on Sunday, January 08, 2012 and will be going to the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo. We will 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
thebackyard@shaw.ca
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG---> www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

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“NANAIMO CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT”
Will be held on Wednesday December 28th, 2011.
Organizers are looking for as many backyard feeders counter and field observers as possible.
Contact the Birdstore at 250-390--3669 or email us at: thebackyard@shaw.ca

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