Sunday April 01, 2007:The Sunday bird walk went to McGregor Marsh in Nanaimo. Thirty-one birders found the following forty-three species: CROSS-EYED HOOTER, BLUE-THROATED HUMMMMERUS GIGANTICUS, a juvenal GOLDEN-TUFTED PACIFIC TUXEDOBIRD, DUCKIUS SILLUYS, WHITE-TAILED NOELVS ORNAMENTUM TINYUS, PYGMY BIG BIRD, LESSER HOPPER(ORANGE VARIANT), COMMON DOLLARIE KONTIKIUS, INDIGO PLATYPUSIUS AQUAS, WESTERN WHITE-WINGED BROWN-CAPPED BLACK-CHESTED RED-SHOULDERED YELLOW-BEAKED QUETZAL, NORTHER CARDINAL, PINK FLAMMINGO, WESTERN BLUEBIRD(the bird was wearing a cowboy hat so was a western bluebird) MACDONALDS RED-NECKED GREBE and a PINK FLURRY.All in great fun with special thanks to "Pete McDonald" for a great April Fool's Sunday bird walk.
Sunday April 01, 2007:The Sunday bird walk went to McGregor Marsh in Nanaimo. Thirty-one birders fgound the following forty-three species. The sighting of the day was eight PINE GROSBEAKS. PEACOCK, TRUMPETER SWAN,GREAT BLUE HERON, TURKEY VULTURE, CANADA GOOSE, MALLARD, HOODED MERGANSER, BUFFLEHEAD, RING-NECKED DUCK BALD EAGLE, SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, CALIFORNIA QUAIL, RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD, DOWNY WOODPECKER, NORTHERN FLICKER, PILEATED WOODPECKER, NORTHWESTERN CROW, COMMON RAVEN, STELLER'S JAY, VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW, CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, BROWN CREEPER, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, BEWICK'S WREN, WINTER WREN, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, BELTED KINGFISHER, AMERICAN ROBIN, VARIED THRUSH, EUROPEAN STARLING, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, SPOTTED TOWHEE, SONG SPARROW, FOX SPARROW, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, DARK-EYED JUNCO, PINE GROSBEAK, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, PURPLE FINCH, AMERICAN GOLDFINCH and PINE SISKINS
Saturday March 31:
A WESTERN MEADOWLARK was seen and photographed at Columbia Beach.A probable pair of GOLDEN EAGLES have been seen harassing chickens along David Road in Cassidy across the highway from the Nanaimo Airport in south Nanaimo.
Female RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS were seen near the Collery Dam Park in Harwood area of Nanaimo.
Friday March 30:A yellow shafted NORTHERN FLICKER was spotted at feeders along Gary oaks Drive in Nanoose Bay.A PILEATED WOODPECKER was seen in a backyard in Coombs.RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS were seen at feeders in the Eaglecrest area of Qualicum Beach.BUSHTITS were seen busy building a nest in a yard along Victoria Road in Nanaimo.
Thursday March 29:A RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD has been coming to feeders for th past week in the 4900 block of Homestead Way in Ladysmith.Over 100 TRUMPETER SWANS were seen in the fields off Cedar Road in Cedar.
Wednesday March 28: The Wednesday bird walk went to the Englishman River Estuary, Plummer Road side. Among the highlights were a flock of twenty-two TRUMPETER SWANS flew in "V" formation heading north, we had a lot of RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS singing as we started the walk.Twenty-two birders found the following fifty-nine species:CANADA GOOSE, BRANT, TRUMPETER SWAN, EURASIAN WIGEON, AMERICAN WIGEON, MALLARD, NORTHERN PINTAIL, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, SURF SCOTER, LONG-TAILED DUCK, BUFFLEHEAD, COMMON GOLDENEYE, COMMON MERGANSER, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, RING-NECKED PHEASANT, CALIFORNIA QUAIL, COMMON LOON, HORNED GREBE, PELAGIC CORMORANT, BALD EAGLE, SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, RED-TAILED HAWK, KILLDEER, BLACK OYSTERCATCHER, MEW GULL, RING-BILLED GULL, CALIFORNIA GULL, HERRING GULL, THAYER'S GULL, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, BELTED KINGFISHER, DOWNY WOODPECKER, NORTHERN FLICKER, PILEATED WOODPECKER, STELLER'S JAY, NORTHWESTERN CROW, COMMON RAVEN, VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW, CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, WINTER WREN, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, AMERICAN ROBIN, VARIED THRUSH, EUROPEAN STARLING, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, SPOTTED TOWHEE, FOX SPARROW, SONG SPARROW, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW, DARK-EYED JUNCO, BREWER'S BLACKBIRD, PURPLE FINCH, HOUSE FINCH, PINE SISKIN, HOUSE SPARROW.
Tuesday March 27:Thirty BALD EAGLES were seen fishing with GULLS about 500 meters offshore from the viewing tower at Qualicum BeachFemale RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS and VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS were seen in the 200 block of Dawkins Lane in Nanaimo.
Monday March 26:PURPLE FINCHES are nesting in a Cedar shrub tree in the Departure Bay area of Nanaimo. The female PURPLE FINCH has been feeding on the RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD feeder.Seven TURKEY VULTURES were seen soaring over the Cowichan River Estuary and a ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was seen at the Estuary.A RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD was seen visiting feeders along Fawcett Road in Cedar.A RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD was seen at feeders in the 6500 block of Kestrel Crescent in Nanaimo.AMERICAN GOLDFINCH were seen in the 6200 block of Metral Drive in Nanaimo.
Sunday March 25:A KILLDEER'S nest with five eggs in it were seen near the golf driving range in Duncan.
For further information on these sightings or for help in identifying abird please call:The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store@ (250) 390-3669Toll Free @ 1-888-249-4145e-mail:
thebackyard@shaw.ca ********************************************************
The Nanoose Naturalists Monthly MeetingThursday, April 12, 2007 @ 7:00 pmGuest Speaker " Mutang Uraud" will speak on"The Bluebird and it's Nesting Habits"Nanoose Library, Nanoose Bay www.nanoosenaturalists.org ********************************************************
Arrowsmith NaturalistsMonthly Meeting, Monday, April 23, 2007@ 7:30 pm.Springwood School Parksville
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EVERYONE IS WELCOME ON THE WEDNESDAY MORNING BIRD WALK, sponsored by the BACKYARD WILDBIRD AND NATURE STORE. We will be “Fair Weather Birders” for the winter--snow, rain and/or heavy winds will deter us. We will leave The Parksville Civic and Technology Centre on Jensen Avenue and McCarter Street at 9 a.m. every Wednesday, and go to a different area in and around Parksville/Qualicum Beach each week. BRING YOUR BINOCULARS AND JOIN US FOR A MORNING OF ********************************************************
The Wednesday Bird Walk on April 04, 2007 will be going to Rathtrevor Provincial Park, We will meet at the east parking lot of The Parksville Civic and Technology Centre at Jensen Avenue and McCarter Street at 9:00 a.m. in Parksville or at the parking area near the Beach at Rathtrevor Park at about 9:10 a.m. Pleas note there is a fee for parking at Rathtrevor Park.
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EVERYONE IS WELCOME ON THE SUNDAY MORNING BIRD WALK, sponsored by the BACKYARD WILDBIRD AND NATURE STORE. We leave the store at 9 a.m. and go to a different area in and around Nanaimo each week.
BRING YOUR BINOCULARS AND JOIN US FOR A MORNING OF BIRDING.
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There will be no Sunday bird walk on April 08, 2007. The Sunday bird walks will resume on April 15.
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Good Birding! Neil Robins
NanaimoBritish Columbia
