The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

Yellow Warbler: Ralph Hocken Photo:

The Backyard Wildbird & Nature Store
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 these 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

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

Monday, July 21, 2008:
A Pine Grosbeak was spotted at a backyard feeder in the 2900 block of Hammond Bay Road in Nanaimo.

Sunday, July 20:

RARE BIRD ALERT:

A White-tailed Kite was seen near Westwood Lake flying east over Highway 19.

RARE BIRD ALERT

An Elegant Tern was spotted rapidly flying south near Ten Mile Point in Saanich in Victoria.

The Sunday Bird Walk went to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. Fourteen birders found the following thirty-one species of birds:
Pied-billed Grebe, Turkey Vulture, Canada Geese, Mallard, Wood Duck, Common Merganser, Greater Yellowlegs, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Violet-green Swallow, Barn Swallow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Bewick's Wren, Marsh Wren, Cedar Waxwing, American Robin, European Starling, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Spotted Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Purple Finch, House Finch, American Goldfinch and House Sparrow. Thank-you Susan for leading the walk.

A female Sooty Grouse with two fledglings and a pair of Chipping Sparrows were seen at the Notch Hill in Nanoose Bay.

Saturday, July 19:

A Tufted Puffin, Cassin's Auklets, Common Murres, Rhinoceros Auklets, over 100 Heermann's Gulls, 100's of California Gulls, three Surf Scoters, a White-winged Scoter, a Common Loon, a Brandt's Cormorant and a flock of twenty-seven Bonaparte's Gulls were seen at Otter Point on the west side of Vancouver Island.

A large number of MacGillivray's and Wilson's Warblers, along with a Tree Swallow and a flock of Barn Swallows were seen at Gordon's Beach on the west side of Vancouver Island.

An off shore Red-throated Loon , 56 Western Sandpipers, four Least Sandpipers, one Sanderling and two Black Turnstones were seen on the estuary at Port Renfrew on the west side of Vancouver Island.

A Whimbrel was seen at Whiffin Spit on the west side of Vancouver Island.

Friday, July 18:
Two Great Horned Owls were seen in a yard in Fairwinds in Nanoose Bay.

Thursday, July 17:
A Eurasian Collared Dove was photographed by the Millstream River just off Jinglepot Road in Nanaimo.

Wednesday July 16:
Two Great Horned Owls were seen in a yard in Fairwinds in Nanoose Bay.
A Pacific-slope Flycatcher was seen along Cannor Crescent in Qualicum Beach.

Tuesday, July 15:
A Green Heron was seen flying over Somenos Marsh in Duncan.

A House Finch is visiting and feeding on hummingbird feeders in the 4100 block of Gulfview Drive in Nanaimo.

A Silver Pheasant was seen on Jinglepot Road between Westwood Lake Road and the Shady Mile area in Nanaimo.

Sunday July 13:
A Killdeer was seen leading a chick about the size of a soft ball from above Hammond Bay Road through yards and down to the lagoon to Piper's Lagoon Park in Nanaimo. It would call and wait for the chick to catch-up and then fly further away. When the parent bird saw people watching them, it did the fake injury maneuver, attempting to get the focus off the chick, until the people left.

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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The Nanoose Naturalists
Monthly Meeting
Thursday September 11, 2008 @ 7:00 pm
Nanoose Library,
Nanoose Bay
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Arrowsmith Naturalists
Annual Picnic--July 28, 2008.
Monthly Meeting,
Monday September 22, 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 Backyard Wildbird & Nature Store's weekly bird walk in the Parksville/Qualicum Beach area on Wednesday mornings will not be held during the summer months. We will resume the Wednesday bird walks in
the fall.
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The Sunday Bird Walk on July 27, 2008 will be going to the Ladysmith Maritime Society Marina in Ladysmith.
Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 A.M. or at the left side (the gravel area) of the parking area at Transfer Beach in Ladysmith at about 9: 40 A.M.
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The Purple Martin Open House, July 27th, at the Ladysmith Maritime Society marina from 1-5 pm.

Good birding
Neil Robins
Nanaimo
British Columbia