NANAIMO BIRD ALERT

Ruff at Columbia Beach: 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

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, August 31, 2008:
The Sunday Bird Walk went to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. Among the highlights were the sightings of a Willow Flycatcher, three Anna's Hummingbirds, a large flock of Bushtits, a large numbers of Cedar Waxwings, a Red-tailed Hawk, a Merlin and a Cooper's Hawk.
Thirty-seven birders, including birders from Denmark, China, Japan, New Brunswick, Quenell and Vancouver Island, found the following thirty-seven species of birds:
Canada Geese, Wood Duck, Mallard, Green -winged Teal, American Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck, Hooded Merganser, Pied-billed Grebe, American Coots, Great Blue Heron, Cooper's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Merlin, Turkey Vulture, Rock Pigeon, Band-tailed Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, Anna's Hummingbird, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Swallow-sp, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Brown Creeper, Bushtit, Bewick's Wren, Marsh Wren, American Robin, Common Yellowthroat, Cedar Waxwing, Red-wing Blackbird, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, House Finch, American Goldfinch and House Sparrow.

Saturday August 30:

The Ruff was again seen at the Columbia Beach near the Pebble Beach Townhouses off Johnstone Road in Parksville.

"Rare Bird Alert--Whimbrel"

Four Whimbrel were seen near the gravel bar at Columbia Beach near the Pebble Beach Townhouses off Johnstone Road in Parksville.
The Whimbrel nests in the Artic and migrates through this area.

"Rare Bird Alert----Ruby-throated Hummingbird"
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird was again seen in a yard in Black Creek.

" Rare Bird Alert--Little Stint"

One Little Stint was seen, with a juvenile Sanderling and forty-five juvenile Western Sandpipers. along the beach near the residential area of Port Renfrew.

Six Brown Pelicans, four Red Phalaropes, Red-necked Phalaropes, one Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel, Sabine's Gulls, many Sooty Shearwaters, Common Murres, Rhinoceros Auklets, Marbled Murrelets, one Pomarine Jaeger, one Parasitic Jaeger and three Cassin's Auklets were seen offshore at Botanical Beach.

Friday August 29:
"Rare Bird Alert--Ruff"
A Ruff has been seen at the Columbia Beach ponds near the Pebble Beach Townhouses off Johnstone Road in Parksville.
The Ruff is normally found in Asia. It is a rare visitor to this area.

Wednesday August 27:
"Rare Bird Alert----Ruby-throated Hummingbird"
A Ruby-throated Hummingbird is visiting a yard in Black Creek. The Hummingbird is feeding on flowers and is hawking insects in the yard.
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird normally found east of the Rocky.

Two female Evening Grosbeaks, with two fledglings, were visiting feeders along Munroe Road in the Jingle Pot area of Nanaimo. An Anna's Hummingbird, several Steller's Jays, Pileated, Hairy, Downey Woodpeckers and Northern Flicker were also seen at this location.

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
Guest Speaker

"Tony Markle"
A slide presentation on birds and wildlife.
Nanoose Library,
Nanoose Bay
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Arrowsmith Naturalists
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 Wednesday Morning Birdwalks are cancelled for the summer months and will resume in the fall.

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The Sunday Bird Walk on September 07, 2008 will be going to the Englishman River Estuary, Shelly Road, side in Parksville.
Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 A.M. or at the end of Shelly Road off Highway 19A (ocean side of highway 19A) at about 9:30 A.M.
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Good birding
Neil Robins
Nanaimo