number, along with the date, name and location of your sighting.
Sunday, October 26, 2008:
The Sunday Bird Walk went to the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.
Among the highlights was the sighting of two Short-eared Owls hunting just above the grasses. We had six sightings of Northern Shrike hunting and perching for a short periods and were fascinated by a female Northern Harrier flying just above the ground.
Twenty-two birders found the following thirty-eight species of birds:
Great Blue Heron, Mallard, Northern Pintail, American Wigeon, Green-wing Teal, Common Merganser, Bald Eagle, Merlin, Northern Harrier, Short-eared Owl, Northern Shrike, Wilson's Snipe, California Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Steller's Jay, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Red-winged Blackbirds, American Robin, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Brown Creeper, Bewick's Wren, Purple Finch, Pine Siskins, American Goldfinch, House Finch.
Five Trumpeter Swans were seen heading north-west over Morrell Sanctuary in Nanaimo.
Two Anna's Hummingbirds are feeding along Valecourt Avenue in Courtney.
Saturday October 25:
"Rare Bird Alert-Cassin's Finch"
A female Cassin's Finch was seen at a bird feeder and a immature White-throated Sparrow was spotted in the same area at Jordon River.
A Redhead Duck and several Mallards were see at the Goodridge Peninsula in Sooke.
Friday October 24:
A Pine Grosbeak was seen along Ermineskin Avenue in Parksville.
Thursday October 23:
A Bufflehead and a Wilson's Snipe were seen at Englishman River in Parksville.
Several Red-throated Loons were seen off Sebastion Road in Lantzville.
Two Pileated Woodpeckers and a male Anna's Hummingbird have been visiting feeders along Denford Place in Nanaimo.
A Dunlin was seen at French Creek.
Wednesday October 22:
A Brown-headed Cowbird was seen along Ermineskin Avenue in Parksville.
A Northern Harrier, Northern Shrike and a Peregrine Falcon were seen at Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parkville
50 American Widgeons, 20 Ring-neck Ducks, one Common Merganser, one Bald Eagle and several Mallards were seen at Cottle Lake in Nanaimo.
Tuesday October 21:
The Tuesday Bird Walk went to the Englishman River Estuary, Shelly Road side in Parksville. Eleven birders saw and heard fifty-four species of birds during a sunny fall morning. It turned out to be a great morning to observe raptors in the area. We saw a Short-eared Owl flying east high over the estuary. There was a Peregrine Falcon perched in a conifer tree and we watched it through the spotting scopes for about five minutes. As we were watching some Northern Pintails fly over the Estuary another Short-eared Owl flew in low to the ground and began hunting over the fields. A Red-tailed Hawk flew over us. A Sharp-shinned Hawk flew out and quickly back into the bushes along the trail. A Wilson's Snipe made a quick appearance and disappeared into the bushes. There were big flocks of Bushtits and Pine Siskins flying about though out the walk. Pacific Loons, Surf Scoters, White-winged Scoters and Black Scoters were bobbing in the water.
Twelve birders found the following fifty-two species of birds:
Canada Goose, Eurasian Wigeon, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Pacific Loon, Horned Grebe Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, Wilson's Snipe, Mew Gull, California Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Short-eared Owl, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Steller's Jay, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bushtit, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Bewick's Wren, Winter Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, Varied Thrush, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-winged Blackbird, Brewer's Blackbird, House Finch, Pine Siskin and American Goldfinch.
A Rufous Hummingbird was seen visiting feeders along Gulfview Drive in Nanaimo.
Sunday October 19:
Long-tailed Ducks were seen offshore at Deep Bay.
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
Monthly Meeting,
Monday October 27, 2008@ 7:30 pm.
Springwood School
Parksville
********************************
The Nanoose Naturalists
Monthly Meeting
Thursday November 13, 2008 @ 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 Tuesday October 28 will be going to Columbia Beach.
Meet at the Parksville Beach Community Park, meet near the Concession Building at 9 A.M. or at the end parking area off Admiral Tryon Blvd. at about 9:20 A.M. (from Highway 19A, north of the French Creek Bridge follow Columbia Drive turn right onto Admiral Tryon Blvd. about one hundred yards turn left to the parking area..)
***************************************
The Sunday Bird Walk on November 02, 2008 will be going to the Little Qualicum River Estuary In Qualicum Beach.
Meet at the Bird Store in Nanaimo at 9:00 A.M. or at the Viewing Tower in Qualicum Beach at highway 19a and Garrett Road at about 9:30 A.M.
***************************************
Good birding
Neil Robins
Nanaimo
