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Sunday, 16 November 2008

Nanaimo bird alert, November 16, 2008















Anna's Hummingbird: 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, November 16, 2008:

The Sunday Bird Walk went to the Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.
Among the highlights were the sightings of a female Wilson's Warbler and a Barred
Owl, sleeping on a branch not far off the ground. A large flock of Pine Siskins and American Goldfinch landed in the top of the tall bush near the trail. We spotted two Black Bears near the River sitting in a tree looking us over. We watched a River Otter catch an American Coot and then scurry off into the reeds near the shore, with the American Coot in it's mouth.
Thirty-one birders found the following thirty-four species of birds.
Canada Goose, Ring-necked Duck, Mallard, Hooded Merganser, American Wigeon,
American Coot, Pied-billed Grebe, Bald Eagle, Cooper's Hawk, Barred Owl,
Glaucous-winged Gull, Northern Flicker, Downy Woodpecker, Rock Pigeon,
Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Steller's Jay, Red-winged Blackbird,
Varied Thrush, American Robin, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Chestnut-backed
Chickadee, Wilson's Warbler, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, American Goldfinch, Pine Siskin, Dark-eyed Junco, Purple Finch, House Finch and House Sparrows.

Saturday November 15:
The little Gull was seen again near the large Gravel Bar at the Little Qualicum River
Estuary in Qualicum Beach.
Friday November 14:
An American Dipper was seen at Skutz falls.
Wednesday November 12:
A Rufous Hummingbird is coming to feeders along Denver Way in Crestview
Modular Home Park in north Nanaimo.
Tuesday November 11:
The Tuesday Bird Walk went to the Little Qualicum River Estuary, in Qualicum
Beach.
Highlights of the morning included the sighting of over two hundred Bald Eagles
perched in the conifer trees around the Estuary and along the River. We saw at
least one hundred Trumpeter Swans near the mouth of the Little Qualicum River.
Throughout the morning, the Swans left in groups of six or eight and flew right over us as they left the Estuary. We spotted a rare Little Gull among the Bonaparte's, Mew and Thayer's Gulls near the mouth of the River. Further out on the water were large flocks of Black, Surf and White-winged Scoters, Common Mergansers and Harlequin Ducks. Dozens of Harbour Seals and Sea Lions were resting in the water past the Gravel Bar--likely after having a grand feast on the abundant Chum Salmon in the Strait.
Eight birders found the following forty-four species of birds.
Canada Goose, Trumpeter Swan, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail,
Green-winged Teal, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black
Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Barrow's Goldeneye,
Common Merganser, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked
Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Cooper's Hawk, Black-bellied Plover, Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone,
Dunlin, Little Gull, Bonaparte's Gull, Mew Gull, California Gull, Thayer's Gull,
Glaucous-winged Gull, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow,
Common Raven, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed
Junco, Red-winged Blackbird and House Finch.
Rare Bird Alert "Little Gull"
A Little Gull was seen with Bonaparte's and Thayer's Gulls at the mouth of the Little Qualicum River on the Tuesday bird walk.
Monday November 10:
A Peregrine Falcon and a Northern Shrike were seen at the Cowichan Bay Dock
Road in Cowichan Bay.
A Varied Thrush was seen at Boat Harbour in south Nanaimo.

Sunday November 09:
Anna's hummingbirds are coming to feeders in the 700 Block of Doehle Street in
Parksville.
A Brown Creeper was seen on Lundgren Road in the Diver Lake area of Nanaimo.
Saturday November 08:
Twenty-five Snow Geese were spotted flying over Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.


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
Ross Peterson will present an update on the Enos Lake Project.
Thursday November 13, 2008 @ 7:00 pm
Nanoose Library,
Nanoose Bay
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Arrowsmith Naturalists
Guess Speaker " Chris Czajkowski," naturalist and author, will speak on "The plants
of Tweedsmuir Provincial Park".
Monday November 24, 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
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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The Tuesday Bird Walk on Tuesday November 18 will be going to the Deep Bay.
Meet at the Parksville Beach Community Park, in the parking area in front of the
playground at 9 A.M. or at the parking area at the Marina at Deep Bay at about 9:35 A.M.
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The Sunday Bird Walk on November 23, 2008 will be going to Neck Point in
Nanaimo.
Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 A.M. or the parking area at Neck Point off
Hammond Bay Road at about 9:20 A.M.
***************************************
Good birding
Neil Robins
Nanaimo

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