Northern Shrike: 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 this 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 March 29, 2009:
The Sunday bird walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was sunny with a brisk wind from the west. Among the highlights of the morning were a Northern Shrike, Hutton's Vireo and several Ruby-crowned Kinglets singing their song very close to us on the trail. There were several long lines of Surf Scoters, Bufflehead, Long-tailed Ducks, Black and White-winged Scoters heading up the Strait of Georgia. Eleven birders saw and head the following fifty-two species of birds:
Canada Goose, Brant, Gadwall, Eurasian Wigeon, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Greater Scaup, Surf Scoter, Black Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Northern Shrike, Killdeer, Dunlin, Black Oystercatcher, Mew Gull, California Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Rufous Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Steller's Jay, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Red Breasted Nuthatch, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Brown Creeper, Bewick's Wren, Winter Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hutton's Vireo, American Robin, Varied Thrush, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch and Pine Siskin.
Friday March 27:
A Wilson's Snipe, Ring-necked Pheasant, Violet-green Swallows and two Yellow-rumped Warblers were seen at the Cottonwood Golf Course in south Nanaimo.
150 Trumpeter Swans were seen in a field beside the Cottonwood Golf Course in south Nanaimo.
A Rufous Hummingbird was seen at a feeder on Homestead Way in Ladysmith.
A Pileated Woodpecker was seen at a suet feeder in Qualicum Beach.
Thursday March 26:
"Rare bird alert--Black-throated Blue Warbler "
A Black-throated Blue Warbler was photographed along the rocks at Helliwell Park on the northeastern end of Hornby Island.
Wednesday March 25:
Four Yellow-rumped Warblers were seen and head at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.
A Rufous Hummingbird was spotted along Northumberland Avenue in Nanaimo.
Tuesday March 24:
The Tuesday Bird Walk went to Parksville Bay in Parksville. The morning was cloudy and the winds turned quite strong as the morning progressed. Twenty birders saw and heard thirty-three species of birds.
Among the highlights of the morning were about 2000 Brant Geese feeding in the Bay. Further out there were huge rafts of Greater Scaup, Surf Scoters, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye and Long-tailed Ducks. There were Northern Pintail Ducks, two Eurasian Wigeon and one Gadwall among the American Wigeon near the gravel bar. A flock of Dunlin flew onto a smaller gravel bar with one Black-bellied Plover and two Black Oystercatchers. A Bald Eagle passed over the gravel bar and the Ducks, Geese and Gulls lifted creating a spectacular sight and unforgettable sound.
Twenty birders saw and heard the following thirty-three species of birds.
Canada Goose, Brant, Trumpeter Swan, Eurasian Wigeon, American Wigeon,
Gadwall, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Greater Scaup, Surf Scoter,
White-winged Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Barrow's Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, Pacific Loon, Common Loon,
Brandt's Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Bald Eagle, Black-bellied Plover,
Black Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Mew Gull, California Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glucous-winged Gull, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow, European Starling and
White-crowned Sparrow.
A Rufous Hummingbird was seen at feeders in the 4100 block of Gulfview Drive in Nanaimo.
Monday March 23:
A pair of Varied Thrush are visiting the feeders in the 7100 block of Aulds Road in north Nanaimo.
A Yellow-rumped Warbler was seen in Cedar.
Sunday March 22:
Two Turkey Vultures were seen above Nanoose flats in Nanoose Bay.
Friday March 20:
Three Turkey Vultures were spotted above the Osprey nest near Fourth Street 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
Thursday April 09, 2009 @ 7:00 pm
Tony Ransom will give a slide presentation of his recent trip
to the Galapagos Islands.
Nanoose Library,
Nanoose Bay
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Arrowsmith Naturalists
Monday April 27, 2009 @ 7:30 pm.
Speaker will be Dr. McAdie a wildlife veterinarian.
Topic: Vancouver Island marmot project update.
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 March 31, 2009 will be going to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville.
Meet at the Parksville Beach Community Park near the parking area at the Lion's
Playground at 9:00 A.M. Or at the main parking area at Rathtrevor Provincial Park at about 9:15 A.M. ( Please note there is a fee for parking)
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The Sunday Bird Walk on April 05, 2009, will be going to the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.
Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 A.M. or meet at the parking area at the end of Raines Road at about 9:30 A.M.
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Good birding
Neil Robins
Nanaimo
+JPurves)
