Barrow's Goldeneye on the Nanaimo River: Ralph Hocken Photo.
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 December 06, 2009:
The Sunday Bird Walk went to the Nanaimo River Estuary in Nanaimo.
The morning was sunny with a bit of wind near the water. The highlights included seeing a Short-eared Owl and a Northern Harrier fly near the group, low over the estuary. We watched a Northern Shrike perch in a tall shrub and then move to other shrubs nearby. At least twelve Western Meadowlarks entertained us all morning as they perched in trees and flew into the grass right in front of us.
Nine birders saw and heard the following twenty- seven species of birds:
Trumpeter Swan, Great Blue Heron, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Barrow's Goldeneye, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Common Merganser, Bald Eagle, Cooper's Hawk, Merlin, Short-eared Owl, Northern Shrike, Glaucous-winged Gull, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Common Raven, American Robin, Western Meadowlark, European Starling, Bewick's Wren, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrows, Dark-eyed Junco and House Finch.
Friday December 04:
An Eurasian Collared-Dove has been visiting feeders along Dunster Road in Nanaimo.
Thursday December 03:
A female Anna's Hummingbird was seen at feeders in the 1100 block of Pintail Drive in French Creek.
A Townsend's Warbler, Varied Thrushes, Anna's Hummer, Bewick's Wrens, Spotted Towhees, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Dark-eyed Juncos, American Robins, Northern Flickers, Downy and Pileated Woodpeckers, Song Sparrows and flocks of Bushtits are visiting feeders in the 1100 block of Stymie Close in the Eaglecrest area of Qualicum Beach.
Wednesday December 02:
A Great Horned Owl was seen near the Millstone River at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.
Tuesday December 01:
The Tuesday Bird Walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was sunny and cool with calm winds--a great day for birding.
The highlights of the morning included seeing and hearing the song of two White-winged Crossbills that were in with a flock of Red Crossbills at the top of a tall Fir Tree. We saw a Red-breasted Sapsucker, two Downy Woodpeckers, a Hairy Woodpecker and several Northern Flickers feeding along tree trunks. We looked in vain for a sighting of a Pileated Woodpecker to complete our woodpecker species. Two Eurasian Wigeons were in with a flock of American Wigeons on the estuary. One Bonaparte's Gull was in with the many Mew Gulls and we saw all three merganser species--Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser and Red-breasted Mergansers.
Thirteen birders saw the following fifty-two species of birds:
Canada Goose, Eurasian Wigeon, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Greater Scaup, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Barrow's Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Bonaparte's Gull, Mew Gull, California Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Belted Kingfisher, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Bewick's Wren, Winter Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Brewer's Blackbird, Purple Finch, Red Crossbill, White-winged Crossbill and Pine Siskin.
November 29:
Two Anna's Hummingbirds are visiting feeders along Patrick Drive in Parksville.
An Anna's Hummingbird is visiting feeders at the north end of Jinglepot Road, off Mostar Road in Nanaimo.
November 22, 2009:
A Mountain Bluebird was seen along the shoreline, by the Kinsman hut at Tsulquate Park in Port Hardy.
A Barred Owl was seen at the end of Douglas Avenue in Nanaimo.
Christmas Bird Counts, 2009:
Volunteers are needed to help with the Bird Studies Canada annual Christmas bird count in
all areas. Count birds at your home feeders or join a small team in the field.
All levels of experience are welcome.
Friday, December 18, 2009: Nanoose/Lantzville CBC
Contact Rhys Harrison--rhysharrison@shaw.ca or (250) 468-5466.
Sunday, December 20, 2009: Parksville / Qualicum Beach CBC:
Contact Sandra Gray--saninerr@shaw.ca
Sunday, December 27, 2009: Nanaimo CBC:
Contact Carlo Pavan--nanaimoite@gmail.com
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 December 10, 2009 @ 7:00 pm
Nanoose Library,
Nanoose Bay
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Arrowsmith Naturalists
Monday January 25, 2010 @ 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 December 08, 2009 will be going to the Deep Bay.
Meet at the Parksville Beach Community Park near the parking area at the Lion's Playground at 9:00 A.M. or at the marina near the cafe at Deep Bay at about 9:30.
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The Sunday Bird Walk on November 29 will be going to the Nanoose Bay Estuary in Nanoose Bay.
Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 A.M. or behind the Church Camp off highway 19 and Arlington Road at about 9:10 A.M.
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Good birding
Neil Robins
THE BACKYARD
Wildbird & Nature Store
6314 Metral Drive, Nanaimo, BC V9T 2L8
250.390.3669
250.390.1633 fax
thebackyard@shaw.ca
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG---> www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com
