Nanaimo bird alert, December 13, 2009

Black Scoter: 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 13, 2009:
The Sunday bird walk went to the Nanoose Bay.
The morning was cloudy with snow flurries but the winds were calm.
The highlights included seeing a Greater White-fronted Goose in with a flock of Canada Geese and an Eurasian Wigeon in with a flock of American Wigeons. We spotted a Red-tailed Hawk perched high in a snag. There was a very large raft of Northern Pintail in the estuary. Five Trumpeter Swans put on a display as they left the estuary heading up island.
Five birders saw and hear the following thirty-three species of birds:
Canada Goose, Greater White-fronted Goose, Trumpeter Swan, American Wigeon, Eurasian Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Surf Scoter, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Red-breasted Merganser, Killdeer, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Mew Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Belted Kingfisher, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco.

Saturday December 12:
Five Trumpeter Swans were seen on the fields of the Ugly Dwarf Meadows in Nanoose Bay.

Tuesday December 08:
The Tuesday Bird Walk went to Deep Bay. The morning was sunny with calm winds but it was a little nippy at -7c. The sea was like glass, giving us ideal conditions to observe the large rafts of seabirds that were out on the water.
The highlights of the morning included seeing and hearing a large raft of singing Black Scoters near the shoreline. One Dunlin and one Black-Bellied Plover made an appearance not five feet from us along the shoreline. There were a large number of White-winged Scoters and a smaller raft of Surf Scoters not far from out on the water. Four Trumpeter Swans flew up island near Denman Island. A Pigeon Guillemot, along with two Marbled Murrelets, stayed off the point for the best part of the morning, giving us great long looks. The Long-tailed Ducks entertained us all morning with their singing as they swam close to shoreline at the Point.
Thirteen birders saw and hear the following thirty-eight species of birds:
Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Trumpeter Swan, American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Greater Scaup, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe,
Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Bald Eagle, Cooper's Hawk, Black-bellied Plover, Black Turnstone, Dunlin, Glaucous-winged Gull, Pigeon Guillemot, Marbled Murrelet, Rock Pigeon, Northwestern Crow, Bushtit, American Robin, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, House Finch, House Sparrow

Monday December 07:
A Flock of White-throated Sparrows was seen near the Viewing Platform at the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.

Four Greater White-fronted Geese were seen at Quennell Lake in Cedar.

One Brant Goose, a Short-eared Owl and Northern shrike were seen at the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.

Sunday December 06:
Purple and House Finch, Spotted Towhees, Dark-eyed Juncos, White Crown Sparrows, three Northern Flickers, twenty-four California Quail and a pair of Downy Woodpeckers were seen in a backyard along Admiral Tyron Bld. in Columbia Beach.

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 January 14, 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 15, 2009 will be going to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach.
Meet at the Parksville Beach Community Park near the parking area at the Lion's Playground at 9:00 A.M. or at the viewing platform at Highway 19A and Garnet Road at about 9:20 A.M.
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The Sunday Bird Walk on December 20, 2009 will be going to the Neck Point Park in Nanaimo.
Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 A.M. or at the parking lot at Neck Point Park off Hammond Bay Road at about 9:20 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