Greater Scaup: 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 February 28, 2010:
The Sunday bird walk went to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach.
The morning was cloudy but winds were calm.
We saw large rafts of Bufflehead, Greater Scaup, Harlequin Duck, Common Goldeneye, Double-crested Cormorant,
Pelagic Cormorant, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck and Common Merganser offshore at the viewing platform. One Black-bellied Plover, six Dunlin and three Black Oystercatchers were along the tide line near the viewing platform. Hugh rafts of Pacific Loons, Common Loons and Red-breasted Mergansers were further offshore.
Twelve birders found the following forty-eight species of birds:
Trumpeter Swans, Canada Goose, Brant, Eurasian Wigeon, American Widgeon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Mallard, Bufflehead, Green-winged Teal, Greater Scaup, Harlequin Duck, Common Goldeneye, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Long-tailed Ducks, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Great Blue Heron, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Bald Eagle, Black-bellied Plover, Black Oystercatcher, Killdeer, Dunlin, Mew Gull, Bonaparte's Gull, Thayer's Gull, Herring Gull, California Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Belted Kingfisher, European Starling, Red-winged Blackbird, Brewer's Blackbird, Red-breasted Nuthatch, American Robin, House Finch, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco and Red Crossbill.
Over thirty Trumpeter Swans were seen in the fields at the Ugly Dwarf Meadows in Nanoose Bay.
Saturday February 27:
Six Band-tailed Pigeon have been visiting feeders all winter in the 1100 block of Stymie Close in the Eaglecrest area of Qualicum Beach.
Tuesday February 23:
The Tuesday Bird Walk went to Columbia Beach. The morning started off cloudy with calm winds and just a ripple on the Strait of Georgia. However, near the end of the walk it was raining.
There was a Sharp-shinned Hawk perched in a tall fir tree at the beginning of the walk. The morning was filled with the sightings of seabirds on the water. There were rafts of Brant Geese, Harlequin Ducks, Surf Scoters, American Wigeons, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Barrow's Goldeneye, a lone Common Merganser and Red-breasted Mergansers. A White-winged Scoter flew by and three Long-tailed Ducks flew in and landed not far from shore. We saw a large raft of Pacific and Common Loons near the horizon. Many flocks of twenty and thirty Brant Geese flew up and down the Strait all morning. We saw Black-bellied Plovers, three Killdeer, Black Oystercatcher, one Greater Yellowlegs, Black Turnstones, a large cloud of Dunlin, one Bonaparte's Gull as well as several Mew Gulls, California Gull, Thayer's Gulls and Glaucous-winged Gulls at the gravel bar in front of the Pebble Beach townhouses.
Sixteen birders saw and heard the following forty-six species of birds:
Canada Goose, Brant, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Barrow's Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser,
Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Brandt's Cormorant, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Bald Eagle, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Black-bellied Plover, Killdeer, Black Oystercatcher, Greater Yellowlegs, Black Turnstone, Dunlin, Bonaparte's Gull, Mew Gull, California Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch, Red Crossbill, Pine Siskin and House Sparrow.
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 March 11, 2010 @ 7:00 pm
Guest Speaker, Guy Monty--topic Black Brant.
Nanoose Library,
Nanoose Bay
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Arrowsmith Naturalists
Guest Speaker-Colin Bartlett
Monday March 22, 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 March 02, 2010 will be going to little Qualicum River Estuary.
We meet the Parksville Beach Community Park at the parking area near the Lions playground at 9 A.M. or at the viewing platform near Highway 19a and Garrett Road at about 9:20 A.M.
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The Sunday Bird Walk on March 07, 2010, will be going to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.
Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 A.M. or at the parking area off Bowen Road near Buttertubs Marsh 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
