The Backyard's Weekly Bird Walk locations are found in the Backyard Bird Report at the very end of the most recent report. Any cancellations will be posted here by 8am the day of the walk. Our first bird walks of the year are going out on Sunday February 4th and Tuesday February 6th. Locations will be posted to our next Bird Report.

Tuesday 28 September 2010

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, September, 28,2010


Heermann's Gulls: Ralph Hocken Photo.
Hi birders,

The Tuesday bird walk went to Columbia Beach. The morning was sunny and warm with calm winds and seas.
At the beginning of the walk we spotted two Red-necked Phalaropes, not far from shore. Surf Scoters, White-winged Scoters, Common Mergansers, Pacific Loons, Common Loons,
Horned Grebes and Red-necked Grebes were on the ocean and a Western Grebe put in a quick appearance.
Flocks of Long-billed Dowitchers, American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal and Common Merganser flew over the Strait. The highlight of the morning was the sighting of two Common Terns, three Heermann's Gull and three Ring-billed Gulls on the Pebble Beach Gravel Bar. We spotted a Parasitic Jaeger harassing a flock of gulls far off shore on the Strait of Georgia at the end of the walk.

Fifteen birders saw and heard the following forty-two species of birds:
American Wigeon
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Common Merganser
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Western Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Black Oystercatcher
Black Turnstone
Long-billed Dowitcher
Red-necked Phalarope
Parasitic Jaeger
Bonaparte's Gull
Heermann's Gull
Mew Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Californian Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Common Tern
Marbled Murrelet
Rock Pigeon
Northern Flicker
Northwestern Crow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
American Robin
European Starling
Spotted Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
House Finch

Good birding
Neil Robins
Parksville
British Columbia

Sunday 26 September 2010

Nanaimo bird report, September 26, 2010


Western Meadowlark: Ralph Hocken photo,

NANAIMO BIRD REPORT
********************************************
To report your sightings
phone the Store at 250-390-3669
e-mail us at thebackyard@shaw.ca

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

Birding in Central and South America:
www.wildbirdtours.ca

Identify backyard birds:
National Geographic Bird Identifier Site
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birding/backyard-bird-identifier/

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, the species and location of your sighting.

Sunday September 26, 2010:
The Sunday Bird Walk went to the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.
The morning started with fog, but turned sunny and warm as the morning progressed.
Among the highlights were the sighting of a Northern Shrike, a Northern Harrier, a Merlin, a Cooper's Hawk, a Western Tanager and two Yellow-rumped Warblers.
Seventeen birders, including a visiting birder from Nova Scotia, saw and heard the following thirty-eight species of birds:
American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Common Merganser,Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Osprey, Cooper's Hawk, Merlin, Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Harrier, Turkey Vulture, Northern Shrike, Long-billed Dowitcher, Mew Gull, California Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Common Raven, Steller's Jay, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bewick's Wren, American Robin, Western Tanager, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Western Meadowlark, Purple Finch, House Finch and American Goldfinch.

Thirty Long-billed Dowitchers, two Short-billed Dowitchers, a Red-tailed Hawk, a Lincoln's Sparrow, Green-winged Teal and a House Finch were seen at the Holden Creek side of the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.

Saturday September 25:
A flock of Bushtits and Steller's Jay were seen at Bowen Park in Nanaimo. An American Dipper was preening by the falls in Bowen Park.
Twenty Greater-white-fronted Geese were seen at the Holden Creek side of the Nanaimo River Estuary.

Friday September 24:
A Northern Harrier was seen near the viewing platform on the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville.

An Albino American Robin was seen in the Woods area of Qualicum Beach.

Thursday September 23:
Three Varied Thrushes were seen in a garden in the Diver Lake area of Nanaimo.

Wednesday September 22:
"Rare bird alert--Ruff"
A Ruff and a Short-billed Dowitcher were seen at Whiffen Spit near Sooke, on the west side of Vancouver Island.

Four Common Terns were seen at Columbia Beach, near the Admiral Tryon Pools.

A Parasitic Jaeger (light phase) was seen harassing gulls out in the Strait of Georgia from Columbia Beach.

A first year Bullock's Oriole was seen at French Creek.

Tuesday September 21:
The Tuesday bird walk went to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville. The morning was cloudy with light showers throughout the morning, but the wind was calm.
The parking area was teeming with birds this morning and we saw a Cassin's Vireo, a Hutton's Vireo, Cedar Waxwing, Orange-crowned Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Savannah Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow before we began the walk.
We watched a Cooper's Hawk chase a Merlin. At least two Merlin were in the area most of the morning.
Just off the trail we spotted a Pectoral Sandpiper feeding in the tidal area.
There were Surf Scoters, White-winged Scoters, Common Mergansers, Pacific Loons, Common Loons, Horned Grebes, Red-necked Grebes, Double-crested Cormorants, Pelagic Cormorants and a Pigeon Guillemot on the Strait of Georgia.
Twenty-one birders including visiting birders from Sussex, England, Colorado, Montana, Nova Scotia and Manitoba saw and heard the following forty-eight species of birds:
Canada Goose, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Common Merganser, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Osprey, Cooper's Hawk, Merlin, Sanderling, Pectoral Sandpiper, Mew Gull, Ring-billed Gull,
Glaucous-winged Gull, Pigeon Guillemot, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker,
Cassin's Vireo, Hutton's Vireo, Steller's Jay, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven,
Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Pacific Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Orange-crowned Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Savannah Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch, Red Crossbill and Pine Siskin.

Thirty-five Turkey Vultures were seen above highway 19A at Royston.

Four Spotted Sandpipers were seen at Sunset Beach, Neck Point in Nanaimo.

Monday September 20:
Two Greater White-fronted Geese were seen at Pacific Shores Resort in Nanoose Bay.

A Great Horned Owl was seen along Meridian Way in Parksville.

Three Greater White-fronted Geese were spotted at the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.

Five Eurasian Collared Doves were seen along Dawkins Lane in Nanaimo.

Sunday September 19:
A Northern Harrier was seen at 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
**********************************
The Nanoose Naturalists meeting.
October 14th at 7 pm
in the Library on Northwest Bay Road.
**********************************
The Arrowsmith Naturalists meeting.
Monday, September 27th at 7.30 pm
at Springwood School.
Guest speaker--Dr. John Gunton- "Geohazards of the Georgia Basin".
********************************
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.
**************************************************************
The Tuesday Bird Walk on September 28, 2010. will be going to Columbia Beach.
We will meet at the Parksville Beach Community Park, at the parking area in front of the Lions Playground at 9 A.M. or at the parking area off Admiral Tryon Bld. (From Highway 19A turn onto Columbia Drive across from Windsor Plywood turn right at the TEE intersection go about 100 yards turn left onto the parking area) at about 9:15 A.M.
**************************************************
The Sunday Bird Walk on October 03, 2010 will be going to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo.
We will meet at The Backyard Bird Store at 9:00 A.M. or at the main parking area off Hammond Bay at about 9:20 A.M.
*******************************************************
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

Friday 24 September 2010

Sightings at Columbia Beach


Common Tern: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Four Common Terns were seen at Columbia Beach, near the Admiral Tryon Pools on September 22.
A Parasitic Jaeger (light phase) was seen harassing gulls out in the strait.
A first year Bullock's Oriole was seen at French Creek.

Tuesday 21 September 2010

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, September 21, 2010


Tuesday Birders at Rathtrevor Provincial Park: Peter Dunn Photo.

Hi birders,

The Tuesday bird walk went to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville. The morning was cloudy with light showers throughout the morning, but the wind was calm.
The parking area was teeming with birds this morning and we saw a Cassin's Vireo, a Hutton's Vireo, Cedar Waxwing, Orange-crowned Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Savannah Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow before we began the walk.
We watched a Cooper's Hawk chase a Merlin. At least two Merlin were in the area most of the morning.
Just off the trail we spotted a Pectoral Sandpiper feeding in the tidal area.
There were Surf Scoters, White-winged Scoters, Common Mergansers, Pacific Loons, Common Loons, Horned Grebes, Red-necked Grebes, Double-crested Cormorants, Pelagic Cormorants and a Pigeon Guillemot on the Strait of Georgia.
Twenty-one birders including visiting birders from Sussex, England, Colorado, Montana, Nova Scotia and Manitoba saw and heard the following forty-eight species of birds:
Canada Goose
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Common Merganser
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Osprey
Cooper's Hawk
Merlin
Sanderling
Pectoral Sandpiper
Mew Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Pigeon Guillemot
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Cassin's Vireo
Hutton's Vireo
Steller's Jay
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Pacific Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Orange-crowned Warbler
Spotted Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
House Finch
Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin

Neil Robins
Parksville
British Columbia

Sunday 19 September 2010

Nanaimo bird report, September 19, 2010


Yellow rumped Warbler: Ralph Hocken Photo

NANAIMO BIRD REPORT
********************************************
To report your sightings
phone the Store at 250-390-3669
e-mail us at thebackyard@shaw.ca

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

Birding in Central and South America:
www.wildbirdtours.ca

Identify backyard birds:
National Geographic Bird Identifier Site
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birding/backyard-bird-identifier/

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, the species and location of your sighting.

Sunday September 19, 2010:
The Sunday Bird Walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary. The morning was cloudy and cool with a breeze blowing off the water.
Five birders including a visiting birder from Nova Scotia saw and heard the following forty-one species of birds:
Canada Goose, American Wigeon, Mallard, Surf Scoter, Common Loon, Great Blue Heron,
Bald Eagle, Barred Owl, Greater Yellowlegs, California Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Belted Kingfisher, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Cassin's Vireo, Steller's Jay, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Bushtits, Bewick's Wren, Pacific Wren, American Robin, European Starling, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Hutton's Vireo, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Savannah Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, House Finch and Purple Finch.

Friday September 17:
"Rare Bird Alert"
A Juvenile Ruff was seen at Whiffen Spit in Sooke, on the west side of Vancouver Island.

Canada Goose, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal,
Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Common Merganser, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Merlin, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Belted Kingfisher, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Cassin's Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Steller's Jay, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bushtit, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Bewick's Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, European Starling, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Spotted Towhee, Cedar Waxwing, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Brewer's Blackbird, Purple Finch, House Finch and American Goldfinch were seen at the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville.

Black-bellied Plover, Killdeer, Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, Bonaparte's Gull, California Gull and a Thayer's Gull were seen along the gravel bar at Pebble Beach.

A Red-breasted Merganser, a Greater Yellowlegs three Cedar Waxwings and a Sharp-shinned Hawk were seen at French Creek.

A Steller's Jay was spotted along Country Hills Drive in Cinnabar Valley.

Thursday September 16:
Twenty-four Sandhill Cranes were seen flying down the Courtenay River towards Comox Harbour.

A Wandering Tattler and four Black Turnstones were seen today near the point at Neck Point Park in Nanaimo.

An Anna's Hummingbird and a Downy Woodpecker were seen on the Campus at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo.

A Sharp-shinned Hawk was spotted on a birdbath in a backyard along Hamilton Avenue in Parksville.

Thirty Sandhill Cranes were seen, where the river meets the ocean south of Courtenay off Highway 19A.

A Rufous Hummingbird is visiting feeders along Aulds Road and Arbutus Road in Lantzville.

Tuesday September 14:
A Parasitic Jaeger was seen chasing four Common Terns on the Strait of Georgia off Marine Drive near the Englishman River Estuary, Plummer Road side in Parksville.

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was sunny and comfortable with calm winds. We saw a Townsend's Warbler and a Yellow Warbler near the start of the walk. But the big highlight of the morning was the sighting of two Black-and-white Warblers in with a large mixed flock of Orange-crowned Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Black-throated Gray Warblers, Bushtits and Warbling Vireos as they moved along the river feeding in the bushes. We watched the flock for about a hour and we were able to compare the Black-and-white Warblers with the Black-throated Gray Warblers. Seeing the fall migrants moving through the bushes along the river made for an excellent morning of birding. We spotted a Pectoral Sandpiper on the edge of the mudflats, near the viewing platform. Harlequin Ducks, Surf Scoters, Common Loons, a Red-necked Grebe, a Double-crested Cormorant, a Pelagic Cormorant, a Pigeon Guillemot and two Marbled Murrelet were seen on the Strait of Georgia. We had great close looks at a male Anna's Hummingbird near the end of the walk.
Sixteen birders saw and heard the following fifty-seven species of birds:
Canada Goose, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, Common Merganser, Ring-necked Pheasant, California Quail, Common Loon, Red-necked Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle,
Sharp-shinned Hawk, Merlin, Killdeer, Least Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Dunlin, Long-billed Dowitcher, Mew Gull, California Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Pigeon Guillemot, Marbled Murrelet, Anna's Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Warbling Vireo, Steller's Jay, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bushtit, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Bewick's Wren, American Robin, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Orange-crowned Warble, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Townsend's Warbler,
Black-and-white Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Brewer's Blackbird, Purple Finch, House Finch.

Monday September 13:
The Wandering Tattler was seen again at Sunset Beach, Neck Point in Nanaimo.

Sunday September 12:
A Pileated Woodpecker was seen on a utility pole in the 600 Block of Chestnut Street in Nanaimo.

Saturday September 11:
An Osprey, a Stellar Jay and a male Anna's hummingbird were seen from Sea Otter Place in Nanoose Bay.

Friday September 10:
An Albino Robin was seen in the 700 block of Northumberland Avenue 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
**********************************
The Nanoose Naturalists meeting.
October 14th at 7 pm
in the Library on Northwest Bay Road.
**********************************
The Arrowsmith Naturalists meeting
Guest speaker--Dr. John Gunton "Geohazards of the Georgia Basin".
Monday, September 27th at 7.30 pm
Springwood School, Parksville.
********************************
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.
**************************************************************
The Tuesday Bird Walk on September 21, 2010. will be going to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville.
We will meet at the Parksville Beach Community Park, at the parking area in front of the Lions Playground at 9 A.M. or at the main parking area at Rathtrevor Park at about 9:10 A.M. Please note there is a parking fee for the park.
**************************************************
The Sunday Bird Walk on September 26, 2010 will be going to the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.
We will meet at The Backyard Bird Store at 9:00 A.M. or at the end of Raines Road at about 9:30 A.M.
*******************************************************
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

Tuesday 14 September 2010

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, September 14, 2010


Yellow-rumped Warbler: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Hi birders,
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was sunny and comfortable with calm winds. We saw a Townsend's Warbler and a Yellow Warbler near the start of the walk. But the big highlight of the morning was the sighting of two Black-and-white Warblers in with a large mixed flock of Orange-crowned Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Black-throated Gray Warblers, Bushtits and Warbling Vireos as they moved along the river feeding in the bushes. We watched the flock for about a hour and we were able to compare the Black-and-white Warblers with the Black-throated Gray Warblers. Seeing the fall migrants moving through the bushes along the river made for an excellent morning of birding. We spotted a Pectoral Sandpiper on the edge of the mudflats, near the viewing platform. Harlequin Ducks, Surf Scoters, Common Loons, a Red-necked Grebe, a Double-crested Cormorant, a Pelagic Cormorant, a Pigeon Guillemot and two Marbled Murrelet were seen on the Strait of Georgia. We had great close looks at a male Anna's Hummingbird near the end of the walk.
Sixteen birders saw and heard the following fifty-seven species of birds:
Canada Goose
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
Common Merganser
Ring-necked Pheasant
California Quail
Common Loon
Red-necked Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Merlin
Killdeer
Least Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Dunlin
Long-billed Dowitcher
Mew Gull
California Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Pigeon Guillemot
Marbled Murrelet
Anna's Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Warbling Vireo
Steller's Jay
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Bewick's Wren
American Robin
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Townsend's Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Brewer's Blackbird
Purple Finch
House Finch

Good birding
Neil Robins
Parksville
British Columbia

Sunday 12 September 2010

Nanaimo bird report, September 12, 2010


Osprey: Ralph Hocken Photo.

NANAIMO BIRD REPORT
********************************************
To report your sightings
phone the Store at 250-390-3669
e-mail us at thebackyard@shaw.ca

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

Birding in Central and South America:
www.wildbirdtours.ca

Identify backyard birds:
National Geographic Bird Identifier Site
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birding/backyard-bird-identifier/

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, the species and location of your sighting.

Sunday September 12, 2010:
The Sunday Bird Walk went to Bowen Park in Nanaimo. It was drizzling rain all morning but the wind was calm .
The highlight of the morning was the sighting of two Osprey perched and talking from the top of two tall Cedar Trees near their nest.
Four hardy birders saw and heard the following thirteen species of birds:
Mallard, Osprey, Anna's Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Steller's Jay, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Bewick's Wren, Dark-eyed Junco.

A Wandering Tattler was seen foraging on the barnacle-covered rocks just west of the boardwalk lookout at Neck Point in Nanaimo.

A Greater Yellowlegs, two Western Sandpipers and five Spotted Sandpipers were foraging along the water line at Sunset Beach in Neck Point, Nanaimo.

A mixed flock of Orange-Crowned and Townsend's Warblers moved among the trees at Sunset Beach, in Neck Point Park, Nanaimo.

Friday September 10:
Canada Goose, American Wigeon, Mallard, Surf Scoter, Common Loon, Great Blue Heron, Greater Yellowlegs, Bald Eagle, Sharp-shinned Hawk, American Kestrel, Merlin, Marbled Murrelet, Band-tailed Pigeon, Black Swift, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Cassin's Vireo, Steller's Jay, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Bewick's Wren, American Robin, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, House Finch were seen at the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville.

Ring-necked Duck, Black-bellied Plover, Killdeer, Black Turnstone, Black Oystercatcher,Western Sandpiper, Bonaparte's Gull, Heermann's Gull, Mew Gull, California Gull and Glaucous-winged Gull were seen at Pebble Beach in Columbia Beach.

Thursday September 09:
A pair of Steller's Jays were seen in a backyard along Bunker Place in Sandpiper, Qualicum Beach.

Twenty House Sparrow, eight House Finch, one Purple Finch, one American Goldfinch, one Red-breasted Nuthatch, one Stellar's Jay, fifteen Chestnut-backed Chickadees and twelve Bushtits are visiting feeders along Lancashire Avenue in Nanaimo.

Wednesday September 07:
The Parksville/ Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk began today for the fall season and went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was cloudy and cool but the winds were calm.
The highlights of the morning included a good look at a Greater Yellowlegs flying over us, singing as it headed over the forest from the ocean. A Sharp-shinned Hawk flew not far from of us over the estuary, checking out the stumps and shrubs for a morning snack. A Yellow Warbler and a Black-throated Gray Warbler gave us quick looks as they gleaned insects on a short Alder Tree. We had numerous sightings of Black Swifts as we walked back from the viewing platform on the west side of the forest.
Ten birders saw and heard the following thirty-five species of birds:
American Wigeon, Mallard, Surf Scoter, Common Merganser, Great Blue Heron,
Bald Eagle, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Killdeer, Greater Yellowlegs, California Gull,
Glaucous-winged Gull, Black Swift, Vaux's Swift, Belted Kingfisher, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Cassin's Vireo, Steller's Jay, Northwestern Crow,
Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Bewick's Wren, Cedar Waxwing, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Purple Finch and Cassin's Finch.

Monday September 06:
A Sharp-shinned Hawk put an end to the feeding of Pine Siskins, American Goldfinch, a Downy Woodpecker, a Hairy Woodpecker, a Pileated Woodpecker, a pair of Northern Flickers and California Quail in a backyard along Meridian Way in Parksville.

A Horned Lark and a Lincoln's Sparrow were seen in the bushes near the end of Admiral Tryon Blvd. at Columbia Beach.

Three Eurasian Collared Doves and five Steller's Jays were seen in a backyard along Dawkins Lane in Nanaimo.

Sunday September 05:
Two Bewick's Wrens , Steller's Jays, Band-tailed Pigeons, Orange-crowned Warblers, Yellow Warblers and Hairy Woodpecker are visiting a backyard in the 6900 block of Lancewood Avenue in upper Lantzville.

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
**********************************
The Nanoose Naturalists meeting.
October 14th at 7 pm
in the Library on Northwest Bay Road.
**********************************
The Arrowsmith Naturalist meetings will resume in September, 2010
********************************
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.
**************************************************************
The Tuesday Bird Walks on September 14, 2010. will be going to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville.
We will meet at the Parksville Beach Community Park, at the parking area in front of the Lions Playground at 9 A.M. or at the corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive at about 9:10 A.M.
**************************************************
The Sunday Bird Walk on September 19, 2010 will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville.
We will meet at The Backyard Bird Store at 9:00 A.M. or at the end of Shelly Road, on the ocean side of Highway 19A, at about 9:30A.M.
*******************************************************
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

Friday 10 September 2010

Columbia Beach and Englishman River Estuary Birding


American Kestrel: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Hi birders,

I went birding with two birders visiting from Ontario today, among the highlights was seeing a Sharp-shinned Hawk being mobbed by a American Kestrel while a Merlin was perched at the top of a tall snag. We also had great views of a Cassin's Vireo on a low bush not far from us at the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. We saw Heermann's Gull at the gravel bar at Pebble Beach.
with gulls and shorebirds

We saw and heard the following forty-three species of birds:
Canada Goose
American Wigeon
Mallard
Ring-necked Duck
Surf Scoter
Common Loon
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Sharp-shinned Hawk
American Kestrel
Merlin
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Black Turnstone
Black Oystercatcher
Greater Yellowlegs
Western Sandpiper
Bonaparte's Gull
Heermann's Gull
Mew Gull
Californian Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Marbled Murrelet
Band-tailed Pigeon
Black Swift
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Cassin's Vireo
Steller's Jay
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Bewick's Wren
American Robin
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
House Finch
Red Crossbill

Good birding
Neil Robins
Parksville
British Columbia

Tuesday 7 September 2010

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, September 07, 2010


Sharp-shinned Hawk:Ralph Hocken Photo.

The Parksville/ Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk began today for the fall season and went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was cloudy and cool but the winds were calm.
The highlights of the morning included a good look at a Greater Yellowlegs flying over us, singing as it headed over the forest from the ocean. A Sharp-shinned Hawk flew not far from of us over the estuary, checking out the stumps and shrubs for a morning snack. A Yellow Warbler and a Black-throated Gray Warbler gave us quick looks as they gleaned insects on a short Alder Tree. We had numerous sightings of Black Swifts as we walked back from the viewing platform on the west side of the forest.
Ten birders saw and heard the following thirty-five species of birds:
American Wigeon
Mallard
Surf Scoter
Common Merganser
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
California Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Black Swift
Vaux's Swift
Belted Kingfisher
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Cassin's Vireo
Steller's Jay
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Bewick's Wren
Cedar Waxwing
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Spotted Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Purple Finch
Cassin's Finch

Sunday 5 September 2010

Nanaimo bird report, September 05, 2010


Orchard Oriole: John Purves Photo.

NANAIMO BIRD REPORT
********************************************
To report your sightings
phone the Store at 250-390-3669
e-mail us at thebackyard@shaw.ca

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

Birding in Central and South America:
www.wildbirdtours.ca

Identify backyard birds:
National Geographic Bird Identifier Site
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birding/backyard-bird-identifier/

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, the species and location of your sighting.

Sunday September 05, 2010:
The Sunday Bird Walk went to Columbia Beach. The morning was cool but sunny
with a breeze blowing off the water.
The big highlight of the morning was the sighting of an Orchard Oriole
perched at the top of a thin tree giving us all great looks for about five
minutes. This sighting of a Orchard Oriole is a first for Parkville,
Qualicum Beach area. The Bird Walk was joined by six avid birders from
Vancouver who had come over to the Island just to see the Orchard Oriole.
The Orchard Oriole is normally found in the eastern United States. The other
highlights included seeing sixty-three Black Oystercatchers along the shore,
a Warbling Vireo, a Willow Flycatcher, a Merlin and a Peregrine Falcon.
Twenty-two birders including visiting birders from the United Kingdom and
New Brunswick saw and heard the following forty-four species of birds:
Canada Geese, Mallard, Green-wing Teal, Black Scoter, Peregrine Falcon,
Merlin, Common Merganser, Marbled Murrelet, Double-crested Cormorant, Great
Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Black Oystercatcher, Least Sandpiper, Western
Sandpiper, Killdeer, California Quail, California Gull, Glaucous-winged
Gull, Rock Pigeon, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker,
Downy Woodpecker, Common Raven, Northwestern Crow, Steller's Jay, American
Robin, Cedar Waxwing, Belted Kingfisher, Rufous Hummingbird, Orchard Oriole,
Warbling Vireo, Willow Flycatcher, Song Sparrow, Bushtit, Bewick's Wren,
Chestnut-backed Chickadee, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow,
Savannah Sparrow, House Finch, Spotted Towhee, Purple Finch and European
Starling.

Bushtits, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, a Sharp-shinned Hawk an Osprey, and a
Mute Swan were seen at Beck Creek in South Nanaimo.

Saturday September 04:
A female Orchard Oriole was seen again today feeding in bushes on the of
French Creek, looking towards the French Creek Bridge at the end of Admiral
Tryon Blvd. in Columbia Beach.

Friday September 03:
A female Orchard Oriole was seen feeding in bushes on the right side of
French Creek, looking towards the French Creek Bridge at the end of Admiral
Tryon Blvd. in Columbia Beach. The Orchard Oriole is normally found in the
eastern United States.

A Eurasian Collared Dove was seen on Dawkins Lane in Nanaimo.

Two Black-headed Grosbeaks, several American Goldfinch and an Anna's
Hummingbird are visiting feeders in a yard in the 2300 block Jingle Pot Road
in Nanaimo.

Thursday September 02:
A Pacific Loon, three Common Loons, a White-winged Scoter, flying just above
the
water offshore were seen at Columbia Beach.

Thirty Black Oystercatcher's, a Mallard, a Least Sandpiper, a Western
Sandpiper, a
Semi-palmated Plover, twenty-three Black-bellied Plover's, ten Killdeer,
California Gull's, Glaucous-winged Gull's and two Savannah Sparrow's on the
grass along the shore, were seen along the gravel bar at Pebble Beach in
Columbia Beach.


Wednesday September 01:
Two Red-necked Phalaropes and a Lesser Yellowlegs was seen at French Creek.

Three Anna's Hummingbirds are visiting feeders in the 400 block of Muirfield
Close in the Eaglecrest area of Qualicum Beach.

Tuesday August 31:
A male Rufous Hummingbird and an male Anna's Hummingbird are visiting
feeders in a yard near Parksville Bay in Parksville.

Monday August 30:
Two Eurasian Collared Doves were seen in Cinnabar Valley in south Nanaimo.

A pair of Barn Swallows with two nestlings were on a nest in the 2100 block
of Cedar Road in Cedar.

Sunday August 29:
Two Greater White-fronted Geese were spotted near the Seauxman Stadium along
Jinglepot Road 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
**********************************
The Nanoose Naturalists meeting.
September 9th at 7 pm
in the Library on Northwest Bay Road.
Guest speaker--- Dr. Bill Weller's talk and slide presentation on Astronomy.
Visitors and new members most welcome.
**********************************
The Arrowsmith Naturalist meetings will resume in September, 2010
********************************
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.
**************************************************************
The Tuesday Bird Walks on September 07, 2010. will be going to the Shelly
Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville.
We will meet at the Parksville Beach Community Park, at the parking area in
front of the Lions Playground at 9 A.M. or at the oceanside end of Shelly
Road at about 9:10 A.M.
**************************************************
The Sunday Bird Walk on September 12, 2010 will be going to Bowen Park in
Nanaimo.
We will meet at The Backyard Bird Store at 9:00 A.M. or at the main parking
area off Bowen Road near the Swimming Pool at about 9:20 A.M.
*******************************************************
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