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 by 8am the day of the walk.

Sunday 3 October 2010

Nanaimo bird report, October 03, 2010


Surfbirds at Neck Point: Ryan Cathers Photo.

NANAIMO BIRD REPORT
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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 October 03, 2010:
The Sunday Bird Walk went to the Neck Point in Nanaimo.
The morning was cloudy with light rain but the wind and seas were calm.
The highlights including seeing large flocks of Yellow-rumped Warblers and Orange-crowned Warblers moving through the bushes throughout the morning. We watched as over twenty Surfbirds and four Black Turnstones were resting on the Point. There was a very large raft of mixed gulls offshore.
Sixteen birders saw and heard the following forty species of birds:
Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, Common Mergangers, Horned Grebe, Common Loon, Pacific Loon, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Surfbirds, Black Turnstones, Mew Gull, California Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Bonaparte's Gull, Marbled Murrelet, Northern Flicker, Steller's Jay, Northwestern Crow, European Starling, California Quail, Belted Kingfisher, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Bewick's Wren, Pacific Wren, Brown Creeper, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Varied Thrush, American Robin, Spotted Towhee, Savannah Sparrow, Purple Finch, Song Sparrow, House Finch Dark-eyed Junco and Pine Siskins.

Saturday October 02:
Two Great Horned Owls were calling in the Dunsmuir Crescent area of Ladysmith.

A Hairy Woodpecker was spotted at Milner Gardens in Qualicum Beach.

Two Anna's Hummingbirds are visiting a backyard along Dunsmuir Crescent in Ladysmith.

Thursday September 30:
A female Anna's Hummingbird was seen along Morrell Circle in Nanaimo.

A Cackling Goose was seen at the Morningstar ponds in French Creek.

Tuesday September 28:
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,e
American Robin, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Savannah Sparrow,
Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco and House Finch.

Monday September 27:
Twenty-one California Quail were seen in a back garden in the 2100 Wren Place in Nanaimo.

Red-breasted Nuthatches, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Steller's Jay, Dark-eyed Juncos and House Finches are at feeders in the 2300 Block of Marlborough Drive in Nanaimo.

Sunday September 26:
Two Anna's Hummingbirds are visiting feeders along Patrick Drive in French Creek and Stellar's Jays are visiting the same yard.

Steller's Jays, Bushtits, Dark-eyed Juncos, European Starlings, House Finches and American Robins were seen in the 2300 block Marlborough Drive in Nanaimo.

Thursday September 23:
Four Sandhill Cranes were spotted on a farm in Nanoose Bay.

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 meeting.
Guest Speaker-- Dr. Bill Weller will give a talk and slide presentation on local Mushrooms.
October 14th at 7 pm
at the Library on Northwest Bay Road.
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The Arrowsmith Naturalists meeting.
Monday, October 25th at 7.30 pm
at 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 October 05, 2010. will be going to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum 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 viewing platform at highway 19a and Garrett Road in Qualicum Beach at about 9:20 A.M.
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The Sunday Bird Walk on September 10, 2010 will be going to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.
We will meet at The Backyard Wildbird & Nature Store at 9:00 A.M. or at the parking area of Buttertubs Marsh off Bowen 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

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