Post your sightings on this site:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bcbirdingvanisland/messages
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 November 14, 2010:
RARE BIRD ALERT:
American Tree Sparrow was seen Sunday Morning at the Englishman River Estuary on the Shelly Road side in front of the viewing stand, feeding with a couple of Dark-eyed Juncos.
The Sunday Bird Walk went to the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville at the
Shelly Road.
The morning was cloudy but very nice as there was no wind. The highlights including seeing American Tree Sparrow by the viewing platform, female Evening Grosbeak in the top of a Maple tree and a Eurasian Widgeon in the estuary.
Thirteen birders saw and heard the following fifty-two species of birds.
American Wigeon, Eurasian Widgeon, Mallard, Buffhead, Northern Pintail,
Green-winged Teal, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Harlequin Duck, Common
Goldeneye, Northern Shoveler, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser,
Red-breasted Merganser, Common Loon, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue
Heron, Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Thayer's
Gull, Mew Gull, California Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Barred Owl, Anna's
Hummingbird, Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Belted Kingfisher,
Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Steller's Jay, Spotted Towhee, Varied
Thrush, European Starling, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch,
Bushtits, Brown Creeper, Pacific Wren, Bewick's Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet,
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Tree Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned
Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Brewer's Blackbird, House Finch, Pine Siskin, Evening
Grosbeak.
Friday November 12:
A Mute Swan was seen on the beach in front of the boardwalk at the Parksville
Community Park along with the six Snow Geese.
Thursday November 11:
Northern Goshawk was seen at Park Ridge Place in Qualicum Beach.
Wednesday November 10:
Merlin, Northern Harrier, Western Meadowlarks and a Northern Shrike were seen at the Nanaimo River Estuary.
Tuesday November 9:
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River
Estuary. The morning was cool and rainy with some high wind gusts, keeping most birds hunkered down out of sight. However, we did get a really great view of a Red-tailed Hawk as it sat perched atop an old log.
With John Purves as our guide, 8 hardy birders saw or heard the following 30 birds:
Canada Goose
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
Northern Pintail
Bufflehead
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Common Loon
Double-crested Cormorant
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed hawk
Dunlin
Mew Gull
California Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Thayer's Gull
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Varied Thrush
European Starling
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Bushtit
Sunday November 7:
A Snow Bunting was seen flitting about the grass and sand by the point in Deep
Bay.
The Sunday Bird Walk went to the Nanaimo River Estuary. It was a beautiful day
and only a couple of hunters. 15 birders saw and heard the following 30 species.
Canada Goose
Trumpeter Swan
Great Blue Heron
Pied-billed Grebe
Mallard
Common Merganser
Common Goldeneye
Bufflehead
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Bald Eagle
Ring-billed Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
Downy Woodpecker
Steller's Jay
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Bewick's Wren
Northern Shrike
European Starling
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Western Meadowlark
House Finch
Purple Finch
Tuesday November 2:
Ring-necked Pheasant and 4 Snow Geese were seen at the Cottonwood Golf
Course in Cassidy.
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
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The Arrowsmith Naturalists meeting.
Monday, November 22nd at 7.30 pm
at Springwood School Parksville. Speaker Dr. John Gunton will return to present
Part 2 of his talk "Geohazards of the Georgia Basin". Visitors and new members
welcome. More information at 250-752-7588.
********************************
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 November 16, 2010. will be going to the Little
Qualicum River Estuary.
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 on Hwy 19A and
Garret Road about 9:20 A.M.
**************************************************
The Sunday Bird Walk on November 21, 2010 will be going to Buttertubs Marsh
in Nanaimo.
We will meet at The Backyard Bird Store at 9:00 A.M. or at the parking lot at the
end of Buttertubs Drive (off Bowen Road).
*******************************************************
Good birding
Colin Bartlett
