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 6 February 2011

Nanaimo bird report, February 06, 2011


Northern Harrier: Ralph Hocken Photo.

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

Please remember, when reporting a sighting, to leave your name and phone number,
along with the date, the species and location of your sighting.

"Rare Bird Alert- Northern Mockingbird"
The Northern Mockingbird is still along Dumont Road near Eyelash Road in
Nanaimo.

"Rare Bird Alert-Grey Catbird"
A Grey Catbird is still visiting a backyard suet feeder in North Nanaimo.

Sunday February 06, 2011:
The Sunday bird walk went to the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.. The
morning was foggy with misty rain and a cool breeze off the Strait of Georgia.
The highlights included seeing a Northern Harrier flying just above the grass
looking for prey. We watched a Ruby-crowned Kinglet feeding low down on the
Blackberry Bushes. We spotted a Red-tailed Hawk perched on a tall tree just off
Raines Road.

Twelve birders saw and heard the following thirty species of birds:
Canada Goose, Trumpeter Swan, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail,
Bufflehead, Green-winged Teal, Barrow's Goldeneye, Common Goldeneye, Common
Merganser, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk,
Cooper's Hawk, Glaucous-winged Gull, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow,
Common Raven, Northwestern Crow, Steller's Jay, Belted Kingfisher, Western
Meadowlark, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed
Junco, Golden-crowned Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow and Brewers Blackbird..

Northern Harrier: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Saturday February 05:
"Rare Bird Alert- Northern Mockingbird"
The Northern Mockingbird is still along Dumont Road near Eyelash Road in
Nanaimo.

"Rare Bird Alert-Grey Catbird"
The Grey Catbird is still visiting a backyard suet feeder in North Nanaimo.

A large flock of Evening Grosbeaks were seen along Crescent Road in Qualicum
Beach.

A large flock of Red-winged Blackbirds were spotted in Cedar.

A Hairy Woodpecker, a Northern Flicker , a Varied Thrush, Evening Grosbeak,
Chestnut-backed Chickadees , Dark-eyed Junco, Steller's Jay, and Spotted Towhee
are visiting feeders in the 2300 block of Hemer Road in Cedar.

A Northern Shoveler and a Northern Shrike were seen at the Morningstar Ponds
near French Creek.

A Red-throated Loon was spotted along French Creek.

Friday February 04:
A Pileated Woodpecker is visiting a suet feeder along Departure Road near Rock
City School in Nanaimo.

Wednesday February 02:
An immature Glaucous Gull was seen in a group of Glaucous-winged and Thayer's
Gulls on the roof of the Rupert Square Mall in downtown Prince Rupert.

Tuesday February 01:
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Englishman River Estuary, Plummer road side.
The morning was sunny but quite cool with a stiff breeze off the Strait of
Georgia. The highlights included seeing three Anna's Hummingbirds perched on a
bush along the trail at the first of the walk. We saw twelve Gadwall feeding
just off the mudflats and a large raft of Pacific Loons on the Strait of
Georgia.

Anna's Hummingbird: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Fifteen birders saw and heard the following fifty species of birds:
Canada Goose, Brant, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail,
Green-winged Teal, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Bufflehead, Common
Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, California Quail, Pacific
Loon, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Brandt's Cormorant,
Double-crested Cormorant,
Pelagic Cormorant, Bald Eagle, Black-bellied Plover, Black Oystercatcher, Mew
Gull, California Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Common Murre, Anna's
Hummingbird, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Steller's Jay, Northwestern
Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Golden-crowned Kinglet, American
Robin, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow,
White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-winged
Blackbird,
Brewer's Blackbird, Purple Finch, House Finch and Pine Siskin.

A Pileated Woodpecker was feeding on one side of a suet feeder while a Northern
Flicker was feeding on the other side in the Rocky Point area of Nanaimo. Male
and Female Anna Hummingbirds are also visiting the backyard.

Five Hooded Mergansers, several Canada Geese, Mallards, Red-winged Blackbirds
and a Northern Shrike were seen at Cathers Lake in Nanaimo.

Monday January 31:
Evening Grosbeaks are visiting feeders along Homestead Way in Ladysmith.

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@...
**********************************
Nanoose Field Naturalists Meeting.
Thursday, February 10th, 7 pm in the Library on Northwest Bay Road.
Greg Thomas will give a talk and slide presentation on BC Herring Fisheries
Management.
**********************************
Arrowsmith Naturalists meeting
Monday February 28, 7.30 pm at Springwood School in 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 February 08, 2011 will be going to Nanoose Bay. We will
meet at the Parksville Beach Community Park, at the parking area in front of the
Lions Playground at 9 A.M. or on the beach behind the church camp at the end of
Arlington Road off Highway 19 just south of The Petro-Can at Northwest Bay Road
at about 9:20A.M.
*******************************************************
The Sunday Bird Walk, February 13, 2011 will be going Nanoose Bay. We will meet
at the Backyard Store at 9:00A.M. or on the beach behind the church camp at the
end of Arlington Road off Highway 19 just south of The Petro-Can at Northwest
Bay Road at about 9: 20 A.M.
*******************************************************

Good birding
Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD
Wildbird & Nature Store
6314 Metral Drive, Nanaimo, BC V9T 2L8
250.390.36621
250.390.1633 fax
thebackyard@...
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG---> www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com


"GO BIRDING—EXPLORE NATURE"



"LINKS"

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/

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