RARE BIRD REPORT July 23-24 2012

An adult male PAINTED BUNTING has been frequenting a feeder in Ucluelet on the 23rd and 24th of July.

The adult male is easily distinguished by its bright blue head and nape; red underparts, rump, and undertail coverts; and green back and wings.

Painted Buntings are native to Central America where they spend their winters. They breed as far north as Kansas and Missouri but are an occasional visiter to California.

Nanaimo bird report, July 29, 2012

**************************************************************************************** Purple Martin: Ralph Hocken photo. **************************************************************************************** NANAIMO BIRD REPORT ” GO BIRDING--EXPLORE NATURE” Please remember, when reporting a sighting to leave your name and phone number along with the date, the species and location of your sighting. To report your sightings phone the Store at 250-390-3669 or e-mail us at thebackyard@shaw.ca **************************************************************************************** Sunday July 29, 2012: The Sunday bird walk went to Ladysmith Harbour in Ladysmith. The morning was sunny and warm. We saw sixty Purple Martin nest boxes with an average of three birds per nest. The Purple Martins were flying, singing and perch close to the docks. We spotted a Heermann’s Gull perched on a rocky point across from the harbour **************************************************************************************** Nine birders saw and heard the following twenty-one species. Common Merganser, Turkey Vulture, Great Blue Heron, Black Oystercatcher, Heermann’s Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Pigeon Guillemot, Rock Pigeon, Belted Kingfisher, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Northern Flicker, Purple Martin, Pacific-sloped Flycatcher, Bewick’s Wren, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, White-crowned Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, American Goldfinch. **************************************************************************************** Saturday, July 28: Two Pileated Woodpeckers are visiting suet feeders at the corner of Brookwood Drive and Rutherford Road in Nanaimo. **************************************************************************************** Wednesday, July 25: Two Common Nighthawks and a Coopers Hawk were seen over Meridian Way in Parksville. ******************************************************************************************* A Hairy Woodpecker, a Pacific-sloped Flycatcher, an Orange-crowned Warbler, a Red-breasted Nuthatch and a flock of Chestnut-backed Chickadees were seen along the north Lighthouse Trail near Bowser. ***************************************************************************************** Tuesday, July 24: A Spotted Sandpiper, four Killdeer, two Belted Kingfishers, a Pigeon Guillemot and a Bald Eagle were seen at French Creek. *************************************************************************************** Monday, July 23: A flock of Bonaparte Gulls, thirty California Gulls, a Caspian Gull, fourteen Mew Gulls, two Marbled Murrelets, a Semipalmated Plover, two Least Sandpipers, and several Killdeer were seen, at the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary 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. ************************************************************************************* Tuesday bird walks have stopped for the summer season. We will resume the Tuesday bird walks on September 04, 2012. Have a great summer. ************************************************************************************* The Sunday Bird Walk on Sunday August 05, 2012 will be going to the Legacy Marsh in upper Lantzville. We will meet at the bird store at 9:00 a.m. or under the Hydro Lines on Normarel Drive at about 9:10 A.M. ********************************************************* Good birding Neil Robins THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE 6314 Metral Drive Nanaimo B.C. V9T-2L8 Phone: 250-390-3669 Fax: 250-390-1633 Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca Blog: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com ************************************************************************************* WANTED Have you seen these birds? Western Bluebirds (Sialia mexicana) have been released in Maple Bay as part of a species recovery program. These rare native songbirds may be foraging and nesting in your area! We need your help to find them so that we can record their nesting locations and habitat use, and monitor and care for them. General Identification Tips Smaller than a robin, about 5.5 inches, with a thin bill. Found in open habitat, pastureland, Garry Oak meadows; perched on fence lines or low branches. Some of the birds are wearing coloured leg bands—please note the colours if you can! To learn more about the Bring Back the Bluebirds Project, see www.goert.ca/bluebird. Please help us watch for Western Bluebirds and contact us immediately if you think you see them: bluebird@goert.ca; 250-383-3427.

Nanaimo bird report, July 23, 2012

*************************************************************************************** Ruby-crowned Kinglet: Ralph Hocken Photo. *************************************************************************************** NANAIMO BIRD REPORT ” GO BIRDING--EXPLORE NATURE” Please remember, when reporting a sighting to leave your name and phone number along with the date, the species and location of your sighting. To report your sightings phone the Store at 250-390-3669 or e-mail us at thebackyard@shaw.ca *************************************************************************************** Sunday July 22, 2012: The Sunday bird walk went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. We watched as a Warbling Vireo fed a young Brown-headed Cowbird. Seventeen birders saw and heard the following forty-three species. Canada Geese, Common Merganser, Surf Scoter, Great Blue Heron, Black Oystercatcher, Greater Yellowlegs, Caspian Tern, Glaucous-winged Gull, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, California Quail, Rufous Hummingbird, Anna’s Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Pacific-sloped Flycatcher, Willow Flycatcher, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Barn Swallow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Bewick's Wren, Bushtit, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, Swainson’s Thrush, Cedar Waxwing, Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Orange-crowned Warbler, Warbling Vireo, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Brown-headed Cowbird, Red Crossbill, House Finch, Purple Finch, American Goldfinch and Pine Siskin. *************************************************************************************** Sixteen Bushtits were feeding at feeders in the 2000 block of Honeysuckle Terrace in Nanaimo. *************************************************************************************** Friday July 20: Large numbers of Purple Martins were seen flying over Columbia Beach. ****************************************************************************************Thursday July 19: A Great Horned Owl was being mobbed by a flock of American Robins on a trail at the Cassidy Fish Hatchery in south Nanaimo. ************************************************************************************* Fifteen to twenty Common Nighthawks were seen feeding in a mass swarm alongside a few swallows above the large evergreens on Drake and Chestnut Streets, on the Stewart Road side in Nanaimo. *************************************************************************************** A Great Horned Owl was seen at Neck Point Park in Nanaimo. *************************************************************************************** Tuesday July 17: Forty Common Nighthawks were seen high over the Old City Quarter in downtown Nanaimo. ************************************************************************************** Monday July 16: Ten Common Nighthawks and four Vaux’s Swifts were seen high above Lancashire Avenue in Nanaimo. *************************************************************************************** A Semipalmated Plover, a Least Sandpiper and sixteen Killdeer were seen at the mudflats on the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. *************************************************************************************** Friday July 13: A Virginia Rail was seen crossing the road near the mail boxes on Scotchtown Road in Nanaimo. ************************************************************************************** Wednesday July 11: Twenty-five Common Nighthawks were seen feeding high over the 2500 block of Glenayr Crescent in Nanaimo. *********************************************************************************** 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. ************************************************************************************* Tuesday bird walks have stopped for the summer season. We will resume the Tuesday bird walks on September 04, 2012. Have a great summer. ************************************************************************************* The Sunday Bird Walk on Sunday July 29, 2012 will be going to the Ladysmith Harbour in Ladysmith. We will meet at the bird store at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking area at Transfer Beach in Ladysmith at about 9:45 A.M. ********************************************************* Good birding Neil Robins *************************************************************************************** THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE 6314 Metral Drive Nanaimo B.C. V9T-2L8 Phone: 250-390-3669 Fax: 250-390-1633 Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca Blog: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com ************************************************************************************* You are invited to the 8th Annual Purple Martin Open House at the Ladysmith Maritime Society marina (follow the yellow signs) on July 29 from 1 pm - 4 pm. Wear something PURPLE!! Come and help us celebrate the return of Purple Martins at the largest colony on Vancouver Island! - see adult birds feeding nestlings - learn more about the birds and the recovery program at our displays - see baby birds being banded at 2 pm and 3 pm Light refreshments will be available, including our famous purple (blueberry) milkshake (while quantities last). Please park in the upper parking lot. Walk down the stairs and come down onto the wharf to the social dock where the tents are (beyond the big blue boat shed and museum). Please forward this invitation to others who may be interested in attending. Hope to see you there. Cheers, Charlene ************************************************************************************* WANTED Have you seen these birds? Western Bluebirds (Sialia mexicana) have been released in Maple Bay as part of a species recovery program. These rare native songbirds may be foraging and nesting in your area! We need your help to find them so that we can record their nesting locations and habitat use, and monitor and care for them. General Identification Tips Smaller than a robin, about 5.5 inches, with a thin bill. Found in open habitat, pastureland, Garry Oak meadows; perched on fence lines or low branches. Some of the birds are wearing coloured leg bands—please note the colours if you can! To learn more about the Bring Back the Bluebirds Project, see www.goert.ca/bluebird. Please help us watch for Western Bluebirds and contact us immediately if you think you see them: bluebird@goert.ca; 250-383-3427. **************************************************************************************** THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE 6314 Metral Drive Nanaimo B.C. V9T-2L8 Phone: 250-390-3669 Fax: 250-390-1633 Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca Blog: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

Nanaimo bird report, July 15, 2012

************************************************************************************************************************ Pied-billed Grebe: Ralph Hocken Photo. *************************************************************************************** NANAIMO BIRD REPORT ” GO BIRDING--EXPLORE NATURE” *************************************************************************************** Please remember, when reporting a sighting to leave your name and phone number along with the date, the species and location of your sighting. To report your sightings phone the Store at 250-390-3669 or e-mail us at thebackyard@shaw.ca *************************************************************************************** Sunday July 15, 2012: The Sunday bird walk went to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. The morning was cloudy with a cool breeze and light rain showers. Highlights included seeing a pair of Pied-billed Grebes building a nest. We spotted Purple Martins hawking insects high overhead. Twenty-five birders, including two visiting birders from the United Kingdom, saw and heard the following thirty-five species. Mallard, Great Blue Heron, Pied-billed Grebe, Wood Duck, American Widgeon, Hooded Merganser, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, California Quail, Rufous Hummingbird, Anna's Hummingbird, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow, Vaux’s Swift, Purple Martin, Violet-green Swallow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Marsh Wren, Bewick's Wren, Brown Creeper, Black-headed Grosbeak, Band-tailed Pigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, American Robin, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Yellow Warbler, Wilson’s Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Brown-headed Cowbird, Red-winged Blackbird, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow. *************************************************************************************** Saturday July 14: Forty- Common Nighthawks were seen over Woodlands School near Meredith Road and Boundary Crescent in Nanaimo. A Merlin nest has been spotted on Gainsberg Road in Deep Bay. ************************************************************************************** Wednesday July 11: A Great Horned Owl was sighted at Neck Point Park today. The owl was seen just off the trail that leads to Sunset beach from the parking lot. Just follow the continuous one note call of the robins that will be near the owl. ***************************************************************************************** Tuesday July 10: A Green Heron was seen and photographed near the Viewing Tower at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. *********************************************************************************** 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. ************************************************************************************* Tuesday bird walks have stopped for the summer season. We will resume the Tuesday bird walks on September 04, 2012. Have a great summer. ************************************************************************************* The Sunday Bird Walk on Sunday July 22, 2012 will be going to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. We will meet at the bird store at 9:00 a.m. or at the corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive in Parksville at about 9:30 am. ********************************************************* Good birding Neil Robins **************************************************************************************** THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE 6314 Metral Drive Nanaimo B.C. V9T-2L8 Phone: 250-390-3669 Fax: 250-390-1633 Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca Blog: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com ************************************************************************************* You are invited to the 8th Annual Purple Martin Open House at the Ladysmith Maritime Society marina (follow the yellow signs) on July 29 from 1 pm - 4 pm. Wear something PURPLE!! Come and help us celebrate the return of Purple Martins at the largest colony on Vancouver Island! - see adult birds feeding nestlings - learn more about the birds and the recovery program at our displays - see baby birds being banded at 2 pm and 3 pm Light refreshments will be available, including our famous purple (blueberry) milkshake (while quantities last). Please park in the upper parking lot. Walk down the stairs and come down onto the wharf to the social dock where the tents are (beyond the big blue boat shed and museum). Please forward this invitation to others who may be interested in attending. Hope to see you there. Cheers, Charlene ************************************************************************************* WANTED Have you seen these birds? Western Bluebirds (Sialia mexicana) have been released in Maple Bay as part of a species recovery program. These rare native songbirds may be foraging and nesting in your area! We need your help to find them so that we can record their nesting locations and habitat use, and monitor and care for them. General Identification Tips Smaller than a robin, about 5.5 inches, with a thin bill. Found in open habitat, pastureland, Garry Oak meadows; perched on fence lines or low branches. Some of the birds are wearing coloured leg bands—please note the colours if you can! To learn more about the Bring Back the Bluebirds Project, see www.goert.ca/bluebird. Please help us watch for Western Bluebirds and contact us immediately if you think you see them: bluebird@goert.ca; 250-383-3427. THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE 6314 Metral Drive Nanaimo B.C. V9T-2L8 Phone: 250-390-3669 Fax: 250-390-1633 Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca Blog: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

Nanaimo bird report July 08, 2012

***************************************************************************************** Brown Creeper: Ralph Hocken Photo. **************************************************************************************** NANAIMO BIRD REPORT ” GO BIRDING--EXPLORE NATURE” *************************************************************************************** Please remember, when reporting a sighting to leave your name and phone number along with the date, the species and location of your sighting. *************************************************************************************** To report your sightings phone the Store at 250-390-3669 or e-mail us at thebackyard@shaw.ca *************************************************************************************** Sunday July 08, 2012: The Sunday bird walk went Hemer Park in Cedar. The morning was sunny and warm. Highlights included hearing Common Yellowthroat singing throughout the morning. We saw a family of Brown Creepers crawling up a fir tree. We saw one Cliff Swallow near the “Swallow Barn”, off of Quenel Road. *************************************************************************************** Twenty-one birders saw and heard the following forty-seven species: Mallard, Wood Duck, Hooded Merganser, Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Cooper’s Hawk, Band-tailed Pigeon, Glaucous-winged Gull, Anna’s Hummingbird, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Common Raven, Violet-green Swallow, Barn Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Marsh Wren, Pacific Wren, Bewick’s Wren, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Bushtit, Brown creeper, Black-headed Grosbeak, Swainson's Thrush, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, European Starling, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Wilson’s Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Pacific-sloped Flycatcher, Willow Flycatcher, Western Tanager, Spotted Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Purple Finch, American Goldfinch, Red Crossbill, Pine Siskin and House Sparrow. ********************************************************************************** Saturday July 07: Two Common Nighthawks were seen flying high over Corfield Street near Despard Avenue in Parksville. ********************************************************************************* Friday July 06:: A flock of Red Crossbills were visiting feeders near Morningstar Golf Course in Parksville. *************************************************************************************** Wednesday July 04: A House Wren was seen on Gabriola Island. *********************************************************************************** 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. ************************************************************************************* Tuesday bird walks have stopped for the summer season. We will resume the Tuesday bird walks on September 04, 2012. Have a great summer. ************************************************************************************* The Sunday Bird Walk on Sunday July 15, 2012 will be going to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. We will meet at the bird store at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at Buttertubs Marsh off Bowen Road at about 9:15 am. ********************************************************* Good birding Neil Robins ************************************************************************************* THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE 6314 Metral Drive Nanaimo B.C. V9T-2L8 Phone: 250-390-3669 Fax: 250-390-1633 Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca Blog: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com ************************************************************************************ WANTED Have you seen these birds? Western Bluebirds (Sialia mexicana) have been released in Maple Bay as part of a species recovery program. These rare native songbirds may be foraging and nesting in your area! We need your help to find them so that we can record their nesting locations and habitat use, and monitor and care for them. General Identification Tips Smaller than a robin, about 5.5 inches, with a thin bill. Found in open habitat, pastureland, Garry Oak meadows; perched on fence lines or low branches. Some of the birds are wearing coloured leg bands—please note the colours if you can! To learn more about the Bring Back the Bluebirds Project, see www.goert.ca/bluebird. Please help us watch for Western Bluebirds and contact us immediately if you think you see them: bluebird@goert.ca; 250-383-3427. ************************************************************************************** THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE 6314 Metral Drive Nanaimo B.C. V9T-2L8 Phone: 250-390-3669 Fax: 250-390-1633 Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca Blog: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

Nanaimo bird report, July 01, 2012

***************************************************************************************************************************** Orange-crowned Warbler: Ralph Hocken Photo. ***************************************************************************************** NANAIMO BIRD REPORT ” GO BIRDING--EXPLORE NATURE” Please remember, when reporting a sighting to leave your name and phone number along with the date, the species and location of your sighting To report your sightings phone the Store at 250-390-3669 or e-mail us at thebackyard@shaw.ca **************************************************************************************** Sunday July 01, 2012: The Sunday bird walk went Neck Point in Nanaimo.The morning gave us intermittent clouds,with a warm breeze and a lot of dog walkers . Highlights were a good look at an Orange-Crowned Warbler foraging in an aspen and watching a frustrated group of birders trying to get a decent look at a Warbling Vireo that sounded very near but remained invisible. **************************************************************************************** Sixteen birders saw and heard the following thirty-seven species: Canada Goose, Harlequin Duck, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Black Oystercatcher, Glaucous-winged Gull, Northern Flicker, Warbling Vireo, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bushtit, Brown Creeper, Bewick’s Wren, Pacific Wren, Swainson’s Thrush, American Robin, European Starling, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Purple Finch, House Finch, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch. Thanks to Vicki for her recording skills and to Graham for leading the walk this morning. ************************************************************************************************************* Tuesday June 26: The Tuesday bird walk went to Lot Ten near the Little Qualicum River in Qualicum Beach. The morning was cloudy with light rain to start and finished sunny and warm. We spotted a Black-throated Gray Warbler perched and feeding high in a conifer. A flock of Black Swifts flew high over head. We saw two American Dippers along the Little Qualicum River near the shore. Western Wood-Pewee, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Cassin’s Vireo, Warbling Vireo and Red-eyed Vireo were singing throughout the morning. A fledgling Red-breasted Sapsucker, looking like it was glued to the trunk of a tree, fascinated the group. **************************************************************************************** Twenty-one birders including visiting birders from Chicago, Seattle and Brussels saw and heard the following forty-one species. Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Merlin, Barred Owl, California Quail, Spotted Sandpiper, Rufous Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Western Wood-Pewee, Willow Flycatcher, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Cassin’s Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Black Swift, Violet-green Swallow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Pacific Wren, Bewick’s Wren, Varied Thrush,Swainson's Thrush, American Robin, American Dipper, Cedar Waxwing, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Black-headed Grosbeak, Brown-headed Cowbird, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch. ***************************************************************************************** A flock of Whimbrel was seen at Piper’s Lagoon in Nanaimo. **************************************************************************************************** A Gray Catbird was seen at the Seaview Farm near Merville close to Comox. *********************************************************************************************** Monday June 25: Pine Grosbeaks are visiting feeders on Gabriola Island. ******************************************************************************************************* Sunday, June 24: A pair of Barn Swallows is building a nest along Maxey Road in the Jingle Pot area of Nanaimo. ********************************************************************************************************** Saturday June 23: An albino Northern Flicker was seen at Rhododendron Lake. The lake is off highway 19 (on the mountain side) on the Northwest Bay Road Island Timberlands logging road. ********************************************************************************************** Monday May 28: A Lazuli Bunting was visiting feeders for one day at the south end of Quadra Island. ********************************************************************************** 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. ************************************************************************************* Tuesday bird walks have stopped for the season. We will resume the Tuesday bird walks on September 04, 2012. Have a great summer. ************************************************************************************* The Sunday Bird Walk on Sunday July 08, 2012 will be going Hemer Park in Cedar. We will meet at the bird store at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at Hemer Park in Cedar. Follow Cedar Road to Hemer Road (look for the Hemer Park sign) at about 9:30 am. ********************************************************* Good birding Neil Robins THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE 6314 Metral Drive Nanaimo B.C. V9T-2L8 Phone: 250-390-3669 Fax: 250-390-1633 Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca Blog: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com ********************************************************************************************************* WANTED Have you seen these birds? Western Bluebirds (Sialia mexicana) have been released in Maple Bay as part of aspecies recovery program. These rare native songbirds may be foraging and nesting in your area! We need your help to find them so that we can record their nesting locations andhabitat use, and monitor and care for them. General Identification Tips Smaller than a robin, about 5.5 inches, with a thin bill. Found in open habitat, pastureland, Garry Oak meadows; perched on fencelines or low branches. Some of the birds are wearing coloured leg bands—please note the colours if you can! To learn more about the Bring Back theBluebirds Project, see www.goert.ca/bluebird. Please help us watch for Western Bluebirds and contact us immediately if you think you see them: bluebird@goert.ca; 250-383-3427.