Parksville/Qualicum beach Tuesday bird walk, March 31, 2015

The Tuesday bird walk went to Columbia Beach. The morning was sunny with a crisp breeze off the Strait of Georgia. We saw an estimated two thousand Brant along the tide line and offshore. Thousands of Pacific loons were on the water further off shore. Many flocks of Surf Scoters,White-winged Scoters and Long-tailed Ducks were flying low over the water heading down the strait. A large flock of Black-bellied Plovers and Dunlin flew in to the gravel bar. We spotted an Orange-crowned Warbler.  We had great views of the bright yellow bird as he perched and sang from a tree not far from us.  A Yellow-rumped Warbler showed up and started feeding on a tree close by.

                                   

                                                                   Black-bellied Plovers: Ralph Hocken Photo.   

Seventeen birders saw and heard the following fifty-six species:

Canada Geese

Brant

American Wigeon

Eurasian Wigeon

Mallard

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Long-tailed Duck

Bufflehead

Common Goldeneye

Red-breasted Merganser

Pacific Loon

Common Loon

Horned Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Pigeon Guillemot

Common Murre

Double-crested Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant

Bald Eagle

Turkey Vulture

Violet-green Swallow

Belted Kingfisher

Killdeer

Black-bellied Plover

Dunlin

Belted Kingfisher

Bonaparte's Gull

Mew Gull

California Gull

Thayer's Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Eurasian-collared Dove

Rock Pigeon

California Quail

Northern Flicker

Northwestern Crow

Orange-crowned Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Anna’s Hummingbird

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Bushtit

Pacific Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

American Robin

European Starling

Spotted Towhee

Fox Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

House Finch
Pine Siskin

House Sparrow  

The Tuesday bird walk on April 07, 2015 will be going to Springwood Park ( at the west end of Despard Avenue) in Parksville. 

                                                                Orange-crowned Warbler: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Good birding

Neil Robins

Parksville

White ( Leucistic) American Robin

                                                                       White  ( Leucistic) American Robin: John Purves Photo.

John Purves and I discovered a White ( Leucistic) American  Robin on Plummer road near the Englishman River near the Orange Bridge just off Highway 19a in Parksville, today at about noon.

Cheers
Neil Robins

Nanaimo bird report, March 29, 2015

NANAIMO BIRD REPORT “EXPLORE NATURE---GO BIRDING”
To report your sightings phone the Store at 250-390-3669 or e-mail us at
thebackyard@shaw.ca
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, March 29, 2015:

The Sunday bird walk went to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo. Light rain and strong winds off the wild Strait of Georgia greeted us as we started our walk.  Hooded Mergansers, Red-breasted Mergansers and Common Merganser were swimming in the well protected bay of Sunset Beach. The male Red-breasted Mergansers were doing their courting dance and royally entertained us. We heard and saw a Ruby-crowned Kinglet singing and feeding near the trail giving us great looks.  Over one hundred Harlequin Ducks were resting out of the wind on the big rocks near the shore. Two pair of Barrow’s Goldeneye were riding the high waves near shore. 

Harlequin Ducks: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Nine birders saw and heard the following thirty-seven species:

Trumpeter Swan

Canada Geese

Mallard

  Bufflehead

Surf Scoter

Barrow’s Goldeneye

Harlequin Duck

Hooded Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Common Merganser

Double-crested Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant

Black Oystercatcher

Bald Eagle

California Gull

Thayer’s Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Downy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

Common Raven

Northwestern Crow

European Starling

American Robin

Hermit Thrush

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglet

 Anna’s Hummingbird

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Brown Creeper

Pacific Wren

Bewick's Wren

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red-winged Blackbird

Pine Siskin

 

Red-breasted Merganser: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Tuesday, March 24:

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was mostly sunny and the Strait of George was as smooth as glass.  A Rufous Hummingbird caught our attention at the start of the walk--the first of many Rufous Hummingbirds that we saw on the walk. A Pacific Wren was singing as we started walking the trail.  Ruby-crowned Kinglets were singing their melodious song and feeding along the trail for most of the morning. Two Tree Swallows were flying low overhead.  Many flocks of Brant were flying up the Strait.  Hundreds of Pacific Loons were on the water far off shore. A Brandt’s Cormorant and a Pelagic Cormorant were swimming together off shore to give us a good comparison.        

 Eleven birders saw and heard the following fifty-seven species:

Canada Geese

Brant

American Wigeon

Eurasian Wigeon

Mallard

Northern Pintail

Green-winged Teal

Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Bufflehead

Greater Scaup

Lesser Scaup

Common Goldeneye

Barrow’s Goldeneye

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Pacific Loon

Common Loon

Common Murre

Red-necked Grebe

Horned Grebe

Double-crested Cormorant

Brandt’s Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant

Black Oystercatcher

Killdeer

Great Blue Heron

Belted Kingfisher

Bald Eagle

Mew Gull

California Gull

Thayer's Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

Steller’s Jay

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Tree Swallow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Orange-crowned Warbler

Pacific Wren

Bewick’s Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Rufous Hummingbird

Anna’s Hummingbird

European Starling

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

Red-wing Blackbird

Dark-eyed Junco

House Finch

Pine Siskin  

 Friday, March 20: 

Eight Black-Bellied Plover, over two hundred and fifty Dunlin and hundreds of Bufflehead, Northern Pintail and Brant Geese were seen offshore at Parksville Bay in Parksville. 

Two Greater White-fronted Geese and a juvenile Snow Goose were seen along the road at Parksville Bay beach. 

*************************************************************************************
Tofino-Shorebird –Festival
18th Annual May 1-3, 2015
For  information please contact---- 
http://raincoasteducation.org/events/tofino-shorebird-festival

*********************************************************************************
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. on 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 March 31 will be going to Columbia Beach.  Meet at the Parksville Community Park playground parking lot at 9 a.m. or at the parking area off Admiral Tryon Bld. at about  9:15 a.m.
*******************************************************************

There will be no Sunday bird walk on Easter Sunday, March 05, 2015.

Happy Easter!!!

*********************************************************************

The Sunday bird walk on Sunday, March 12 will be going to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.

**********************************************************************************
British Columbia Rare Bird Alert link--- http://www.bcbirdalert.blogspot.ca/

*******************************************************************************
A must read for those of us who live along the Strait of Georgia.

THE SEA AMONG US
THE AMAZING STRAIT OF GEORGIA
RICHARD BEAMISH AND GORDON McFARLANE
*****************************************************************************
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

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, March 24, 2015

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was mostly sunny and the Strait of George was as smooth as glass.  A Rufous Hummingbird caught our attention at the start of the walk--the first of many Rufous Hummingbirds that we saw on the walk. A Pacific Wren was singing as we started walking the trail.  Ruby-crowned Kinglets were singing their melodious song and feeding along the trail for most of the morning. Two Tree Swallows were flying low overhead.  Many flocks of Brant were flying up the Strait.  Hundreds of Pacific Loons were on the water far off shore. A Brandt’s Cormorant and a Pelagic Cormorant were swimming together off shore to give us a good comparison.

                                                                                      

       

                                    Ruby-crowned Kinglet: Ralph Hocken Photo.                                                                           

                                                      

                                           Rufous Hummingbird: Ralph Hocken Photo.      

Eleven birders saw and heard the following fifty-seven species:

Canada Geese

Brant

American Wigeon

Eurasian Wigeon

Mallard

Northern Pintail

Green-winged Teal

Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Bufflehead

Greater Scaup

Lesser Scaup

Common Goldeneye

Barrow’s Goldeneye

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Pacific Loon

Common Loon

Common Murre

Red-necked Grebe

Horned Grebe

Double-crested Cormorant

Brandt’s Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant

Black Oystercatcher

Killdeer

Great Blue Heron

Belted Kingfisher

Bald Eagle

Mew Gull

California Gull

Thayer's Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

Steller’s Jay

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Tree Swallow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Orange-crowned Warbler

Pacific Wren

Bewick’s Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Rufous Hummingbird

Anna’s Hummingbird

European Starling

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

Red-wing Blackbird

Dark-eyed Junco

House Finch

Pine Siskin  

The Tuesday bird walk on March 31, 2015 will be going to Columbia Beach. 

                                                                    Brandt's Cormorant: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Good birding

Neil Robins

Parksville.

Nanaimo bird report, March 22, 2015

 

NANAIMO BIRD REPORT “EXPLORE NATURE---GO BIRDING”
To report your sightings phone the Store at 250-390-3669 or e-mail us at
thebackyard@shaw.ca
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, March 22, 2015:

The Sunday bird walk went to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach. The morning was cloudy with calm winds.  A flock of over one thousand singing Brant were feeding along the tide line near the estuary. Two Turkey Vultures flew over head.

Seventeen birders saw and heard the following fifty-nine species:

Brant

Canada Geese

Mallard

Gadwall

Green-winged Teal

Blue-winged Teal

American Widgeon

Eurasian Widgeon

Harlequin Duck

Northern Shoveler

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Black Scoter

Long-tail Duck

Lesser Scaup

Greater Scaup

Bufflehead

Northern Pintail

Barrows Goldeneye

Common Goldeneye

Horned Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Red-breasted Merganser

Common Merganser

Common Loon
Pacific Loon

Double-crested Cormorant
Pigeon Guillemot

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Turkey Vulture

Killdeer

Black Oystercatcher

Black Turnstone

Bonaparte's Gull

Ring-billed Gull

Mew Gull

California Gull

Thayer’s Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Belted Kingfisher

Northern Flicker

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Eurasian-collared Dove
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

American Robin

European Starling

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red-winged Blackbird

Brewer’s Blackbird

House Finch 

 Over forty Snow Geese were seen and heard flying over Departure Bay, Nanaimo. 

Brant: Ralph Hocken Photo.

 

Tuesday, March 24: 

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach. The skies were cloudy and the water on the Strait of Georgia was calm.  The highlight was the sighting of two rafts of Surf Scoters, Long-tail Ducks, Lesser Scaup and Greater Scaup. The two rafts of seabirds stretched offshore from the viewing platform along highway 19a to the Little Qualicum River Estuary.   Over seventy Trumpeter Swans flew over and landed on the far side of the raft of seabirds. Bonaparte's Gulls, Herring Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls Mew Gulls, California Gulls, Thayer’s Gull and Glaucous-winged Gulls covered the gravel bars from the viewing platform and along the shore to the estuary. Three Eurasian Widgeon, a Herring Gull, a Ring-billed Gull, large numbers of Barrow’s Goldeneye and Common Goldeneye were seen from the estuary side offshore. Four Yellow-rumped Warblers were feeding near the parking area at the “A” frame house. We watched a Bewick’s Wren gathering nesting material close-by.

 

         Surf Scoters: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Greater Scaup & Lesser Scaup: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Eleven birders saw and heard the following fifty–two species:

Trumpeter Swans

Brant

Canada Geese

Mallard

American Widgeon

Eurasian Widgeon

Harlequin Duck

Northern Shoveler

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Black Scoter

Long-tail Duck

Lesser Scaup

Greater Scaup

Bufflehead

Northern Pintail

Barrows Goldeneye

Common Goldeneye

Horned Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Red-breasted Merganser

Common Merganser

Common Loon

Pacific loon

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Killdeer

Black Oystercatcher

Bonaparte's Gull

Herring Gull

Ring-billed Gull

Mew Gull

California Gull

Thayer’s Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Belted Kingfisher

Northern Flicker

Northwestern Crow

Eurasian-collared Dove

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Bewick’s Wren

American Robin

European Starling

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red-winged Blackbird

House Finch

Purple Finch

 

Saturday March 21:

An Orange-crowned Warbler was seen near the Bowen Road entrance to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.

 

Wednesday March 18.

A flock of Bushtits were seen covering a suet feeder by the Little Qualicum River in Qualicum Beach

 

Tuesday March 17.

 . A Virginia Rail was seen and heard on the west marsh at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. 

 A Northern Shrike was seen at the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.  

Monday, March 16.

A Northern Goshawk was seen at Milner Gardens in Qualicum Beach. 

************************************************************************* 

Monday March 23.

Arrowsmith Naturalists meet at 7 pm at Knox United Church in Parksville.  Meeting begins at 7.30 pm with guest speaker Michael Kusugak an Inuit Storyteller.  Cost for this time only $5. More info 752-7588.

*************************************************************************************
Tofino-Shorebird –Festival
18th Annual May 1-3, 2015
For  information please contact---- 
http://raincoasteducation.org/events/tofino-shorebird-festival

*********************************************************************************
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. on 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 March 24 will be going to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville..  Meet at the Parksville Community Park playground parking lot at 9 a.m. or at the corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive in Parksville at about  9:15 a.m.
*********************************************************************
The Sunday bird walk on March 29, 2015 will be going to the Neck Point Park in Nanaimo.
Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at Neck Point off Hammond Bay Road at about 9:15 a.m.

*********************************************************************
British Columbia Rare Bird Alert link--- http://www.bcbirdalert.blogspot.ca/

*******************************************************************************
A must read for those of us who live along the Strait of Georgia.

THE SEA AMONG US
THE AMAZING STRAIT OF GEORGIA
RICHARD BEAMISH AND GORDON McFARLANE
*****************************************************************************
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

 

 

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, March 17, 2015

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach. The skies were cloudy and the water on the Strait of Georgia was calm.  The highlight was the sighting of two rafts of Surf Scoters, Long-tail Ducks, Lesser Scaup and Greater Scaup. The two rafts of seabirds stretched offshore from the viewing platform along highway 19a to the Little Qualicum River Estuary.   Over seventy Trumpeter Swans flew over and landed on the far side of the raft of seabirds. Bonaparte's Gulls, Herring Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls Mew Gulls, California Gulls, Thayer’s Gull and Glaucous-winged Gulls covered the gravel bars from the viewing platform and along the shore to the estuary. Three Eurasian Widgeon, a Herring Gull,a Ring-billed Gull, large numbers of Barrow’s Goldeneye and Common Goldeneye were seen from the estuary side offshore. Four Yellow-rumped Warblers were feeding near the parking area at the “A” frame house. We watched a Bewick’s Wren gathering nesting material close-by. 

                                                                                                  

                                                          Surf Scoter eating Mussels: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

 

                                                      Greater Scaup & Lesser Scaup: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Eleven birders saw and heard the following fifty–two species:

Trumpeter Swans

Brant

Canada Geese

Mallard

American Widgeon

Eurasian Widgeon

Harlequin Duck

Northern Shoveler

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Black Scoter

Long-tail Duck

Lesser Scaup

Greater Scaup

Bufflehead

Northern Pintail

Barrows Goldeneye

Common Goldeneye

Horned Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Red-breasted Merganser

Common Merganser

Common Loon

Pacific loon

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Killdeer

Black Oystercatcher

Bonaparte's Gull

Herring Gull

Ring-billed Gull

Mew Gull

California Gull

Thayer’s Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Belted Kingfisher

Northern Flicker

Northwestern Crow

Eurasian-collared Dove

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Bewick’s Wren

American Robin

European Starling

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red-winged Blackbird

House Finch

Purple Finch 

The Tuesday bird walk on March 24, 2015 will be going to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville.

 

                                                                    Mew Gull: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Good birding

Neil Robins

Parksville

Greater White-fronted Geese

Lucky thirteen Greater White-fronted Geese were seen at the mud flats on the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville.

Good birding
Neil Robins
Parksville

Nanaimo bird report, March 15, 2015

NANAIMO BIRD REPORT “EXPLORE NATURE---GO BIRDING”
To report your sightings phone the Store at 250-390-3669 or e-mail us at
thebackyard@shaw.ca
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, March 15, 2015:
The Sunday bird walk went to Nanoose Bay. The morning was
cloudy with calm winds.  Buffleheads were on the Nanoose Bay in large numbers. Two male and one female Eurasian Widgeon were seen on the estuary in with a flock of American Widgeon. A Northern Shrike perched on a sng giving us great views. A male Yellow-rumped Warbler in bright breeding plumage flew in to the top of a short tree giving us a good view of his summer color! 

Ten birders saw and heard the following thirty-six species:

Canada Geese

 Eurasian Widgeon

 American Wigeon

 Mallard

 Northern Pintail

 Green-winged Teal

Bufflehead

 Common Goldeneye

 Barrow's Goldeneye

 Hooded Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Horned Grebe

 Pelagic Cormorant

 Double-crested Cormorant

 Belted Kingfisher

 Great Blue Heron

 Northwestern Crow

 Common Raven

Common Loon

 Bald Eagle

Northern Shrike

  Killdeer

Mew Gull

Thayer’s Gull

California Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

 European Starling

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Rufous Hummingbird

Anna’s Hummingbird

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Spotted Towhee

 Song Sparrow

Purple Finch

 Red-winged Blackbird

 Brewer’s Blackbird

 

Yellow-rumped Warbler: Ralph Hocken Photo.

 

 

Saturday, March 14:

A Northern Shrike, a Red tail Hawk, a Rough-legged Hawk a Osprey,  Western Meadowlarks and a  Bald Eagle were seen at the Nanaimo river Estuary in south Nanaimo.

Over one hundred Common Ravens were seen playing over Jack Point Park in south Nanaimo.

Several Violet-green Swallows were seen flying over Buttertubs Marsh west. 

Twelve Tree Swallows were spotted at the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.

Eight Lesser Scaup were seen at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. 

Friday, March 13:

A Rufous Hummingbird was seen visiting feeders at south end of Gabriola Island.  There have been several reports in Nanaimo and Parksville.   

Thursday, March 12:

A Yellow-rumped Warbler was seen along Colbourne Drive in Nanaimo. 

Tuesday, March 10: 

“Birding in the Fog” 

The Tuesday bird walk went to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville. The morning was foggy and the winds were calm. Over one thousand Dunlin, one hundred Black-bellied Plovers and four Black Oystercatchers were feeding along the tide line and in the tide pools on the shore side of the fog bank. We counted twenty-six Brant also feeding along the tide line. Thousands of Mew Gulls, California Gulls, Thayer's Gulls, Glaucous-winged Gulls and one Bonaparte's Gull were roosting on a gravel bar just offshore.  Fourteen Horned Grebes and one Eared Grebe were spotted further swimming offshore. Four Varied Thrush were singing and perched in the forest.     

                                                                                    

                  

   
                                                    Dunlin:: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Six birders saw and heard the following thirty-five species;

Brant

 American Widgeon

 Mallard

 White-winged Scoter

Bufflehead

 Common Goldeneye

 Common Merganser

Eared Grebe

 Horned Grebe

 Red-necked Grebe

 Bald Eagle

Bonaparte's Gull

 Mew Gull

 California Gull

 Thayer's Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

 Dunlin

Black-bellied Plover

  Black Oystercatcher

 Northern Flicker

Pileated woodpecker

 Northwestern Crow

 Common Raven

 Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Anna’s Hummingbird

 Pacific Wren

 Bewick’s Wren

 Ruby-crowned Kinglet

American Robin

 Varied Thrush

 European Starling

 Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

 Golden-crowned Sparrow

 Dark-eyed Junco  

              Eared Grebe: Ralph Hocken Photo.

 

 

Three Band-tailed Pigeons were seen in a backyard along Meridian Way in Parksville.    

 

 Monday March 23rd

Arrowsmith Naturalists meet at 7 pm at Knox United Church in Parksville.  Meeting begins at 7.30 pm with guest speaker Michael Kusugak an Inuit Storyteller.  Cost for this time only $5. More info 752-7588.

*************************************************************************************
Tofino-Shorebird –Festival
18th Annual May 1-3, 2015
For  information please contact---- 
http://raincoasteducation.org/events/tofino-shorebird-festival

*********************************************************************************
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. on 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 March 17 will be going to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach.  Meet at the Parksville Community Park
playground parking lot at 9 a.m. or at the Brant viewing platform in north Qualicum Beach at about  9:15 a.m.
*********************************************************************
The Sunday bird walk on March 22, 2015 will be going to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach.
Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 a.m. or at the Brant viewing platform in north Qualicum Beach at about 9:30 a.m.

*********************************************************************
British Columbia Rare Bird Alert link--- http://www.bcbirdalert.blogspot.ca/

*******************************************************************************
A must read for those of us who live along the Strait of Georgia.

THE SEA AMONG US
THE AMAZING STRAIT OF GEORGIA
RICHARD BEAMISH AND GORDON McFARLANE
*****************************************************************************
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