"HAPPY NEW YEAR"
from all of us at The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store
Colin, Donna, Sarah, Marilynne and Neil!

The Nanaimo Bird Alert
provided by
The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store
To report your sightings phone
The Bird Alert at: 390-3029 or
The Store at: 390-3669
e-mail: thebackyard at shaw.ca

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

Tuesday December 28:
A possible BLUE JAY was sighted along CHIC-A-DEE Crescent off Bowen Road in Nanaimo. The Jay was seen for a few minutes. The report was very descriptive of a BLUE JAY. A BARRED OWL was seen in the woods near Eagle Crescent and Crescentview Drive not far from where the BLUE JAY was seen.
A BEWICK'S WREN was spotted in the 700 block of Ermeskin Avenue in Parksville.
AN AMERICAN GOLDFINCH was seen in the 10 block of Prideux Street in Nanaimo.
A MERLIN was seen at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.

Monday December 27:
Forty BLACK TURNSTONES, fifty SURFBIRDS and one ROCK SANDPIPER were seen on the rocks just off Piper's Lagoon in Nanaimo.
Four HARLEQUIN DUCKS and a BROWN CREEPER were sighted at Neck Point Park in Nanaimo.
A NORTHERN SHRIKE, SPOTTED TOWHEES and twenty DARK-EYED JUNCOS were seen in the Rivers Edge sub-division in Parksville.
A GADWALL, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, AMERICAN WIGEON, NORTHERN PINTAIL, BALD EAGLES and two DUNLIN were seen at the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville.


Sunday December 26:
Preliminary Results of the Nanaimo Christmas bird count
5 areas to report, our current species total is riding at 125. Some of the more interesting species encountered were:
Yellow-billed Loon
Greater White-fronted Goose
Tundra Swan
American Black Duck
Northern Harrier
American Kestrel
Ruffed Grouse
Semipalmated Plover (I'm waiting for details on this one)
Ruddy Turnstone
Western Sandpiper (confirmed)
Rock Sandpiper
Glaucous Gull
Band-tailed Pigeon
Short-eared Owl
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Northern Shrike
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Savannah Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Western Meadowlark
Common Redpoll

Friday December 24:
A PEREGRINE FALCON was seen chasing ROCK PIGEONS over Craig Street in Parksville.
Two ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS were seen in the 4700 block of Uplands Drive in north Nanaimo.

Thursday December 23:
COMMON REDPOLLS, a NORTHERN SHRIKE and an AMERICAN GOLDFINCH were seen at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.
Over ten WESTERN MEADOWLARKS were spotted at the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.
A RING-NECKED PHEASANT was sighted at Quesnel Lake in Cedar.
A RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER was seen along the Cable Bay Trail in Cedar.

Wednesday December 22:
A RHINOCEROS AUKLET was seen just off shore at Pipers Lagoon in Nanaimo.
DARK-EYED JUNCOS, STELLER JAYS, 20 CALIFORNIA QUAIL, VARIED THRUSH, and ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS are coming to feeders in the 3300 block of Barrington Road in Nanaimo.
A SHARP-SHINNED HAWK was spotted in south Ladysmith.

Tuesday December 21:
Eighteen TRUMPETER SWANS, two EURASIAN WIGEONS were seen at the Little Qualicum River Estuary. eight BLACK TURNSTONES, 20 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS, and two HARLEQUIN DUCKS were seen at the viewing platform near the Grandon Creek Estuary. There were also 4 PACIFIC LOONS very close (20-30 feet) to the shore.
A SNOW GOOSE was seen on Quesnal Lake in Cedar.

For further information on these sightings or for help in identifying a
bird please call:

The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store
at (250) 390-3669
Toll Free at 1-888-249-4145
e-mail: thebackyard at shaw.ca

The Sunday Bird Walks will resume again in February.

Good Birding!
Neil Robins
Nanaimo
British Columbia