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
Birding Vancouver Island: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bcbirdingvanisland
Please remember, when reporting a sighting, to leave your name and phone
number, along with the date and location of your sighting.
Sunday March 04, 2007:
Three EURASIAN WIGEONS were seen in with the large flock of AMERICAN WIGEON
on the golf course ponds at Eaglecrest in Qualicum Beach.
Over thirty TRUMPETER SWANS were seen at the Ugly Dwarf Meadows near the
ESSO Gas Station at Nanoose Bay.
The Sunday Bird Walk went to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum
Beach.
Seventeen birders found the following fifty-one species: PACIFIC LOON,
COMMON LOON,HORNED GREBE, RED-NECKED GREBE, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, GREAT
BLUE HERON, CANADA GOOSE, BRANT, AMERICAN WIGEON, EURASIAN WIGEON, MALLARD,
NORTHERN PINTAIL, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, GREATER SCAUP, HARLEQUIN DUCK, SURF
SCOTER, WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, BLACK SCOTER, LONG-TAILED DUCK, BUFFLEHEAD,
COMMON GOLDENEYE, BARROW'S GOLDENEYE, COMMON MERGANSER, RED-BREASTED
MERGANSER, BALD EAGLE, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, BLACK TURNSTONE, DUNLIN,
BLACK OYSTERCATCHER, MEW GULL, CALIFORNIA GULL, THAYER'S GULL,
GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, BELTED KINGFISHER, NORTHERN FLICKER, HAIRY WOODPECKER,
RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER, STELLER'S JAY, NORTHWESTERN CROW, CHESTNUT-BACKED
CHICKADEE, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, BEWICK'S WREN, AMERICAN ROBIN, EUROPEAN
STARLING, SONG SPARROW, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW, SPOTTED TOWHEE,
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, BREWER'S BLACKBIRD and HOUSE FINCH

Saturday March 03:
RED CROSSBILLS were seen in the Coal Tyee Woods off Northfield Road in
Nanaimo.

Wednesday February 28:
An albino AMERICAN ROBIN was seen and photographed near the corner of East
Wellington Road and Jingle Pot Road in Nanaimo.
The Wednesday Bird Walk went to the Rathtrevor Provincial Park in
Parksville. Among the highlights were large flocks of DUNLIN with several
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, a few BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS and BLACK
OYSTERCATCHERS--all strung out along the tide line. A huge flock of BRANT
GEESE also entertained us as they moved in along the tide lineand then flew
up when BALD EAGLES ventured too closely. Some flakes of snow, a stiff wind
and choppy waters kept the fourteen birders, including visitors from Calgary
and Oliver B.C., on the move to find the following twenty-eight species:
BRANT, AMERICAN WIGEON, MALLARD, NORTHERN PINTAIL, SURF SCOTER, BLACK
SCOTER, BUFFLEHEAD, COMMON GOLDENEYE, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, BLACK
OYSTERCATCHER, BLACK TURNSTONE, DUNLIN, MEW GULL, CALIFORNIA GULL, THAYER'S
GULL, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, NORTHERN FLICKER, PILEATED WOODPECKER, STELLER'S
JAY, NORTHWESTERN, CROW, COMMON RAVEN, CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, BROWN
CREEPER, WINTER WREN, AMERICAN ROBIN, SONG SPARROW, and DARK-EYED JUNCO.

Tuesday February 27:
A white (a partial albino ) headed DARK-EYED JUNCO was seen at the Island
Radio Station parking lot in the 4500 block of Wellington Road in Nanaimo.
A PILEATED WOODPECKER was seen along Ventura Drive in Nanaimo.

Monday February 26:
A RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD was spotted in the marsh below Rutherford Mall in
north Nanaimo.
Two females and a male ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS are visiting feeders in the 4100
block of Gulfview Drive in Nanaimo.
A singing WESTERN MEADOWLARK was seen at the Nanaimo Airport in the Cassidy
are of south Nanaimo.
AMERICAN PIPITS were seen at the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.

Monday February 25:
"RARE BIRD ALERT"
Two WHITE WINGED CROSSBILLS were seen in a willow tree on the Horsewell
bluffs at the end of Stephenson Point Road in Nanaimo.

Saturday February 24:
An ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD was spotted along Malaspina Drive on Gabriola Island.

Thursday February 22:
A PILEATED WOODPECKER suddenly flew off of a suet feeder, making repeated
panic calls and the other birds in the area immediately disappeared into the
bushes as a RED-TAILED HAWK dropped down onto the roof of a feeder. He then
poked his head into various shrubs for a few minutes before leaving, empty
handed. This excitement happened in a yard along the east side of Ventura
Drive in Nanaimo.
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

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The Nanoose Naturalists
Monthly Meeting
Thursday,March 08, 2007 at 7:00 pm
Nanoose Library,
Nanoose Bay
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Arrowsmith Naturalists
Monthly Meeting,
Monday, March 25, 2007 at 7:30 pm.
Springwood Middle School,
Parksville
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EVERYONE IS WELCOME ON THE WEDNESDAY MORNING BIRD WALK, sponsored by the
BACKYARD WILDBIRD AND NATURE STORE. We will be ?Fair Weather Birders? for
the winter--snow, rain and/or heavy winds will deter us. We will leave The
Parksville Civic and Technology Centre on Jensen Avenue and McCarter Street
at 9 a.m. every Wednesday, and go to a different area in and around
Parksville/Qualicum Beach each week. BRING YOUR BINOCULARS AND JOIN US FOR
A MORNING OF BIRDING.
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The Wednesday Bird Walk on March 07, 2007 will be going to the Englishman
River Estuary, Shelly Road side. We will meet at the east parking lot of
The Parksville Civic and Technology Centre at Jensen Avenue and McCarter
Street at 9:00 a.m. in Parksville or at the end of Shelly Road, (On Ocean
side of highway ) at about 9:10 a.m.
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EVERYONE IS WELCOME ON THE SUNDAY MORNING BIRD WALK, sponsored by the
BACKYARD WILDBIRD AND NATURE STORE. We leave the store at 9 a.m. and go to
a different area in and around Nanaimo each week. BRING YOUR BINOCULARS AND
JOIN US FOR A MORNING OF BIRDING.
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The Sunday Bird Walk on March 11, 2007 will be going to Buttertubs Marsh in
Nanaimo, weather permitting--winds, torrential rains and snow will deter us!
Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 a.m. or at the Parking lot at Buttertubs
Marsh, Bowen Road side at about 9:20 a.m.
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Good Birding!
Neil Robins
Nanaimo
British Columbia
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