The Backyard Wildbird & Nature Store
Nanaimo Bird Alert

To report your sightings
phone the Store at 250-390-3669
e-mail us at thebackyard at shaw.ca
call the Bird Alert at 250-390-3029

Also check the birdstore blog for the latest bird alerts and updates:
www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

Post your sightings on these site:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bcbirdingvanisland/messages

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/

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

Sunday, December 14, 2008:
The Sunday bird walk was cancelled due to the weather!

"Rare bird alert-Harris's Sparrow"
A Harris's Sparrow is visiting feeders along Southwind Drive in upper
Lantzville.

A Varied Thrush was seen in the forest near Harlequin Crescent in Nanoose
Bay.

An Anna's Hummingbird is visiting feeders along Dawkins Lane in Nanaimo.

Saturday December 13
A Townsend's Warbler is visiting suet feeders along Broadway Road in north
Nanaimo.

Tuesday December 09:
The Tuesday Bird Walk went to Columbia Beach. Twelve birders saw and heard
thirty-two species of birds. The surf was up and pounding on the shore on a
windy, blustery December morning.
Highlights of the morning included a large flock of over three hundred
Dunlin and three Black-bellied Plovers flying inland over us after leaving
the large gravel bar. Over one hundred Black Turnstones and about forty Mew
Gulls covered the gravel bar. Further off shore several Brandt's Cormorants,
Double-crested Cormorants and Pelagic Cormorants flew low over the water.
Several rafts of Common Goldeneye, Harlequin Ducks, Pacific Loons, a lone
Common Loon and Red-throated Loon were spotted on the choppy waters. We saw
eight House Finch perched on a low bush facing into the strong winds head
on. One Long-tailed Duck sped past us low over the water heading down the
Strait of Georgia.

Twelve birders found the following thirty-two species of birds;
American Wigeon, Mallard, Brandt's Cormorant, Double-crested Cormorant,
Pelagic Cormorant, Surf Scoter, Harlequin Duck, White-winged Scoter, Black
Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser,
Red-breasted Merganser, Red-throated Loon, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Horned
Grebe, Brandt's Cormorant, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Bald
Eagle,
Black-bellied Plover, Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, Dunlin, Mew
Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Rock Pigeon,
Northwestern Crow, European Starling, Song Sparrow and
House Finch.

A Townsend's Warbler is visiting suet feeders alone Madonna Drive in Nanoose
Bay.
A huge flock of Pine Siskins was spotted over Meredith Road and Thunderbird
Drive in Nanaimo.

Friday November 28:
Steller's Jays, Downy Woodpeckers, European Starling, Northern Flicker,
Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Dark-eyed Juncos, House Finches, House Sparrows,
one female Anna's Hummingbird and Canada Geese were seen from a yard along
Pine Street 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
Thursday January 08, 2009, 7:00 pm
Nanoose Library,
Nanoose Bay
**********************************
Arrowsmith Naturalists
Monday January 26, 2009 at 7:30 pm.
Springwood School
Parksville
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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 Tuesday December 16, has been cancelled.
The Tuesday Bird Walk will resume on January 13, 2009.

*******************************************************
There will be no Sunday Bird Walk on December 21, 2008.
The Sunday Bird Walks will resume on February 01, 2009.

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NANOOSE/LANTZVILLE CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
FRIDAY DECEMBER 19, 2008


WE ARE INVITING VOLUNTEERS TO HELP WITH THE BIRD STUDIES CANADA ANNUAL
CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT IN THE NANOOSE BAY & LANTZVILLE AREA.
COUNT BIRDS AT YOUR HOME FEEDERS OR JOIN US ON A SMALL TEAM IN THE FIELD.
ALL LEVELS OF EXPERIENCE ARE WELCOME.

FOR DETAILS CONTACT EITHER RHYSHARRISON at SHAW.CA OR
468-5466 OR JOECRICHTON at SHAW.CA OR 468-1728.
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Good birding
Neil Robins
Nanaimo