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

Check out the Audubon site for the Christmas Bird Count results.
http://www.audubon.org/bird/cbc/hr/

Post your sightings on these sites:
www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bcbirdingvanisland/messages


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

Sunday February 03:
The Sunday Bird Walk went to the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.
Among the highlights was the sighting of a Peregrine Falcon flying and then
perching on the top of an Oak Tree, a Lincoln's Sparrow perched on a log
and a Western Gull in with a flock of Glaucous-winged Gulls.
Twenty-two birders saw the following thirty-one species:
Canada Goose, Trumpeter Swan, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern
Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Greater Scaup, Bufflehead, Barrow's Goldeneye,
Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Horned Grebe, Pied-billed Grebe, Great
Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Peregrine Falcon, Glaucous-winged
Gull,
Western Gull, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow, Common
Raven, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow,
Dark-eyed Junco, Lincoln's Sparrow and Golden-crowned Sparrow.

Saturday February 02:
RARE BIRD ALERT--An unconfirmed sighting of a Red-naped Sapsucker in a yard
along Whitney Road near Beban Park in Nanaimo.
A Snow Goose was spotted in with a flock of Canada Geese and Northern
Pintails in the 5100 block of Benton Page Road in Cassidy.
A large flock of American Robins were seen feeding on a Holly Tree along
Mexicana Road in Nanaimo.

Friday February 01:
128 Trumpeter Swans were seen in a field on Cedar Road near Hill Road in the
Cedar area.

Thursday January 31:
A Lincoln's Sparrow was seen at the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville.

Wednesday January 30:
The Wednesday bird walk went to Englishman River Estuary Shelly Road side .
Among the highlights were the sighting of a light phase Peregrine Falcon
perched at the top of a Fir Tree. A Herring Gull was perched on a root in
the estuary. We saw many flocks of Pine Siskins and a great number of
Dark-eyed Juncos. Red Crossbills dropped down from the high Fir Trees to
give us close looks at both the male and female of the species.
Four birders found the following forty-six species:
Canada Goose, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail,
Green-winged Teal, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Surf Scoter, Long-tailed
Duck, Bufflehead, Barrow's Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Red-breasted
Merganser, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Double-crested
Cormorant,
Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Killdeer, Mew Gull,
Herring Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Belted Kingfisher, Downy
Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven,
Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Brown Creeper, Bewick's Wren, Winter Wren,
American Robin, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Fox Sparrow, Song
Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Purple Finch, House Finch, Red Crossbill and
Pine Siskin.

A Red-winged Blackbird was observed singing from the top of a Fir Tree in
Fairwinds in Nanoose Bay.

Tuesday January 29:
A juvenile Northern Goshawk and Anna's Hummingbird were seen on Scarlet Hill
Road in the Departure Bay area of Nanaimo

Monday January 28:
Brown Creepers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Bewick's Wrens, House Finch, Varied
Thrush, Song Sparrows, Pine Siskins and Anna's Hummingbirds are visiting a
yard along Clematis Place in Nanaimo.
An Anna's Hummingbird was seen at feeders along Andrea Crescent in
Lantzville.

Sunday January 27:
An Anna's Hummingbird is visiting feeders along Taluswood Place in north
Nanaimo.
Greater Scaup, Surf and White-winged Scoters, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead,
Barrow's Goldeneye, Red-breasted Mergangers, Common Loon, Pacific Loon,
Spotted Sandpiper, Mew Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Rock Pigeon, Northern
Flicker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Dark-eyed Junco and Purple Finch
were seen along the waterfront in Lantzville.

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 Nanoose Naturalists
Monthly Meeting
Thursday February 14, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Nanoose Library,
Nanoose Bay
**********************************
Arrowsmith Naturalists
Monthly Meeting,
Monday February 22, 2008 at 7:30 pm.
Springwood School
Parksville
**********************************
Everyone is welcome to join us on the Sunday & Wednesday Bird Walks. We
leave at 9 a.m. and go to a different location in and around Nanaimo on
Sundays and around the Oceanside area on Wednesday.
--------------------------------------------------
The Wednesday Bird Walk on February 06, 2008 will be going to Columbia
Beach. We will meet at the Parksville Visitor Centre at Highway 19A and
Northwest Bay Road, near Craig Bay in Parksville, at 9:00 AM
or the vacant lot along Admiral Tryon Blvd. Road at about 9:15 A.M.
**************************************
The Sunday Bird Walk on February 10, 2008 will be going to Neck Point Park
in Nanaimo.
We will meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking area at Neck
Point Park off Hammond Bay Road at about 9:20 a.m.
**************************************
Good Birding!
Neil Robins
Nanaimo