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
or www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

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

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

Sunday,June 01, 2008
The Sunday bird walk went to Morden Colliery Provincal Park in Cedar. Among
the highlights was the sighting of a Hairy Woodpecker's nest with a
youngster poking his head out the hole for all to see. A Wood Duck was
spotted flying into a nest in a Tree. We watched a Bewick's Wren bring food
to it's young in a nest near the ground. We also saw Downy Woodpeckers,
Hairy Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers and a Pileated Woodpecker.
Thirteen birders saw and heard the following twenty-seven species of birds:
Wood Duck, Spotted Sandpiper,Turkey Vulture, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy
Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Rufous Hummingbird,
Belted Kingfisher, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Common Raven,
Violet-green Swallow, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Chestnut-backed Chickadee,
Brown Creeper, Winter Wren, Bewick's Wren, Swainson's Thrush, American
Robin, Townsend's Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Common
Yellow-throat, Western Tanager, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow and Purple
Finch.

One Osprey was seen on it's nest next to Highway 19 near the Nanaimo Lakes
Overpass.

Forty-nine Canada Geese and one Cackling Goose flew over Andrea Crescent in
Upper Lantzville.

A Black-headed Grosbeak was spotted at feeders in the 200 block of Dawkins
Lane in Nanaimo.

Saturday, May 31:
Caspian Terns were seen at Botanical Beach near Port Renfrew on the west
side of Vancouver Island.
Eurasian Collared Doves were seen at Otter Point on the west side of
Vancouver Island.

Friday, May 30:
Sooty Grouse and Gray Jays were seen on Mount Washington.
Two Osprey were observed building a nest at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.

Thursday, May 29:
Two Caspian Terns were seen at Parksville Bay.

Wednesday, May 28:
The Wednesday Bird Walk went to the Top Bridge Trail in Parksville. Thirteen
birders saw and heard forty-two species of birds during the morning. The
highlights included seeing several flocks of Black and Vaux Swifts hawking
insects high up in the sky. We saw a pair of Red-tailed Hawks going through
their courting ritual. They were soaring up and down in the sky together,
dropping their legs down and then soaring again. A while later we saw a
Red-tailed Hawk flying through the sky with a snake in it's talons. We had a
great look at a Red-breasted Sapsucker gleaning insects on a old snag tree
and good views of a Wilson's Warbler, Yellow Warbler and a Black-throated
Gray Warbler. The MacGillivray's Warbler remained elusive on the Wednesday
bird walk.
Thirteen birders found the following forty-two species of birds:
Canada Goose, Green-winged Teal, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed
Hawk,
Killdeer, Band-tailed Pigeon, Black Swift, Vaux's Swift, Rufous Hummingbird,
Red-breasted Sapsucker, Northern Flicker, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Cassin's
Vireo,
Warbling Vireo, Common Raven, Violet-green Swallow, Chestnut-backed
Chickadee, Bushtit, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Bewick's Wren, Winter Wren,
Swainson's Thrush, American Robin, European Starling, Orange-crowned
Warbler,Black-throated Gray Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, Wilson's Warbler,
Spotted Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow,
Black-headed Grosbeak, Red-winged Blackbird, Brewer's Blackbird,
Brown-headed Cowbird, Purple Finch, Red Crossbill, Pine Siskin and American
Goldfinch.

Monday May 25:
A Yellow-headed Blackbird was seen at feeders on Morningstar golf course.

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 June 12, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Nanoose Library,
Nanoose Bay
**********************************
Arrowsmith Naturalists
Monthly Meeting,
Monday June 23, 2008 at 7:30 pm.
Springwood School
Parksville
**************************************
Everyone is welcome to join us for a 2-3 hour bird walk on the Sunday. We
leave from the Store at 9 A.M. Sunday Mornings and go to a different
location in and around Nanaimo
-----------------------------------------------
The Backyard Wildbird & Nature Store's weekly bird walk in the
Parksville/Qualicum Beach area on Wednesday mornings will not be held during
the summer months. We will resume the Wednesday bird walks in the fall.
*****************************************
The Sunday Bird Walk on June 08, 2008, will be going to the Beaver Ponds at
Nanoose Bay. Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 A.M. or at the Parking area at
about 100 yards past the four way stop at Powder Point Road and Anchor Way
in Nanoose Bay at about 9:20A.M.
**************************************

Good birding
Neil Robins
Nanaimo
British Columbia