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, May 25, 2008
The Sunday bird walk went to Legacy Marsh in Upper Lantzville. Among the
highlights was the sighting of Black and Vaux Swifts. Seven
predators--Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Cooper's Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk,
Merlin, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk were all observed, as well as a pair of
Red-breasted Sapsuckers going into a nest.
Eighteen birders saw and heard the following sixty-three species of birds:
Canada Goose, Wood Duck, Mallard, Ringed-neck Pheasant, California Quail,
Pied-billed Grebe, Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Cooper's
Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Merlin, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, Band-tailed
Pigeon, Rufous Hummingbird, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy
Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Steller's Jay,
Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Purple Martin, Violet-green Swallow, Barn
Swallow, Black Swift, Vaux's Swift, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bewick's
Wren, Winter Wren, Marsh Wren, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Bushtit, Black-headed
Grosbeak, Hermit Thrush, Swainson's Thrush, American Robin, European
Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Warbling Vireo, Cassin's Vireo, Orange-crowned
Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, MacGillivray's Warbler, Common
Yellowthroat, Pacific-sloped Flycatcher, Hammonds Flycatcher, Willow
Flycatcher, Western Tanager, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, White-crowned
Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-winged Blackbird, Purple Finch, Brown-headed
Cowbird, Pine Siskin, House Finch, American Goldfinch and Red Crossbills.

Mourning Dove, House Wren, Killdeer and American Kestrel were seen at Kaye
Road behind the Government Weigh Scales in Parksville.

Saturday, May 24:
A male SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER was seen flycatching and jumping on logs at
Botanical Beach near Port Renfrew on the west side of Vancouver Island. The
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher normally spends the summer in Northern Mexico,
Texas, and Southern Colorado. They winter from southern Florida to southern
Mexico and central Costa Rica. The Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher is a rare to
casual visitor to the Pacific Coast in the spring.

A Brewer's Sparrow, one Eurasian Collared-Dove, two Mourning Doves, a Rock
Pigeon, several Band-tailed Pigeons were observed in the town of Port
Renfrew. One male Black Scoter, Surf and White-winged Scoters, Ring-necked
Ducks and a Greater Scaup were seen along the tide line near Port Renfrew.

An Elegant Tern was spotted flying east close to shore at Jordan River.

A Snow Goose was seen in the Marsh at Gordon's Beach on west Vancouver
Island.

Pacific Loons in breeding plumage, Surf and White-winged Scoters and
Harlequin Ducks, one second year Glaucous Gull and Barn Swallows were seen
at the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach.

Three male Sooty Grouse were head calling along the foothills of Mount
Benson at about 2000 feet.

Male and female Black-headed Grosbeaks were seen along Morrell Circle in
Nanaimo.

A Bullock's Oriole, four Blue-winged Teal, an Olive-sided Flycatcher and an
Osprey were seen at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.

A pair of Black-headed Grosbeaks were seen at feeders along Clark Crescent
in upper Lantzville.

House Wrens and Evening Grosbeaks were seen at the Rivers Edge area behind
the Government Weigh Scale in Parksville.

Four Wilson's Phalarope, Canada Goose, Red-tailed Hawk, Killdeer, Spotted
Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher,
Glacous-winged Gull, Rock Pigeon, Rufous Hummingbird, Northern Flicker,
Pileated Woodpecker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Tree Swallow,
Violet-Green Swallow, Barn Swallow, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Berwick's Wren,
American Robin, European Starling, Yellow Warbler, Spotted Towhee,Song
Sparrow,
White-crowned Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Brewers Blackbird, Purple
Finch, House Finch, Yellow Variant House Finch, Pine Siskin, American
Goldfinch and House Sparrow were seen at the Holden Creek area of the
Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.

Thursday, May 22:
A Black-headed Grosbeak was seen at feeders in Cedar.

Wednesday, May 21:
The Wednesday Bird Walk went to the Springwood Park in Parksville. Twelve
birders saw and heard thirty-eight species of birds during the morning. We
had a "birding by ear" birdwalk--there were a large number of birds high up
trees, obscured by the new leaves. The highlights included seeing both a
Warbling Vireo and a Red-eyed Vireo. At the end of the walk while were
tallying the species, we were entertained by two Black-headed Grosbeaks. We
heard, but did not see, seven out of the eight species of Warblers that nest
on the
Island--Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler,
Black-throated Gray Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, Common Yellowthroat and
Wilson's Warbler. The only species of Warbler not heard on the walk was the
MacGillivray's. It will be the "target bird" next week!
Twelve birders found the following thirty-eight species of birds:
Ring-necked Pheasant, California Quail, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Rufous
Hummingbird, Northern Flicker, Willow Flycatcher, Hammond's Flycatcher,
Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Northwestern Crow,
Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bushtit, Red-breasted Nuthatch,
Brown Creeper, Winter Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, American
Robin, European Starling, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler,
Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Townsend's Warbler,
Common Yellowthroat, Wilson's Warbler, Western Tanager, Spotted Towhee,
Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Black-headed Grosbeak, Purple Finch, Red
Crossbill, Pine Siskin and American Goldfinch.
A Western Tanager was seen in a large Western Red Cedar at the back of a
house along Summit Drive in the Long Lake Heights area of Nanaimo.
A Killdeer was spotted at Pipers Lagoon in Nanaimo.

Sunday May 18:
A flock of about 40 cedar waxwings seen in a garden just north of the Little
Qualicum River in Qualicum Beach.

American Goldfinch and a Black-headed Grosbeak are visiting feeders along
Birchwood Road in Ladysmith.

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
***********************************
Arrowsmith Naturalists
Monthly Meeting,
Monday May 26, 2008 at 7:30 pm.
Springwood School
Parksville
**************************************
The Nanoose Naturalists
Monthly Meeting
Thursday June 12, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Nanoose Library,
Nanoose Bay
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Everyone is welcome to join us for a 2-3 hour bird walk on the Sunday and
Wednesday 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
Visitor Centre in Parksville at 9 A.M. Wednesdays and go to different areas
in and around the Oceanside area.
-----------------------------------------------
The Wednesday Bird Walk for May 28, 2008 will be going to the Top Bridge
Trail in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Visitor Centre at Highway 19A
and Northwest Bay Road, near Craig Bay in Parksville, at 9:00 A.M. or at the
parking area along Industrial Way near Tuan Road at about 9:10 A.M.
This will be the last Wednesday Bird Walk for the summer. The Wednesday Bird
Walk will resume in the fall.
*****************************************
The Sunday Bird Walk on May 25, 2008, will be going to Morden Colliery
Provincial Park in south Nanaimo. Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 A.M. or at
the Parking area at Morden Colliery Provincial Park off Highway One and
Morden Road at about 9:30 A.M.
**************************************
Good birding
Neil Robins
Nanaimo
British Columbia