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, November 02, 2008:
The Sunday Bird Walk went to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum
Beach.
Among the highlights were the sightings of seven Long-tailed Ducks, a
Western Grebe and Red-necked Grebes, off the viewing tower in Qualicum
Beach.
We watched a Northern Shrike move from shrub to shrub along the beach and
were astonished to see a Bald Eagle swoop down and pick off the Shrike and
fly off, with several immature Bald Eagles in pursuit. We saw an estimated
sixty Bald Eagles riding some thermals high in the sky. Chum Salmon swam
close to the shore at the mouth of the Little Qualicum River in an attempt
to stay away from several Sea Lions that were swimming in the middle of the
River. We witnessed a Sea Lion swallow a Salmon, head first--much the same
way a Great Blue Heron eats a fish.
Nineteen birders found the following forty-seven species of birds:
Common Loon, Red-necked Grebes, Horned Grebe, Western Grebe, Double-crested
Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Trumpeter Swans, Canada Goose, Mallard,
Green-winged Teal, Harlequin Duck, Long-tailed Duck, Surf Scoter,
White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Bufflehead, Common Merganser,
Red-breasted Merganser, Bald Eagle, Cooper's Hawk, Northern Shrike,
Black-bellied Plover, Black Turnstones, Black Oystercatcher, Bonaparte's
Gull, Mew Gull, California Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull,
Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven,
European Starling, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Chestnut-backed Chickadee,
Bushtit, Brewer's Blackbird, Red-winged Blackbird, Song Sparrow,
Golden-crowned Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Spotted Towhee,
House Finch, Dark-eyed Junco, Purple Finch and House Sparrow.

Saturday November 01:
A Rusty Blackbird was spotted at Whiffin Spit in Sooke.

Friday October 31:
Two Anna's Hummingbirds are visiting feeders at Boat Harbour.

Thursday October 30:
A Barred Owl was seen in the 6200 block of Forest Crescent in Nanaimo.

A Cassin's Finch was seen visiting feeders across from the Civic Center in
Port Hardy.

Tuesday October 28:
The Tuesday Bird Walk went to Columbia Beach.
Among the highlights of the morning were the sightings of one Long-tailed
Duck, a large raft of Surf Scoters and White-wing Scoters and several Black
Scoters who entertained us with their singing throughout the morning. We
spotted a Merlin chasing some song birds and a Cooper's Hawk put in a brief
appearance. Several Pacific Loons, still in breeding plumage, with gorgeous
silver necks and heads, were bobbing in the water. Four Dunlin, two
Black-bellied Plovers, several Black Oystercatchers and a Killdeer were seen
near the gravel bar. Large flocks of Harlequin Ducks flew past us and
landed on the water within our viewing range.
Seventeen birders found the following thirty-nine species of birds.
Canada Goose, American Wigeon, Mallard, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter,
White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead , Common
Merganser, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe,
Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Cooper's Hawk, Merlin,
Black-bellied Plover, Killdeer, Black Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Mew Gull,
Ring-billed Gull, California Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Rock
Pigeon, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow, Common
Raven, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow,
White-crowned Sparrow, Brewer's Blackbird, House Finch.

Sunday October 26:
Two Western Meadowlarks, a Northern Shrike, Bufflehead and Surf Scoters,
were seen at Nanoose Bay.

An Anna's Hummingbird was seen visiting feeders in the Springbrook area of
Campbell River.

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
Ross Peterson will present an update on the Enos Lake Project.
Thursday November 13, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Nanoose Library,
Nanoose Bay
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Arrowsmith Naturalists
Monthly Meeting,
Monday November 24, 2008 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.
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The Tuesday Bird Walk on Tuesday November 04 will be going to the Plummer
Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville..
Meet at the Parksville Beach Community Park, in the parking area in front of
the Lions playground at 9 A.M. or at the corner of Plummer Road and
Shorewood Drive at about 9:15 A.M.
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The Sunday Bird Walk on November 09, 2008 will be going to the Nanoose Bay.
Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 A.M. or behind the Church Camp off highway 19
and Arlington Road at about 9:15 A.M.
***************************************
Good birding
Neil Robins
Nanaimo