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 this 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 09, 2008:
The Sunday Bird Walk went to the Nanoose Bay Estuary.
Among the highlights were the sightings of nine Trumpeter Swans flying in
single file over the Bay heading south east. A Northern Shrike was spotted
in the low bushes. We saw two Red-tailed Hawks--one was perched in the
perching snag tree at the north end of the estuary. A Sharp-shinned Hawk
posed in a bush for us to examine him closely and then moved onto a fence
post for even a better view.
The fog co-operated for most of the morning and stayed at tree level well
above the Bay and fifteen birders found the following forty-one species of
birds: Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic
Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Trumpeter Swans, Canada Goose, American Wigeon,
Mallard, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Northern Pintail, Surf Scoter,
White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Common Merganser, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed
Hawk, Merlin, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Northern Shrike, Dunlin, Mew Gull,
California Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Belted Kingfisher,
Northern Flicker, Steller's Jay, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, European
Starling, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-winged
Blackbird, Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Spotted
Towhee, House Finch and Dark-eyed Junco.

Saturday November 08:
Twenty-five Trumpeter Swans were spotted flying over Buttertubs Marsh in
Nanaimo.

Friday November 07:
Spotted Towhee, Anna?s Hummingbirds, Northern Flickers, Chestnut-backed
Chickadees, Red-Breasted Nuthatch, Dark-Eyed Juncos, Purple Finch, Pine
Siskins,
American Robin, Downy Woodpecker and Steller?s Jays are visiting feeders in
a backyard in French Creek.

Wednesday November 05:
A Eurasian Wigeon was seen at the French Creek Estuary.

Twenty Trumpeter Swans were seen at Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.

Fifteen Evening Grosbeak's were observed at feeders near Boat Harbour in
Cedar.

A Northern Shrike was spotted near the golf driving range in Duncan.

Tuesday November 04:
The Tuesday Bird Walk went to the Englishman River Estuary, Plummer Road
side in Parksville.
Sixteen birders saw and heard forty species of birds during a blustery fall
morning.
The highlight of the morning was the Sea Lions, who stole the show from the
birds. A pair of Sea Lions came to the surface with Chum Salmon in their
mouths, thrashing about and eventually swallowing the salmon. Not far from
shore, several immature Gulls, a large flock of Common Mergansers and a few
Harlequin Ducks were competing for the scraps of Salmon that were left
behind from the huge Sea Lions.
The tide was up and heavy waves pounded the shore. Between the waves we saw
eight Black Turnstones and one Dunlin racing towards the estuary. Further
out on the Strait,there were several Pacific Loons flying just above the
water. A Common Loon, a Horned Grebe and a Western Grebe gave us quick
glances between waves.
Along the boardwalk, we saw a large flock of Bushtits and Golden-crowned
Kinglets fly quickly in the bushes and then disappear. A pair of Bald Eagles
were perched high in a Fir Tree off the trail.

A Ring-necked Duck and six Hooded Mergangers were seen at the French Creek
pond.

Sunday November 02:
A Peregrine Falcon and a Merlin were seen in a yard in the 200 block of
Ravere Place in Nanaimo.

Ten Black Oystercatchers were seen on the South-east shore of Protection
Island.

Four Greater White-fronted Geese have spent the last month on a farm in the
6900 block of Eyelash Drive near Brannen Lake in Nanaimo.

Saturday November 01:
Twenty American Widgeons were spotted on the south-east shore of Protection
Island.

Friday October 31:
A female Ring-necked Pheasant was spotted in a Herb Garden in Deep Bay.

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
**********************************
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.
*****************************************
The Tuesday Bird Walk on Tuesday November 11 will be going to the Little
Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach.
Meet at the Parksville Beach Community Park, in the parking area in front of
the playground at 9 A.M. or at the Brant Geese, Viewing Tower at Highway 19A
and Garrett Road in Qualicum Beach at about 9:15 A.M..
***************************************
The Sunday Bird Walk on November 16, 2008 will be going to the Buttertubs
Marsh.
Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 A.M. or the parking area on the Bowen Road
side of Buttertubs Marsh. at about 9:15 A.M.
***************************************
Good birding
Neil Robins
Nanaimo