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, October 05, 2008:
The Sunday Bird Walk went to Bowen Park in Nanaimo.
Among the highlights was the sightings of a Hermit Thrush, an Anna's
Hummingbird, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Red-breasted Sapsucker and
several Northern Flickers.
Twenty-two birders found the following thirty-one species of birds:
Canada Geese, Mallard, California Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Rock Pigeons,
Band-tailed Pigeons, Belted Kingfisher, Anna's Hummingbird, Northern
Flicker, Hairy Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Red-breasted Sapsucker,
Steller's Jay, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee,
Golden-crown Kinglet, European Starlings, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown
Creeper, Bushtit, Bewick's Wren, Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush, Varied Thrush,
American Robin, Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Juncos,
Purple Finch and Pine Siskin.
An Evening Grosbeak was spotted at feeders along Boundary Crescent in
Nanaimo.
A White-throated Sparrow, a Merlin, a Northern Harrier, a Ring-necked
Pheasant and fifteen Greater White-fronted Geese were seen at the Nanaimo
River Estuary in Nanaimo.

Saturday October 04:
"Rare Bird Alert--White-breasted Nuthatch"
A White-breasted Nuthatch was seen visiting feeders along Stevenson Point
Road in Nanaimo.


Thursday October 02:
One Yellow Warbler and four California Quail were seen in the backyard in
the 2500 block Glenayr Drive, in Nanaimo.
400 to 500 Pacific Loons and 100 Red-necked Grebes were seen off shore at
French Creek.
An American Dipper was spotted at the base of the upper dam at the Colliery
Dam in Nanaimo.
Ruffed Grouse were seen at Morrell Sanctuary in Nanaimo.

Monday September 29:
Two Great Horned Owls were seen and heard along Morrell Circle in Nanaimo.

Sunday September 28:
A Barred Owl was heard calling and Red Crossbills were seen in the 800 Block
of Harwood Mines Road in Nanaimo.

Fifteen Flesh-footed Shearwaters, two Short-tailed Shearwaters, eight
Buller's Shearwaters, thousands of Sooty Shearwaters, thousands upon
thousands of Pink-footed Shearwaters, two Northern Fulmars, two South Polar
Skuas, ten Pomarine Jaegers, three Red-necked Phalaropes, six Bonaparte's
Gulls, thousands of California Gulls, hundreds of Heermann's Gulls, several
Herring Gulls and hundreds of Glaucous-winged Gulls were seen on a Pelagic
tour that went from Sooke to offshore of Bamfield at the Swiftsure Bank. The
Herring fish had pushed the Krill to the surface and as a result there were
at least three hundred thousand pelagic birds as well as fourteen Humpback
Whales in a massive feeding frenzy.

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
Monthly Meeting
Thursday October 09, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Guest Speaker-- Ian Gartshore:
"Use wind power to reduce electrical consumption at home".
Nanoose Library,
Nanoose Bay
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Arrowsmith Naturalists
Monthly Meeting,
Monday October 27, 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.
*****************************************
PLEASE NOTE: ***The Wednesday Morning Birdwalks are now the Tuesday Bird
Walks.***
The Tuesday Bird Walks will resume on October 21. Meet at the Parksville
Beach Community Park at 9 A.M.
*********************************
The Sunday Bird Walk on October 12, 2008 will be going to Nanoose Bay.
Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 A.M. or at the Parking area behind the Church
Camp (off Highway 19 and Arlington Road) at about 9:20 A.M.
***************************************
Good birding
Neil Robins
Nanaimo