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 12, 2008:
The Sunday Bird Walk went to Nanoose Bay.
Among the highlights were the sightings of a Northern Shrike, two Merlin, a
Red-tailed Hawk, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, and a Ring-necked Pheasant.
Seventeen birders found the following thirty-six species of birds:
Canada Goose, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Surf Scoter, Black
Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Common Loon, Pacific Loon, Horned Grebe,
Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Brant's Cormorant, Great Blue
Heron, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Merlin, Northern Shrike, Mew Gull,
Glaucous-winged Gull, Bonaparte's Gull, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven,
Belted Kingfisher, American Robin, Northern Flicker, Belted Kingfisher,
European Starling, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Spotted Towhee, House Finch, Song
Sparrow,
Golden-crowned Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco and Purple Finch.

A Northern Harrier, Northern Shrike, a Western Meadowlark and two Lincoln's
Sparrows were seen at the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.

Friday October 10:
A hugh flock of Northwestern Crows, thirty birds wide and streaming past
for fifteen minutes heading towards Nanoose Bay, was seen from the top
Groveland Drive and Dickson Road in north Nanaimo, at about 6:00 P.M.

Over fifty Greater White-fronted Geese were seen on a newly plowed and
seeded field on the Brannen Lake side of Doumont Road in north Nanaimo.

A Snow Goose was seen in with the Canada Geese on the grass at Parksville
Beach Community Park.

Thursday October 09:
A Townsend's Warbler was spotted in the 200 block of Dawkins Lane in
Nanaimo.

A Greater White-fronted Goose in with a flock of Canada Geese at the
Parksville Bay Community Park.

Wednesday October 08:
A flock of fourteen Greater White-fronted Geese, Canada Geese, fifteen
Trumpeter Swan, Mallard, Northern Pintails, Green-winged Teal,
Double-crested Cormorants, Pelagic Cormorants, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle,
Greater Yellowlegs, Bonaparte's Gull, Ring-billed Gull's and Glaucous-winged
Gull's were seen at Cowichan Bay near the Estuary.

A flock of over fifty Greater White-fronted Geese were seen over Columbia
Beach.

A Sandhill Crane was spotted at the Nanaimo Dump from Cedar Road in south
Nanaimo.

Monday October 06:
A Northern Harrier and a flock of Greater White-fronted Geese were seen
flying over the Englishman River Estuary, Plummer Road side.

A Great Horned Owl and a Fox Sparrow were seen alone Morrell Circle in
Nanaimo.

Sunday October 05:
An Anna's Hummingbird is visiting feeders in the 700 block of Doehle Avenue
in Parksville.

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 October 27, 2008 at 7:30 pm.
Springwood School
Parksville
********************************
The Nanoose Naturalists
Monthly Meeting
Thursday November 13, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Nanoose Library,
Nanoose Bay
**********************************
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 19, 2008 will be going to Neck Point Park in
Nanaimo.
Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 A.M. or at the Parking area at Neck Point
Park off Hammond Bay Road at about 9:20 A.M.
***************************************
The Tuesday Bird Walk on Tuesday October 21 will be going to The Englishman
River Estuary, Shelly Road in Parksville.
Meet at the Parksville Beach Community Park, please park near the Concession
Building at 9 A.M. or at the end of Shelly Road off the Oceanside of Highway
19A at about 9:15 A M.
***************************************
Good birding
Neil Robins
Nanaimo