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 26, 2008:
The Sunday Bird Walk went to the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.
Among the highlights was the sighting of two Short-eared Owls hunting just
above the grasses. We had six sightings of Northern Shrike hunting and
perching for a short periods and were fascinated by a female Northern
Harrier flying just above the ground.
Twenty-two birders found the following thirty-eight species of birds:
Great Blue Heron, Mallard, Northern Pintail, American Wigeon, Green-wing
Teal, Common Merganser, Bald Eagle, Merlin, Northern Harrier, Short-eared
Owl, Northern Shrike, Wilson's Snipe, California Gull, Thayer's Gull,
Glaucous-winged Gull, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Steller's Jay,
Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Red-winged Blackbirds, American Robin,
Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow,
Fox Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Ruby-crowned
Kinglet, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Brown Creeper, Bewick's Wren, Purple Finch,
Pine Siskins, American Goldfinch, House Finch.

Five Trumpeter Swans were seen heading north-west over Morrell Sanctuary in
Nanaimo.

Two Anna's Hummingbirds are feeding along Valecourt Avenue in Courtney.

Saturday October 25:
"Rare Bird Alert-Cassin's Finch"
A female Cassin's Finch was seen at a bird feeder and a immature
White-throated Sparrow was spotted in the same area at Jordon River.
A Redhead Duck and several Mallards were see at the Goodridge Peninsula in
Sooke.

Friday October 24:
A Pine Grosbeak was seen along Ermineskin Avenue in Parksville.

Thursday October 23:
A Bufflehead and a Wilson's Snipe were seen at Englishman River in
Parksville.

Several Red-throated Loons were seen off Sebastion Road in Lantzville.

Two Pileated Woodpeckers and a male Anna's Hummingbird have been visiting
feeders along Denford Place in Nanaimo.

A Dunlin was seen at French Creek.

Wednesday October 22:
A Brown-headed Cowbird was seen along Ermineskin Avenue in Parksville.

A Northern Harrier, Northern Shrike and a Peregrine Falcon were seen at
Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parkville

50 American Widgeons, 20 Ring-neck Ducks, one Common Merganser, one Bald
Eagle and several Mallards were seen at Cottle Lake in Nanaimo.

Tuesday October 21:
The Tuesday Bird Walk went to the Englishman River Estuary, Shelly Road side
in Parksville. Eleven birders saw and heard fifty-four species of birds
during a sunny fall morning. It turned out to be a great morning to observe
raptors in the area. We saw a Short-eared Owl flying east high over the
estuary. There was a Peregrine Falcon perched in a conifer tree and we
watched it through the spotting scopes for about five minutes. As we were
watching some Northern Pintails fly over the Estuary another Short-eared Owl
flew in low to the ground and began hunting over the fields. A Red-tailed
Hawk flew over us. A Sharp-shinned Hawk flew out and quickly back into the
bushes along the trail. A Wilson's Snipe made a quick appearance and
disappeared into the bushes. There were big flocks of Bushtits and Pine
Siskins flying about though out the walk. Pacific Loons, Surf Scoters,
White-winged Scoters and Black Scoters were bobbing in the water.
Twelve birders found the following fifty-two species of birds:
Canada Goose, Eurasian Wigeon, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail,
Green-winged Teal, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black
Scoter, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Pacific Loon, Horned Grebe Great
Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Red-tailed
Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, Wilson's Snipe, Mew Gull, California Gull, Thayer's
Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Short-eared Owl, Belted Kingfisher, Northern
Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Steller's Jay, Northwestern Crow, Common
Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bushtit, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown
Creeper, Bewick's Wren, Winter Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned
Kinglet, American Robin, Varied Thrush, European Starling, Spotted Towhee,
Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-winged Blackbird,
Brewer's Blackbird, House Finch, Pine Siskin and American Goldfinch

A Rufous Hummingbird was seen visiting feeders along Gulfview Drive in
Nanaimo.

Sunday October 19:
Long-tailed Ducks were seen offshore at 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
***********************************
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
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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 October 28 will be going to Columbia Beach.
Meet at the Parksville Beach Community Park, meet near the Concession
Building at 9 A.M. or at the end parking area off Admiral Tryon Blvd. at
about 9:20 A.M. (from Highway 19A, north of the French Creek Bridge follow
Columbia Drive turn right onto Admiral Tryon Blvd. about one hundred yards
turn left to the parking area..)
***************************************
The Sunday Bird Walk on November 02, 2008 will be going to the Little
Qualicum River Estuary In Qualicum Beach.
Meet at the Bird Store in Nanaimo at 9:00 A.M. or at the Viewing Tower in
Qualicum Beach at highway 19a and Garrett Road at about 9:30 A.M.
***************************************
Good birding
Neil Robins
Nanaimo