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, September 21, 2008:
The Sunday Bird Walk went to the Nanaimo River Estuary in Nanaimo. Among
the highlights were the sightings of a female Northern Harrier flying low
over the ground near us, several times. An American Kestrel stopped and
perched in a low shrub giving us great looks. We studied a Vesper Sparrow
for about ten minutes until the Sparrow turned and gave us a look at his
white outer tail feathers. We came upon two Least Sandpipers resting in the
mud not far from us. The big Oak tree was teeming with at least sixty Cedar
Waxwings and a great variety of Sparrow species.
Fourteen birders found the following thirty-one species of birds:
Canada Goose, Great Blue Heron, Mallard, American Wigeon, Peregrine Falcon,
American Kestrel, Northern Harrier, Turkey Vulture, Least Sandpiper,
California Quail, California Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Northern Flicker,
Hairy Woodpecker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Steller's Jay, Rock
Pigeon, Cedar Waxwings, European Starlings, Belted Kingfisher, American
Robin, Spotted Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow,
Golden-crowned Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Purple Finch, American
Goldfinch and House Finch.

Saturday September 20:
"RBA-Blue-winged Warbler "
A Blue-winged Warbler was seen with Townsend's, Yellow, Orange-crowned,
Wilson's and Yellow-rumped Warblers, Warbling Vireos, Cassin's Vireo and
Hutton's Vireos near French Beach on the west coast of Vancouver Island.

Sixty Turkey Vultures were seen flying in a southwest direction over
Ladysmith.

Friday September 19:
A Green Heron was seen at Courtenay River Estuary in Courtenay.

Wednesday September 17:
A Lark Sparrow was seen at the Englishman River Estuary, Shelly Road side in
Parksville.

Anna's Hummingbirds are coming to feeders in the 1600 block of Fawcett Road
in Cedar.

Tuesday September 16:
An American Golden Plover was seen on the flats near the boat ramp in Port
McNeill.

American Golden Plover: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Monday September 15:
Forty Black Swifts, twenty Vaux's Swifts, one Tree Swallow and five
Violet-green Swallows were seen at Sooke.

One Semipalmated Sandpiper, seventy-five Western Sandpipers, twenty-two
Least Sandpipers, five Short-billed Dowitchers, one Black Turnstone, one
Lapland Longspur and an American Pipit. were seen at Whiffin Spit.

A Prairie Falcon, one Peregrine Falcon, two Swainson's Hawks, four
Broad-winged Hawks, two Northern Harriers, two Osprey, over twenty-five
Red-tailed Hawks, over four hundred Turkey Vultures, Cooper's Hawks and
Sharp-shinned Hawks were seen near East Sooke Regional Park.

Sunday September 14:
A Barred Owl was seen on Protection Island.

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
***********************************
The Nanoose Naturalists
Monthly Meeting
Thursday October 09, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Nanoose Library,
Nanoose Bay
**********************************
Arrowsmith Naturalists
Monthly Meeting,
Monday September 22, 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
Wednesday 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
Visitor Centre in Parksville at 9 A.M. Wednesdays and go to different areas
in and around the Oceanside area.
*****************************************
The Wednesday Morning Birdwalks are cancelled for the summer months and will
resume in the fall.
*********************************
The Sunday Bird Walk on September 28, 2008 will be going to the Englishman
River Estuary, Plummer Road side in Parksville.
Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 A.M. or at the corner of Plummer Road and
Shorewood Drive at about 9:30 A.M.
***************************************
Good birding
Neil Robins
Nanaimo