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 December 20, 2009:
The Sunday Bird Walk went to the Neck Point Park in Nanaimo.
The morning was cloudy with a strong brisk wind off the water.
The highlights included seeing a Bewick's Wren and a Varied Thrush feeding
along side the trail. The Varied Thrush was tossing leaves, looking for
bugs and the Bewick's Wren was gleaning insects off the low bushes. Pacific
Loons flew in long line just above the water, heading down the Strait of
Georgia. Neck Point Park has expanded recently, with some great new View
Points along the water.
Five birders saw and hear the following thirty-four species of birds:
Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant,
Mallard, Common Goldeneye, Surf Scoter, Bufflehead, Harlequin Duck, Common
Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Anna's Hummingbird, Great Blue Heron,
Black Oystercatcher, California Quail, Bald Eagle, Mew Gull, Thayer's Gull,
California Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Northern Flicker, Downy Woodpecker,
Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted
Nuthatch,
Bewick's Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, Varied Thrush, Spotted
Towhee, Dark-eyed Junco, Song Sparrow and Red Crossbill.

Saturday December 19:
Male and female Anna's Hummingbirds are visiting feeders in the 300 block of
Fourth Avenue in Ladysmith.

Thursday December 17:
A male Townsend's Warbler was seen in with a flock of Chestnut-backed
Chickadees at Roberts Memorial Park on Yellow Point Road in Cedar.

A Purple Finch, hundreds of Pine Siskins, two Townsend's Warblers, a murder
of Northwestern Crows, a Barred Owl, Varied Thrush and Anna's Hummingbirds
are visiting a backyard in the 1000 block of Stymie Close in the Eaglecrest
area of Qualicum Beach.

A Rufous Hummingbird was seen visiting feeders in the 4100 block of Gulfview
Drive in Nanaimo.

Tuesday December 15:
The Tuesday Birdwalk was cancelled because of the snowy weather and roads.

Sunday December 13:
356 Ancient Murrelets were seen heading down the Strait of Georgia from
Roberts Creek on the Sunshine Coast.

Monday December 07:
A Lewis Woodpecker was seen at Cathedral Grove near Highway 4.

Christmas Bird Counts, 2009:
Volunteers are needed to help with the Bird Studies Canada annual Christmas
bird count in all areas. Count birds at your home feeders or join a small
team in the field. All levels of experience are welcome.

Sunday, December 27, 2009: Nanaimo CBC:
Contact Carlo Pavan--nanaimoite at gmail.com

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
Thursday January 14, 2010 at 7:00 pm
Nanoose Library,
Nanoose Bay
**********************************
Arrowsmith Naturalists
Monday January 25, 2010 at 7:30 pm.
Springwood School
Parksville
**********************************
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 December 22, 2009 will be going to the Little
Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach.
Meet at the Parksville Beach Community Park near the parking area at the
Lion's Playground at 9:00 A.M. or at the viewing platform at Highway 19A and
Garnet Road at about 9:20 A.M.
*********************
There will not be a Tuesday Bird Walk on December 29.
The Tuesday bird walks will resume on January 05, 2010.
*****************************************************
There will be no Sunday Bird Walk on December 27, 2009.
The Sunday Bird Walks will resume on January 03, 2010.
*******************************************************

Merry Christmas to all of you from all of us at
The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store...
Colin, Carlo, Tyler, Neil, Carol, Jessica, Denise, Lexi and Marilynne

Good birding
Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD
Wildbird & Nature Store
6314 Metral Drive, Nanaimo, BC V9T 2L8
250.390.3669
250.390.1633 fax
thebackyard at shaw.ca
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG---> www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com