The Backyard Wildbird & Nature Store
Nanaimo Bird Alert
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JOHN BRIGHTON 1941-2009
It is with great sadness that we want to let you know that John
Brighton suddenly passed away on March 01,2009. We will all remember
him with fondness for his friendship, his competitive spirit and his sense
of humour.
We will miss you, John.

A celebration of John's life will be held at Knox United Church, 345 Pym
Street, Parksville (250-248-3927) at 1:00 p.m.

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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 March 15, 2009:
Evening Grosbeaks were seen in the 500 block of Temple Street in Parksville.

The Sunday Bird Walk went to Neck Point in Nanaimo.
It was winter storm morning with pounding surf, snow, hail and showers.
Eight very dedicated birders saw and heard the following twenty species of
birds:
Brandt's Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Buffhead, Barrow's Goldeneye,
Harlequin Duck, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Merganser, Bald Eagle,
California Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Northern Flicker, Common Raven,
Northwestern Crow, Varied Thrush, American Robin, Chestnut-backed
Chickadee, Brown Creeper, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco.

Saturday March 14:
A Barred Owl was seen along Stewart Avenue and at Sharman Park off Metral
Drive in Nanaimo.

Friday March 13:
A Cooper's Hawk was spotted chasing a Golden-crown Sparrow in the 2500 block
of Glenayr Drive in Nanaimo.

A first winter Iceland Gull was seen in with the other gulls on the High
School playing fields in Duncan.

Thursday March 12:
A Varied Thrush was spotted in yard along View Street in south Nanaimo.

Wednesday March 11:
An Anna's Hummingbird was feeding on winter jasmine in the 2500 block of
Glenayr Drive in Nanaimo.

Fourteen Bald Eagles, four Great Blue Herons and thousands of Gulls were
seen along the tide line at Deep Bay looking towards Denman Island.

A hugh raft (about one Kilometer long) of Seabirds was seen off Qualicum
Bay,

Tuesday March 10:
The Tuesday Bird Walk went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River
in Parksville.
The morning was clear and sunny but the winds were strong and brisk.
Sixteen birders saw and heard forty-eight species of birds.
At the meeting spot at the Community Park in Parksville Bay there were at
least 2,000 Brant Geese, large rafts of Greater Scaup, Surf Scoters, Common
Goldeneye and Barrow's Goldeneye and thousands upon thousands of Gulls.
At the Englishman Estuary one Turkey Vulture flew overhead and two Pelagic
Cormorant flew low over the water. A Bewick's Wren gave us great close
looks as he called from the top of a short bush. Several Golden-crowned
Kinglets and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet moved through the trees. A Varied
Thrush perched on a tree branch for us to see. We saw several White-crowned
and Golden-crowned Sparrows just off the road on the way back to the cars.
Bald Eagles were everywhere!
Sixteen birders saw and heard the following forty-eight species of birds.
Canada Goose, Brant, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail,
Green-winged Teal, Greater Scaup, Surf Scoter, Common Goldeneye, Barrow's
Goldeneye,
Common Merganser, California Quail, Horned Grebe, Pelagic Cormorant, Great
Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Black-bellied Plover, Killdeer, Mew
Gull,
Herring Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Belted Kingfisher,
Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Steller's Jay, Northwestern Crow,
Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bewick's Wren, Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned
Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, Varied Thrush, European
Starling, Spotted Towhee, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow,
Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-winged Blackbird, Brewer's
Blackbird, Purple Finch, House Finch, Red Crossbill and Pine Siskin.

Monday March 09:
California, Glaucous-winged, Glaucous, Thayer's and Mew Gulls by the
thousands were seen at Parksville Bay Community Park in Parksville. Near
the shore at Parksville Bay, there were also over 1000 Brant feeding on the
spawn and lifting each time a Bald Eagle came over the area.

A Cooper's Hawk was spotted at the end of Jinglepot Road in Nanaimo.

Sunday March 08:
"Rare bird alert-Slaty-backed Gull"
A Slaty-backed Gull was seen in with the thousands of Glaucous-winged Gulls,
Thayer's Gulls, California Gulls, Glaucous Gulls, Mew Gulls and Herring
Gulls at Deep Bay.

Twelve Orcas (Killer Whales) were seen off shore at Neck Point in Nanaimo.

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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Arrowsmith Naturalists
Monday March 23, 2009 at 7:30 pm.
Speaker Ian Gartshaw, a passionate advocate of sustainable energy, will
offer practical, down-to-earth solutions.
Springwood School
Parksville
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The Nanoose Naturalists
Thursday April 09, 2009 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.
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The Tuesday Bird Walk on March 17, 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 meet at the Viewing Tower off Highway 19A and
garrett Road at about 9:20 A.M.
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The Sunday Bird Walk on March 22, 2009, will be going to Neck Point Park in
Nanaimo.
Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 A.M. or meet at the parking lot at Neck Point
Park
off Hammond Bay Road at about 9:15 A.M.
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Good birding
Neil Robins
Nanaimo