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 November 08, 2009:
The Sunday Bird Walk went to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum
Beach. The morning started with light showers but the rain stopped and it
was a pleasant morning for birding. The highlights included seeing a
constant stream of thousands upon thousands of Bonaparte's Gulls flying into
the mouth of the Little Qualicum River Estuary. We could see huge feeding
frenzies of seabirds and gulls stretching along the horizon through the
scopes. A flock of thirty Black Turnstones flew past low over the water.
There were a large number of Bald Eagles were perched on the high Fir Trees
along the river. At least ten Great Blue Herons were roosting on the
estuary.
Nine birders heard and saw the following forty-three species of birds:
Canada Goose, Trumpeter Swan, American Wigeon, Mallard, Green-winged Teal,
Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Bufflehead,
Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Pacific Loon,
Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant,
Pelagic Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Merlin, Black
Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, Bonaparte's Gull, Mew Gull, Thayer's Gull,
California Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker,
Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, European
Starling, White-crowned Sparrows, Golden-crowned Sparrows, Song Sparrow,
Dark-eyed Junco, Red-winged Blackbird, Brewer's Blackbird, Purple Finch and
House Finch.

Saturday November 07:
"Rare bird alert-Black-headed Gull"
A winter plumaged Black-headed Gull was seen roosting with Glaucous-winged
and Mew Gulls south of Qualicum Bay. The Black-headed gull is normally found
in Europe, but is fairly common in Newfoundland and is found along the west
coast of North America where it joins Bonaparte's Gull flocks.

Four Cackling Canada Geese and three White-fronted Geese were seen again
today at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.

Friday November 06:
A pair of Great Horned Owls were seen in Millstone Valley in East
Wellington.

Four Cackling Canada Geese and three White-fronted Geese were seen in with
about two hundred Canada Geese at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.

Wednesday November 04:
A Spotted Sandpiper, a Sharp-shinned Hawk and Common Mergangers were seen
from Sebastion Road in Lantzville.

A Clark's Nutcracker was seen feeding among the drift logs high on the beach
at Carmanah Point on the west side of Vancouver Island.

Tuesday November 03:
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum
Beach. The morning was cloudy and very windy at times with an occasional
glimpse of the sun. The highlights of the morning included seeing thirteen
Great Blue Herons resting among the tall grass on the estuary across from
the houses at the start of the walk. We spotted twenty Bald Eagles perching
on the tall fir trees along the river. There was a very large flock of
Bonaparte's Gulls near the estuary. We watched as the gulls lifted from the
water to put on their tern like show--moving in a cloud, dipping and diving
as they flew. Dunlin and Black Turnstones moved along the gravel bars
throughout the morning. There were several Sea Lions and Seals off shore
along with Harlequin Ducks, Surf Scoters, White-winged Scoters, Black
Scoters, Bufflehead and Common Goldeneye.
Twenty-one birders saw and heard the following forty-three species of birds:
Canada Goose, Trumpeter Swan, American Wigeon, Mallard, Green-winged Teal,
Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Long-tailed
Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Pacific Loon, Common
Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic
Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Black Oystercatcher, Black
Turnstone,
Dunlin, Bonaparte's Gull, Mew Gull, Ring-billed Gull, California Gull,
Western Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Pigeon Guillemot, Belted Kingfisher,
Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed
Chickadee, American Robin, European Starling, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco,
Red-winged Blackbird, Brewer's Blackbird and House Finch.

Sunday November 01:
A Northern Pygmy Owl was seen in a backyard along Garry Oak Drive in Nanoose
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
**********************************
The Nanoose Naturalists
Guest Speaker Entemologist Evelyn Stokkink will talk about the life of the
Ambrosia Beetle.
Thursday November 12, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Nanoose Library,
Nanoose Bay
**********************************
Arrowsmith Naturalists
Monday November 23, 2009 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 November 10, 2009 will be going to the Plummer Road
side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville.
Meet at the Parksville Beach Community Park near the parking area at the
Lion's Playground at 9:00 A.M. or at the corner of Plummer Road and
Shorewood Drive in Parksville at about 9:10 A.M.
*****************************************************
The Sunday Bird Walk on November 15 will be going to Buttertubs Marsh.
Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 A.M. or at the parking area at Buttertubs
Marsh off
Bowen at about 9:20 A.M.
*******************************************************
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