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 February 07, 2010:
The Sunday bird walk went to the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo. The
morning was mostly sunny and calm.
Five Western Meadowlarks were singing from a small bush all morning. A
Northern Shrike spent the morning on three perches close to us. A
White-throated Sparrow and a Fox Sparrow put in a quick appearance near the
viewing platform. A female Northern Harrier flew low over the estuary in
search of prey. A Merlin and a Peregrine Falcon flew past us very fast.
Seventeen birders found the following thirty-seven species of birds:
Canada Goose, Trumpeter Swan, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern
Pintail, Bufflehead, Barrow's Goldeneye, Common Goldeneye, Common
Merganser, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Red-tailed
Hawk, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Northern Shrike, Glaucous-winged Gull,
Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Steller's Jay, Belted
Kingfisher, American Robin, Western Meadowlark, European Starling,
Bewick's Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Spotted Towhee, Fox Sparrow, Song
Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Golden-crowned Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow,
Purple Finch, Red-winged Blackbird, House Finch and Pine Siskin.

A juvenile Trumpeter Swan was seen swimming in Sunset Bay at Neck Point
Park in Nanaimo.

Tuesday February 02:
The Tuesday, February 2nd Bird Walk went to Deep Bay.
The morning was cloudy with fog and misty rain, but the winds were calm and
the Strait of Georgia was like glass.
The Black Scoters and Long-tailed Ducks were singing and diving just off
shore. We spotted a Pigeon Guillemot near Denman Island. A huge raft of
Greater Scaup, Harlequin Ducks, Surf Scoters, White-winged Scoters, Black
Scoters, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Barrow's Goldeneye, Common
Mergansers, Red-breasted Mergansers and Brant Geese were not far from shore.
A flock of Brandt's Cormorants, Double-crested Cormorants and Pelagic
Cormorants flew over the water, heading toward Denman Island.
Fifteen birders saw and heard the following forty-five species of birds.
Canada Goose, Brant, Mute Swan, Trumpeter Swan, American Wigeon, Mallard,
Greater Scaup, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black
Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Barrow's Goldeneye,
Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, California Quail, Pacific Loon,
Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Brandt's Cormorant,
Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle,
Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, Dunlin, Mew Gull, Thayer's Gull,
Glaucous-winged Gull, Pigeon Guillemot, Rock Pigeon, Belted Kingfisher,
Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Song
Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco and
House Finch.

Sunday January 31:
Two Barred Owls were calling near the lower lake at Colliery Dam Park 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
**********************************
The Nanoose Naturalists
Guest Speaker, Carolyn Masson. Her topic is The Status Of The Garry Oak
Ecosystems.
Thursday February 11, 2010 at 7:00 pm
Nanoose Library,
Nanoose Bay
**********************************
Arrowsmith Naturalists
Guest Speaker Guy Monty
Monday February 15, 2010 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
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 February 09, 2010 will be going to Rathtrevor
Provincial Park in Parksville.
We meet the Parksville Beach Community Park at the parking area near the
Lions playground at 9 A.M. or at the main parking lot in Rathtrevor
Provincial Park at about 9:15 A.M. Please note there is a parking fee at
the Park.
*****************************************************
The Sunday Bird Walk on February 14, 2010, will be going to Neck Point Park
in Nanaimo.
Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 A.M. or at the parking area in Neck Point off
Hammond Bay Road 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