"GO BIRDING- EXPLORE NATURE"



NANAIMO BIRD REPORT

To report your sightings

phone the Store at 250-390-3669

e-mail us at thebackyard at shaw.ca



Please remember, when reporting a sighting, to leave your name and phone
number, along with the date, the species and location of your sighting.



"Rare Bird Alert- Northern Mockingbird"

The Northern Mockingbird is still along Dumont Road near Eyelash Road in
Nanaimo.



"Rare Bird Alert-Grey Catbird"

A Grey Catbird is still visiting a backyard suet feeder in North Nanaimo.



Sunday January 30, 2011:

The Sunday bird walk went to the Buttertubs Marsh. The morning was clear
and cool with calm winds. The highlights included seeing a Barn Swallow.
We saw large numbers of Song Sparrows, Spotted Towhees and Fox Sparrows on
the path around the marsh. Ten Hooded Mergansers were swimming and diving
on the water. We had great close views of seven Cedar Waxwings feeding on
Hawthorn Berry bushes.



Twenty-one birders saw and heard the following forty-two species of birds:
Canada Goose, Trumpeter Swan, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron,
Mallard, Pied-billed Grebe, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, Hooded
Merganser, Common Merganser, American Coot, Glaucous-winged Gull, Bald
Eagle, Cooper's Hawk, Merlin, Rock Pigeon, Anna's Hummingbird, Belted
Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Downy Woodpecker, Steller's Jay, Common
Raven, Northwestern Crow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Ruby-crowned Kinglet,
Bewick's Wren, Marsh Wren, American Robin, Varied Thrush, European
Starling, Barn Swallow, Cedar Waxwing, Red-winged Blackbird, Spotted
Towhee, Song Sparrow, Brown Creeper, Fox Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow,
House Finch, Pine Siskin, Dark-eyed Junco and House Sparrow



A Barn Swallow was seen in a backyard in the 600 block of Prideaux Street of
Nanaimo.



Twelve Trumpeter Swans were seen at Piper's lagoon in Nanaimo.



Saturday, January 29:

"Rare Bird Alert- Northern Mockingbird"

The Northern Mockingbird is still along Dumont Road near Eyelash Road in
Nanaimo.



"Rare Bird Alert-Grey Catbird"

A Grey Catbird is still visiting a backyard suet feeder in North Nanaimo.



A Sharp-shinned Hawk was spotted in a backyard in the 100 block of Meridian
Way in Parksville.



Friday, January 29:

Two Anna's Hummingbirds, Varied Thrush and Evening Grosbeaks were seen along
Alderwood Drive in Port Alberni.



Thursday, January 28:

Thirty Evening Grosbeaks were seen coming to feeders in upper Lantzville.



Tuesday January 25:

The Tuesday bird walk went to Deep Bay. The morning was cloudy and the winds
were calm until near the end of the walk when the winds pickup and the fog
moved in. We spotted a Greater Scaup and a Lesser Scaup not far from shore.
Ten Long-tailed Ducks were just offshore at the point. The White-winged
Scoters were the most numerous of the Scoters although we did see Surf
Scoter and Black Scoters on the water. A flock of Dunlin flew by offshore.



Ten birders saw and heard the following forty-six species of birds:

Canada goose, Mute Swan, Trumpeter Swan American Wigeon, Mallard. Greater
Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black
Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye,

Barrow's Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Pacific Loon,
Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Brandt's Cormorant,
Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle,
Black Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Glaucous-winged Gull, Pigeon Guillemot, Rock
Pigeon, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow,
Chestnut-backed Chickadee, American Robin, European Starling, Spotted
Towhee, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow,
Dark-eyed Junco, Purple Finch, House Finch and House Sparrow.



Monday, January 24:

Eurasian Wigeon, American Wigeon, Mallard and Green-winged Teal were seen on
the Mud Flats at the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary.



Canada Goose, American Wigeon, Mallard, Common Goldeneye, Rhinoceros Auklet,
Common Murre, Pacific Loons. Common Loons, Red-throated Loons and Common
Loons, Surf Scoter, Bufflehead, Barrow's Goldeneye, Common Merganser,
Red-breasted Merganser, Horned Grebe, Black Turnstone, Dunlin, Mew Gull,
Glaucous-winged Gull, Pigeon Guillemot, Brandt's Cormorant, Double-crested
Cormorant and Pelagic Cormorant, were spotted on the Strait of Georgia from
Madonna Point.



Common Murre, Marbled Murrelet, Ancient Murrelet, Harlequin Duck, Surf
Scoter, Common Merganser , Red-breasted Merganser, Pelagic Cormorant, Bald
Eagle, Common Murre, Pigeon Guillemot, Marbled Murrelet, Ancient Murrelet,
Pacific Loons were seen on the Strait of Georgia from the Point at
Beachcomber.



Sunday January 23:

A Cooper's Hawk was seen on backyard lawn in the 2500 block of Glenayr Drive
in Nanaimo.



Saturday January 15:

A pair of Evening Grosbeaks are visiting feeders in the 2500 block of
Glenayr Crescent 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

**********************************

Nanoose Field Naturalists Meeting.

Thursday, February 10th, 7 pm in the Library on Northwest Bay Road.

**********************************

Arrowsmith Naturalists meeting

Monday February 28, 7.30 pm at Springwood School in 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 February 01, 2011 will be going to Englishman River
Estuary, Plummer Road side. We will meet at the Parksville Beach Community
Park, at the parking area in front of the Lions Playground at 9 A.M. or at
corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive at about 9: 10 A.M.

*******************************************************

The Sunday Bird Walk, February 06, 2011 will be going to the Nanaimo River
Estuary in south Nanaimo. We will meet at the Backyard Store at 9:00A.M. or
at the end of Raines Road at about 9:30 A.M.

*******************************************************

Good birding

Neil Robins



THE BACKYARD

Wildbird & Nature Store

6314 Metral Drive, Nanaimo, BC V9T 2L8

250.390.36621

250.390.1633 fax

thebackyard at shaw.ca

CHECK OUT OUR BLOG---> www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com



"LINKS"



Post your sightings on this site:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bcbirdingvanisland/messages



Birding in Central and South America:

www.wildbirdtours.ca





Identify backyard birds:

National Geographic Bird Identifier Site

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birding/backyard-bird-identifi
er/



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/