The Backyard's Weekly Bird Walk locations are found in the Backyard Bird Report at the very end of the most recent report. Any cancellations will be posted by 8am the day of the walk.

Sunday 5 April 2009

NANAIMO BIRD ALERT, APRIL 05, 2009



Savannah Sparrow: Ralph Hocken photo.

The Backyard Wildbird & Nature Store
Nanaimo Bird Alert

To report your sightings
phone the Store at 250-390-3669
e-mail us at thebackyard@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 April 05, 2009:
A Mountain Bluebird was spotted near the Rockinghorse Pub in Nanoose Bay.

A Mourning Dove was seen along Northwest Bay Road near Craig Bay in Parksville.

The Sunday bird walk went to the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo. The morning was sunny with a calm winds. Among the highlight of the morning was a Ruby-crowned Kinglet gleaning insects from the big Oak Tree. We saw and heard Savannah Sparrows all morning long. Two Wilson's Snipe flew into view for a quick glance.
Sixteen birders saw and head the following thirty-one species of birds:
Canada Goose, Great Blue Heron, Mallard, Common Mergansers, Red-breasted Mergangers, Buffhead, Common Goldeneye, American Wigeon, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Harrier, Turkey Vulture, Wilson's Snipe. Lesser Yellowlegs, Great Blue Heron, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Violet-green Swallows, Yellow-rumped Warbler, American Robin, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Juncos, Red-winged Blackbird and Purple Finch.

Friday April 03:
A male and female Rufous Hummingbird have been seen at feeders in the back yard and Anna's Hummingbirds have been visiting feeders in the front yard in the 200 block of Dawkins Lane in Nanaimo

Wednesday April 01:
A Rufous Hummingbird was seen visiting feeders in the 600 block of Fawcett Road in Cedar.

Tuesday March 31:
The Tuesday Bird Walk went to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville. The morning was sunny with cloudy periods and the winds were brisk from the west.
Five birders saw and heard thirty-eight species of birds.
Among the highlights of the walk were about 1000 Brant Geese flying in and out of Rathtrevor Beach all morning. Long lines of Surf Scoters and Long-tailed Ducks flew over the white caps and roaring seas, heading up the Strait of Georgia. We saw Black-bellied Plovers and Dunlin crouched close to the tideline protected from the wind and surf. Eight Turkey Vultures flew over us, a Rufous Hummingbird looked down on us from the top of a bush and a Hutton's Vireo sang from the bushes on the field near the old farmhouse. As we entered the parking area at the end of the walk we spotted a Yellow-rumped Warbler calling from a low bush.
Five birders saw and heard the following thirty-eight species of birds.
Brant, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Greater Scaup, Surf Scoter,
White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Common Loon,
Double-crested Cormorant, , Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Black-bellied Plover,
Dunlin, Mew Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Rufous Hummingbird,
Northern Flicker, Hutton's Vireo, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven,
Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bewick's Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, Varied Thrush, European Starling, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Purple Finch and Pine Siskin.

Four Violet-Green Swallows were seen over Cedar Road in Cedar.

Monday March 30:
A male Rufus Hummingbird has arrived at feeders on Monterey Drive off Jinglepot Road in Nanaimo.

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

A Red-breasted Sapsucker was spotted along Biggs Road near the Deerwood area in north Nanaimo.

Sunday March 29:
A Rufous Hummingbird was seen at a backyard feeder in the Sandpiper area of French Creek.

Male and female Rufous Hummingbirds are visiting feeders along Seablush Drive in Nanoose.

Anna's Hummingbirds are nesting and a pair of Northern Flickers are getting ready to nest in the 2300 block of Marlborough Drive in Nanaimo.

A Rufus Hummingbirds and Anna's Hummingbirds visiting feeder in Ramora Place in Nanoose Bay.

Friday March 20:
Three Turkey Vultures were spotted above the Osprey nest near Fourth Street in Nanaimo.

For further information on these sightings or for help in identifying a
bird please call The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store
@ (250) 390-3669
Toll Free @ 1-888-249-4145
e-mail: thebackyard@shaw.ca
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The Nanoose Naturalists
Thursday April 09, 2009 @ 7:00 pm
Guest Speaker Michelle Deakin will give a talk on the importance of eelgrass
habitat.
Nanoose Library,
Nanoose Bay
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Arrowsmith Naturalists
Monday April 27, 2009 @ 7:30 pm.
Speaker will be Dr. McAdie a wildlife veterinarian.
Topic: Vancouver Island marmot project update.
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 April 07, 2009 will be going to Springwood Park 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 west end of Despaird Avenue at about 9:15 A.M.
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There will be no Sunday Bird Walk on April 12, 2009. Happy Easter!
The Sunday Bird Walks will resume on April 19, 2009
*******************************************************
Brant Festival Nature Walk at Buttertubs Marsh,
Miner's Cottage, Jingle Pot Road and Third Street in Nanaimo.
April 11, 2009, meet at 9:30 a.m. Walk starts at 10:00a.m.
Leader Bill Merilees
A $5 donation is requested.
*******************************************************
Good birding
Neil Robins
Nanaimo

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