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 21 March 2010

Nanaimo bird alert, March 21, 2010


Savannah Sparrow: Ralph Hocken Photo.

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 March 21, 2010:
The Sunday bird walk went to the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.
The morning started off cloudy and cool but it warmed up as the morning
progressed.
The highlights included seeing a flock of fifty Greater White-fronted Geese
flying overhead, heading southeast. A female Northern Harrier made several
passes over the estuary. A flock of low flying Tree Swallows and Violet-green
Swallows gave us some great views as they hawked insects.
Twelve birders saw and heard the following thirty species of birds:
Trumpeter Swans, Greater white-fronted Geese, Canada Goose, Great Blue Heron,
Mallard, Common Mergansers, Buffhead, American Wigeon, Glaucous-winged Gulls,
California Gulls, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Turkey Vulture, Northern
Flicker, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven,Bewick's Wren, Tree Swallows,
Violet-green Swallows, Yellow-rumped Warbler, American Robin, European
Starling, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow,
Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Juncos, Red-winged Blackbird and Purple
Finch.

Saturday March 20:
Two Ringed Turtle Doves were seen along Garner Crescent in Nanaimo.

A flock of thirty Trumpeter Swans were seen in the fields of the Ugly Dwarf
Meadows in Nanoose Bay.

A Rufous Hummingbird was seen at feeders along Lintlaw Road in the Divers Lake
area of Nanaimo.

Friday March 19:
Rufous Hummingbirds have been seen at feeders along Cougar Ridge Place near Lost
Lake in Nanaimo, along Fawcett Road in Cedar and along Seablush Drive in Nanoose
Bay.

Thursday March 18:
Violet-green Swallows were seen over Cathers Drive in Nanaimo.

A Eurasian Collared Dove was spotted along Honeysuckle Crescent in Nanaimo.

Wednesday March 17:
A Rufous Hummingbird was visiting feeders in the 100 block of Meridian Way in
Parksville. He had a long drink and then hovered at the window as if to say
"Hello--here I am!"

A Northern Saw-whet Owl was calling at the Morrell Wildlife Sanctuary in
Nanaimo.

A Rufous Hummingbird was spotted at feeders in the Morrell Mobile Home Park off
Nanaimo Lakes Road in Nanaimo.

Tuesday March 16:
Four Black-legged Kittiwake's were seen during a storm at Chestermans Beach
near Tofino and eight Greater White-fronted Geese were seen on a small islet in
the Tofino Harbour.

A Rufous Hummingbird, the first of the season, was seen in the 2400 block of
Cross Road in Nanoose Bay.

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River
Estuary in Parksville. The morning was cloudy with light showers and calm winds.
We heard and saw a Yellow-rumped Warbler. A Savannah Sparrow, the first of the
season, was in with Dark-eyed Juncos, House Finch, White-crowned and
Golden-crowned Sparrows that were feeding in a shrub along the trail. A Snow
Goose was in with the Canada Geese along the Estuary. A raft of Common Murre
and Pacific Loons were seen further offshore. There were about three hundred
Brant Geese flying low, heading towards Parksville Bay. A Red-tailed Hawk was
perched high up in a tall Fir Tree along the River. We had some great close
looks at six Red Crossbills feeding under a big fallen snag along the Estuary
near the viewing platform.
Six birders saw and heard the following fifty-three species of birds:
Snow Goose, Canada Goose, Brant, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail,
Green-winged Teal, Surf Scoter, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Barrow's
Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser,
Pacific Loon, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Cooper's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk,
Merlin, Black-bellied Plover, Killdeer, Black Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Mew Gull,
California Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Common Murre, Belted
Kingfisher, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Northwestern Crow,
Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Bewick's Wren,
Winter Wren, American Robin, Varied Thrush, European Starling,
Yellow-rumped Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow,
White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch, Red
Crossbill, Pine Siskin and House Sparrow.

Monday March 15:
A Cassin's Vireo was heard calling at the Morrell Wildlife Sanctuary in Nanaimo.

A Rufous Hummingbird was seen in the 100 block of Sandpiper Drive in Nanaimo.

Saturday March 13:
A flock of Violet-green Swallows were seen over the Cottonwood Golf Course in
south 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
**********************************
Arrowsmith Naturalists
Guest Speaker-Colin Bartlett: The Birds and the Bees in the Backyard.
Monday March 22, 2010 @ 7:30 pm.
Springwood School
Parksville
**********************************
The Nanoose Naturalists
Thursday April 08, 2010 @ 7:00 pm
Nanoose Library,
Nanoose Bay
**********************************
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 March 23, 2010 will be going to Columbia Beach.
We meet the Parksville Beach Community Park at the parking area near the Lions
playground at 9 A.M. or at the parking area off Admiral Tryon Bld.(turn off
Highway 19a at Columbia Drive, go to the tee intersection at Admiral Tryon Bld.
turn right and go about 100 yards turn left onto the parking area) at about 9:15
A.M.
*****************************************************
The Sunday Bird Walk on March 28, 2010, will be going to the Shelly Road side of
the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville..
Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 A.M. or at the end of Shelly Road on the ocean
side of Highway 19a in Parksville at about 9: 25 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@shaw.ca

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

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