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 16 January 2011

Nanaimo bird report, January 16, 2011


Fox Sparrow: Ralph Hocken Photo.

NANAIMO BIRD REPORT
To report your sightings
phone the Store at 250-390-3669
e-mail us at thebackyard@shaw.ca

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

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-identifier/

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, the species and location of your sighting.

Sunday January 16, 2011:
The Sunday bird walk went to Neck Point in Nanaimo. The morning was a mixed bag of showers and sunshine.
Nine birders saw the following twenty-five species of birds:
Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser,
Red-breasted Merganser, Pacific Loon,Common Loon, Double-crested Cormorant,
Pelagic Cormorant, Bald Eagle, Black Oystercatcher, Spotted Sandpiper, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Common Murre, Anna's Hummingbird, Northern Flicker,
Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bewick's Wren, Pacific Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet,
European Starling, Song Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco.

Saturday, January 15:
"Rare Bird Alert- Northern Mockingbird"
The Northern Mockingbird is still along Dumond Road near Eyelash Road in Nanaimo.

"Rare Bird Alert-Grey Catbird"
A Grey Catbird is visiting a backyard suet feeder in North Nanaimo.

Evening Grosbeaks and Varied Thrush are visiting backyard feeders in the 2500 block of Glenayr Crescent in Nanaimo.

Wednesday January 12:
Ten Trumpeter Swans were seen on the marsh at Hemer Provincial Park in Cedar.

An Albino American Robin was spotted in the parking lot at the end of Hemer Road in Hemer Provincial Park.

Tuesday January 11:
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary. The morning was cloudy and cool but the wind was calm. The Strait of Georgia was also very calm near shore, but choppy further off shore. Golden-crowned Kinglets and Ruby-crowned Kinglets were up high in the trees. We saw large numbers of Song Sparrows. We spotted three Western Meadowlarks and Killdeer feeding on a gravel bar in the river. Hundreds of Common Murre and Pacific Loons were moving down the Strait of Georgia. The Peregrine Falcon was perched in it's usual tree top snag. Near the end of the walk a flock of over fifteen Evening Grosbeak flew into the top of a Alder Tree giving us great views.
Nine birders saw and heard the following fifty-six species of birds.
Cackling Goose, Canada Goose, Eurasian Wigeon, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Greater Scaup, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Barrow's Goldeneye,
Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Pacific Loon,
Common Loon, Red-necked Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron,
Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Killdeer, Mew Gull, California Gull, Thayer's Gull ,
Glaucous-winged Gull, Common Murre, Marbled Murrelet, Downy Woodpecker,
Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Steller's Jay, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Bewick's Wren, Pacific Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Robin,
Varied Thrush, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco,
Evening Grosbeak, Red-winged Blackbird, Western Meadowlark, Brewer's Blackbird and
House Finch.

Fifty Surfbirds were talking and foraging on the rocks at the "point" at Neck Point Park 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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Arrowsmith Naturalists meeting
Monday January 24, 7.30 pm at Springwood School in Parksville.
January is Members' night with photos, stories and a raffle.
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Nanoose Field Naturalists Meeting.
Thursday, February 10th, 7 pm in the Library on Northwest Bay Road.
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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.
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The Tuesday Bird Walk on January 18, 2011 will be going to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach. 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 the viewing platform at Highway 19A and Garrett Road at about 9: 20 A.M.

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The Sunday Bird Walk on January 23, 2011 will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. We will meet at the Backyard Store at 9:00A.M. or at the end of Shelly Road on the Oceanside of Highway 19A at about 9:30 A.M.

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Good birding
Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD
Wildbird & Nature Store
6314 Metral Drive, Nanaimo, BC V9T 2L8
250.390.36621
250.390.1633 fax
thebackyard@shaw.ca
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG---> www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

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