MID-ISLAND BIRDING HOTSPOTS

NANAIMO RIVER ESTUARY at the end of Raines Road in Cedar - The largest river estuary on Vancouver Island with expansive estuarine grasslands, sloughs, hedgerows, and river habitats. Northern Harriers, Northern Shrikes, Western Meadowlarks, and Short-eared Owls are winter regulars.

BUTTERTUBS MARSH PARK at the end of Buttertubs Drive - an intact urban marsh featuring many ducks and marsh birds - a migrant trap for songbirds. A 2.1 km circumnavigates the eastern section of the marsh. Virginia Rails, Soras, Green Herons are frequent summer residents.

NECK POINT at the end of Morningside Drive off Hammond Bay Road - A seaside nature park with mixed deciduous and coniferous forests and seaside trails off Hammond Bay Road.

ENGLISHMAN RIVER ESTUARY - riverside and estuary habitats accessible from Plummer Road, Shelley Road, and Mills Street. Mudflats, forest, river, and grassland habitats.

FRENCH CREEK - Between Parksville and Qualicum Beach - a very popular birding and photography site featuring creek, estuary, marina, breakwater, and seaside habitats.

DEEP BAY SPIT - at the end of Deep Bay Road - a popular location for ducks, alcids, loons, grebes, cormorants, gulls, and terns

COURTENAY AIRPARK - 20th Street off Cliff Ave. - wheelchair accessible trails along lagoon, river, and mudflat habitats - seasonal ducks, shorebirds, songbirds, and herons

The Comox Valley region is internationally recognized as an "Important Bird Area."

BIRDING SUPPLIES

The Backyard Wild Bird & Nature Store (Nanaimo) - Your one-stop birding resource for equipment (binoculars & scopes), references (field-guides), bird food, feeders, and information. The last item is usually current, comprehensive, and free-of-charge by very knowledgeable staff. The store also sponsors free, weekly guided Sunday Bird Walks for most of the year, and collects rare bird alerts for the region. Store employee, Neil Robins, also hosts Tuesday bird walks in the Parksville region.

B. Chapters - for a large selection of reference books and field guides. Also the only Nanaimo outlet for VANCOUVER ISLAND BIRDS, DENMAN & HORNBY NATURE, and VANCOUVER ISLAND BUTTERFLIES by Mike Yip.

C. Buckerfields, Canadian Tire, & Walmart - an alternate source of basic bird food and feeders (limited selection)

BIRDING &/or NATURALIST CLUBS

A. Nanoose Naturalists This is a fairly active club with regular outings and monthly meetings. Website: www.nanoosenaturalists.org/

B. Arrowsmith Naturalists - a well-organized club with an interesting variety of regular events and projects. Website: www.arrowsmithnats.org/

D. Comox Valley Nature - a very busy club with many events, projects, and publications. Website: comoxvalleynaturalist.bc.ca/

WEB RESOURCES

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/BCVIBIRDS/info - This eGroup is the best source of current information on birding for the whole Island. The Mid-Island is well-represented, and significant bird sighting information is usually posted immediately. As well, by checking through postings from past years, you can anticipate birding events and happenings for the present and future.

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/bcbirdingvanisland/info - Similar to previous group but with specific focus on the Nanaimo region.

http://birding.bc.ca/ Although this is a provincial site, it does publish regular Rare Bird Alerts (RBA) for Vancouver Island. It also contains a lot of other excellent information particularly about birding locations in Victoria and Duncan as well as a Victoria Checklist and bird specialties.

BIRDING SERVICES

A. Birding guides - http://rainforestnaturehikes.com/ Individual or group tours by birding guide Christopher Stephens of Pacific Rainforest Adventure Tours.

B. Photographic Services - Rare bird documentation? As a free service in the interest of promoting Island birding, there are amateur photographers (myself included) who are often willing to do some travelling to try to get the photo documentation of significant bird sightings.

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Bird Poster

My poster is on display at: Victoria - Swan Lake Nature House. (Note: This poster has been produced in a more manageable size and is now available for $20 unlaminated and $32 laminated.)

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PUBLICATIONS

BOOKS AVAILABLE AT

PARKSVILLE & QUALICUM - MULBERRYBUSH BOOKSTORES

NANAIMO - SAVE-ON FOODS (COUNTRY CLUB), CHAPTERS, NANAIMO MAP & CHARTS

PORT ALBERNI - CLOCKTOWER GALLERY

COURTENAY - GRAHAM'S JEWELLERS

SIDNEY - VICTORIAN BIRD HOUSE, TANNER'S BOOKSTORE

COMOX - BLUE HERON BOOKS

BOWSER - LIGHTHOUSE GIFTS

DEEP BAY - SHIP & SHORE

SAANICH - WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED

VICTORIA - BOLEN BOOKS, MUNRO'S, CROWN PUBLICATIONS, IVY'S

CAMPBELL RIVER - SAVE-ON FOODS, COHO BOOKS, CAMPBELL RIVER MUSEUM

DUNCAN - VOLUME 1 BOOKSTORE

LADYSMITH - SALAMANDER BOOKS

NANOOSE - SCHOONER COVE MARINA

LAKE COWICHAN - GALLOPING MOON GALLERY

TOFINO - BOTANICAL GARDENS

QUADRA ISLAND - BOOK BONANZA

LANGFORD - WILD BIRD CENTER

SOOKE - READING ROOM BOOKSTORE

SOOKE - MUSEUM

Port Hardy - MUSEUM

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