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 here by 8am the day of the walk. Our first bird walks of the year are going out on Sunday February 4th and Tuesday February 6th. Locations will be posted to our next Bird Report.

Tuesday 30 December 2014

Parksville/Qualicum beach Tuesday bird walk, December 30, 2014

The Tuesday bird walk went to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville.
The morning was sunny with calm winds, although it was cool in the forest out of the sunshine. We had a great morning of birding. 
 
We watched a flock of thirty Black-bellied Plovers and about two hundred Dunlin dance in the sky for several minutes and then land on the rocks at the point. When we looked closely at the flock we discovered that there were nineteen Surfbirds in among the flock. Two Brant were just off shore. The group had great views through the scope at a Yellow-billed Loon diving and returning to the surface further off shore.  A Pigeon Guillemot, two Marbled Murrelet and several flocks of Common Murre were also seen further offshore.

       
                                       Yellow-billed Loon: Ralph Hocken Photo.                                       
 
 
 
                                                                             

                                                               Surfbirds: Ralph Hocken Photo.

 

Twelve birders including a visiting birder from New Brunswick saw and heard the following thirty-eight species:
Brant
American Widgeon
Mallard
Harlequin Duck
Greater Scaup
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Yellow-billed Loon
Long-tailed Duck
Red-necked Grebe
Horned Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Bald Eagle
Black-bellied Plover
Black Turnstone
Black Oystercatcher
Dunlin
Surfbird
Glaucous-winged Gull
Pigeon Guillemot
Marbled Murrelet
Common Murre
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
American Robin
Varied Thrush
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Pacific Wren
Spotted Towhee
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Song Sparrow 

                                                                     Brant: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

The Tuesday bird walk on January 06, 2015 will be going to the Little Qualicum River Estuary.  

Happy New Year
Neil Robins
Parksville.

 

Sunday 28 December 2014

Nanaimo bird report, December 28, 2014


NANAIMO BIRD REPORT “EXPLORE NATURE---GO BIRDING”

To report your sightings phone the Store at 250-390-3669 or e-mail us at
thebackyard@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.
*****************************************************************************
Sunday, December 28, 2014:
The Sunday bird walk went to the Nanoose Bay. The morning was partly cloudy with a cold wind off the Strait of Georgia. Five Black Scoters were seen swimming near the oyster beds.  We spotted a Northern Shrike perched on a short bush near Nanoose Creek. A Red-tailed Hawk was perched in a conifer not far from us. Common Mergansers, Red-breasted Mergansers and two Hooded Mergansers were not far from shore. A Pigeon Guillemot was seen further from shore.

Hooded Merganser: Ralph Hocken Photo  

Seven birders saw and heard the following thirty-nine species:
Mallard
American Widgeon
Green-wing Teal
Northern Pintail
Greater Scaup
Surf Scoter
Black Scoter
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Hooded Merganser
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Common Loon
Pacific Loon
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Pigeon Guillemot
Great Blue Heron
Belted Kingfisher
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Northern Shrike
Thayer’s Gull
Mew Gull
California Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Northern Flicker
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
European Starling
American Robin
Spotted Towhee
Red-winged Blackbird
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow

Red-tailed Hawk: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Saturday, December 27.
Six Ruby-crowned Kinglets were seen feeding near the ground close by two birders at Rebecca Spit on Quadra Island. 

Tuesday, December 23:
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Shelly road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. The morning started out with light showers and strong winds off the Strait of Georgia, but when the showers stopped we had a good morning of birding. We spotted a Ruby-crowned Kinglet feeding low in the bushes next to the parking lot.  A flock of Pine Siskins were feeding and singing at the top of a tall tree above the Ruby-crowned Kinglet.  A flock of Common Mergansers were resting on the banks of the river.  A flock of Canada Geese, a Cackling Goose and a Snow Goose all flew in and landed on the river.  Two flocks of Common Murre were flying up the Strait.  The resident Peregrine Falcon was perched in its usual spot high on a snag looking down on us as we looked up at him through our scopes.  An Anna's Hummingbird was perched on a snag next to the trail

Peregrine: Falcon: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Eight birders saw and heard the following forty-three species:
Canada Geese
Cackling Goose
Snow Goose
Brant
American Widgeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
White-winged Scoter
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Barrow's Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Common Loon
Pacific Loon
Common Murre
Pelagic Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Belted Kingfisher
Bald Eagle
Peregrine Falcon
Mew Gull
California Gull
Thayer's  Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Anna's Hummingbird
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Northern Flicker
Downy Woodpecker
Steller’s Jay
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
American Robin
Varied Thrush
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Pacific Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Pine Siskin
*************************************************************************************

18th Annual Tofino Shorebird Festival

May 1-3, 2015 

*********************************************************************************
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. on 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 December 30, 2014 will be going to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville. Meet
at the parking lot near the Lions Club Playground in Parksville Community Park at 9:00 a.m. or at the main parking lot at Rathtrevor Park at about 9:10 a.m.
*********************************************************************
The Sunday bird walk on January 04, 2015 will be going to the Plummer Road  side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 a.m. or at the corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive in Parksville at about 9:25 a.m.

 

*********************************************************************
British Columbia Rare Bird Alert link---
http://www.bcbirdalert.blogspot.ca/

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

A must read for those of us who live along the Strait of Georgia.

 

THE SEA AMONG US
THE AMAZING STRAIT OF GEORGIA
RICHARD BEAMISH AND GORDON McFARLANE

*****************************************************************************
Good birding
Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE
6314 Metral Drive
Nanaimo  B.C.
V9T-2L8
Phone: 250-390-3669
Fax: 250-390-1633
Email: 
thebackyard@shaw.ca
Blog:  www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com


Tuesday 23 December 2014

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, December 23, 2014

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. The morning started out with light showers and strong winds off the Strait of Georgia, but when the showers stopped we had a good morning of birding. We spotted a Ruby-crowned Kinglet feeding low in the bushes next to the parking lot.  A flock of Pine Siskins were feeding and singing at the top of a tall tree above the Ruby-crowned Kinglet.  A flock of Common Mergansers were resting on the banks of the river.  A flock of Canada Geese, a Cackling Goose and a Snow Goose all flew in and landed on the river.  Two flocks of Common Murre were flying up the Strait.  The resident Peregrine Falcon was perched in its usual spot high on a snag looking down on us as we looked up at him through our scopes.  An Anna's Hummingbird was perched on a snag next to the trail.

                                                         Peregrine: Falcon: Ralph Hocken Photo.                                                        
 
 
 
     Common Merganser: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Eight birders saw and heard the following forty-three species:
Canada Geese
Cackling Goose
Snow Goose
Brant
American Widgeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
White-winged Scoter
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Barrow's Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Common Loon
Pacific Loon
Common Murre
Pelagic Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Belted Kingfisher
Bald Eagle
Peregrine Falcon
Mew Gull
California Gull
Thayer's  Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Anna's Hummingbird
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Northern Flicker
Downy Woodpecker
Steller’s Jay
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
American Robin
Varied Thrush
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Pacific Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Pine Siskin
                                                                     
                                                     Anna’s Hummingbird: Ralph Hocken Photo.

The Tuesday bird walk on December 30, 2014 will be going to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville. 

Merry Christmas
Neil Robins
Parksville
 

Sunday 21 December 2014

Nanaimo bird report, December 21, 2014


NANAIMO BIRD REPORT “EXPLORE NATURE---GO BIRDING”

To report your sightings phone the Store at 250-390-3669 or e-mail us at
thebackyard@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.
*****************************************************************************
Sunday, December 21, 2014:
The Sunday bird walk went to the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo. The morning was partly cloudy with sunny periods and calm winds.
Highlights included seeing a
Northern Harrier fly low over the field next to the parking area. We had many great looks at a Rough-legged Hawk Perched at the top of a short bush close to us. We saw fourteen Western Meadowlarks with two of them perch on a log looking straight at us giving us awesome views of their bright yellow breasts. A Cooper’s Hawk and two Red-tailed Hawks perched for a long time giving us ample time to study them.

 

Western Meadowlark: Ralph Hocken Photo. 
 

Seven birders saw and heard the following forty-three species:
Trumpeter Swan
Canada Geese
 Mallard
American Wigeon
Bufflehead
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Common Goldeneye
 Northern Pintail
 Red-breasted Merganser
  Common Merganser
  Great Blue Heron
  Bald Eagle
Rough-legged Hawk
 Cooper’s Hawk
 Northern Harrier
 Red-tailed Hawk
 Mew Gull
California Gull
 Thayer’s Gull 
 Glaucous-winged Gull
 Belted Kingfisher
 Northern Flicker
Downy Woodpecker
  Northwestern Crow
 Common Raven
  European Starling
 Western Meadowlark
  American Robin
Bewick’s Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-winged Blackbird
 Spotted Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
 Song Sparrow
 Golden-crowned Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
 Dark-eyed Junco
 Purple Finch
American Goldfinch
House Finch 

Rough-legged Hawk with prey: John Purves Photo. 

A Townsend’s Warbler was spotted in a backyard along Kenwill Drive in Nanaimo. 

Tuesday, December 16:
The Tuesday bird walk went to Deep Bay. The morning was filled with light rain and the Strait of Georgia was calm. The highlights included seeing a Eurasian Wigeon in with a huge flock of American Wigeon next to the parking lot. Large numbers of singing Black Scoters along with many White-winged Scoters were not far from shore. Fifteen Long-tailed Ducks, two Marbled Murrelets, two Common Murre and a Pigeon Guillemot were diving and surfacing just off the Point not far from shore giving great views.

Black Scoter: Ralph Hocken photo.

Eighteen birders including a visiting birder from Manitoba saw and heard the following forty-seven species:
Canada Geese
Eurasian Wigeon
American Wigeon
 Mallard
 Harlequin Duck
Greater Scaup
Surf Scoter
 White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
 Long-tailed Duck
 Bufflehead
 Common Goldeneye
 Common Merganser
 Red-breasted Merganser
Marbled Murrelet
Common Murre
Pigeon Guillemot
 Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
 Red-necked Grebe
 Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Brandt’s Cormorant
 Great Blue Heron
 Bald Eagle
 Dunlin
 Mew Gull
Thayer’s Gull
California Gull
 Glaucous-winged Gull
 Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Steller’s Jay
 Northwestern Crow
 Common Raven
 American Robin
 Varied Thrush
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
European Starling
 Spotted Towhee
Dark-eyed Junco
Golden-crowned Sparrow
 White-crowned Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
House Sparrow
House Finch
                                                            
                         
                                                   Long-tailed Duck: Ralph Hocken Photo.

 

Thursday, December 18:

A Rough-legged Hawk was seen at the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.
************************************************************************************
Sunday, December 28-- The Nanaimo Christmas Bird Count (CBC)
Please contact Rhys Harrison at 248-5305 or
rhysharrison@shaw.ca

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

Tofino Shorebird Festival 8th Annual
 
May 1-3, 2015

 


 

*********************************************************************************
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. on 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 December 23, 2014 will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. Meet at the parking lot near the Lions Club Playground in Parksville Community Park at 9:00 a.m. or at the end of Shelly Road off the Oceanside of highway 19a at about 9:10 a.m.
*********************************************************************
The Sunday bird walk on December 28, 2014 will be going to Nanoose Bay. Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 a.m. or at the beach near the Church Camp off Arlington Road at about 9:15 a.m.

 

*********************************************************************
British Columbia Rare Bird Alert link---
http://www.bcbirdalert.blogspot.ca/

****************************************************************************
WildResearch link---http://www.wildresearch.ca/

******************************************************************************
West coast environment link—http://coastaltarsands.ca/w1/videos/
*******************************************************************************
“READ AN INTERESTING NEW BOOK “

THE SEA AMONG US
THE AMAZING STRAIT OF GEORGIA
RICHARD BEAMISH AND GORDON McFARLANE

 
A must read for those of us who live along the Strait of Georgia.
*****************************************************************************
Good birding
Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE
6314 Metral Drive
Nanaimo  B.C.
V9T-2L8

Tuesday 16 December 2014

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, December 16, 2014

The Tuesday bird walk went to Deep Bay. The morning was filled with light rain and the Strait of Georgia was calm. The highlights included seeing a Eurasian Wigeon in with a huge flock of American Wigeon next to the parking lot. Large numbers of singing Black Scoters along with many White-winged Scoters were not far from shore. Fifteen Long-tailed Ducks, two Marbled Murrelets, two Common Murre and a Pigeon Guillemot were diving and surfacing just off the Point not far from shore giving great views.
                                   
               
Long-tailed Duck: Ralph Hocken Photo.   
 
 
                                                  
 
 
                                                         Eurasian Wigeon: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Eighteen birders including a visiting birder from Manitoba saw and heard the following forty-seven species:
Canada Goose
Eurasian Wigeon
American Wigeon
 Mallard
 Harlequin Duck
Greater Scaup
Surf Scoter
 White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
 Long-tailed Duck
 Bufflehead
 Common Goldeneye
 Common Merganser
 Red-breasted Merganser
Marbled Murrelet
Common Murre
Pigeon Guillemot
 Pacific Loon
Common LoonHorned Grebe
 Red-necked Grebe
 Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Brandt’s Cormorant
 Great Blue Heron
 Bald Eagle
 Dunlin
 Mew Gull
Thayer’s Gull
California Gull
 Glaucous-winged Gull
 Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Steller’s Jay
 Northwestern Crow
 Common Raven
 American Robin
 Varied Thrush
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
European Starling
 Spotted Towhee
Dark-eyed Junco
Golden-crowned Sparrow 
 White-crowned Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
House Sparrow
House Finch
                                                             
                                                                    
  Black Scoter: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

The Tuesday bird walk on December 23, 2014 will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. 

Good Birding
Neil Robins
Parksville