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.

Sunday 31 December 2017



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

To report your sightings phone the Store at 250-390-3669Or 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.

December 18, 2017
Parksville.
One Palm Warbler and one Yellow-rumped Warbler were seen at Parksville Community Park at the far end on the leafs along the shoreline.

December 19, 2017
Parksville
Three Common Redpolls were seen in a backyard feeder along Meridian Way in Parksville.

December 24-- December 27
Nanaimo.
A Gray-crowned Rosy Finch has been visiting feeders in Nanaimo.

December 27
Nanaimo.
A Rufus Hummingbird is visiting a feeder along Douglas Street in Nanaimo.

December 31
 Nanaimo.
A leucistic Dark-eyed Junco has been visiting feeders in the 3400 block of Hammond Bay Road in Nanaimo.

************************************************************ 
Everyone is welcomed to join us for a 2-3 hour bird walk on Sunday & Tuesday. We leave from the Store at 9 a.m. on Sunday Mornings and go to a different location in and around Nanaimo.  We leave from the Parksville Community Park at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday mornings and go to a different location in the Oceanside area.   *******************************************************************
The Sunday walk on January 07, 2018 will be going to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo. Meet at the bird store at 9:00 a.m. or at parking lot at Neck Point in Nanaimo off Hammond Bay Road at about 9:15 a.m.

*********************************************************************************
The Tuesday bird walk on January 09, 2018 will be going to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (at the parking lot in front of the Lions Club Playground) at 9:00 a.m. or at the main parking lot at Rathtrevor Park at about 9:10 a.m.
***************************************************************************** 

                                           Yellow-rumped Warbler: Ralph Hocken Photo:

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:http://thebirdstore.blogspot.ca


Wednesday 27 December 2017

Rare sightings

December 18, Parksville.
One Palm Warbler and one Yellow-rumped Warbler were seen at Parksville Community Park at the far end on the leafs along the shoreline.

December 19, Parksville
Three Common Redpolls were seen in a backyard feeder along Meridian Way in Parksville.

December 24 to December 27, Nanaimo.
A Gray-crowned Rosy Finch has been visiting feeders in Nanaimo.

December 27, Nanaimo.
A Rufus Hummingbird is visiting a feeder along Douglas Street in Nanaimo.

Tuesday 19 December 2017

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, December 19, 2017


 

Parksville/Qualicum Beach, Tuesday bird walk December 19, 2017:
The Tuesday went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in  Parksville. The morning was very snowy, cool and windy. The tide was high and we noted more birds appeared as the tide receded. Six Fox Sparrows were seen feeding just off the trail. Thirty Brant were seen on the Strait of Georgia. Five Killdeer and four Dunlin were seen feeding along the shoreline.

Fox Sparrow: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Four birders saw and heard the following twenty-three species:
Brant
Canada Geese
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Greater Scaup
Green-wing Teal
Bufflehead
 Common Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Common Loon
Killdeer
Dunlin
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Glaucous-winged Gull
European Starling
Brown Creeper
Spotted Towhee
Fox Sparrow
 Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco 

Please Note
Check this site (www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com)  early Tuesday and Sunday mornings on stormy mornings to see if the walks have been cancelled!

“Merry Christmas and Happy New Year”
The Tuesday Bird Walks will resume on January 09, 2018
Good birding
From us hardy birders-“David, Bud, John and Neil”  

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

Monday 18 December 2017

Palm Warbler, December 18, 2017

One Palm Warbler  and a Yellow-rumped Warbler were seen at the  Parksville Community Park in Parksville. The birds were seen at the far end of the park, feeding on the leafs and ground cover near the shore. The birds were seen at about 1:00 pm on December 18.
Yellow-rumped Warbler: John Purves Photo:

                                                         Palm warbler: John Purves Photo:

Sunday 17 December 2017

Nanaimo bird report, December 17, 2017



“MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR” 
FROM EVERYONE AT THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE. 

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 bird walk, December 17, 2017  
The Sunday bird walk went to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park in Parksville. The morning was cloudy with light rain showers and very strong winds off the Strait of Georgia. Over fifty Brant Geese were spotted along the shoreline. A cloud of an estimated five hundred Dunlin lifted and flew along the shore giving us great views. We saw a Red-breasted Nuthatch, three Chestnut-backed Chickadees, five Golden-crowned Kinglets and two Ruby-crowned Kinglets feeding on bushes about six feet off the ground, next to the trail.
Dunlin: Ralph Hocken Photo: 

Six birders saw and heard the following thirty-one species:
Brant Geese
American Widgeon
Mallard
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Surf Scoter
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Bald Eagle
Mew Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Dunlin
 Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Northern Flicker
Varied Thrush
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Pacific Wren
Brown Creeper
Spotted Towhee
Golden-crowned Sparrow 
 Dark-eyed Junco
Song Sparrow
Pine Siskin  
Brant: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Saturday, December 16:
Over two hundred Pacific White-sided Dolphins were seen corralling herring at Nanoose Bay at 11:30 a.m. 

Tuesday, December 12:
Parksville/Qualicum Beach, Tuesday birds walk December 12, 2017:
The Tuesday went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was cloudy with calm winds. The highlight of the morning was the sighting of two Common Redpolls feeding in a tall birch tree next to the trail.  We heard a flock of Red Crossbills fly overhead.  We saw a Golden-crowned Kinglet and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet moving very quickly in the trees along the trail.  A large flock of Brant Geese were spotted on the ocean. Ten Gadwall were seen near the shore line.  We had great views of a Hairy Woodpecker feeding in a tall conifer.  A Brandt’s Cormorant, several Barrow’s Goldeneye, Common Goldeneye and Red-breasted Mergansers were seen just offshore.


 Hairy Woodpecker: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Twenty-two birders including two visiting birders from St. Albert, Alberta saw and heard the following fifty-four species:
Canada Geese
Brandt Geese
American Widgeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Gadwall
Surf Scoter
White-wing Scoter
Bufflehead
Barrow’s Goldeneye
Common Goldeneye
Red-breasted Merganser
Common Merganser
Hooded Merganser
Common Loon
Pacific Loon
Double-crested Cormorant
Brandt’s Cormorant
Common Murre
Belted Kingfisher
Killdeer
Great Blue Heron
Mew Gull
California Gull
Thayer's Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Bald Eagle
Merlin
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Northern Shrike
Anna's Hummingbird
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Steller’s Jay
American Robin
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Brown Creeper
Bewick's Wren
Pacific Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
European Starling
Spotted Towhee
Brewers Blackbird
Song Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Common Redpoll
Red Crossbill
House Finch
Pine Siskin
  Northern Shrike: Ralph Hocken Photo:  

Please Note
Check this site early Tuesday and Sunday mornings on stormy mornings to see if the walks have been cancelled! 

 The Tuesday Bird walk on December 19, 2017, will be going to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (at the parking lot in front of the Lions Club Playground) at 9:00 a.m. or at the corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive on the Oceanside of Highway 19A in Parksville at about 9:10 a.m.

*******************************************************************
The Sunday Bird walks will resume on January 07, 2018
**********************************************************************
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:http://thebirdstore.blogspot.ca

Saturday 16 December 2017

Pacific White sided Dolphins

A herd of over two hundred Pacific White sided Dolphins  were seen corralling herring at Nanoose Bay today. GREAT SIGHTING!!!

Tuesday 12 December 2017


Parksville/Qualicum Beach, Tuesday bird walk December 12, 2017:

The Tuesday went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in  Parksville. The morning was cloudy with calm winds. The highlight of the morning was the sighting of two Common Redpolls feeding in a tall birch tree next to the trail.  We heard a flock of Red Crossbills fly overhead.  We saw a Golden-crowned Kinglet and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet moving very quickly in the trees along the trail.  A large flock of Brant Geese were spotted on the ocean. Ten Gadwall were seen near the shore line.  We had great views of a Hairy Woodpecker feeding in a tall conifer.  A Brandt’s Cormorant, several Barrow’s Goldeneye, Common Goldeneye and Red-breasted Mergansers were seen just offshore.

 Hairy Woodpecker: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Twenty-two birders including two visiting birders from St. Albert, Alberta saw and heard the following fifty-four species:
Canada Geese
Brandt Geese
American Widgeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Gadwall
Surf Scoter
White-wing Scoter
Bufflehead
Barrow’s Goldeneye
Common Goldeneye
Red-breasted Merganser
Common Merganser
Hooded Merganser
Common Loon
Pacific Loon
Double-crested Cormorant
Brandt’s Cormorant
Common Murre
Belted Kingfisher
Killdeer
Great Blue Heron
Mew Gull
California Gull
Thayer's Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Bald Eagle
Merlin
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Northern Shrike
Anna's Hummingbird
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Steller’s Jay
American Robin
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Brown Creeper
Bewick's Wren
Pacific Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
European Starling
Spotted Towhee
Brewers Blackbird
Song Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Common Redpoll
Red Crossbill
House Finch
Pine Siskin
  Northern Shrike: Ralph Hocken Photo:

 

Please Note
Check this site   early Tuesday and Sunday mornings on stormy mornings to see if the walks have been cancelled!


The Tuesday Bird walk on December 19, 2017, will be going to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (at the parking lot in front of the Lions Club Playground) at 9:00 a.m. or at the corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive on the oceanside of Highway 19A in Parksville at about 9:10 a.m.
Good Birding
Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE
314 Metral Drive
Nanaimo B.C.
V9T-2L8
Phone: 250-390-3669
Fax: 250-390-1633

 

 

Sunday 10 December 2017

Nanaimo bird report, December 10, 2017


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 bird walk, December 10, 2017  
The Sunday bird walk went to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. The morning was mostly sunny with calm winds. One Trumpeter Swan flew high over head. We saw one Canada Goose on the marsh. Two Pied-billed Grebe, and three Hooded Mergansers were also on the marsh. We spotted three Downy Woodpeckers feeding on the tall trees. A Golden-crowned Sparrow, a Fox Sparrow, several Pine Siskins and American Goldfinch were seen just off the trail. A Merlin was perched at the top of a very tall tree, preening itself.

                                                Pied-billed Grebe: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Seventeen birders saw and heard the following thirty-nine species:
Trumpeter Swan
Canada Geese
Mallard
American Wigeon
Bufflehead
Pied-billed Grebe
Hooded Merganser
Ringed-necked Duck
Great Blue Heron
Glaucous-winged Gull
Belted Kingfisher
Bald Eagle
Merlin
Northern Flicker
Downy Woodpecker
Eurasian Collared-Dove
American Robin
Varied Thrush
European Starling
Steller's Jay
Common Raven
Northwestern Crow
Anna’s Hummingbird
Brown Creeper
Marsh Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Bushtit
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Pine Siskin
Purple Finch
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow   

                                                                                              Fox Sparrow: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Tuesday, December 05:
Tuesday bird walks December 05, 2017:
Finally it wasn’t raining and the Tuesday bird walk went to Columbia Beach in French Creek! Third try lucky!  The morning was cloudy with calm winds. A Merlin was spotted perched high up in a tall snag. Several flocks of Surf Scoters, White-winged Scoters, Common Loons and Long-tailed Ducks were seen just off shore. Many flocks of Common Mergansers, Red-breasted Mergansers and Pacific Loons were seen further offshore. Eight Brant Geese were seen heading down the Strait of Georgia.  Flocks of Ancient Murrelets and Common Murre were seen heading up the Strait all morning.  We spotted a Fox Sparrow, a Song Sparrow, four Varied Thrush and four White-crowned Sparrows just off the trail.  Looking towards the horizon from French Creek, we were entertained by two Hump-backed Whales for fifteen minutes as they spouted and came in and out of the ocean. 
                                                                               
                                                          Merlin: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Eleven birders saw and heard the following forty-nine species:
Trumpeter Swan
Canada Geese
Brant
Harlequin Duck
American Wigeon
Mallard
Surf Scoter 
 White-winged Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead 
 Common Goldeneye
 Common Merganser 
 Red-breasted Merganser
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
 Horned Grebe
 Red-necked Grebe
 Double-crested Cormorant
 Pelagic Cormorant
Pigeon Guillemot
Ancient Murrelet
Common Murre
 Bald Eagle
Merlin
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Black-bellied Plover
 Black Oystercatcher
Dunlin
 Black Turnstone
 Mew Gull
 California Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Iceland Gull
 Glaucous-winged Gull 
 Eurasian-collared Dove 
 Northern Flicker
                                                             Northwestern Crow
Steller’s Jay
Anna’s Hummingbird
 Chestnut-backed Chickadee 
 American Robin
Spotted Towhee
Fox Sparrow
 Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
House Finch
Dark-eyed Junco


Over sixty Common Redpolls were seen in the Alders near the parking lot at Neck Point Park in Nanaimo.

A flock of thirty Evening Grosbeaks were seen at the end of Lowery’s Road near the Little Qualicum Cheese works in Qualicum Beach.

Thursday, December 07:
An American Kestrel was spotted along Cameron Road near the Nanaimo Airport in south Nanaimo. 

Please Note
Check this site early Tuesday and Sunday mornings on stormy mornings to see if the walks have been cancelled!

*************************************************************************
The Tuesday Bird walk on December 12, 2017, will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (at the parking lot in front of the Lions Club Playground) at 9:00 a.m. or at the end of Shelly Road on the Oceanside of Highway 19A in Parksville at about 9:10 a.m.
*******************************************************************

The Sunday walk on December 17, 2017 will be going to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville, depending on the weather. Meet at the bird store at 9:00 a.m. or at main parking at Rathtrevor Park off highway 19a, at about 9:30 a.m.
********************************************************************** 

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:http://thebirdstore.blogspot.ca