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.

Saturday 31 August 2019

Nanaimo Weekly Bird Report August 27 2019

The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store
Weekly Bird Report

Nanaimo Bird Report, August 27 2019
BIRD REPORT“EXPLORE NATURE”---GO BIRDING:
To report your sightings phone the Store at 250-390-3669 or e-mail us at thebackyard@shaw.caPlease remember, when reporting a sighting to leave your name and phone number along with the date the species was seen and location of your sighting.
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Please Note
Please check this site (www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com) early Tuesday and Sunday mornings to see if the walks have been cancelled!
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Sunday Bird Walk, August 25, 2019

Thirteen birders saw a total of 27 species when visiting Buttertubs Marsh in
Naniamo.

Wood Duck

Mallard

Pied-billed Grebe

Turkey Vulture

Merlin

Eurasian-collared Dove

Anna's Hummingbird

Northern Flicker

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Steller's Jay

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Marsh Wren

Willow Flycatcher

Cedar Waxwing

Purple Martin

Cassins Vireo

Red-tailed Hawk

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Fox Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Red-winged Blackbird

House Finch

House Sparrow

Purple Finch

Western Tananger


Tuesday Bird Walk, August 28, 2019

Nine birders saw 36 species on the Tuesday bird walk visiting Little Qualicum River Estuary in Parksville.
Snow Goose
Canada Goose
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Common Merganser
Red-necked Grebe
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Anna's Hummingbird
Killdeer
Western Sandpiper
Pigeon Guillemot
Marbled Murrelet
Rhinoceros Auklet
Bonaparte's Gull
Mew Gull
California Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Cooper's Hawk
Bald Eagle
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
Merlin
Steller's Jay
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Violet-green Swallow
Red-breasted Nuthatch
European Starling
White-crowned Sparrow
Song Sparrow

August 26, 2019
Our retired bird walk guide Neil reports the following thirty-three species seen from Plummer Road to Deep Bay.
Common Loon
Pacific Loon
Red-necked Grebe
Western Grebe
Pelagic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Canada Geese
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Common Merganser
Turkey Vulture
Killdeer
Black Oystercatcher
Black Turnstone
Western Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Semipalmated Plover
Long-tailed Jaeger
Bonaparte Gull
California Gull
Heermann’s Gull
Glaucous Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Common Murre
Pigeon Guillemot
Marbled Guillemot
Cassin’s Auklet
Rhinoceros Auklet
Steller’s Jay
Common Raven
Northwestern Crow
European Starling

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Backyard Feeder Notes:
We have had increasaed reports of Stellar's Jays visiting feeders in the Naniamo area. Last week we started to have reports of Stellar's Jays on rural Jinglepot properties, and this week we have started receiving reports of them visiting properties around Brannen Lake.
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The Tuesday Bird Walk September 3 2019, 2019:
Will be going to Columbia Beach in French Creek. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (near the Lions Club playground parking area) in Parksville at 9:00 am or at the parking area on Admiral Tyron blvd, at 9:20 a.m.
The Sunday Bird Walk:
There will be no Bird Walk this Sunday September 1st  due to the Labour Day long weekend.
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Sunday 25 August 2019

Nanaimo Weekly Bird Report August 25, 2019




The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store



Nanaimo Bird Report

August 25, 2019


“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 was seen and location of your sighting.
*********************************************************


Sunday August 25:

Today the Sunday Bird Walk went to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. The weather was sunny with a steady breeze. To start the walk we were entertained by 3 Merlin’s flying about over the marsh along with a Turkey Vulture in the distance. A few highlights from the walk include, Willow Flycatcher, Steller’s Jay, Cassin’s Vireo and lots of Purple Martins. Our parking lot bird at the end of the walk was the Red-tailed Hawk soaring above us.



Thirteen birders saw and heard the following twenty seven (27) species:

Wood Duck

Mallard

Pied-billed Grebe

Red-tailed Hawk

Turkey Vulture

Merlin

Eurasian Collared-Dove

Anna’s Hummingbird

Northern Flicker

Willow Flycatcher

Cassin’s Vireo

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Steller’s Jay

Purple Martin

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Marsh Wren

Cedar Waxwing

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Western Tanager

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Red-winged Blackbird

House Finch

Purple Finch

House Sparrow




Steller’s Jay, photo by John Morrison





Tuesday August 20:

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to the Plummer road side of the Englishman River Estuary. The morning was sunny and the winds were light. A few highlights from the walk were a Ring-billed Gull, Long-bill Dowitcher, and Cedar Waxwings. There was not much on the strait except for a Pigeon Guillemot, Common Murre, Marbled Murrelet and Surf Scoter.



Sixteen birders including birders from Alberta, Vermont and Switzerland, saw and heard the following thirty nine (39) species:



Mallard

Green-winged Teal

Common Merganser

Northern Pintail

Surf Scoter

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Turkey Vulture

Merlin

Black-bellied Plover

Killdeer

Black Oystercatcher

Lesser Yellowlegs

Greater Yellowlegs

Western Sandpiper

Least Sandpiper

Long-billed Dowitcher

California Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Ring-billed Gull

Pigeon Guillemot

Common Murre

Marbled Murrelet

Belted Kingfisher

Anna’s Hummingbird

Pacific-sloped Flycatcher

Hammond’s Flycatcher

Northwestern Crow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Bushtit

American Robin

Cedar Waxwing

Orange-crowned Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

House Finch

Purple Finch

American Goldfinch




Green-winged Teal, photo by Ralph Hocken.





Monday August 19:

A Yellow-billed Loon was seen off the mouth of the Little Qualicum River.





Backyard Feeder Notes:

The woodpeckers are back at my suet feeders in mass. The other day there were six Northern Flickers on the feeders and then the Downy woodpeckers arrived. It s always fun to watch the juvenile feeding by itself until an adult arrives and then begins to beg to be fed, I call these teenagers.

Chickadee, Bushtits and nuthatches are still busy at the feeders and are beginning to cache seed away for the winter. Peanut halves and black oil sunflower seed are a favorite for caching.

In some parts of Ladysmith we have had reports of Steller’s Jays visiting backyard feeders. They will also be caching seed away for winter and their favorites are sunflower seeds and peanuts in the shell.

This can be a fun time to watch the birds at the backyard feeders, as all the juveniles are out and about and some birds are beginning to migrate south while others are returning to winter here. It can be a busy and interesting time to watch the birds in your backyard.




Flock of Bushtits on a suet feeder, photo Google images





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





The Tuesday Bird Walk August 27, 2019:

Will be going to Little Qualicum River Estuary. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (near the Lions Club playground parking area) in Parksville at 9:00 am or at the north parking area on Surfside drive off of Kinkade road in Qualicum Beach, at 9:20 a.m. 



The Sunday Bird Walk:

There will be no Bird Walk this Sunday September 1st long weekend.





Good birding!

Colin Bartlett










The Backyard

Wildbird and Nature Store
6314 Metral Drive V9T-2L8
Phone: 250-390-3669


Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca
Blog:
www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

Saturday 24 August 2019

The Backyard Summer Seed Sale 2019

The Backyard Summer Seed Sale



15% OFF *

August 24 2019 - September 14 2019

It's time to stock up on bird seed for the fall!

*Minimum of $150.00 purchase

15% off can be applied to bird seed (40lb or 20lb bags and jugs) and suet. 

Tuesday 20 August 2019

Nanaimo Weekly Bird Report August 20, 2019




The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store



Nanaimo Bird Report

August 20, 2019


“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 was seen and location of your sighting.
*********************************************************


Sunday August 18:

There was no bird walk this Sunday.


Cedar Waxwing, photo by Steen Petersen

 

Tuesday August 20:

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to the Plummer road side of the Englishman River Estuary. The morning was sunny and the winds were light. A few highlights from the walk were a Ring-billed Gull, Long-bill Dowitcher, and Cedar Waxwings. There was not much on the strait except for a Pigeon Guillemot, Common Murre, Marbled Murrelet and Surf Scoter.



Sixteen birders including birders from Alberta, Vermont and Switzerland, saw and heard the following thirty nine (39) species:



Mallard

Green-winged Teal

Common Merganser

Northern Pintail

Surf Scoter

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Turkey Vulture

Merlin

Black-bellied Plover

Killdeer

Black Oystercatcher

Lesser Yellowlegs

Greater Yellowlegs

Western Sandpiper

Least Sandpiper

Long-billed Dowitcher

California Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Ring-billed Gull

Pigeon Guillemot

Common Murre

Marbled Murrelet

Belted Kingfisher

Anna’s Hummingbird

Pacific-sloped Flycatcher

Hammond’s Flycatcher

Northwestern Crow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Bushtit

American Robin

Cedar Waxwing

Orange-crowned Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

House Finch

Purple Finch

American Goldfinch




Green-winged Teal, photo by Ralph Hocken.





Monday August 19:

A Yellow-billed Loon was seen off the mouth of the Little Qualicum River.



Backyard Feeder Notes:

The woodpeckers are back at my suet feeders in mass. The other day there were six Northern Flickers on the feeders and then the Downy woodpeckers arrived. It s always fun to watch the juvenile feeding by itself until an adult arrives and then begins to beg to be fed, I call these teenagers.

Chickadee, Bushtits and nuthatches are still busy at the feeders and are beginning to cache seed away for the winter. Peanut halves and black oil sunflower seed are a favorite for caching.

In some parts of Ladysmith we have had reports of Steller’s Jays visiting backyard feeders. They will also be caching seed away for winter and their favorites are sunflower seeds and peanuts in the shell.

This can be a fun time to watch the birds at the backyard feeders, as all the juveniles are out and about and some birds are beginning to migrate south while others are returning to winter here. It can be a busy and interesting time to watch the birds in your backyard.




Flock of Bushtits on a suet feeder, photo Google images





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





The Tuesday Bird Walk August 27, 2019:

Will be going to Little Qualicum River Estuary. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (near the Lions Club playground parking area) in Parksville at 9:00 am or at the north parking area on Surfside drive off of Kinkade road in Qualicum Beach, at 9:20 a.m. 



The Sunday Bird Walk August 25, 2019:

Will be going to Buttertubs Marsh. Meet at The Backyard Wildbird & Nature Store at 9:00 am or at the end of Buttertubs drive off of Bowen road at 9:15 am.





Good birding!

Colin Bartlett











The Backyard

Wildbird and Nature Store
6314 Metral Drive V9T-2L8
Phone: 250-390-3669


Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca
Blog:
www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com