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.

Wednesday 25 September 2019




The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store



Nanaimo Bird Report

September 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.
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September 19:

Common Loon was seen out at Yellow Point

American Pipits were seen at the old Harwood school site on Howard avenue.


September 20:

A small flock of American Pipits were seen at the Nanaimo River Estuary perched on a fence near the large lagoon.

Approximately 30 Black Oystercatchers and 20 Harlequin Ducks were seen out at Yellow Point.


 September 22:

A Lewis’s Woodpecker was seen in a backyard at Cathers Lake in Nanaimo



Sunday September 22:

The Sunday Bird Walk went to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville. The rain kept a lot of birders away and it was drizzling steadily at 0930. Four hardy souls showed up and we started the walk, setting up scopes near the beach to see what was out there. The rain tapered off and we did see quite a few birds at low tide offshore, but the best sighting was a small pod of Orcas! Passerines were very scarce, and we only managed to find these twenty species.

Thank you Bud for leading this walk.

Great Blue Heron, photo by Ralph Hocken

Four birders saw and heard the following twenty (20) species:

Common Loon
Pacific Loon
Red-necked Grebe
Horned Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Canada Goose
Great Blue Heron
Mallard
American Wigeon
Green-winged Teal
Surf Scoter
Glaucous-winged Gull
Northern Flicker
Northwestern Crow
American Robin
Spotted Towhee
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco

Savannah Sparrow, photo by John Morrison


Tuesday September 24:

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to the Nanoose Bay Estuary at the end of Nanoose Beach road. The weather was sunny, winds were calm and the fog rolled in and out quickly. The tide was out making it a little harder to see some of the birds. In all it was a pretty good day for birding.

Fourteen (14) birders including a couple from the UK, saw and heard the following forty three (43) species:

Common Loon
Pacific Loon
Red-necked Grebe
Horned Grebe
Pelagic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Canada Goose
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
Northern Pintail
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-tail Hawk
Turkey Vulture
Mew Gull
California Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Pigeon Guillemot
Band-tailed Pigeon
Belted Kingfisher
Anna’s Hummingbird
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Steller’s Jay
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Bushtit
Bewick’s Wren
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
European Starling
Red-winged Blackbird
Spotted Towhee
Golden-crowned Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Lincoln Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
House Finch
Purple Finch

Red-tail Hawk, photo by Ralph Hocken.


Backyard Feeder Notes:

The finches are back and are they busy at my bird feeder. These days my chickadees and nuthatches are having a hard time getting any seed with all the finches in the feeder. Good numbers of House Finch along with some Pine Siskins and American Goldfinch in winter plumage. Need to add another feeder for just the finches. The Northern Flickers seem to be establishing territories already as I have one flicker that will chase other flickers away from the suet feeder. It’s entertaining to watch.

The Anna’s Hummingbirds are busy and it seems like there is a new butch of juveniles visiting the feeders. It will be interesting to see if we get any juveniles in November like I did last year.

House Finch, photo by Ralph Hocken


The Sunday Bird Walk September 29, 2019:

Will be going to the Nanaimo River Estuary at the end of Raines road in south Nanaimo. Meet at The Backyard Wildbird & Nature Store at 9:00am or at the parking lot at 9:15 am.


The Tuesday Bird Walk October 1, 2019:

Will be going to Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (near the Lions Club playground parking area) in Parksville at 9:00 am. We will first meet at the Qualicum Beach viewing stand at 9:15 a.m. then at the north end of Surfside drive which is off Kinkade road off highway 19A at 9:40am.


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



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

Monday 23 September 2019

Tuesday Bird Walk September 24

The Tuesday Bird Walk on September 24 will be going to the Nanoose Estuary. Meet at the Community Park in Parksville at 9:00 am or at the end of Nanoose Beach Road at 9:15 am.


Friday 20 September 2019

Sunday September 22 2019 Bird Walk

We would like to let those interested in joining our Sunday bird walk this week know that there will not be someone waiting at the store at 9:00am. If you would like to participate in the bird walk, please head to the location (Rathtrevor Beach in Parksville) and you can meet up with the guide and the bird walk group near the large sign near the beach.

Thank you for understanding. We have our fingers crossed that the sunny weather will continue on Sunday morning and not the foretasted rain. Any changes or cancellations for the bird walk will be posted on the blog.

Tuesday 17 September 2019

Tuesday Bird Walk CANCELLED

Due to the currant weather today’s Tuesday Bird Walk will be cancelled. Like us the birds are taking shelter out of this weather.

Monday 16 September 2019

Nanaimo Weekly Bird Report, September 15, 2019




The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store



Nanaimo Bird Report

September 15, 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.
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Sunday September 15:

The Sunday Bird Walk went to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo. The morning was cloudy with rain shower, light wind, and sunny breaks. A few highlights of the walk were Rhinoceros Auklet, Parasitic Jaeger, Greater White-fronted Goose and Swainson’s Thrush. At the end of the walk we saw 3 Black Swifts overhead for our parking lot bird.




Parasitic Jaeger, photo by Ralph Hocken


Ten birders saw and heard the following thirty eight (38) species:



Common Loon

Pacific Loon

Double-crested Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant

Greater White-fronted Goose (30 plus)

Great Blue Heron

Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Bald Eagle

Turkey Vulture

Spotted Sandpiper

Parasitic Jaeger

Mew Gull

California Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Rhinoceros Auklet

Black Swift

Anna’s Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Downy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Steller’s Jay

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

Bewick’s Wren

American Robin

Swainson’s Thrush

European Starling

Orange-crowned Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Sunday September 15:

Great Yellowlegs and Savannah Sparrows were seen at Piper’s Lagoon



Saturday September 14:

2 Turkey Vultures were seen soaring over lower Lantzville.



Tuesday September 10:

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to the Shelley road side of the Englishman River Estuary. The weather was sunny and winds were calm. The walk started of quiet with Chestnut-backed Chickadees following us through the woods. Looking out on the estuary a Northern Harrier fly past a couple of times giving us great views. At the mouth of the estuary a Heerman’s Gull was seen on a gravel bar with the other gulls and a Long-tailed Jaegar was seen flying past. A couple other highlights were Virginia Rail and Yellow Warbler.



Nine (9) birders saw and heard the following thirty nine (39) species:



Red-necked Grebe

Pelagic Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Mallard

American Widgeon

Common Merganser

Gadwall

Northern Shoveler

Northern Harrier

Cooper’s Hawk

Bald Eagle

Turkey Vulture

Virginia Rail

Black Oystercatcher

California Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Heermann’s Gull

Anna’s Hummingbird

Pileated Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Downy Woodpecker

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Common Raven

Steller’s Jay

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

Bewick’s Wren

American Robin

Orange-crowned Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Brewers Blackbird

Song Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

House Finch

American Goldfinch

Pine Siskin




Northern Harrier, photo by Ralph Hocken.





Backyard Feeder Notes:

What a great time we are having at the feeders. Today I had 11 species visit the feeders within an hour, Anna’s Hummingbird, Northern Flicker, Hairy Woodpecker (a first), Steller’s Jay, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Spotted Towhee, Dark-eyed Junco, Song Sparrow, House Finch and a lone American Goldfinch, the backyard was just a moving. There may have been one more to add to the list but it flew over out of sight and then suddenly the backyard was quiet.

What to watch for in the backyard, Yellow-rumped Warbler and Orange-crowned Warbler passing through. Returning birds such as Fox Sparrows, Golden-crowned Sparrows, and Pine Siskin’s which are starting to return to the feeders.




American Goldfinch (winter plumage), photo by Ralph Hocken



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 September 17, 2019:

Will be going to Nanoose Bay estuary. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (near the Lions Club playground parking area) in Parksville at 9:00 am or at the end of Nanoose Beach road, which is off Arlington road off of Hwy 19, in Nanoose at 9:15 a.m. 





The Sunday Bird Walk September 22, 2019:

Will be going to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park in Parksville. Meet at The Backyard Wildbird & Nature Store at 9:00am or at Rathtrevor Park at 9:20 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

Thursday 12 September 2019

Weekly Nanaimo Bird Report September 11, 2019




The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store



Nanaimo Bird Report

September 11, 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 September 8:

The Sunday Bird Walk went to the Englishman River Estuary, Plummer road in Parksville. The morning was overcast, winds were light and the tide was at a low and starting to come in. A few highlights of the walk were Cedar Waxwings, Pacific-slope Flycatcher and Harlequin Ducks.




Harlequin Duck, male & female, photo by Ralph Hocken


Seven birders saw and heard the following thirty eight (38) species:



Common Loon

Pelagic Cormorant

Canada Goose

Great Blue Heron

Mallard

Common Merganser

Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Cooper’s Hawk

Bald Eagle

Turkey Vulture

Killdeer

Black-bellied Plover

Greater Yellowlegs

Western Sandpiper

Mew Gull

California Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Common Murre

Anna’s Hummingbird

Northern Flicker

Pacific-sloped Flycatcher

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Steller’s Jay

Cassin’s Vireo

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Bewick’s Wren

Cedar Waxwing

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

House Finch

Purple Finch

American Goldfinch



Tuesday September 10:

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to the Shelley road side of the Englishman River Estuary. The weather was sunny and winds were calm. The walk started of quiet with Chestnut-backed Chickadees following us through the woods. Looking out on the estuary a Northern Harrier fly past a couple of times giving us great views. At the mouth of the estuary a Heerman’s Gull was seen on a gravel bar with the other gulls and a Long-tailed Jaegar was seen flying past. A couple other highlights were Virginia Rail and Yellow Warbler.



Nine (9) birders saw and heard the following thirty nine (39) species:



Red-necked Grebe

Pelagic Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Mallard

American Widgeon

Common Merganser

Gadwall

Northern Shoveler

Northern Harrier

Cooper’s Hawk

Bald Eagle

Turkey Vulture

Virginia Rail

Black Oystercatcher

California Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Heermann’s Gull

Anna’s Hummingbird

Pileated Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Downy Woodpecker

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Common Raven

Steller’s Jay

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

Bewick’s Wren

American Robin

Orange-crowned Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Brewers Blackbird

Song Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

House Finch

American Goldfinch

Pine Siskin




Northern Harrier, photo by Ralph Hocken.





Backyard Feeder Notes:

The backyard feeders are still busy with the chickadees and nuthatches visiting. There are more reports of Steller’s Jays visiting feeders and more Dark-eyed Juncos showing up. there are also more House Finches visiting the feeders and in some areas the Pine Siskin’s have returned.

I have had a Song Sparrow regularly visiting my bird feeders which is early for m yard, usually it is not until October or November that they arrive.

Anna’s Hummingbirds are still busy visiting the feeders but with some of the activity that has been going on don’t be surprised if some juvenile birds start appearing. Last year I had young Anna’s Hummingbirds suddenly start visiting the hummingbird feeder in early November.




Song Sparrow, photo by Ralph Hocken



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 Sunday Bird Walk September 15, 2019:

Will be going to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo. Meet at The Backyard Wildbird & Nature Store at 9:00am or at Neck Point Park at 9:10 am.



The Tuesday Bird Walk September 17, 2019:

Will be going to Nanoose Bay estuary. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (near the Lions Club playground parking area) in Parksville at 9:00 am or at the end of Nanoose Beach road, which is off Arlington road off of Hwy 19, in Nanoose at 9:15 a.m. 







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