The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

Nanaimo Bird Report

March 24, 2022

“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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Green-winged Teal (R. Hocken)

Tuesday March 22, 2022:

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to Nanoose Bay Estuary at the end of Nanoose Beach Road. The weather was overcast with a very brisk breeze out of the southeast and the tide was going out. Highlights from the walk were a Yellow-rumped Warbler, a Red-tailed Hawk that we watch soar along the ridge without flapping its wings once and a male Anna’s Hummingbird that watched us closely.

9 birders saw and heard the following 32 species:

Canada Goose

American Wigeon

Mallard

Green-winged Teal

Northern Pintail

Bufflehead

Common Goldeneye

Double-crested Cormorant

Red-tailed Hawk

Bald Eagle

Turkey Vulture

Killdeer

Short-billed Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Anna’s Hummingbird

Northern Flicker

Common Raven

American Crow

Chestnut-backed chickadee

Bewick’s Wren

Pacific Wren

American Robin

Varied Thrush

European Starling

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eye Junco

Red-winged Blackbird

Brewer’s Blackbird

House Finch

American Bittern (J. Morrison)

Sunday March 20, 2022:

The Sunday Bird Walk went to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. The weather was overcast with an odd light shower. Highlights from the walk were hearing and seeing a Virginia Rail at the viewing area by the Buttertubs Drive entrance and then seeing an American Bittern by the viewing stand of the dyke and then a Wilson’s Snipe at the corner near the Miner’s shack. Trumpeter Swans were seen flying over along with Tree and Violet-green Swallows feeding over the marsh. It was a very good day birding.

14 birders saw and heard the following 42 species:

Trumpeter Swans

Canada Goose

Wood Duck

Mallard

Ring-necked Duck

Bufflehead

Hooded Merganser

Pied-billed Grebe

American Bittern

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Turkey Vulture

Virginia Rail

American Coot

Wilson’s Snipe

Eurasian Collared Dove

Anna’s Hummingbird

Northern Flicker

Downy Woodpecker

Steller’s Jay

Common Raven

American Crow

Tree Swallow

Violet-green Swallow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Bewick’s Wren

Bushtit

Marsh Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

American Robin

Cedar Waxwing

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red-winged Blackbird

House Finch

Purple Finch

American Goldfinch

House Sparrow

Wilson’s Snipe (J. Morrison)

The Backyard Bird Walks 

Our bird walks go out Sunday mornings in Nanaimo and Tuesday mornings in Parksville and Qualicum Beach area, are easy walks that go for two to three hours (back for lunch is the plan). Bring binoculars and a field guide. The walks are weather pending.

Please check our blog (www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com) for any cancelations.

Covid-19 Precautions

·         Do not attend if you feel ill.

·         Please respect social distancing, 2 meters or 6 feet.

Thank you.

The Tuesday Bird Walk, March 29, 2022

This Tuesday Bird Walk will be going to Englishman River Estuary – Plummer Road.

Meet at the Parksville Tourist Information Center parking lot, located by Hwy 19A, Northwest Bay Road and Franklin’s Gull Road in Parksville, at 9:00 am or meet at the corner of Plummer Road just before the subdivision at 9:05am. Weather Cooperating

The Sunday Bird Walk, March 27, 2022

The Sunday Bird walk will be going to Maki Road Trail.

Meet at The Backyard Wildbird & Nature Store at 9:00am or at the end of Maki road byt the Living Forest Campground at 9:10 am. Weather Cooperating

Good birding! Colin Bartlett

 

The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

Nanaimo Bird Report

March 17, 2022

“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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Brant (R. Hocken)

Tuesday March 15, 2022:

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville. The weather was sunny, with a light cool breeze and the tide was going out. Highlights from the walk were Brant, a lone Black Oystercatcher nearby that provide a good view, Common and Pacific Loons that were changing to breeding plumage and a Red-necked Grebe.

13 birders saw and heard the following 46 species:

Brant

Canada Goose

American Wigeon

Mallard

Northern Pintail

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Long-tailed Duck

Bufflehead

Common Goldeneye

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Common Loon

Pacific Loon

Horned Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Double-crested Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant

Bald Eagle

Black Oystercatcher

Killdeer

Dunlin

Short-billed Gull

Iceland (Thayer’s) Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Common Murre

Anna’s Hummingbird

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

Common Raven

American Crow

Chestnut-backed chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Bewick’s Wren

Pacific Wren

Brown Creeper

Golden-crowned Kinglet

American Robin

Varied Thrush

European Starling

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eye Junco

Purple Finch

Pine Siskin

Yellow-rumped Warbler (R. Hocken)

Monday March 12, 2022:

A report of a Yellow-rumped Warbler was seen at Buttertubs Marsh.

Sunday March 13, 2022:

Our first report of a Rufous Hummingbird was seen on Gabriola Island.

Unfortunately, there was no Sunday Bird Walk this week.

Rufous Hummingbird (R. Hocken)

The Backyard Bird Walks

 

Our bird walks go out Sunday mornings in Nanaimo and Tuesday mornings in Parksville and Qualicum Beach area, are easy walks that go for two to three hours (back for lunch is the plan). Bring binoculars and a field guide. The walks are weather pending.

Please check our blog (www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com) for any cancelations.

Covid-19 Precautions

·         Do not attend if you feel ill.

·         Please respect social distancing, 2 meters or 6 feet.

·         Wear your mask when unable to maintain social distancing.

Thank you.

The Tuesday Bird Walk, March 22, 2022

This Tuesday Bird Walk will be going to Nanoose Bay Estuary.

Meet at the Parksville Tourist Information Center parking lot, located by Hwy 19A, Northwest Bay Road and Franklin’s Gull Road in Parksville, at 9:00 am or meet at the parking area at the end of Nanoose Beach Road (off the Island Hwy) by the beach entrance at 9:10. Weather Cooperating

The Sunday Bird Walk, March 20, 2022

The Sunday Bird walk will be going to Buttertubs Marsh.

Meet at The Backyard Wildbird & Nature Store at 9:00am or at the end of Buttertubs Drive in Nanaimo at 9:10 am. Weather Cooperating

Good birding! Colin Bartlett

 The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

Nanaimo Bird Report

March 11, 2022

“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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Short-billed Gull (Previously known as Mew Gull) (R. Hocken)

Friday March 11, 2022:

A large flock of Trumpeter Swans are feeding in the fields be side the Silver Meadows Farm Market on Errington Road, just up from highway 4A.

Tuesday March 8, 2022:

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to the Shelley roadside of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. Sunny, warm, calm day. Highlights from the walk were a Peregrine Falcon perched on a stump out in the middle of the estuary. 5 Eurasian Wigeon were seen with three of them near the viewing stand providing a great view of them,

10 birders saw and heard the following 41 species:

Canada Goose

Gadwall

American Widgeon

Eurasian Widgeon

Mallard

Northern Pintail

Green-winged Teal

Surf Scoter

Bufflehead

Common Goldeneye

Common Merganser

Double-crested Cormorant

Great-blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Northern Harrier

Peregrine Falcon

Killdeer

Dunlin

Short-billed Gull

California Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Eurasian Collared Dove

Anna’s Hummingbird

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Common Raven

Steller’s Jay

Chestnut-backed chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Bewick’s Wren

Pacific Wren

Bushtit

Brown Creeper

American Robin

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eye Junco

Purple Finch

Brown Creeper (R. Hocken)

Sunday March 6, 2022:

The Sunday Bird Walk went to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo. The weather was sunny with a cool breeze. Out on the rocks it was great to see ten plus Black Oystercatchers all together and communicating. The majority of gulls we saw were Short-billed Gulls with a few Glaucous-winged Gulls flying over the park.

20 birders saw and heard the following 35 species:

Brant

Canada Goose

Mallard

Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Black Scoter

Bufflehead

Common Goldeneye

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Red-necked Grebe

Double-crested Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant

Bald Eagle

Black Oystercatcher

Glaucous-winged Gull

Short-billed Gull

Pigeon Guillemot

Anna’s Hummingbird

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

American Crow

Common Raven

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

Golden-crowned Kinglet

American Robin

Varied Thrush

European Starling

Song Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Purple Finch

Pine Siskin

Saturday March 5, 2022:

Violet-green Swallow was seen at the Nanaimo Rive Estuary.

A Tree Swallow was reported at Buttertubs Marsh.

With spring on the way and the weather slowly warming up there are a few species to watch for. Orange-Crowned Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, swallows, Rufous Hummingbirds (mid March), and for a short period Mountain Bluebirds (see at Englishman River Estuary, Nanaimo River Estuary, Nanaimo Airport – south end fence).

In the backyard make sure the nest boxes are cleaned out and ready to go.

Golden-crowned Kinglet (R. Hocken)

The Backyard Bird Walks

 

Our bird walks go out Sunday mornings in Nanaimo and Tuesday mornings in Parksville and Qualicum Beach area, are easy walks that go for two to three hours (back for lunch is the plan). Bring binoculars and a field guide. The walks are weather pending.

Please check our blog (www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com) for any cancelations.

Covid-19 Precautions

·         Do not attend if you feel ill.

·         Please respect social distancing, 2 meters or 6 feet.

·         Wear your mask when unable to maintain social distancing.

Thank you.

The Tuesday Bird Walk, March 15, 2022

This Tuesday Bird Walk will be going to Rathtrevor Provincial Park.

Meet at the Parksville Tourist Information Center parking lot, located by Hwy 19A, Northwest Bay Road and Franklin’s Gull Road in Parksville, at 9:00 am or meet at the main parking area by the beach entrance at 9:10. 

The Sunday Bird Walk, March 13, 2022

The Sunday Bird walk will be cancelled this week and will resume on Sunday March 20

Good birding! Colin Bartlett

The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store Bird Walk Update

 The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

Nanaimo Bird Report

March 1, 2022

“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.
********************************************************

The Backyard Bird Walks 

Our bird walks go out Sunday mornings in Nanaimo and Tuesday mornings in Parksville and Qualicum Beach area. These are easy walks that go for two to three hours (back for lunch is the plan). Bring binoculars and a field guide. The walks are weather pending.

Please check our blog (www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com) for any cancelations.

Covid-19 Precautions

·         Do not attend if you feel ill.

·         Please respect social distancing, 2 meters or 6 feet.

·         Wear your mask when unable to maintain social distancing.

Thank you.

The Tuesday and Sunday Bird Walks

The Sunday Bird Walk March 6, 2022

This Sunday Bird Walk will be going to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo.

Meet at The Backyard Wildbird & Nature Store at 9:00am or at Neck Point parking lot at 9:10 am. Weather pending. 

The Tuesday Bird Walk, March 8, 2022

This Tuesday Bird Walk will be going to Englishman River Estuary – Shelly Road.

Meet at the Parksville Tourist Information Center parking lot, located by Hwy 19A, Northwest Bay Road and Franklin’s Gull Road in Parksville, at 9:00 am or meet at the end of Shelly Road at 9:10.

 

Good birding! Colin Bartlett