The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

 The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

Nanaimo Bird Report

October 16, 2025
“EXPLORE NATURE” --- GO BIRDING:
To report your sightings phone the Store at 250-390-3669 or e-mail us at birding@thebackyard.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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American Kestrel (J. Morrison)

Tuesday June 24, 2025: 

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. Weather was sunny and cool, 3C, and the tide was low. The walk started out with a Townsends Solitaire perched atop a tree in the sun, a Northern Harrier working the grasses and two American Kestrels our at the point at the new park. On the water Barrow’s Goldeneye, Western Grebe and farther out were Short-tailed Shearwater and Parasitic Jaegers.

18 birders saw and heard the following 60 species:

Canada Goose

Gadwall

American Wigeon

Mallard

Northern Pintail

Green-winged Teal

Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Barrow’s Goldeneye

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Common Loon

Pacific Loon

Red-necked Grebe

Horned Grebe

Western Grebe

Short-tailed Shearwater

Great Blue Heron

Northern Harrier

Bald Eagle

Cooper’s Hawk

Merlin

Kestrel

Killdeer

Greater Yellowlegs

Bonaparte’s Gull

Short-billed Gull

California Gull

Ring-billed Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Parasitic Jaeger

Rhinoceros Auklet

Eurasian Collared Dove

Anna’s Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Downy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Common Raven

American Crow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

Bewick’s Wren

Pacific Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Townsend’s Solitaire

American Robin

Varied Thrush

European Starling

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

House Finch

Purple Finch

American Goldfinch

Pine Siskin

American Goldfinch – winter plumage (R. Hocken)

Sunday October 12, 2025:

There was no bird walk on the Thanksgiving long weekend.

Wednesday October 8, 2025:

White-throated Sparrow was seen amongst the Golden-crowned Sparrows in a backyard on Grovehill Road in Qualicum.

If you have any bird sightings to report or need help identifying, just email or call the store, birding@thebackyard.ca or 250-390-3669, toll-free 1-888-808-BIRD (2473)

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.

Sunday Bird Walk, October 19, 2025:

Sunday Bird Walk will be going to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.

Meet directly at the parking lot on Jingle Pot Road and Third Street, by the miner’s shack, at 9:00am. Weather cooperating.

Tuesday Bird Walk, October 21, 2025:

Tuesday Bird Walk will be going the Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville.

Meet directly at the beach entrance of the main parking lot, just before the campground, at 9:00am. Weather cooperating.

Good birding! Colin Bartlett