The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

Nanaimo Bird Report

November 5, 2024
“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.
********************************************************* 

Harlequin Duck (R. Hocken) 

Tuesday November 5, 2024:

First of the fall, a Varied Thrush was seen visiting a backyard feeder in Ladysmith.

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville. Weather was sunny with a few clouds, no wind, high tide and 6C. A few highlights from the walk were Ring-billed Gull, Black Turnstones with Black-bellied Plovers, and Red Crossbills.

16 birders saw and heard the following 48 species:

Brant

Canada Goose

American Wigeon

Mallard

Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Bufflehead

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Common Loon

Pacific Loon

Red- necked Grebe

Horned Grebe

Western Grebe

Pied-billed Grebe

Bald Eagle

Merlin

Black Oystercatcher

Black-bellied Plover

Black Turnstone

Bonaparte’s Gull

Short-bill Gull

California Gull

Ring-billed Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Common Murre

Anna’s Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

Common Raven

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Bewick’s Wren

Pacific Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglet

American Robin

Varied Thrush

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red Crossbill

Purple Finch

Pine Siskin

Bewick’s Wren (J. Morrison)

Sunday November 3, 2024:

The Sunday Bird Walk went to the Nanaimo River Estuary, starting at the end of Raines Road. Weather was sunny with some cloud, tide was going out and 9C. A few highlights from the walk was a flyby from the Northern Harrier, a Lincoln Sparrow seen near the oak tree, Short-eared Owl near the mouth of the river and Yellow-rumped Warblers.

14 birders saw and heard the following 36 species:

American Wigeon

Mallard

Northern Pintail

Barrow’s Goldeneye

Greater Scaup

Bufflehead

Common Merganser

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Northern Harrier

Dunlin

Short-billed Gull

California Gull

Thayer’s Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Short-eared Owl

Belted Kingfisher

Pileated Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Hutton’s Vireo

American Crow

Common Raven

Bewick’s Wren

American Robin

European Starling

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Western Meadowlark

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Lincoln Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

House Finch

Purple Finch

American Goldfinch

Saturday November 2, 2024:

A late Turkey Vulture was seen flying over Grove Hill Road in Qualicum.

Birding Notes:

If you haven't gotten around to cleaning up your garden this fall, now you don’t have to! Any flowers that have gone to seed are a great source of food for your backyard birds this winter. Ground birds like Dark-eyed Juncos, Spotted Towhees, Song Sparrows, and others will greatly enjoy this easy access energy source. If you rake up the leaves use them as ground cover on your garden, as insects will hibernate in them, seed will get caught up in them proving another food source for the birds.

Have you done some pruning recently or perhaps had some branches fall from a windstorm? Build a brush pile! Loosely pile small branches to give birds a place to perch and use larger limbs to make a teepee shape that can be covered in evergreens with a single entrance hole. This is a simple and effective way to give backyard birds temporary shelter from weather or predators.

If you have any birds 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.

The Sunday Bird Walk, November 10, 2024.

The Sunday Bird Walk is CANCELED this week.

The Tuesday Bird Walk, November 12, 2024.

The Tuesday Bird Walk will be Going to Englishman River Estuary – Shelly Road in Parksville.

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 off hwy 19A at 9:10 am. Weather cooperating.

Good birding! Colin Bartlett

 The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

Nanaimo Bird Report

October 29, 2024
“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.
********************************************************* 

Bufflehead (J. Morrison) 

Tuesday October 29, 2024:

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to Deep Bay. Weather was perfect, sunny with a few clouds, no wind and calm waters, 3C. A few highlights from the walk were Hutton’s Vireo, Yellow-rumped Warblers and others in the trees and blackberries in a vacant lot. On the water there was a large raft of Surf, White-winged and Black Scoters with a few Long-tailed Ducks mixed in. At the end of the walk a lone Steller’s Jay was seen and heard.

9 birders saw and heard the following 58 species:

Trumpeter-Mute hybrid Swan

Canada Goose

American Wigeon

Mallard

Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Black Scoter

Bufflehead

Long-tailed Duck

Greater Scaup

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Common Loon

Pacific Loon

Red- necked Grebe

Horned Grebe

Western Grebe

Pelagic Cormorant

Brandt’s Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Merlin

Killdeer

Black Oystercatcher

Black-bellied Plover

Black Turnstone

Dunlin

Bonaparte’s Gull

Short-bill Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Pigeon Guillemot

Marbled Murrelet

Eurasian Collared Dove

Anna’s Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Northern Flicker

Hutton’s Vireo

American Crow

Common Raven

Steller’s Jay

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Bewick’s Wren

Pacific Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglet

American Robin

European Starling

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

House Finch

House Sparrow

Fox Sparrow (R. Hocken)

Sunday October 27, 2024:

The Sunday Bird Walk went to the Nanoose Bay Estuary, starting at the end of Nanoose Beach Road. Weather was wet with showers on and off, turning to a steady rain and 9C. A few highlights from the walk were American Pipits flying over, a Great Blue Heron and Common Raven sharing a roost in the estuary and a few Bald Eagles.

9 brave birders saw and heard the following 28 species:

Canada Goose

Mallard

Green-winged Teal

Bufflehead

Common Merganser

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Short-billed Gull

Thayer’s Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Eurasian Collared Dove

Anna’s Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

American Crow

Common Raven

American Pipit

American Robin

European Starling

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Red-winged Blackbird

House Finch

Birding Notes:

The backyard feeders have been a little busier the last couple of weeks with more Dark-eyed Juncos and Golden-crowned Sparrows visiting. The House Finches are still busy with a few American Goldfinch mixed in with them. The suet feeder is always busy with the Northern Flickers, Downy Woodpeckers, Bushtits and Pileated Woodpecker but just this last week the Chestnut-backed Chickadees returned. Nice to see them back.

Anna’s Hummingbirds are busy and with the cooler nights I will put the hummingbird feeder heater on to give them a bit of a warmer solution in the morning. With the heater on the hummingbird feeder, I recommend changing the solution frequently, every three days instead of once a week, to keep it fresh and the feeder clean.

If you have any birds 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.

The Sunday Bird Walk, November 3, 2024.

The Sunday Bird Walk will be going to the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.

Meet at The Backyard Wildbird & Nature Store at 9:00 am or at the end of Raines Road, located off Cedar Road just over the Nanaimo River Bridge, at 9:15 am. Weather cooperating.

The Tuesday Bird Walk, November 5, 2024.

The Tuesday Bird Walk will be Going to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville.

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 beach entrance of the main parking lot at 9:10 am. Weather cooperating.

Good birding! Colin Bartlett

 The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

Nanaimo Bird Report

October 24, 2024
“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.
********************************************************* 

Harlequin Duck (R. Hocken) 

Tuesday October 22, 2024:

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to Columbia Beach in French Creek. Weather was sunny, 10C. A few highlights from the walk were Greater White-fronted Geese, Black-bellied Plovers and a Sharp-shinned Hawk.

14 birders saw and heard the following 54 species:

Greater White-fronted Goose

Canada Goose

American Wigeon

Mallard

Ring-necked Duck

Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Bufflehead

Common Merganser

California Quail

Common Loon

Pacific Loon

Red- necked Grebe

Horned Grebe

Western Grebe

Pelagic Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Bald Eagle

Killdeer

Black Oystercatcher

Black-bellied Plover

Black Turnstone

Bonaparte’s Gull

Short-bill Gull

California Gull

Thayer’s Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Rhinoceros Auklet

Rock Pigeon

Eurasian Collared Dove

Anna’s Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Northern Flicker

American Crow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Bewick’s Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglet

American Robin

European Starling

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

House Finch

Purple Finch

Pine Siskin

House Sparrow

Golden-crowned Kinglet (J. Morrison)

Monday October 21, 2024:

A flock of Cedar Waxwings were observed feeding on the hillside at the end of Buttertubs Drive behind the apartment complex.

Sunday October 20, 2024:

The Sunday Bird Walk was canceled due to the weather.

Birding Notes:

On a couple of clear nights, I have been outside just to listen to what is going on. In the dark when your eyesight is limited your hearing is heightened, and it is interesting to listen to all the different sounds. In my backyard the raccoons can be heard moving through the hedge and in between the sirens and vehicle noise I have heard a few bird species as well. As one would expect there is the Barred Owl, a regular in my backyard, and a Great Horned Owl, a rare call that I hear in my neighborhood. I have also heard a flocks of Canada Geese flying over and Greater White-fronted Geese. The latest were Killdeer flying over in the dark and calling.

Although a full moon has passed a few days ago, it can be fun to set up a scope or watch the moon with your binoculars to possibly see flocks of birds passing by in front of the moon.

October 24th is day one of International Bat Week, making it the perfect time to get involved with bats.

If you have any birds 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.

The Sunday Bird Walk, October 27, 2024.

The Sunday Bird Walk will be going to Nanoose Estuary in Nanoose Bay.

Meet at The Backyard Wildbird & Nature Store at 9:00am or at the end of Nanoose Beach Road, which is off Arlington Road and HWY 19, at 9:15am. Weather cooperating.

The Tuesday Bird Walk, October 29, 2024.

The Tuesday Bird Walk will be Going to Deep Bay.

Meet at the Parksville Tourist Information Center parking lot, located by Hwy 19A, Northwest Bay Road and Franklin’s Gull Road in Parksville, at 8:45 am or meet at the marina parking lot in Deep Bay at 9:15am. Weather cooperating.

Good birding! Colin Bartlett