The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

Nanaimo Bird Report

October 13, 2026
“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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Horned Grebe (R. Hocken)

Tuesday October 13, 2026:

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville. Weather was overcast, 13C, and the tide was high and going out. A few highlights from the walk were Western Grebe, 8 Ring-billed Gulls seen right in front of the beach viewing area, and Varied Thrush.

11 birders saw and heard the following 47 species:

Canada Goose

American Wigeon

Mallard

Surf Scoter

Red-breasted Merganser

Red-necked Grebe

Horned Grebe

Western Grebe

Eared Grebe

Common Loon

Pacific Loon

Double-crested Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Merlin

Bonaparte’s Gull

Short-billed Gull

Ring-billed Gull

California Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Marbled Murrelet

Anna’s Hummingbird

Pileated Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Steller’s Jay

Common Raven

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

Bushtit

Bewick’s Wren

Pacific Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglet

American Pipit

American Robin

Varied Thrush

European Starling

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red Crossbill

Pine Siskin

American Pipit (J. Morrison)

Sunday October 11, 2026:

There was no bird walk on Thanksgiving weekend.

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 18, 2026:

The Sunday Bird Walk will be going to the Nanaimo River Estuary in Cedar. Meet at the gravel parking lot located at the end of Raines Road, follow Cedar Road to the Nanaimo River and turn left onto Raines Road once you cross the bridge, at 9:00am.

Weather Cooperating.

Tuesday Bird Walk, October 20, 2026:

Tuesday Bird Walk will be going to the Columbia Beach in French Creek.

Meet at the beach access parking lot located on Admiral Tyron BLVD, off of Columbia Drive, at 9:00 am.

Weather cooperating.

Good birding! Colin Bartlett

Clear Skies - Follow the Moon through a month of Constellations

Every now and then I like to guide us across the sky by following the Moon, and I’ll include a little bit of terminology along the way.

When the Moon is the same direction in the sky as the Sun, we call it a “New Moon,” which is also when the lunar month begins.  The New Moon was on Saturday, Oct. 10.

Starting now, look for a thin “Crescent Moon” very low in the southwest just after sunset, and in the same general direction.  For a few days, you may be able to make out the full disk of the Moon because of so-called “Earthshine,” which is sunlight reflected off Earth back onto the Moon.  This is only visible for the first few days after a New Moon, until the crescent becomes too bright.

When the lighted part of the Moon is getting bigger, we call it a “Waxing Moon,” so this is a “Waxing Crescent.”

Phases & Motions of the Moon

Early in the evening of Friday, Oct. 16, the Crescent Moon will be in the constellation Sagittarius.  See if you can make out the figure of a teapot, tipped slightly to the right.  If you have a dark enough sky, you can see the Milky Way, which looks like steam coming out of its spout, with Moon just a bit to the left.  The next night, the Moon will be just to the left of the handle of the teapot.

The Moon will be at “First Quarter” on Sunday, Oct. 18.  First Quarter means half lighted, and it is the First Quarter as the Moon is a quarter of the way through its orbit of Earth, its lunar month.

Now, since the lighted part is more than half the Moon, we call it a “Gibbous Moon”, and since the lighted portion is growing, it is a “Waxing Gibbous Moon.”

On Monday, Oct, 19, the Moon will be in the middle of a big smile shape in the sky – that’s Capricornus.

Tuesday, Oct 21, you will find the Moon in Aquarius.  It’s not as distinct as the big smile, but I identify if by the little zigzag of stars above the Moon.

Part of constellation Pisces is a dim circlet of stars, from which a line of stars drops to the lower left, and then up to the outside of the Great Square of Pegasus, which is unmistakable.  The Moon will be to the lower right of the circlet on Oct. 22 and to the lower left on Oct 23.

October 23, a bright Moon will be to the upper right of Saturn – the only bright star in that area.

October 24, Sunday, is the Full Moon, meaning fully lighted because it is in the opposite direction in the sky from the Sun, and so is getting full sunshine.  See if you can make out a little curve of stars curling up to the left above the Moon – that’s Ares.

In the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 27, you will notice that the lighted portion of the Moon is now becoming less each night.  We would then call this a “Waning Gibbous Moon.”  If you have a pair of binoculars, look just to the right of Moon and you may see a pretty little grouping of stars – the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters.  Below the Moon you will see the shape of an arrowhead pointing right.  That’s part of the constellation Taurus, the Bull.

As of Wednesday, you can also start looking the Moon during the day.  It sets around 10:30 in the west, and sets about an hour later every day, so you can see it higher in the sky.

If you are up late enough on Halloween, or up before the dawn the next morning, look for the Moon in the constellation Gemini, the Twins.  The Twins are laying on the sides, with their heads to the left and the bodies and legs to the right.

October 31 will Moon will be at Third Quarter, half-lighted.

If you are up early in the morning on Monday, Nov. 2, look for the Moon in the south.  The bright planet to the left is Jupiter, and you might be able to make out a reddish planet to the Moon’s upper right – that’s Mars.  The Moon is between Leo on the left – the backward question mark represents his head – and Cancer on the right, an inverted Y of not very bright stars.

Now, the Moon returns to being a crescent, which is diminishing in size… so, yes, a “Waning Crescent.”  Again, if you are up just before the Sun, you can again look for Earthshine. 

Finally, if you are up really early, around 6:30 a.m., very low in the southeast you might see bright Venus with a very thin Crescent Moon just below it.

The next New Moon is on November 8.

Clear skies.

David

 The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

Nanaimo Bird Report

October 9, 2026
“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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Great Blue Heron (J. Morrison)

Tuesday October 6, 2026:

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. Weather was overcast, 9C, tide was out and coming in. A few highlights from the walk, an American Kestrel was spotted a few times around the estuary, Great Yellowlegs and a good view of a Hairy Woodpecker

8 birders saw and heard the following 40 species:

Canada Goose

American Wigeon

Mallard

Harlequin Duck

White-winged Scoter

Common Loon

Pacific Loon

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Cooper’s Hawk

Bald Eagle

American Kestrel

Killdeer

Greater Yellowlegs

Bonaparte’s Gull

California Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Eurasian Collared Dove

Anna’s Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Hairy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Steller’s Jay

Common Raven

American Crow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

Bewick’s Wren

Pacific Wren

Golden-crowned Kinglet

American Robin

Varied Thrush

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red Crossbill

Pine Siskin

Long-billed Dowitcher (R. Hocken)

Sunday October 4, 2026:

The Sunday Bird Walk went to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo. Weather was sunny, and 8C. A few highlights from the walk, Merlin and a Sharp-shinned Hawk were seen, Long-billed Dowitchers were seen at both ends of the marsh, and American Coot.

20 birders saw and heard the following 48 species:

Canada Goose

Wood Duck

American Wigeon

Mallard

Ring-necked Duck

Northern Pintail

Green-winged Teal

Pied-billed Grebe

Great Blue Heron

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Merlin

Turkey Vulture

Killdeer

American Coot

Long-billed Dowitcher

Rock Pigeon

Band-tailed Pigeon

Eurasian Collared Dove

Anna’s Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Northern Flicker

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Steller’s Jay

Common Raven

American Crow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Bushtit

Brown Creeper

Bewick’s Wren

Marsh Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglet

American Robin

Cedar Waxwing

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

Savanah Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red-winged Blackbird

House Finch

Purple Finch

Pine siskin

American Goldfinch

House Sparrow

Friday October 2, 2026:

Osprey was seen at Colliery Dam, Nanaimo.

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 11, 2026:

There is NO Sunday Bird Walk this week. Enjoy your Thanksgiving.

Tuesday Bird Walk, October 13, 2026:

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

Meet at the beach entrance of the main parking lot at 9:00 am.

Weather cooperating.

Good birding! Colin Bartlett

 The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

Nanaimo Bird Report

October 1, 2026
“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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Surf Scoter male (R. Hocken)

Tuesday September 29, 2026:

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to Columbia Beach in Parksville. Weather was overcast, 12C, wind was calm and the tide was high and going out. The walk started out on the beach front and then went along the river to the woods. A few highlights from the walk were 24 Black Oystercatchers waiting on a small spit for the tide to go out. 8 Greater Yellowlegs were seen beside the parking area on the river, a flock of Cedar Waxwings were feeding, and a lone Turkey Vulture was low over the shrubs vocalizing.

1 birder saw and heard the following 43 species:

Mallard

Green-winged Teal

Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

Common Merganser

Common Loon

Red-necked Grebe

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Cooper’s Hawk

Bald Eagle

Turkey Vulture

Black Oystercatcher

Greater Yellowlegs

Short-billed Gull

Thayer’s Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Anna’s Hummingbird

Northern Flicker

Common Raven

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Bushtit

Bewick’s Wren

Pacific Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglet

American Robin

Varied Thrush

Cedar Waxwing

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Savanah Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red Crossbill

House Finch

Purple Finch

American Goldfinch

Pine Siskin

House Sparrow

Cedar Waxwing (J. Morrison)

Sunday September 27, 2026:

There was no Sunday Bird Walk this week.

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 4, 2026:

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

Meet directly at the south parking lot by 3^rd Street and Jingle Pot Road at 9:00am. Weather cooperating.

Tuesday Bird Walk, October 6, 2026:

Tuesday Bird Walk will be going to the Englishman River Estuary, Shelly Road in Parksville.

Meet at the parking area located at the end of Shelly Road at 9:00 am.

Weather cooperating.

Good birding! Colin Bartlett

 The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

Nanaimo Bird Report

September 22, 2026
“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.
*********************************************************

Harlequin Duck (R. Hocken)

Tuesday September 22, 2026:

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The weather was sunny, 13C, and the tide was out. A few highlights from the walk were Western Sandpipers, American Kestrel and great look at Savanah Sparrow. Unfortunately, we did not see the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper seen the day before.

11 birders saw and heard the following 56 species:

Canada Goose

American Wigeon

Mallard

Northern Pintail

Green-winged Teal

Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Common Merganser

Common Loon

Horned Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Pelagic Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Cooper’s Hawk

Turkey Vulture

Bald Eagle

Merlin

American Kestrel

Peregrine Falcon

Killdeer

Western Sandpiper

Greater Yellowlegs

Bonaparte’s Gull

Short-billed Gull

California Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Anna’s Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Northern Flicker

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Steller’s Jay

Common Raven

American Crow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Bushtit

Bewick’s Wren

American Pipit

American Robin

Cedar Waxwing

European Starling

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

Savanah Sparrow

Lincoln Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red Crossbill

House Finch

Purple Finch

Pine Siskin

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (R. Hocken)

Sunday September 20, 2026:

The Sunday bird walk went to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo. Weather was foggy to start but cleared up quickly, 11C, and the tide was out. A few highlights from the walk were close looks at six Turkey Vultures that were perch in the trees, lots of Red-breasted Nuthatches about and near by to see and hear, and a Black Oystercatcher fly by.

12 birders saw and heard the following 32 species

Mallard

White-winged Scoter

Double-crested Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant

Turkey Vulture

Bald Eagle

Black Oystercatcher

Bonaparte’s Gull

Short-billed Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Anna’s Hummingbird

Northern Flicker

Steller’s Jay

Common Raven

American Crow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Bushtit

Brown Creeper

Pacific Wren

Bewick’s Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglet

American Robin

Varied Thrush

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red Crossbill

Pine Siskin

Backyard Happenings

Sparrows are beginning to visit my bird feeders again, such as Dark-eyed Juncos, Spotted Towhees, Golden-crowned Sparrows and White-crowned Sparrows. They are busy at the bird feeders and under the suet feeder cleaning up what the flicker dropped. They also like the fresh grass seed that you just put down as well. If this is a problem, I have heard that spreading a light coating of peat moss or soil over the seeds will help to keep the birds away.

A couple of other sparrows that usually visit my feeders are the Song Sparrow, Fox Sparrow but they usually arrive in November in my backyard.

House Finches are busy at my feeders still along with a few American Goldfinch and the odd Pine Siskin which fight their way through the House Finch to the feeder.

Golden-crowned Sparrow (R. Hocken)

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 September 27, 2026, there will be no bird walk this Sunday.

Tuesday Bird Walk September 29, 2026, will be going to the Columbia Beach in French Creek.

Meet at the beach access located on Admiral Tyron Boulevard (1667 Admiral Tyron Blvd) at 9:00 am.

Weather cooperating.

Good birding! Colin Bartlett