The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store
Nanaimo Bird Report
May 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.
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Red-tailed Hawk (Ralph
Hocken)
Tuesday May 19, 2026:
The Tuesday Bird Walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. Weather was cloudy with sunny breaks, 14 C, and the tide was out. A few highlights from the walk were seeing Spotted Sandpipers in the river, Red-breasted Sapsucker low on the tree in front of us and hearing the Swainson’s Thrush sing.
10 birders saw and heard the following 43 species:
Canada Goose
White-winged Scoter
Common Merganser
Great Blue Heron
Red-tailed Hawk
Bald Eagle
Turkey Vulture
Killdeer
Black Oystercatcher
Spotted Sandpiper
Bonaparte’s Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Eurasian Collared Dove
Anna’s Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Pileated Woodpecker
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Northern Flicker
Western Flycatcher
Hammond’s Flycatcher
Violet-green Swallow
Warbling Vireo
Common Raven
American Crow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Bewick’s Wren
Pacific Wren
American Robin
Swainson’s Thrush
European Starling
Orange-crowned Warbler
Black-headed Grosbeak
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Brown-headed Cowbird
Brewer’s Blackbird
Purple Finch
American Goldfinch
Brown-headed Cowbird (Ralph
Hocken)
Sunday May 17, 2026:
Backyard Happenings
With nesting in full swing and new juveniles about
in the backyard we start to get the question of what bird is this? Some juveniles
like the Dark-eyed Juncos and Spotted Towhee have a different plumage than the
adults. The juveniles are same size as the adults but are streaky on the chest
and a dull brown or gray-brown body colour. Not all bird identification books
will show the different plumage of a species which make identification a bit
harder. Associating the other birds that the mystery bird is with can help in
the identification sometimes.
Some juveniles will be the same plumage as the
female of a species, like American Goldfinch and House Finch. Other species,
the juvenile plumage and size are the same as the adults, like Chestnut-backed
Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Northern Flicker and Bewick’s Wren. It is
easy to identify the juveniles by their actions such as begging for food, no
fear to people, or trying to figure out how the hummingbird feeder works.
Attracting the bird to your backyard can been done
all year round with feeders, a fresh water supply and nests boxes. This
provides for the birds as a supplement food source for the birds during nesting
and brings us many pleasures of watching them.
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, May 24, 2026:
Sunday Bird Walk will be going to Bowen Park, in Nanaimo.
Meet directly at the upper parking lot by the lawn bowling pitch at 9:00am. Weather cooperating.
Tuesday Bird Walk, May 26, 2026:
Tuesday
Bird Walk will be going to the Parksville Wetlands / Springwood Park in Parksville.
Meet directly at the end Despard Ave W and Chestnut Street at 9:00 am. Weather cooperating.
Good birding! Colin Bartlett
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