The Backyard's Weekly Bird Walk locations are found in the Backyard Bird Report at the very end of the most recent report. Any cancellations will be posted here by 8am the day of the walk. Our first bird walks of the year are going out on Sunday February 4th and Tuesday February 6th. Locations will be posted to our next Bird Report.

Tuesday 27 October 2015

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, October 27, 2015

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Shelly road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was cloudy and cool. Three Trumpeter Swans flew over head and headed down the island.  We saw a Northern Shrike perched near Surfside and another one perched near the river. A flock of over two hundred noisy Pine Siskins landed in the top of the trees near the trail.  A large flock of Black Turnstones landed near the gravel bar that was loaded with a large number of gulls just off shore.  We  spotted a Eurasian Wigeon in with the American Wigeon near the tide line.  A Cooper’s Hawk was perched just off the trail at the end of the walk.      
 
                                                                            Northern Shrike: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Seventeen birders saw and heard the following fifty-eight species:
Trumpeter Swan
Canada Goose
Eurasian Wigeon
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Harlequin Duck
Greater Scaup
Green-wing Teal
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
 Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
 Brandt’s Cormorant 
Pelagic Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Cooper’s Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Northern Shrike
Black Turnstone
Mew Gull
Bonaparte’s Gull
California Gull
Thayer's Gull
Western Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Anna's Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
Steller's Jay
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
California Quail
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Bewick's Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
Varied Thrush
European Starling
Spotted Towhee
Lincoln's Sparrow 
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
House Finch
Purple Finch
American Goldfinch
Pine Siskin   
 
 
                                                                   
                                                                            Cooper's Hawk

The Tuesday bird walk on November 03 will be going to Columbia Beach. Meet at the Parksville Community Park at the parking lot near the Lions club Playground at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking area off Admiral Tyron Bld. ( take Columbia Drive off highway 19a turn right on Admiral Tyron Bld. Go about 100 yards to the parking area on the left.) 

Good birding
Neil Robins
Parksville

Sunday 25 October 2015

Nanaimo bird report, october 25, 2015


BIRD REPORT “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 and location of your sighting.
*****************************************************************************

Sunday, October 25, 2015  
The Sunday bird walk went to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo. The morning was cloudy with a strong wind off the Strait of Georgia. Three Common Murre flew low over the water heading up the strait. We saw a large number of Varied Thrush in the forest.  The Spotted Sandpiper was spotted in its usual spot on sunset beach. Many Common Mergansers and Red-breasted Mergansers flew over the water heading down the strait.

 

Bufflehead: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Twenty-one birders saw and heard the following Forty-three species:

Mallard

Bufflehead

  Harlequin Duck

  Surf Scoter

 White-winged Scoter

 Common Mergansers

Red-breasted Merganser

 Red-necked Grebe

 Horned Grebe

  Common Loon

  Pacific Loon

Common Murre

Double-crested Cormorant

  Pelagic Cormorant

  Great Blue Heron

  Spotted Sandpiper

  Black Oystercatcher

  Bald Eagle

  California Gull

  Thayer’s Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

  Downy Woodpecker

 Northern Flicker

  Common Raven

 European Starling

Steller’s Jay

 Anna’s Hummingbird

  Belted Kingfisher

 Pacific Wren

 Bewick's Wren

  Brown Creeper

  Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

  American Robin

 Varied Thrush

Spotted Towhee

Fox Sparrow

  Song Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco 

American Goldfinch

Pine Siskin.  

 

Friday, October 23: 
A Red-tailed Hawk, a Northern Shrike, five Western Meadowlarks and two Mourning Doves were seen and photographed in the shrubs past the Oak tree at the Nanaimo river estuary in south Nanaimo.

Three Rock Sandpipers were seen along the ocean side of the breakwater  at Ogden Point in Victoria.   

Thursday, October 22:
 A Swamp Sparrow was seen at Buttertubs west Marsh in
Nanaimo. 

A Snow Goose was seen on the sidewalk near the Qualicum Beach Visitors Center. 

Three Greater White-fronted Geese were seen flying over the Eagle Quest Golf Course in Cassidy. 

Tuesday, October 20:
The Tuesday bird walk, October 20, 2015 went to Deep Bay. The morning was sunny and warm with calm winds, making for a lovely morning of birding. Hundreds of Surf Scoters White-winged Scoters and Black Scoters were on Deep Bay with the calm seas. Seven Long-tailed Ducks were seen resting on the water behind the scoters. Two Pigeon Guillemots were spotted close to Denman Island.  Spotted Towhees, Song Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows, Golden-crowned Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos and House Finch were seen in the bushes as we walked along the shoreline.

 

Long-tailed Ducks: Ralph Hocken Photo.

 

Sixteen birders including two visiting birders from the United Kingdom saw and heard the following fifty-one species:

Trumpeter Swan

Canada Geese

American Widgeon

Mallard

Bufflehead

Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Black Scoter

Long-tailed Duck

Greater Scaup

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Pacific Loon

Common Loon

Red-necked Grebe

Horned Grebe

Western Grebe

Pelagic Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorant

Brandt’s Cormorant

Pigeon Guillemot

Belted Kingfisher

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Black Oystercatcher

Killdeer

Mew Gull

California Gull

Thayer's Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Eurasian-collared Dove

Rock Pigeon

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Northern Flicker

Steller’s Jay

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

American Robin

European Starling

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco
Brewer’s Blackbird
House Finch
House Sparrow
 
                                                                           
  Surf Scoters: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

 

Monday, October 19:

“RARE BIRD ALERT
·A King Eider and a Red-throated Loon were seen on the Strait of Georgia looking from Madronia Point and looking towards Rathtrevor Park, in Parksville.     

 ********************************************************************************
Everyone is welcome to join us for a 2-3 hour bird walk on the Sunday and
Tuesday mornings.  We leave from the Store at 9 a.m. on Sunday Mornings and go to a different location in and around Nanaimo and from the Parksville
Beach Community Park at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays and go to different areas in and around the Oceanside area
**************************************  **************************************

The Tuesday bird walk on October 27 will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park at the parking lot at the Lions Club Playground at 9:00 a.m. or at the end of Shelly Road on the ocean side of highway 19a at about 9:05 a.m.        

****************************************************************************
The Sunday bird walk on November 01, 2015 will be going to the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.  Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 a.m. or at end of Raines Road at about 9:30 a.m.
**********************************************************************************
British Columbia Rare Bird Alert link---
http://www.bcbirdalert.blogspot.ca/
******************************************************************************************
 Rare Birds of Vancouver Island:


******************************************************************************************
Good birding
Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE
6314 Metral Drive
Nanaimo  B.C.
V9T-2L8
Phone: 250-390-3669
Fax: 250-390-1633
Email: 
thebackyard@shaw.ca
Blog:  www.thebirdstore.blogspot.co

 

Tuesday 20 October 2015

Parksville/Qualcum Beach Tuesday bird walk, October 20, 2015

The Tuesday bird walk, October 20, 2015 went to Deep Bay. The morning was sunny and warm with calm winds, making for a lovely morning of birding. Hundreds of Surf Scoters White-winged Scoters and Black Scoters were on Deep Bay with the calm seas. Seven Long-tailed Ducks were seen resting on the water behind the scoters. Two Pigeon Guillemots were spotted close to Denman Island.  Spotted Towhees, Song Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows, Golden-crowned Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos and House Finch were seen in the bushes as we walked along the shoreline.
                                                                        

Long-tailed Ducks: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Sixteen birders including two visiting birders from the United Kingdom saw and heard the following fifty-one species:
Trumpeter Swan
Canada Geese
American Widgeon
Mallard
Bufflehead
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Greater Scaup
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Red-necked Grebe
Horned Grebe
Western Grebe
Pelagic Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Brandt’s Cormorant
Pigeon Guillemot
Belted Kingfisher
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Black Oystercatcher
Killdeer
Mew Gull
California Gull
Thayer's Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Eurasian-collared Dove
Rock Pigeon
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Northern Flicker
Steller’s Jay
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
European Starling
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Brewer’s Blackbird
House Finch
House Sparrow
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                              
                                             
 
 
 
Surf Scoters: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

The Tuesday bird walk on October 27 will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park at the parking lot at the Lions Club Playground at 9:00 a.m. or at the end of Shelly Road on the ocean side of highway 19a at about 9:05 a.m. 

Good birding
Neil Robins
Parksville

Monday 19 October 2015

King Eider

A King Eider and a Red-throated Loon were seen on the Strait of Georgia looking from Madronia Point and looking towards Rathtrevor Park, in Parksville.

The King Eider was first seen at this location on Friday, October 16, 2015

Good birding
Neil Robins,
 Parksville.
 

 

Sunday 18 October 2015

Nanaimo bird report, October 18, 2015


BIRD REPORT “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 and location of your sighting.
*****************************************************************************

Sunday, October 18, 2015  

The Sunday bird walk went to Nanoose Bay. The morning was cloudy with calm winds and fog.   A Western Grebe, two Pigeon Guillemots, Surf Scoters,  White-winged Scoters and a  Black Scoter were seen resting on the water near the oyster barrels.  A Eurasian Widgeon was spotted in with the American Widgeons.  A shorebird flew in and landed near the grassy shore by the Green-winged Teal and began feeding, giving us lots of time to identify him.  We concluded that it was a Red Knot--a first sighting for the Sunday bird walks.

Pigeon Guillemot: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Thirteen birders saw and heard the following Fifty-four species:
Canada Geese
  Mallard
  American Widgeon
Eurasian Widgeon
 Northern Pintail
Greater Scaup
 Green-winged Teal
  Surf Scoter
  White-winged Scoter
  Black Scoter
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
 Red-necked Grebe
Western Grebe
Pigeon Guillemot
  Double-crested Cormorant
  Pelagic Cormorant
Brandt’s Cormorant
  Great Blue Heron
  Red Knot
Killdeer
 Bald Eagle
 Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
 Red-Tailed Hawk
Mew Gull
California Gull
  Glaucous-winged Gull
 Belted Kingfisher
  Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Bewick’s Wren
Pacific Wren
Yellow-rumped Warbler
 Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Steller’s Jay
Pileated Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
  American Robin
  European Starling
Red-winged Blackbird
  Song Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
  Golden-crowned Sparrow
 Spotted Towhee
  Purple Finch
 Dark-eyed Junco
 House Finch
Pine Siskin  

Saturday, October 17:
A Cassin’s Finch was spotted feeding in a backyard along Meridian Way in Parksville. 

Friday, October 16: 
Twelve Western Meadowlarks were seen at the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo. 

”RARE BIRD ALERT”
A juvenile King Eider was seen offshore from the main beach at Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville
 

Tuesday, October 13:
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach. The morning was cloudy with a breeze off the Strait of Georgia.  A flock of twelve Black Scoters, three flocks of Surf Scoters, several White-winged Scoters, numerous Red-breasted Mergansers, Pacific Loons and Common Loons were seen on the Strait.  A Red-tailed Hawk, a Sharp-shinned Hawk and a Merlin flew overhead, entertaining us during the morning.  One Killdeer, four  Black Turnstones, a Dunlin, two Pectoral Sandpipers and nine Black Oystercatchers were seen feeding close to shore.  A large flock of  Bonaparte's Gulls gathered along the gravel bars not far from shore.

                                                                                   
                                                       Black Scoters: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Eleven birders saw and heard the following fifty-six species:
Canada Goose
 American Wigeon
 Mallard
Green-wing Teal
 Harlequin Duck
 Surf Scoter
 White-winged Scoter
 Black Scoter
 Red-breasted Merganser
 Common Merganser
 Pacific Loon
 Common Loon
 Horned Grebe
 Red-necked Grebe
 Western Grebe
 Double-crested Cormorant
 Pelagic Cormorant
 Great Blue Heron
 Bald Eagle
 Red-tailed Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Merlin
 Killdeer
 Black Turnstone
Dunlin
Pectoral Sandpiper
Black Oystercatcher
 Bonaparte's Gull
 Mew Gull
 California Gull
 Thayer's Gull
Western Gull
 Glaucous-winged Gull
 Belted Kingfisher
Eurasian Collared Dove
 Northern Flicker
Steller’s Jay
 Northwestern Crow
 Common Raven
European Starling
California Quail
 American Robin
Varied Thrush
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Anna’s Hummingbird
 Chestnut-backed Chickadee
 Red-winged Blackbird
 Spotted Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
 Song Sparrow
  Dark-eyed Junco  
House Finch
Purple Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow 

 Black Turnstones : Ralph Hocken Photo. 

 ********************************************************************************
Everyone is welcome to join us for a 2-3 hour bird walk on the Sunday and
Tuesday mornings.  We leave from the Store at 9 a.m. on Sunday Mornings and go to a different location in and around Nanaimo and from the Parksville
Beach Community Park at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays and go to different areas in and around the Oceanside area

****************************************************************************

The Tuesday bird walk on October 20, 2015 will be going to Deep Bay. Meet at the Parksville Community Parks at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at the Deep Bay Marina at about 9: 40 a.m.

****************************************************************************
The Sunday bird walk on October 25, 2015 will be going to Neck Point in Nanaimo.  Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at Neck Point off Hammond Bay Road at about 9:15 a.m.
**********************************************************************************
British Columbia Rare Bird Alert link---
http://www.bcbirdalert.blogspot.ca/
*******************************************************************************
Good birding
Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE
6314 Metral Drive
Nanaimo  B.C.
V9T-2L8
Phone: 250-390-3669
Fax: 250-390-1633
Email: 
thebackyard@shaw.ca
Blog:  www.thebirdstore.blogspot.co