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.

Sunday 29 October 2017

Nanaimo bird report, October 29, 2017



BIRD REPORT
“EXPLORE NATURE”---GO BIRDING:
To report your sightings phone the Store at 250-390-3669Or 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 29, 2017:  
This Sunday’s Bird Walk went to Nanoose Bay.  The morning was sunny with calm winds. Ten Bufflehead, one Barrow’s Goldeneye, twelve Common Mergansers, one Hooded Merganser and several Red-breasted Mergansers were seen close to shore.  A Red-tailed Hawk was spotted perched on a tall snag.   A Hairy Woodpecker was seen feeding in a tree near the trail.  Ruby-crowned Kinglets were feeding just off the trail.

Barrow’s Goldeneye: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Twenty-six birders saw and heard the following forty-five species:
Canada Geese
Mallard
Bufflehead
Northern Pintail
American Widgeon
Green-winged Teal
Surf Scoter
Barrow’s Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Common Loon
Pacific Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Pelagic Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Mew Gull
California Gull
Iceland Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Killdeer
Belted Kingfisher
Great Blue Heron
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Northern Flicker
Steller's Jay
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Brown Creeper
Bushtit
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Varied Thrush
European Starling
Spotted Towhee
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-tailed Hawk: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Saturday, October 28:
A Northern Shrike and six Western Meadowlarks were seen at the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.

Friday October 27:  
A Great Horned Owl and a Barred Owl were seen sitting on tree close to each other at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.  

Wednesday, October 25:  
A White-winged Crossbill was seen at the Englishman River Estuary on the Shelly Road side in Parksville:

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird Walk, October 24:
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Englishman River Estuary on the Shelly Road side in Parksville.. The morning was clear and sunny with calm winds, making for a very pleasant bird walk.  We had great views of a Great Horned Owl watching us as he perched next to the trunk of a tall tree just off the trail.  Golden-crowned Kinglets and Ruby-crowned Kinglets were seen feeding on the trees along the trail.  We were entertained royally by the five Woodpecker species on the island during morning.  A Pileated Woodpecker was perched at the top of a tall tree, six Northern Flickers were seen throughout the morning, a Red-breasted Sapsucker flew in to give us a quick view, a Downy Woodpecker was seen feeding on the trunk of a tree and two Hairy Woodpeckers, one we had close-up looks at as he was pecking at a log on the ground just off the trail and the other was feeding on a deciduous tree trunk.  Four Eurasian Widgeons were in with a very large flock of American Widgeons

Eurasian Wigeon: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Thirteen birders saw and heard the following fifty-four species:
Canada Goose
Eurasian Wigeon 
American Wigeon 
Mallard 
Northern Pintail 
Harlequin Duck
Greater Scaup
Green-wing Teal 
Gadwall
White-winged Scoter
Common Merganser 
Red-breasted Merganser
 Pacific Loon 
Common Loon
Horned Grebe 
Red-necked Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant 
Great Blue Heron 
Bald Eagle 
Great Horned Owl
Killdeer
Mew Gull
California Gull 
Iceland Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull 
Anna's Hummingbird 
Belted Kingfisher 
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker 
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Steller's Jay 
Northwestern Crow 
Common Raven
California Quail 
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 
Red-breasted Nuthatch 
Pacific Wren 
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 
Bushtit
Brown Creeper
American Robin
European Starling 
Spotted Towhee 
Fox Sparrow  
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow 
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco 
Red-winged Blackbird 
Brewer's Blackbird 
House Finch
Great Horned Owl: Hans Laue Photo:

Everyone is welcome to join us for a 2-3 hour bird walk on Sunday & Tuesday. We leave from the Store at 9 a.m. on Sunday Mornings and go to a different location in and around Nanaimo.  We leave from the Parksville Community Park at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday mornings and go to a different location in the Oceanside area.

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

The Tuesday Bird walk on October 31, 2017 will be going to the Lot Ten in Qualicum Beach. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (at the parking lot in front of the Lions Club Playground) at 9:00 a.m. or at Brandt viewing platform (off highway 19a in north Qualicum Beach) at about 9:20 a.m.

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

The Sunday walk on November 05, 2017 will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. Meet at the bird store at 9:00 a.m. or at the end of Shelly Road on the ocean side of highway 19a in Parksville at about 9:25 a.m.

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

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: http://thebirdstore.blogspot.ca/

Tuesday 24 October 2017

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, October 24, 2017


The Tuesday bird walk went to the Englishman River Estuary on the Shelly Road side in Parksville.. The morning was clear and sunny with calm winds, making for a very pleasant bird walk.  We had great views of a Great Horned Owl watching us as he perched next to the trunk of a tall tree just off the trail.  Golden-crowned Kinglets and Ruby-crowned Kinglets were seen feeding on the trees along the trail.  We were entertained royally by the five Woodpecker species on the island during morning.  A Pileated Woodpecker was perched at the top of a tall tree, six Northern Flickers were seen throughout the morning, a Red-breasted Sapsucker flew in to give us a quick view, a Downy Woodpecker was seen feeding on the trunk of a tree and two Hairy Woodpeckers, one we had closeup looks at as he was pecking at a log on the ground just off the trail and the other was feeding on a deciduous tree trunk.  Four Eurasian Wigeons were in with a very large flock of American Wigeons.

Eurasian Wigeon: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Thirteen birders saw and heard the following fifty-four species:
Canada Goose
Eurasian Wigeon 
American Wigeon 
Mallard 
Northern Pintail 
Harlequin Duck
Greater Scaup
Green-wing Teal 
Gadwall
White-winged Scoter
Common Merganser 
Red-breasted Merganser
 Pacific Loon 
Common Loon
Horned Grebe 
Red-necked Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant 
Great Blue Heron 
Bald Eagle 
Great Horned Owl
Killdeer
Mew Gull
California Gull 
Iceland Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull 
Anna's Hummingbird 
Belted Kingfisher 
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker 
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Steller's Jay 
Northwestern Crow 
Common Raven
California Quail 
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 
Red-breasted Nuthatch 
Pacific Wren 
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 
Bushtit
Brown Creeper
American Robin
European Starling 
Spotted Towhee 
Fox Sparrow  
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow 
Golden-crowned Sparrow 
Dark-eyed Junco 
Red-winged Blackbird 
Brewer's Blackbird 
House Finch

Great Horned Owl: Hans Laue Photo:

The Tuesday Bird walk on October 31, 2017, will be going to the Lot Ten in Qualicum Beach. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (at the parking lot in front of the Lions Club Playground) at 9:00 a.m. or at Brandt viewing platform(off highway 19a in north Qualicum Beach) at about 9:20 a.m.

Good birding 
Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE
314 Metral Drive
Nanaimo B.C.
V9T-2L8

Phone: 250-390-3669

Fax: 250-390-1633


















Sunday 22 October 2017

Nanaimo bird report, October 22, 2017


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 22, 2017:  
This Sunday’s Bird Walk went to Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.
The morning started with light showers but cleared up for the rest of the morning.  We spotted a Northern Shrike in a bush near the parking lot and saw several more during the morning.  Common Ravens were very plentiful flying high overhead during the walk.  Several Western Meadowlarks were perched in short bushes giving us great views.  We had several sightings of a Northern Harrier.

Northern Shrike: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Twelve birders saw and heard the following thirty-seven species:
Canada Geese
Mallard,
American Widgeon
Great Blue Heron
Green-winged Teal
Common Merganser
Common Loon
Double-crested Cormorant
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Northern Shrike
Belted Kingfisher
Killdeer
Wilson’s Snipe
Mew Gull
Bonaparte’s Gull
California Gull
 Glaucous-winged Gull
 European Starling
Northern Flicker
Downy Woodpecker
Steller’s Jay
Western Meadowlark
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
American Robin
Bushtit
Bewick’s Wren
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Spotted Towhee
 Song Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco 
 House Finch
American Goldfinch
Purple Finch

Northern Harrier: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Saturday, October 21:  
A Short-eared Owl was seen at the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.

An unconfirmed sighting of a White-breasted Nuthatch was reported along Alice Place near Stephenson Point.

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, October 17, 2017
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach. The morning was cloudy and with rain for the first half of the walk but it turned clear and sunny later on---making for a pleasant bird walk.  We spotted an American Kestrel high up in a tall conifer tree.  A Brandt’s Cormorant and a Long-tailed Duck were seen just off shore heading up the Strait of Georgia. Twenty-five Bald Eagles were seen during the walk, many right along the shore line.  A Ring-billed Gull, two Herring Gulls and a Glaucous Gull were seen during the morning.  A large flock of Red-breasted Mergansers flew low over the water heading down the Strait. 

                                                    Bald Eagle: Ralph Hocken Photo.


Eleven birders saw and heard the following forty-two species:
Canada Goose
 American Wigeon
 Mallard
Northern Pintail
Green-wing Teal
 Harlequin Duck
 Surf Scoter
 White-winged Scoter
 Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
 Red-breasted Merganser
 Common Merganser
 Pacific Loon
 Common Loon
 Horned Grebe
 Red-necked Grebe
  Brandt’s Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
American Kestrel
Merlin
Black Oystercatcher
Bonaparte's Gull
 Mew Gull
 California Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Iceland Gull
 Glaucous Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Belted Kingfisher
 Eurasian-collared Dove
European Starling
Northern Flicker
 Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
American Robin
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-winged Blackbird
Spotted Towhee
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
 Dark-eyed Junco 
 House Sparrow

Glaucous Gull: Ralph Hocken Photo:

A Wilson’s Snipe was seen in a backyard along Parton Drive in Nanaimo.

Monday, October 16:
A Rufous Hummingbird was seen in the 4900 block of Homestead Way in Ladysmith.

A Palm Warbler saw spotted at the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.


Everyone is welcome to join us for a 2-3 hour bird walk on Sunday & Tuesday. We leave from the Store at 9 a.m. on Sunday Mornings and go to a different location in and around Nanaimo.  We leave from the Parksville Community Park at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday mornings and go to a different location in the Oceanside area.

*******************************************************************
The Tuesday Bird walk on October 24, 2017, will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (at the parking lot in front of the Lions Club Playground) at 9:00 a.m. or at the end of Shelly Road on the ocean side of highway 19a in Parksville at about 9:10 a.m.

******************************************************************************* 
The Sunday bird walk on October 29, 2017 will be going to Nanoose Bay. Meet at the Birdstore at 9:00 a.m. or at beach near the Church Camp off highway 19 and Arlington Road at about 9:15 a.m.     
***********************************************************************
    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: http://thebirdstore.blogspot.ca/

Thursday 19 October 2017

Emailed Bird Reports

At the store we have been busy trying to get our emails back up and running to be able to send out our weekly bird reports. It looks as though we may have fixed the problem we were having, and we have been slowly sending out the Nanaimo Bird Report for October 15 through our thebackyard@shaw.ca email.

If you previously received our emails but have not had a Nanaimo Bird Report for October 15 email in your inbox by Sunday October 22, please email us at the store and let us know. If you would like to start receiving our emails, please email us and we will add you to our email list.

We are hoping that by the end of October we will have everything working for our emails so we can keep everyone informed about our seed sales and all the wonderful weekly bird reports.

If you have any questions, please email the store (thebackyard@shaw.ca) or call us (2503903669).

Thank you,
Nicole.

Wednesday 18 October 2017

PALM WARBLER & RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD

PALM WARBLER was seen at the Nanaimo River Estuary on Oct 16/2017. It was seen in the hedge along the field near the tall posts with the nesting boxes.

RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD was reported visiting a backyard hummingbird feeder Oct 16 along Homestead way in Ladysmith BC.

Tuesday 17 October 2017

Parksville/Qualicum beach Tuesday bird walk, October 17, 2017


The Tuesday bird walk went to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach. The morning was cloudy and with rain for the first half of the walk but it turned clear and sunny later on---making for a pleasant bird walk.  We spotted an American Kestrel high up in a tall conifer tree.  A Brandt’s Cormorant and a Long-tailed Duck was seen just off shore heading up the Strait of Georgia. Twenty-five Bald Eagles were seen during the walk, many right along the shore line.  A Ring-billed Gull, two Herring Gulls and a Glaucous Gull were seen during the morning.  A large flock of Red-breasted Mergansers  flew low over the water heading down the Strait. 



Bald Eagle: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Eleven birders saw and heard the following forty-two species:
Canada Goose
 American Wigeon
 Mallard
Northern Pintail
Green-wing Teal
 Harlequin Duck
 Surf Scoter
 White-winged Scoter
 Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
 Red-breasted Merganser
 Common Merganser
 Pacific Loon
 Common Loon
 Horned Grebe
 Red-necked Grebe
  Brandt’s Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
American Kestrel
Merlin
Black Oystercatcher
Bonaparte's Gull
 Mew Gull
 California Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Iceland Gull
 Glaucous Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Belted Kingfisher
 Eurasian-collared Dove
European Starling
Northern Flicker
 Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
American Robin
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-winged Blackbird
Spotted Towhee
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
 Dark-eyed Junco 
 House Sparrow

Glaucous Gull: Ralph Hocken Photo:

The Tuesday Bird walk on October 24, 2017, will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (at the parking lot in front of the Lions Club Playground) at 9:00 a.m. or at the end of Shelly Road on the oceanside of highway 19a in Parksville at about 9:10 a.m.

Good birding 
Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD &  NATURE STORE
314 Metral Drive
Nanaimo B.C.
V9T-2L8
Phone: 250-390-3669
Fax: 250-390-1633