Canada Day

We will be closed for Sunday July 1 for Canada day. The store will re-open at 9:30am on July 2 for all your bird feeding needs.

The Sunday bird walk will be cancelled for July 1, but will resume July 8 and will be held at Hemer Park.

ALBINO RAVEN, Coombs BC

ALBINO COMMON RAVEN seen in a field at 1513 Winchester road in Coombs. The bird was seen up in a tree beside the field and creek. Please contact the land owner before entering or here at the store for more information.

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday Bird Walk, June 26, 2018:

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday Bird Walk,

June 26, 2018:

The Tuesday bird walk went to Lot Ten in Qualicum Beach. The morning was sunny with calm winds. A Swainson's Thrush, a Warbling Vireo and an Anna’s Hummingbird greeted us at the start of the walk while they were feeding low in a bush close to the trail. We heard a Red-eyed Vireo singing from high up in the very tall trees in the forest.  There were two Red-breasted Sapsuckers high up in the tall trees.  Purple Martins, Northern Rough-wing Swallows and Violet-green Swallows were seen hawking insects above the river.  A Cooper’s Hawk, a Sharp-shinned Hawk, a Bald Eagle and three Turkey Vultures were seen flying high overhead.  A Western Tanager was spotted flying between the tall trees along the river. Several American Robins were mobbing a Barred Owl at the end of the walk.

Sixteen birders, saw and heard the following thirty-six species:

Canada Goose
Bald Eagle

Cooper’s Hawk

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Turkey Vulture

Barred Owl

Belted Kingfisher

Common Raven

Mourning Dove

Anna’s Hummingbird

Rufous Hummingbird

 Red-breasted Sapsucker

Red-eyed Vireo

Warbling Vireo

Willow Flycatcher

 Pacific-slope Flycatcher 

Purple Martin

 Northern Rough-wing Swallow

Violet-green Swallow

 Chestnut-backed Chickadee

 Brown Creeper

 Bewick's Wren

 Pacific Wren

 Swainson's Thrush

American Robin

Western Tanager

Orange-crowned Warbler

 Black-throated Gray Warbler

Wilson’s Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

 Spotted Towhee

 Song Sparrow

 Black-headed Grosbeak

 American Goldfinch

House Finch

House Sparrow

Please Note
Check this site (www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com) early Tuesday and Sunday on stormy mornings to see if the walks have been cancelled!

This was the last Tuesday Bird Walk of the season. The walks will resume in the fall!

The Sunday Bird Walk on July 01, 2018 is cancelled due to the Canada Day Holiday!

“Have a Happy Canada Day”

The Sunday Bird Walk on July 08, 2018 will be going to Hemer Provincial Park in Cedar.  Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 a.m. or at the Hemer Park parking lot at the end of Hemer Road (Take highway 19 south and exit left at Cedar Road.  Follow Cedar Road to the bridge and turn right onto Cedar Road. Follow Cedar Road to Hemer Road and turn left.) Follow the road to the end where there is a parking lot.  We will meet there at about 9:30 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

Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca

www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

Sunday bird walk, June 24, 2018

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 Bird Walk, June 24 2018

The Sunday bird walk went to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo.. The morning was cloudy with a strong wind off the Strait of Georgia.  We spotted several Double-crested Cormorants and Pelagic Cormorants flying over the Strait. Three female Surf Scoters were seen heading down the strait. A Harlequin Duck was seen resting near Shack Island.  We had great views of a Pigeon Guillemot just off shore.

   

                                              Pigeon Guillemot: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Eighteen birders including a visiting birder from St. Albert, Alberta saw and heard the following thirty-one species:

Canada Geese

Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

Double-crested Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant

Pigeon Guillemot

Black Oystercatcher

Bald Eagle

 Turkey Vulture 

Great Blue Heron

Glaucous-winged Gull

Belted Kingfisher

California Quail

Anna’s Hummingbird

 Rufous Hummingbird

 Northern Flicker

 Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Pacific-sloped Flycatcher

  Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

 Bewick's Wren

 American Robin

European Starling

Warbling Vireo

Orange-crowned Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

 House Finch 

American Goldfinch

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday Bird Walk, June 19, 2018:

The Tuesday bird walk went the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was sunny with calm winds.   We heard and then saw a Willow Flycatcher perched at the top a tall bush.   Bright yellow American Goldfinch dotted the bushes beside the river.  Turkey Vultures and Bald Eagles were seen high over head during the walk.  We spotted a Spotted Sandpiper perched on a rock near the river.  A very large flock of Canada Geese were resting along the shore of the river.  A Common Loon, a Marbled Murrelet and two Pigeon Guillemots were seen heading up the Strait of Georgia.  Swainson's Thrush, a Hammond’s Flycatcher and a Pacific-slope Flycatcher were heard singing on the walk.  A flock of Band-tailed Pigeons, several Eurasian-collared Doves and a flock of Rock Pigeons flew over. A Mink entertained us as it ran along the shore line and swam just off shore, giving us great views! 

                       Willow Flycatcher: Ralph Hocken Photo:  

Thirteen birders saw and heard the following forty-five species:

Canada Geese
Mallard

Harlequin Duck

Common Merganser
Common Loon

Marbled Murrelet
Pigeon Guillemot

Great Blue Heron

Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Killdeer

Black Oystercatcher

Spotted Sandpiper

Mew Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull
Band-tailed Pigeon

Eurasian-collared Dove

Rock Pigeon

Rufous Hummingbird

Anna’s Hummingbird
Northern Flicker
Willow Flycatcher
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Hammond’s Flycatcher

Olive-sided Flycatcher
Northwestern Crow
Violet-green Swallow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch

Bewick’s Wren

Swainson's Thrush
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
European Starling
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler

Western Tanager

Black-headed Grosbeak

Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow

Chipping Sparrow

                                                              White-crowned Sparrow

Purple Finch

American Goldfinch

                   Common Loon: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Please Note
Check this site (www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com) early Tuesday and Sunday on stormy mornings to see if the walks have been cancelled!

The Tuesday Bird Walk on June  26 , 2018 will be going to the Lot Ten in north Qualicum Beach.  Meet at the Parksville Community Park (near the Lions Club playground parking lot) in Parksville at 9:00 am., or on the forest side of Highway 19a on Kinkade Road at about 9:20 a.m.

This will be the last Tuesday Bird Walk until the fall.

The Sunday Bird Walk on July 01, 2018 is cancelled due to the Canada Day Holiday!

 “Have a Happy Canada Day”

The Sunday Bird Walk on July 08, 2018 will be going to Hemer Provincial Park in Cedar.  Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 a.m. or at the Hemer Park parking lot at the end of Hemer Road (Take highway 19, south and exit left at Cedar Road follow Cedar Road to the bridge and turn right on Cedar Road  and go to Hemer Road and turn left and go to the Park) meet  at about 9: 30 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

Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca

www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

Parksville/Quualicum Beach tuesday bird walk, June 17, 2018

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday Bird Walk,

June 19, 2018:

The Tuesday bird walk went the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was sunny with calm winds.   We heard and then saw a Willow Flycatcher perched at the top a tall bush.   Bright yellow American Goldfinch dotted the bushes beside the river.  Turkey Vultures and Bald Eagles were seen high over head during the walk.  We spotted a Spotted Sandpiper perched on a rock near the river.  A very large flock of Canada Geese were resting along the shore of the river.  A Common Loon, a Marbled Murrelet and two Pigeon Guillemots were seen heading up the Strait of Georgia.  Swainson's Thrush, a Hammond’s Flycatcher and a Pacific-slope Flycatcher were heard singing on the walk.  A flock of Band-tailed Pigeons, several Eurasian-collared Doves and a flock of Rock Pigeons  flew over. A Mink entertained us as it ran along the shore line and swam just off shore, giving us great views! 

Willow Flycatcher: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Thirteen birders, saw and heard the following forty-five species:

Canada Goose
Mallard

                                                                  Harlequin Duck

Common Merganser
Common Loon

Marbled Murrelet
Pigeon Guillemot

Great Blue Heron

Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Killdeer

Black Oystercatcher

Spotted Sandpiper

Mew Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull
Band-tailed Pigeon

Eurasian-collared Dove

Rock Pigeon

Rufous Hummingbird

Anna’s Hummingbird
Northern Flicker
Willow Flycatcher
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Hammond’s Flycatcher

Olive-sided Flycatcher
Northwestern Crow
Violet-green Swallow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch

Bewick’s Wren

Swainson's Thrush
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
European Starling
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler

Western Tanager

Black-headed Grosbeak

Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow

Chipping Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow
Purple Finch

American Goldfinch

Common Loon: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Please Note
Check this site (www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com) early Tuesday and Sunday on stormy mornings to see if the walks have been cancelled!

The Sunday Bird Walk on June 24, 2018 will be going Neck Point Park in Nanaimo.  Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 a.m. or at the Neck Point Parking lot off Hammond Bay Road at about 9:15 a.m.

The Tuesday Bird Walk on June 26 , 2018 will be going to the Lot Ten in north Qualicum Beach.  Meet at the Parksville Community Park (near the Lions Club playground parking lot) in Parksville at 9:00 am., or on the forest side of Highway 19a on Kinkade Road 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

Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca

www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

Nanaimo bird report, June 17, 2018

Nanaimo bird Report,June 17, 2018.

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 Bird Walk, June 17 2018

The Sunday bird walk went to Legacy Marsh in upper Lantzville. The morning was sunny and hot.  We heard and saw many Willow Flycatchers during the morning walk.  We spotted a Barred Owl being mobbed by American Robins deep in the forest.   Turkey Vultures, Bald Eagles, Purple Martins, Violet-green Swallows and Tree Swallows were seen high overhead. We had great views of a singing Warbling Vireo at the top of a tall tree near the trail.  A MacGillivray’s Warbler was heard singing along the trail.  We had great views of a family of Yellow Warblers just above the trail.

Yellow Warbler: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Nine birders saw and heard the following forty-four species:

Bald Eagle

Barred Owl

Turkey Vulture

Great Blue Heron

Band-tailed Pigeon

Anna’s Hummingbird

Rufous Hummingbird

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Pacific-slope Flycatcher

Willow Flycatcher

Warbling Vireo

Common Raven

Northwestern Crow

Purple Martin

Violet-green Swallow

Tree Swallow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Brown Creeper

Bewick’s Wren

Marsh Wren

Pacific Wren

European Starling

Swanson’s Thrush

American Robin

Cedar Waxwing

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Townsend’s Warbler

Orange-crowned Warbler

Black-throated Gray Warbler

MacGillivray’s Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Western Tanager

Black-headed Grosbeak

Red-winged Blackbird

Brown-headed Cowbird

Spotted Towhee

White-crowned Sparrow

Chipping Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Purple Finch 

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday Bird Walk, June 12, 2018:

The Tuesday bird walk went the Beaver Ponds in Nanoose Bay. The morning was cloudy with calm winds. The walk was 3.1 kilometers long and took two hour and twenty-three minutes.  A juvenile Black-headed Grosbeak flew just above us followed by a male Black-headed Grosbeak.  We discovered a family of Chestnut-backed Chickadees on the ground under some bushes in the first little meadow.  A Barred Owl was spotted perched on a snag.   A Mallard Duck with two chicks and a Wood Duck with three chicks greeted us on the Beaver Ponds.   A Willow Flycatcher was seen a the top of a snag next to the trail.  A Purple Finch was spotted at the very top of a very tall tree.                                                                                  

                                  Chestnut-backed Chickadee: Peter Coxon Photo:

Thirteen birders, including two visiting birders from Vancouver saw and heard the following thirty-two species:

Mallard

Wood Duck

Turkey Vulture

Barred Owl

Rufous Hummingbird

Northern Flicker

Common Raven

Northwestern Crow

Tree Swallow

Violet-green Swallow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

American Robin

Swainson’s Thrush

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Cassin’s Vireo

Warbling Vireo

Orange-crowned Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Wilson’s Warbler

Townsend’s Warbler

Willow Flycatcher

Pacific-sloped Flycatcher

Western Tanager

Red-winged Blackbird

Bewick’s Wren

Black-headed Grosbeak

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Purple Finch

                                              American Goldfinch 

Dark-eyed Junco 

Wood Duck: Peter Coxon  Photo:

A Pacific-slope Flycatcher was seen resting on a light fixture along Departure Bay Road in the Rock City Road area of Nanaimo.

Please Note
Check this site (www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com) early Tuesday and Sunday on stormy mornings to see if the walks have been cancelled!.

The Tuesday Bird Walk on June19, 2018 will be going to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville.  Meet at the Parksville Community Park (near the Lions Club playground parking lot) in Parksville at 9:00 am. or at the Corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive, along the Englishman River at about 9:10 a.m.

The Sunday Bird Walk on June 24, 2018 will be going to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo.  Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 a.m. or at Neck Point parking lot off Hammond Bay Road at about 9:15 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

Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca

www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, June 12, 2018

                       Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday Bird Walk,

June 12, 2018:

The Tuesday bird walk went the Beaver Ponds in Nanoose Bay. The morning was cloudy with calm winds. The walk was 3.1 kilometers long and took two hour and twenty-three minutes.  A juvenile Black-headed Grosbeak flew just above us followed by a male Black-headed Grosbeak.  We discovered a family of Chestnut-backed Chickadees on the ground under some bushes in the first little meadow.  A Barred Owl was spotted perched on a snag.   A Mallard Duck with two chicks and a Wood Duck with three chicks greeted us on the Beaver Ponds.   A Willow Flycatcher was seen a the top of a snag next to the trail.  A Purple Finch was spotted at the very top of a very tall tree.

Chestnut-backed Chickadee: Peter Coxon Photo:

Thirteen birders, including two visiting birders from Vancouver saw and heard the following thirty-two species:

Mallard

Wood Duck

 Turkey Vulture

Barred Owl

Rufous Hummingbird

  Northern Flicker

  Common Raven

 Northwestern Crow

 Tree Swallow

 Violet-green Swallow

 Chestnut-backed Chickadee

  Red-breasted Nuthatch

  American Robin

 Swainson’s Thrush

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Cassin’s Vireo

 Warbling Vireo

 Orange-crowned Warbler

 Yellow-rumped Warbler

Wilson’s Warbler

 Townsend’s Warbler

 Willow Flycatcher

Pacific-sloped Flycatcher

 Western Tanager

 Red-winged Blackbird

Bewick’s Wren

Black-headed Grosbeak

 Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Purple Finch

American Goldfinch

 Dark-eyed Junco 

Wood Duck: Peter Coxon  Photo:

Please Note
Check this site (www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com) early Tuesday and Sunday on stormy mornings to see if the walks have been cancelled!

The Sunday Bird Walk on June 17, 2018 will be going to Legacy Marsh in upper Lantzville.  Meet at the Bird Store at 9:00 a.m. or under the hydro lines on Normarel Drive at about 9:15 a.m.

The Tuesday Bird Walk on June19, 2018 will be going to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville.  Meet at the Parksville Community Park (near the Lions Club playground parking lot) in Parksville at 9:00 am.  Or at the Corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive, along the Englishman River 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

Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca

www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com