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 30 October 2018




Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, October 30, 2018
The Tuesday bird walk went to Deep Bay. 
The morning was cloudy with very calm winds on the Strait of Georgia.  One Trumpeter Swan was spotted not far from us on the bay. A Brandt’s Cormorant was spotted on the Strait.   Flocks of Canada Geese, American Widgeon and Northern Pintail flew overhead heading down the Strait. Several flocks of Surf Scoters, White-winged Scoters and Black Scoters were seen on the Strait all morning. Five Pigeon Guillemots and four Marbled Murrelets were seen resting on the water not far from us. The seabirds are back for the winter!  A lone Willow Flycatcher, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet and a Golden-crowned Kinglet  were seen in a tree near the trail.
Willow Flycatcher: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Eighteen birders saw and heard the following fifty- four Species:
Trumpeter Swan
Canada Geese
American Widgeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Green-wing Teal
Bufflehead
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Greater Scaup
Ring-necked Duck
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
Marbled Murrelet
Belted Kingfisher
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Killdeer
Bonaparte’s Gull
Mew Gull
California Gull
Iceland Gull(Thayer's Gull)
Glaucous-winged Gull
Eurasian-collared Dove
Rock Pigeon
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Northern Flicker
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Willow Flycatcher
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Anna’s Hummingbird
American Robin
European Starling
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Purple Finch
House Finch

Black Scoter:  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 November 04, 2018 will be going to Nanaimo River Estuary in Nanaimo. Meet at the Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store, 6314 Metral Drive in Nanaimo at 9:00 a.m. or at the end of Raines Road at about 9:30 am.

The Tuesday Bird Walk on November 06, 2018 will be going to The Little Qualicum River Estuary.  Meet at the Parksville Community Park (near the Lions Club playground parking lot) in Parksville at 9:00 am, or at the parking lot at the Brant Viewing Platform in north Qualicum Beach at about 9:20 am.

Good birding
Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE
6314 Metral Drive
Nanaimo, B.C. 
V9T-2L8
Phone: 250-390-3669
Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca

Sunday 28 October 2018

Nanaimo bird Report, October 28, 2018.


Nanaimo bird Report, October 28, 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.

***********************************************************
                      The  Sunday Bird Walk on October 28, 2018 
was cancelled because of the rain and wind.

Saturday, October 27:  
Nineteen Greater White-fronted Geese were seen at Morningstar ponds in French Creek.  

Friday, October 26:  
A Short-eared Owl and a Palm Warbler were seen at the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.

A Tropical Kingbird was perched in a tree at the Air Park in Courtenay.

Greater White-fronted Geese, a Northern Shoveler and a California Quail were seen at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.  

Wednesday, October 24:
Three Long-billed Dowitchers were seen at the Nanaimo River near the Living Forest Campground in south Nanaimo.

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, 
October 23, 2018: 

The Tuesday bird walk went to Columbia Beach in French Creek. The first of the morning was foggy so we birded French Creek first and then as the fog lifted we made our way over to the Strait. A large flock of Canada Geese were resting and singing on the French Creek Estuary. We saw a Fox Sparrow singing from a bush just off the trail.  There were many House Finch and Pine Siskins feeding in the bushes along the trail.
Four Long-tailed Ducks and a White-wing Scoter
landed on the Strait not far from the shore.  A Western Grebe was seen with a large flock of Horned Grebes.
Red-necked Grebes were also seen on the Strait.
Many Bonaparte's Gulls were seen heading up the Strait flying in single file. 

 
Long-tailed duck: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Twelve birders saw and heard the following sixty-one species:
                              Canada Geese
American Wigeon
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Western Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Common Murre
Eurasian-collared Dove
Anna's Hummingbird
Black Oystercatcher
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Black Turnstone
Dunlin
Bonaparte's Gull
Mew Gull
Ring-billed Gull
California Gull
Iceland Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Pelagic Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Belted Kingfisher
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
California Quail
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Ruby crowned Kinglet
American Pipit
McGillvary’s Warbler
Yellow rumped Warbler
Bewick's Wren
American Robin
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
House Finch
Purple Finch
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
Fox Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Spotted Towhee
House Sparrow




                                                      Fox Sparrow: Ralph Hocken Photo:

A Palm Warbler was seen at the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo. 

Sunday, October 21:
A Red-breasted Sapsucker and a Downy Woodpecker were spotted at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.

 The Backyard and Nature Birdstore has had many reports of American Goldfinch visiting feeders in 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 October 30, 2018 will be going to Deep Bay.  Meet at the Parksville Community Park (near the Lions Club playground parking lot) in Parksville at 9:00 am, or at the parking lot along the dock at Deep Bay at about 9:35 am.

The Sunday Bird Walk on November 04, 2018 will be going to Nanaimo River Estuary in Nanaimo. Meet at the Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store, 6314 Metral Drive in Nanaimo at 9:00 a.m. or at the end of Raines Road at about 9:30 am.

Good birding
Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD& NATURE STORE
6314 Metral Drive
Nanaimo, B.C. 
V9T-2L8
Phone: 250-390-3669
Email:
thebackyard@shaw.ca

The Sunday bird walk, October 28, 2018 has been cancelled due to the weather.


“Please Note”
The Sunday bird walk, October 28, 2018 has been cancelled due to the weather.



                                  Good birding

                                   Neil Robins



THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE

6314 Metral Drive

Nanaimo B.C.V9T-2L8

Phone: 250-390-3669


Blog: ww.thebirdstore.blogspot.com

Thursday 25 October 2018


Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, October 23, 2018

The Tuesday bird walk went to Columbia Beach in French Creek. The first of the morning was foggy so we birded

French Creek first and then as the fog lifted we made our way over to the Strait. A large flock of Canada Geese were resting and singing on the French Creek Estuary. We saw a Fox Sparrow singing from a bush just off the trail.  There were many House Finch and Pine Siskins feeding in the bushes along the trail.
Four Long-tailed Ducks and a White-wing Scoter
landed on the Strait not far from the shore.  A Western Grebe was seen with a large flock of Horned Grebes.
Red-necked Grebes were  also seen on the Strait.
Many Bonaparte's Gulls were seen heading up the Strait flying in single file.


Long-tailed duck: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Twelve birders saw and heard the following sixty-one species:

                              Canada Geese
American Wigeon
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Western Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Common Murre
Eurasian-collared Dove
Anna's Hummingbird
Black Oystercatcher
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Black Turnstone
Dunlin
Bonaparte's Gull
Mew Gull
Ring-billed Gull
California Gull
Iceland Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Pelagic Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Belted Kingfisher
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
California Quail
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Ruby crowned Kinglet
American Pipit
McGillvary’s Warbler
Yellow rumped Warbler
Bewick's Wren
American Robin
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
House Finch
Purple Finch
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
Fox Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Spotted Towhee
House Sparrow







Fox Sparrow: 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 October 28, 2018 will be going to Nanaimo River Estuary in Nanaimo. Meet at the Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store, 6314 Metral Drive in Nanaimo at 9:00 a.m. or at the end of Raines Road at about 9:30 am.

The Tuesday Bird Walk on October 30, 2018 will be going to Deep Bay.  Meet at the Parksville Community Park (near the Lions Club playground parking lot) in Parksville at 9:00 am, or at the parking lot along the dock at Deep Bay at about 9:35 am.



Good birding

Neil Robins



THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD& NATURE STORE

6314 Metral Drive

Nanaimo, B.C. 

V9T-2L8

Phone: 250-390-3669
Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca