The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

Nanaimo Bird Report

June 2, 2019

“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 was seen and location of your sighting.
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Sunday June 2:

The Sunday bird walk went to Linley Valley in Nanaimo. The morning was sunny and warm with no wind. Usually we only hear Swainson’s Thrush and Pacific-slope Flycatchers but today we had great looks at both. Also a couple of Black-throated Gray Warblers put on a bit of a show. A couple of birders saw the Barred Owl before flying off with a mob of robins following. 

Nine birders saw and heard the following thirty six Species:

Canada Geese

Mallard

Red-tailed Hawk

Bald Eagle

Turkey Vulture

Barred Owl

Band-tailed Pigeon

Rufous Hummingbird

Pileated Woodpecker

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Pacific-sloped Flycatcher

Common Raven

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

Bewick's Wren

Pacific Wren

Bushtit

Warbling Vireo

American Robin

Swainson’s Thrush

Cedar Waxwing

Orange-crowned Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Black-throated Gray Warbler

Wilson Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Western Tanager

Black-headed Grosbeak

Red-winged Blackbird

Dark-eyed Junco

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Purple Finch

American Goldfinch

Pine Siskin

Tuesday May 28:

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville.  The morning was mostly sunny with calm winds.  An Olive-sided Flycatcher was perched at the top of a very tall snag giving us great views through spotting scopes. Turkey Vultures, Bald Eagles, a Cooper’s Hawk and a Red-tailed Hawk were seen overhead.  Pacific-slope Flycatchers, Hammond’s Flycatchers and Willow Flycatchers were heard and seen during the walk. We had several sightings of several Yellow Warblers throughout the morning.  A Rose-breasted Grosbeak, a rare bird for this area, was seen high up in the conifers next to the trail at the Shelly Road parking area by several of the birders. The Rose-breasted Grosbeak is normally seen east of the Rockies, but rarely seen in this area.  For sure this was the top sighting of a good morning of birding! 

Seventeen birders including a visiting birder from Lasqueti Island saw and heard the following fifty-four species:

Canada Geese

Mallard

White-wing Scoter

Pacific Loon

Great Blue Heron

Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle

Cooper’s Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Barred Owl

Killdeer

Black Oystercatcher

Glaucous-winged Gull
Band-tailed Pigeon

Rufous Hummingbird

Anna’s Hummingbird
Pileated Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Downy Woodpecker

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Pacific-slope Flycatcher

Hammond’s Flycatcher

Willow Flycatcher

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Violet-green Swallow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Bewick’s Wren

Pacific Wren

Swainson’s Thrush

American Robin

European Starling

Warbling Vireo

Yellow Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Orange-crowned Warbler

Black-throated Gray Warbler

Wilson's Warbler

Western Tanager

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Black-headed Grosbeak

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Brown Creeper

American Goldfinch

Red-wing Blackbird

Brewer’s Blackbird

Dark-eyed Junco

Purple Finch

House Finch

Pine Siskin

 

Backyard Feeder Notes:

The backyard feeders are busy with finches this spring. Pine Siskins have returned in numbers, adding plenty of activity to the backyard. American Goldfinch numbers seem to be up with all the reports and comments we have heard. This is great as to see that pop of bright yellow is wonderful.

First broods are leaving the nest now with reports of juvenile chickadees, robins, and towhees about. I expect to see the juvenile flickers in the next week or so and look forward to watching them as they figure out the suet feeder.

We have also had calls of fewer hummingbirds visiting backyards which may simply be that they are nesting. In the next couple of weeks this may change but we have also noticed in past years with a hot dry spring the hummingbirds leave earlier.

A couple of birds to watch for are Common Nighthawks and Cedar Waxwings returning to the area.

 



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 4, 2019 will be going to the Little Qualicum Fish Hatchery in north Qualicum Beach.  Meet at the Parksville Community Park (near the Lions Club playground parking area) in Parksville at 9:00 am, or at the Fish Hatchery ( Follow Claymore Road to the entrance to the Little Qualicum River Fish Hatchery (2.4 Km from highway 19a to the entrance to the fish hatchery just after crossing the bridge over Whiskey Creek) at about 9:20 a.m. 



The Sunday Bird Walk on June 09, 2019 will be going to Morden Colliery park in south Nanaimo. Meet at the Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store (6314 Metral Drive in Nanaimo) at 9:00 am or at Morden Colliery Park at the end of Morden road about 9:20 am.



Good birding!

Colin Bartlett



The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store
6314 Metral Drive V9T-2L8
Phone: 250-390-3669
Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca
Blog: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com