Nanaimo Weekly Bird Report November 13, 2019

The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

Nanaimo Bird Report

November 13, 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 November 10, 2019:

The Sunday Bird Walk was cancelled for Remembrance Day.

Photo: Song Sparrow (Ralph Hocken)

 

Tuesday November 12, 2019:

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to Little Qualicum River Estuary with a stop at the Brant Viewing platform at the end of Qualicum Beach. The weather started off with few showers and cleared as the walk progressed. Temperature was mild, the wind was calm as were the seas. There was plenty to see on the water, Pigeon Guillemot, Common Murre, Common Goldeneye, and American Widgeon. Also seen across the strait were 4 Humpback whales.

Seven birders heard and saw the following 52 species:

Canada Geese

American Widgeon

Mallard

Green-winged Teal

Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

White-wing Scoter

Black Scoter

Long-tailed Duck

Bufflehead

Barrow’s Goldeneye

Common Goldeneye

Red-breasted Merganser

Common Merganser

Pacific Loon

Common Loon

Red-necked Grebe

Horned Grebe

Pelagic Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Copper’s Hawk

Merlin

Killdeer

Black Turnstone

Black Bellied Plover

Black Oystercatcher

Bonaparte’s Gull

Mew Gull

Thayer’s Gull

California Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Pigeon Guillemot

Common Murre

Marbled Murrlets

Eurasian-collared Dove

Anna’s Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Northern Flicker

Northern Shrike

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Chipping Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Brewer’s Blackbird

Red-winged Blackbird

House Finch

Photo: Northern Shrike (John Morrison)

Backyard Feeder Notes:

Well the squirrels and raccoons won the last battle of the bird feeders so now it is time to bring out the big guns, figuratively. So something has been chewing through the string on my hanging feeder, squirrel, so I used wire the hang the feeder but something then pulled the feeder down and broke the wire, raccoon. It was easy for the raccoon to reach from the deck railing and hang on the feeder till it broke. An easy fix is to just move the shepherd hook a foot farther back from the railing and this should fix them. Squirrels are a little more agile so I have decided to go squirrel proof feeder to give the birds a chance at the seed. Also the squirrel has decided it really likes the suet so I have gone to the hot pepper suet instead of the tasty peanut butter to deter it. FYI, squirrels have taste buds but bird do not so they still get the high protein of the peanut butter suet but has a little kick for the squirrel. So if all goes well this next battle round should be mine.

Otherwise still plenty of the usual visitors, juncos, towhee, Song Sparrow, House Finch, chickadee, flicker but still no Varied Thrush. The Pileated Woodpecker and Bushtits have left me and that may be of the earlier cat situation but hopefully will be back soon.

Photo: internet

The Sunday Bird Walk November 17, 2019:

This week the Sunday bird walk will be going to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville.

Meet at The Backyard Wildbird & Nature Store at 9:00am or meet at the trail entrance on Plummer Road at 9:20 am.

The Tuesday Bird Walk November 12, 2019:

This week the Tuesday Bird Walk will be going to the Shelley Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville.

NEW MEETING LOCATION – meet at the Parksville Tourist Information Center parking lot, located by Hwy 19A, Northwest Bay road and Franklin’s Gull road in Parksville, at 9:00 am or meet at the Shelley Road entrance to the park at 9:10.

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

 

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