The Backyard Wildbird
and Nature Store
Nanaimo Bird Report
May 31, 2020
“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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Photo: Western Wood-Pewee (internet photo)
Wednesday May 20,
2020
Western Wood-Pewee was seen near Aulds
Road and the Railway tracks.
Wednesday May 27,
2020
A
Western Wood-Pewee was also seen on
Beach Drive in the Departure Bay area.
Saturday May 30,
2020:
Our
first report of California Quail chicks was reported and seen by Nanaimo Lakes
Road and Morrell Wildlife Sanctuary.
Sunday May 31, 2020:
A
Barred Owl was seen being mobbed by
a group of American Robins by the
fish channels at Bowen Park.
Also
heard near the fish channels was a Swainson’s
Thrush.
Photo: California Quail (R Hocken)
Backyard
Feeder Notes:
The House Finches are providing all the
activity at my backyard feeders these days with two families of House Finches
that just fledged. Both finch families nested in the hedge at the back of our
yard with one family at one end and the other family of finches at the other
end of the hedge. At the feeders it has been interesting to see the males show
little aggression and I have seen them take turn and share while visiting the
feeder. I know House Finches are a social bunch but usually they are protective
of their territory when nesting. This year was also the first time I have seen
House Finches feeding on suet and not just the sunflower seeds.
There are also other birds that are visiting
the feeders but not as often, like Spotted Towhee and Black-headed Grosbeak. The
Northern Flickers are busy all day on the suet feeder along with the Downy
Woodpecker that visits occasionally.
Water is one of the big attractions now so
make sure you have some shallow source of water for the birds to drink and
bathe. Watching a family of birds in the birdbath is entertaining.
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The Sunday and Tuesday Bird Walks
temporarily postponed
Please watch for
further updates when the walks will resume.
Here
is a list of birds seen in Moorecroft Regional Park in Nanoose Bay on one of
the Tuesday Bird Walks from May 2017. Forty four species were seen and heard:
Mallard
Surf Scoter
Pelagic Cormorant
Pacific Loon
Black Oystercatcher
Mew Gull
Herring Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Cooper’s Hawk
Great Horned Owl
Common Raven
Northwestern Crow
Anna’s Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Brown Creeper
Red-breasted Nuthatch
American Robin
Swainson’s Thrush
Western Tanager
Black-headed Grosbeak
Willow Flycatcher
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Hammond’s Flycatcher
Warbling Vireo
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Townsend’s Warbler
Wilson’s Warbler
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Purple Finch
American Goldfinch
Photo: Rufous Hummingbird female (R. Hocken)
Good birding!
Colin Bartlett
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The Backyard
Wildbird and Nature Store
6314 Metral Drive V9T-2L8
Phone: 250-390-3669
6314 Metral Drive V9T-2L8
Phone: 250-390-3669
NEW WEBSITE: www.thebackyard.ca
