The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

Sunday 10 May 2020

The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

Nanaimo Bird Report

May 10, 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: Great Egret (C. Golby)

Friday May 1, 2020

Great Egret was seen in the marsh at the end of Fielding Road in Cedar. The bird was only seen the one day.

Saturday May 2, 2020:

Black-headed Grosbeaks were a popular sighting this day as we had reports from South Nanaimo, Morrell Wildlife Sanctuary, Nanaimo, Lantzville and up to Parksville.

Chipping Sparrow was seen at a backyard feeder on Aulds road in Lantzville.

Thursday May 7, 2020:

Indigo Bunting (male) was seen at the parking lot of Jacks Point Trail near the Duke Point ferry terminal.

Wilson’s Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler and American Goldfinch were seen at McGregor’s Ponds Nanaimo.

Sunday May 10, 2020:

Common Yellowthroat was seen and heard singing at Brookwood Marsh Nanaimo, along with a female Anna’s Hummingbird seen taking nesting material away.

Hooded Merganser was seen on McGregor’s Pond Nanaimo.

Black-headed Grosbeak, Chipping Sparrow, and Yellow Warbler were seen and heard in the hospital near Forest drive and Honeysuckle Terrace.

Photo: Black-headed Grosbeak (R. Hocken)

Backyard Feeder Notes:

Happy Mother’s Day! This week has been entertaining with the first of the new fledglings out. At the store we have a lone juvenile Dark-eyed Junco being fed by two adults and the odd juvenile Anna’s Hummingbird visiting. The chickadee young are very noisy in the nest box when the adults arrive to feed them and I expect them to take flight shortly. Activity at the feeders is quieter as the adults are busy finding insects to feed the young. Once the young fledge there is usually a short burst of activity at the feeders before they head out into the big world.

Black-headed Grosbeaks have arrived and are busy visiting backyard feeders along with Chipping Sparrows and American Goldfinch. It has been interesting to watch a pair of House Finch regularly feeding at my backyard suet feeder, as this is the first time if have seen House Finch constantly feed on suet.

Watch for warblers visiting the backyard adding a splash of colour. Yellow, Orange-crowned and Wilson’s Warblers are what I usually can see visiting and attacking the apple tree blossoms.

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The Sunday and Tuesday Bird Walks

temporarily postponed

Please watch for further updates when the walks will resume.

Here is one of our bird walk list from a couple years ago at the Little Qualicum River Fish Hatchery with a brief stop at the Brant Viewing Tower in Qualicum Beach in May 2018. Eighteen birders saw and heard the following fifty-three species:

American Dipper

Iceland Gull

Mew Gull

Ring-billed Gull

California Gull

Glaucous-wing Gull

Belted Kingfisher

Eurasian-collared Dove

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

Northwestern Crow

Violet-green Swallow

Barn Swallow

Tree Swallow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Pacific Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

American Robin

Rufous Hummingbird

Swanson’s Thrush

European Starling

Western Tanager

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Black-throated Grey Warbler

Orange-crowned Warbler

Wilson’s Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Cassin’s Vireo

Warbling Vireo

Pacific-slope Flycatcher

Hammond’s Flycatcher

Willow Flycatcher

Spotted Towhee

Chipping Sparrow

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

House Finch

Purple Finch

American Goldfinch

Photo: Wilson’s Warbler (J. Morrison)

Good birding! Colin