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Friday, 2 October 2020

 

The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store 

Nanaimo Bird Report

October 1, 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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Harlequin Duck (R. Hocken)

NOTICES

Access to the Nanaimo River Estuary by Raines Road is closed due to Covid concerns.

Monday September 28, 2020:

A Ruffed Grouse was seen and Videoed in a backyard near Victoria Road and Selby Street in Nanaimo.

Tuesday September 29, 2020:

A lone Turkey Vulture was seen soaring over highway 19 at the Courtenay turnoff.

Tuesday September 29, 2020:

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to Columbia Beach in French Creek. The weather was sunny, warm,  light breeze, and the tide was out a little ways. A few highlights seen on the walk were Bonaparte’s Gull, Thayer’s Gull, Parasitic Jaegers, Northern Pintail, Cedar Waxwing, American Pipit and 3 Humpback Whales.

11 birders saw and heard the following 52 species:

Mallard

Northern Pintail

Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Common Merganser

Pacific Loon

Common Loon

Red-necked Grebe

Pelagic Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

California Quail

Greater Yellowlegs

Black Oystercatcher

Killdeer

Black-bellied Plover

Black Turnstone

Parasitic Jaeger

Bonaparte’s Gull

Mew Gull

Thayer’s Gull

California Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Rock Pigeon

Band-tailed Pigeon

Anna’s Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Downy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Common Raven

American Crow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Bewick’s Wren

Bushtit

American Pipit

Cedar Waxwing

European Starling

Spotted Towhee

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red Crossbill

House Finch

Pine Siskin

American Goldfinch

House Sparrow

And Humpback Whales

Sunday September 20, 2020:

The Sunday Bird Walk went to Englishman River Estuary, Shelly Road, in Parksville. Weather was warm with little wind and high cloud. Highlights included large numbers of warblers, good views of Hermit Thrush, Warbling Vireo, Lincoln’s Sparrow and American kestrel. Thank you to Graham for leading this walk.

12 Birders saw and heard the following 57 species:

Canada Goose

American Wigeon

Northern Shoveler

Green-winged Teal

Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Red-breasted Merganser

Pacific Loon

Common Loon

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Turkey Vulture

Northern Harrier

Cooper's Hawk

Bald Eagle

California Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Black Swift

Anna's Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Downy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

American Kestrel

Hutton's Vireo

Warbling Vireo

Steller's Jay

Northwestern (American) Crow

Common Raven

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

Pacific Wren

Bewick's Wren

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Hermit Thrush

American Robin

American Pipit

Cedar Waxwing

Orange-crowned Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle and Audubon’s)

Spotted Towhee

Savannah Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Lincoln's Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Purple Finch

House Finch

Red Crossbill

Pine Siskin

American Goldfinch

House Sparrow


Cedar Waxwing (J. Morrison)

Backyard Feeder Notes:

It’s so enjoyable to watch the Anna’s Hummingbirds all year round. Typically the Anna’s Hummingbirds nested in February March, before the Rufous Hummingbirds returned but now we are seeing them nest almost year round. Over the last 3 winters I have noticed juvenile Anna’s hummingbirds visiting my feeders in October, November and  January one year. Well its happening again this year, about a month or more ago we saw and heard male Anna’s Hummingbirds displaying with their high dives showing off to the girls. Now we have had reports of juvenile hummingbirds visiting feeders and reports of a few active hummingbird nests around Nanaimo.

The first Christmas Bird Count record of the Anna’s Hummingbird in Nanaimo was in 1974 and in Victoria in 1971.


Anna’s Hummingbird female feeding 2 young (R. Harbo) 

The Backyard Bird Walks 

Our bird walks go out Sunday mornings in Nanaimo and Tuesday mornings in Parksville and Qualicum Beach area, are easy walks that go for two to three hours (back for lunch is the plan). Bring binoculars and a field guide.

Please check our blog (www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com) for any cancelations.

Covid-19 Precautions

·         Please do not attend if you have traveled outside of Canada in the last 14 days.

·         Do not attend if you have been sick or in contact with someone possibly sick in the last 14 days.

·         Please respect social distancing, 2 meters or 6 feet.

·         Wear your mask when unable to maintain social distancing.

Thank you.

The Tuesday Bird Walk

October 6

Will be going to the Rathtrevor Provincial Park 

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 at the beach entrance of the main parking lot at 9:10 am.

The Sunday Bird Walk

October 4

Will be going to the Nanoose Bay Estuary

Meet at The Backyard Wildbird & Nature Store at 9:00am or meet us at the end of Nanoose Beach Road at 9:15 am. Tide will be high and going out. 

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

NEW WEBSITE: www.thebackyard.ca

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