The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

                     The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

Nanaimo Bird Report

May 12, 2023

“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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Whimbrel ( J. Morrison) 

Wednesday MAY 10, 2023:

A Yellow-headed Blackbird was seen in a backyard bird feeder at Grovehill Road in Qualicum Beach.

Tuesday May 9 , 2023:

The Tuesday birding group first went to the Brant Viewing Stand and then to the Little Qualicum River Fish Hatchery. It was a beautiful sunny day, calm waters and 11C. A few highlights were a Whimbrel seen near the viewing stand, good views of a Wilson’s Warbler and Chipping Sparrow at the hatchery.

Nine birders saw and/or heard the following 47 species:

Common Merganser

Double-Crested Cormorant

Common Loon

Pacific Loon

Red-necked Grebe

California Quail

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Turkey Vulture

Bald Eagle

Killdeer

Black Oystercatcher

Whimbrel

Bonaparte’s Gull

Short-billed Gull

California Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Caspian Tern

Rufous Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Pileated Woodpecker

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Warbling Vireo

Pacific-sloped Flycatcher

Hammond’s Flycatcher

American Crow

Common Raven

Violet-green Swallow

Tree Swallow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Pacific Wren

American Dipper

American Robin

European Starling

Orange-crowned Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Wilson’s Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Black-throated Gray Warbler

Black-headed Grosbeak

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Chipping Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Brown-headed Cowbird

American Goldfinch 

Brown-headed Cowbird (R. Hocken)

Sunday May 7, 2023:

The Sunday Bird Walk went to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo. The weather was sunny and warm at 12C. Highlights were a Barred Owl being bothered by a few American Robins, a pair of Harlequin Ducks and watching the activity at a Bushtit Nest.

Thirteen birders saw and heard 45 species.

Canada Goose

Harlequin Duck

Bufflehead

White-winged Scoter

Common Loon

Pacific Loon

Double-crested Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Black Oystercatcher

Thayer’s Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Marbled Murrelet

Barred Owl

Anna’s Hummingbird

Downy Woodpecker

Pileated Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Pacific-sloped Flycatcher

Warbling Vireo

American Crow

Common Raven

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

Bewick’s Wren

Pacific Wren

Bushtit

Ruby-crowned kinglet

American Robin

European Starling

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Orange-crowned Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Wilson’s Warbler

Black-throated Grey Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Chipping Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Brown-headed Cowbird

American Goldfinch

Pine Siskin

Chipping Sparrow (J. Anderson)

If you have any birds to report or need help identifying, just email or call the store, thebackyard@shaw.ca or 250-390-3669, toll-free 1-888-808-BIRD (2473).

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. The walks are weather pending.

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

The Tuesday Bird Walk, May 16, 2023

The Tuesday Bird Walk will be going first to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville.

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 end of Shelly Road at 9:10 am. Weather Cooperating.

The Sunday Bird Walk, May 14, 2023

This week’s Sunday Bird Walk will be going to Linley Valley in Nanaimo.

Meet at The Backyard Wildbird & Nature Store at 9:00am or at the end of Burma Road, located off Lost Lake Road, at 9:10am. Weather cooperating.

For cancelled bird walks due to weather, please check The Backyard blog at www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com on the day of the bird walk. A notice will be up before 8:00am if there is a cancelation.

Good birding! Colin Bartlett