The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

                      The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

Nanaimo Bird Report

October 5, 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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Surf Scoter (R. Hocken)

Tuesday October 3, 2023:

The Tuesday birding group went to Rathtrevor Provicial Park, in Parksville. The weather was perfect, 13C, sunny, no wind and the tide was high and going out. What an enjoyable day for birding with the weather and bird activity. No rare sightings but a few highlights, Ring-billed Gull, American Pipits flew overhead, Varied Thrush, Hermit Thrush, and Savanah Sparrows.

10 birders saw and heard the following 43 species:

Canada Goose

Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

Pacific Loon

Common Loon

Double-crested Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant

Horned Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Short-billed Gull

Bonaparte’s Gull

Thayer’s Gull

Ring-billed Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Anna’s Hummingbird

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

American Crow

Common Raven

Steller’s Jay

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

Bushtit

Bewick’s Wren

Pacific Wren

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

American Pipit

American Robin

Hermit Thrush

Varied Thrush

European Starling

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

Savanah Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

House Finch

Purple Finch

Varied Thrush (J. Morrison)

Sunday October 1, 2023:

The Sunday Bird group went to Nanoose Bay Estuary in Nanoose Bay. It was another perfect day of weather for birding, 13C, sunny with no wind, and the tide was high and going out. A few highlights from the walk were, Greater White-fronted Goose was close by feeding, we close view of a Greater Yellowlegs as it walked past us about 12 feet away, Osprey was overhead, and a Merlin put on a show as it was busy chasing the crows about.

13 birders saw and heard the following 48 species:

Canada Goose

Greater White-fronted Goose

Mallard

Green-winged Teal

Northern Pintail

Surf Scoter

Common Loon

Double-crested Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant

Horned Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Great Blue Heron

Osprey

Merlin

Red-tailed Hawk

Bald Eagle

Turkey Vulture

Killdeer

Greater Yellowlegs

Short-billed Gull

Thayer’s Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Anna’s Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

American Crow

Common Raven

Steller’s Jay

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Brown Creeper

Bewick’s Wren

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

American Pipit

American Robin

Varied Thrush

Cedar Waxwing

European Starling

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

Savanah Sparrow

Golden-crowed Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

House Finch

Friday September 29, 2020:

A Townsend’s Solitaire was seen along Stephenson Point Road, Nanaimo.

Thursday September 28, 2023:

A Rusty Blackbird and a Tennessee Warbler were seen in the west marsh at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.

A few reports of Pine Siskins have been reported around Nanaimo.

Wednesday September 27, 2023:

A white Common Raven was seen in the 400 block of Grovehill Road in Qualicum Bay.

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 Sunday Bird Walk, October 8, 2023

There will be no bird walk this Sunday, Thanksgiving weekend.

The Tuesday Bird Walk, October 10, 2023

The Tuesday Bird Walk will be going to Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach.

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 Brant Viewing Platform, located on HWY 19A between Crescent Road west and Beach Terrace, at 9:10am or at the end of Surfside Drive at 9:45. Weather Cooperating.

As seen on Budget Glass of Nanaimo street sign; If a turkey runs away, is it a chicken?

Happy Thanksgiving.

Good birding! Colin Bartlett