The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

 The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

Nanaimo Bird Report

October 29, 2024
“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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Bufflehead (J. Morrison) 

Tuesday October 29, 2024:

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to Deep Bay. Weather was perfect, sunny with a few clouds, no wind and calm waters, 3C. A few highlights from the walk were Hutton’s Vireo, Yellow-rumped Warblers and others in the trees and blackberries in a vacant lot. On the water there was a large raft of Surf, White-winged and Black Scoters with a few Long-tailed Ducks mixed in. At the end of the walk a lone Steller’s Jay was seen and heard.

9 birders saw and heard the following 58 species:

Trumpeter-Mute hybrid Swan

Canada Goose

American Wigeon

Mallard

Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Black Scoter

Bufflehead

Long-tailed Duck

Greater Scaup

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Common Loon

Pacific Loon

Red- necked Grebe

Horned Grebe

Western Grebe

Pelagic Cormorant

Brandt’s Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Merlin

Killdeer

Black Oystercatcher

Black-bellied Plover

Black Turnstone

Dunlin

Bonaparte’s Gull

Short-bill Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Pigeon Guillemot

Marbled Murrelet

Eurasian Collared Dove

Anna’s Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Northern Flicker

Hutton’s Vireo

American Crow

Common Raven

Steller’s Jay

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Bewick’s Wren

Pacific Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglet

American Robin

European Starling

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

House Finch

House Sparrow

Fox Sparrow (R. Hocken)

Sunday October 27, 2024:

The Sunday Bird Walk went to the Nanoose Bay Estuary, starting at the end of Nanoose Beach Road. Weather was wet with showers on and off, turning to a steady rain and 9C. A few highlights from the walk were American Pipits flying over, a Great Blue Heron and Common Raven sharing a roost in the estuary and a few Bald Eagles.

9 brave birders saw and heard the following 28 species:

Canada Goose

Mallard

Green-winged Teal

Bufflehead

Common Merganser

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Short-billed Gull

Thayer’s Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Eurasian Collared Dove

Anna’s Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

American Crow

Common Raven

American Pipit

American Robin

European Starling

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Red-winged Blackbird

House Finch

Birding Notes:

The backyard feeders have been a little busier the last couple of weeks with more Dark-eyed Juncos and Golden-crowned Sparrows visiting. The House Finches are still busy with a few American Goldfinch mixed in with them. The suet feeder is always busy with the Northern Flickers, Downy Woodpeckers, Bushtits and Pileated Woodpecker but just this last week the Chestnut-backed Chickadees returned. Nice to see them back.

Anna’s Hummingbirds are busy and with the cooler nights I will put the hummingbird feeder heater on to give them a bit of a warmer solution in the morning. With the heater on the hummingbird feeder, I recommend changing the solution frequently, every three days instead of once a week, to keep it fresh and the feeder clean.

If you have any birds to report or need help identifying, just email or call the store, birding@thebackyard.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, November 3, 2024.

The Sunday Bird Walk will be going to the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.

Meet at The Backyard Wildbird & Nature Store at 9:00 am or at the end of Raines Road, located off Cedar Road just over the Nanaimo River Bridge, at 9:15 am. Weather cooperating.

The Tuesday Bird Walk, November 5, 2024.

The Tuesday Bird Walk will be Going to Rathtrevor Provincial Park 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 beach entrance of the main parking lot at 9:10 am. Weather cooperating.

Good birding! Colin Bartlett