The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

 The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

Nanaimo Bird Report

November 5, 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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Harlequin Duck (R. Hocken) 

Tuesday November 5, 2024:

First of the fall, a Varied Thrush was seen visiting a backyard feeder in Ladysmith.

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville. Weather was sunny with a few clouds, no wind, high tide and 6C. A few highlights from the walk were Ring-billed Gull, Black Turnstones with Black-bellied Plovers, and Red Crossbills.

16 birders saw and heard the following 48 species:

Brant

Canada Goose

American Wigeon

Mallard

Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Bufflehead

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Common Loon

Pacific Loon

Red- necked Grebe

Horned Grebe

Western Grebe

Pied-billed Grebe

Bald Eagle

Merlin

Black Oystercatcher

Black-bellied Plover

Black Turnstone

Bonaparte’s Gull

Short-bill Gull

California Gull

Ring-billed Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Common Murre

Anna’s Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

Common Raven

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Bewick’s Wren

Pacific Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglet

American Robin

Varied Thrush

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red Crossbill

Purple Finch

Pine Siskin

Bewick’s Wren (J. Morrison)

Sunday November 3, 2024:

The Sunday Bird Walk went to the Nanaimo River Estuary, starting at the end of Raines Road. Weather was sunny with some cloud, tide was going out and 9C. A few highlights from the walk was a flyby from the Northern Harrier, a Lincoln Sparrow seen near the oak tree, Short-eared Owl near the mouth of the river and Yellow-rumped Warblers.

14 birders saw and heard the following 36 species:

American Wigeon

Mallard

Northern Pintail

Barrow’s Goldeneye

Greater Scaup

Bufflehead

Common Merganser

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Northern Harrier

Dunlin

Short-billed Gull

California Gull

Thayer’s Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Short-eared Owl

Belted Kingfisher

Pileated Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Hutton’s Vireo

American Crow

Common Raven

Bewick’s Wren

American Robin

European Starling

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Western Meadowlark

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Lincoln Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

House Finch

Purple Finch

American Goldfinch

Saturday November 2, 2024:

A late Turkey Vulture was seen flying over Grove Hill Road in Qualicum.

Birding Notes:

If you haven't gotten around to cleaning up your garden this fall, now you don’t have to! Any flowers that have gone to seed are a great source of food for your backyard birds this winter. Ground birds like Dark-eyed Juncos, Spotted Towhees, Song Sparrows, and others will greatly enjoy this easy access energy source. If you rake up the leaves use them as ground cover on your garden, as insects will hibernate in them, seed will get caught up in them proving another food source for the birds.

Have you done some pruning recently or perhaps had some branches fall from a windstorm? Build a brush pile! Loosely pile small branches to give birds a place to perch and use larger limbs to make a teepee shape that can be covered in evergreens with a single entrance hole. This is a simple and effective way to give backyard birds temporary shelter from weather or predators.

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 10, 2024.

The Sunday Bird Walk is CANCELED this week.

The Tuesday Bird Walk, November 12, 2024.

The Tuesday Bird Walk will be Going to Englishman River Estuary – Shelly Road 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 off hwy 19A at 9:10 am. Weather cooperating.

Good birding! Colin Bartlett