The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

 The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

Nanaimo Bird Report

November 26, 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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Common Goldeneye (R. Hocken) 

Tuesday November 26, 2024:

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to Columbia Beach by French Creek. Weather was sunny with a few clouds, cool light breeze out of the north, tide was coming in and 1C. Birds were busy on the water with lots of Bonaparte’s Gull moving up the strait, and military exercises going on. Other highlights were Western Grebe, Long-tailed Duck, Common Murre and Ancient Murrelets.

18 birders heard and saw the following 46 species:

Canada Goose

Cackling Goose

American Wigeon

Mallard

Rick-necked Duck

Harlequin Duck

Common Goldeneye

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Long-tailed Duck

Bufflehead

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Hooded Merganser

Common Loon

Pacific Loon

Horned Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Western Grebe

Double-crested Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant

Bald Eagle

Killdeer

Black Oystercatcher

Black Turnstone

Greater Yellowlegs

Bonaparte’s Gull

Short-billed Gull

Ring-billed Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Pigeon Guillemot

Common Murre

Ancient Murrelet

Anna’s Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Downy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

American Crow

Bewick’s Wren

Spotted Towhee

Golden-crowned Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

House Finch

Pine Siskin

White-throated Sparrow (R. Hocken)

Sunday November 24, 2024:

The Sunday Bird Walk was canceled due to the weather.

Saturday November 23, 2024:

A White-throated Sparrow was seen at the backyard feeders on Maxey Road and Milestone River.

Tuesday November 19, 2024:

A Western Bluebird was reported in the Hawthorne Park neighbourhood by Buttertubs Marsh. It was only seen briefly as it stopped in a backyard.

Varied Thrush and Steller’s Jay were seen on Arnhem Terrace and Metral Drive.

Birding Notes:

The Christmas side hunt was an old tradition in which participants would pick teams and compete to see who would bring back the biggest feathered bounty.

With the introduction of the Audubon Society came the Christmas Bird Count as they decided counting birds was better than shooting them. The first Christmas Bird Count was December 25th, 1900, and was organized by Frank Chapman. The count had twenty seven participants in twenty five count areas from New Brunswick to Pacific Grove, California, and they counted ninety species with 18, 500 individual birds.

The purpose of the CBC is to help understand the status and distribution of wintering birds. The data is collected from all over North America to give us clues about what birds are doing and where they are.

With urbanization and global warming, birds habits and habitats are changing. By using citizen science projects like the Christmas Bird Count, we can see what the effects are on birds and nature which can give us clues to what may still be in store.

For those unable to head into the field and enjoy the CBC, you can also submit counts for backyard feeders. You can participate by settling yourself in your favourite chair with your drink of choice and a good view of your backyard birds and enjoy the birds. Just remember to log what you see while you relax!

To participate in the Christmas Bird Count and find your count area and date, visit the CBC at www.birdscanada.org.

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, December 1, 2024.

The Sunday Bird Walk will be going to Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.

Meet at The Backyard Wildbird & Nature Store at 9:00 am or at the Second Street entrance by the Miners Shack at 9:10 am. Weather cooperating.

The Tuesday Bird Walk, December 3, 2024.

The Tuesday Bird Walk will be going to the Englishman River Estuary - Plummer Road.

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 trail entrance at the corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive at 9:10am. Weather Cooperating.

Good birding! Colin Bartlett