The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

 

The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

Nanaimo Bird Report

May 22, 2026
“EXPLORE NATURE” --- GO BIRDING:

To report your sightings phone the Store at 250-390-3669 or e-mail us at birding@thebackyard.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.
*********************************************************

Red-tailed Hawk (Ralph Hocken)

Tuesday May 19, 2026:

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. Weather was cloudy with sunny breaks, 14 C, and the tide was out. A few highlights from the walk were seeing Spotted Sandpipers in the river, Red-breasted Sapsucker low on the tree in front of us and hearing the Swainson’s Thrush sing.

10 birders saw and heard the following 43 species:

Canada Goose

White-winged Scoter

Common Merganser

Great Blue Heron

Red-tailed Hawk

Bald Eagle

Turkey Vulture

Killdeer

Black Oystercatcher

Spotted Sandpiper

Bonaparte’s Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Eurasian Collared Dove

Anna’s Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Pileated Woodpecker

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Northern Flicker

Western Flycatcher

Hammond’s Flycatcher

Violet-green Swallow

Warbling Vireo

Common Raven

American Crow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

Bewick’s Wren

Pacific Wren

American Robin

Swainson’s Thrush

European Starling

Orange-crowned Warbler

Black-headed Grosbeak

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Chipping Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Brown-headed Cowbird

Brewer’s Blackbird

Purple Finch

American Goldfinch

Brown-headed Cowbird (Ralph Hocken)

Sunday May 17, 2026:

 There was no Sunday Bird Walk this week, as it was a long weekend

Backyard Happenings

With nesting in full swing and new juveniles about in the backyard we start to get the question of what bird is this? Some juveniles like the Dark-eyed Juncos and Spotted Towhee have a different plumage than the adults. The juveniles are same size as the adults but are streaky on the chest and a dull brown or gray-brown body colour. Not all bird identification books will show the different plumage of a species which make identification a bit harder. Associating the other birds that the mystery bird is with can help in the identification sometimes.

Some juveniles will be the same plumage as the female of a species, like American Goldfinch and House Finch. Other species, the juvenile plumage and size are the same as the adults, like Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Northern Flicker and Bewick’s Wren. It is easy to identify the juveniles by their actions such as begging for food, no fear to people, or trying to figure out how the hummingbird feeder works.

Attracting the bird to your backyard can been done all year round with feeders, a fresh water supply and nests boxes. This provides for the birds as a supplement food source for the birds during nesting and brings us many pleasures of watching them.

 If you have any bird sightings 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.

Sunday Bird Walk, May 24, 2026:

Sunday Bird Walk will be going to Bowen Park, in Nanaimo.

Meet directly at the upper parking lot by the lawn bowling pitch at 9:00am. Weather cooperating.

Tuesday Bird Walk, May 26, 2026:

Tuesday Bird Walk will be going to the Parksville Wetlands / Springwood Park in Parksville.

Meet directly at the end Despard Ave W and Chestnut Street at 9:00 am. Weather cooperating.

Good birding! Colin Bartlett