The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

 The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

Nanaimo Bird Report

May 26, 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.
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MacGillivray’s Warbler (J. Morrison)

Tuesday May 26, 2026:  

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to Springwood Park / Parksville Wetlands in Parksville. Weather was cloudy with sunny breaks, light breeze, and 12C. A few highlights from the walk were Pileated Woodpecker, and Cedar Waxwing. A pair of Black-headed Grosbeaks were seen, and Western Tanagers were heard singing. Our parking lot bird for the walk, last bird we see at the end of the walk, was California Quail running along the barrier at the end of Despard Avenue.

10 birders saw and heard the following 42 species:

California Quail

Cooper’s Hawk

Bald Eagle

Killdeer

Band-tailed Pigeon

Eurasian Collared Dove

Anna’s Hummingbird

Rufous Hummingbird

Pileated Woodpecker

Western Flycatcher

Willow’s Flycatcher

Violet-green Swallow

Tree Swallow

Warbling Vireo

Common Raven

American Crow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

Bushtit

Bewick’s Wren

American Robin

Swainson’s Thrush

Cedar Waxwing

European Starling

Orange-crowned Warbler

Black-throated Gray Warbler

Yellow Warbler

MacGillivray’s Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Western Tanager

Black-headed Grosbeak

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Chipping Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Brown-headed Cowbird

Brewer’s Blackbird

House Finch

Purple Finch

American Goldfinch

Yellow Warbler (J. Morrison)

Sunday May 24, 2026:

The Sunday Bird Walk went to Bowen Park in Nanaimo. Weather was sunny and 13C. A few highlights from the walk were Red-tailed Hawk perched in a snag and could be seen from the parking lot. A Hutton’s Vireo was heard along the pathway not far from the parking lot and a Red-breasted Sapsucker was seen by the river.

13 birders, including a birder from the United Kingdom, saw and heard the following 26 species.

Mallard

Red-tailed Hawk

Bald Eagle

Band-tailed Pigeon

Anna’s hummingbird

Northern Flicker

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Western Flycatcher

American Crow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Bewick’s Wren

Pacific Wren

Brown Creeper

Bushtit

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Hutton’s Vireo

American Robin

Swainson’s Thrush

European Starling

Orange-crowned Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

House Finch

Backyard Happenings

Anna’s Hummingbird fun facts.

-Anna’s Hummingbird was named after 19th century duchess Anna De Belle Massena. She probably never saw a hummingbird, she was a relative to one of the explorers.

-Anna’s are west coast birds, ranging from Baja California to southern BC

-Hummingbird weighs between .1 to .2 of an ounce (3 to 5 grams)

-Male courtship dive travels at a velocity of 27 m/s or 385 body lengths per second.

-Anna’s arrived on Vancouver Island in the late 60’s and first Christmas Bird Count report for Nanaimo was 1971.

-Anna’s Hummingbird wings beat around 40-50 beats a second in flight

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 31, 2026:

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

Meet directly at the parking lot at the end of Morningside Drive at 9:00am. Weather cooperating.

Tuesday Bird Walk, June 2, 2026:

Tuesday Bird Walk will be going to the Little Qualicum Fish Hatchery in Qualicum.

Meet at the hatchery parking lot, located on Claymore Road off of Laburnum Road Qualicum, at 9:00 am. Weather cooperating.

Good birding! Colin Bartlett