WINTERTIME IN BUTTERTUBS MARSH BIRD SANCTUARY

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Song Sparrow

Male and female Mallard ducks. The spotted one is the female.

An alert-looking Song Sparrow

Hawthorne's berries serve as emergency and winter food for various birds in the area.

Bulrush in Winter. Apparently  in late summer when still tender is quite edible and eaten like corn by the Early Natives.

A beautiful yet flighty Spotted Towhee

The Viewing Tower visible from a distance

A yummy morsel for this Song Sparrow

Song Sparrow looking cautiously  at the photographer 

Winter time in the Buttertubs Bird Sanctuary, note the absence of snow unlike most of the regions in Canada at this time of the year.

A solitary Hooded Merganser

Eerie-looking bleached dead tree trunks

Hooded Merganser

Another Frozen area of the Marsh in Winter

The handsome Hooded Merganser

Almost invisible Song Sparrow

One of the few viewing platform

Frozen Marsh in Winter

Song Sparrow

Buttertubs Bird Sanctuary is located near Bowen Park and adjacent to the Millstone River. It is a man-made marsh and is partly-owned by the Nature Trust of British Columbia and some private citizens of Nanaimo. In my opinion, it is the best location for spotting and birdwatching through out the whole region of Nanaimo. In the early spring, it is not uncommon to spot an average of 35 different kinds of birds in and around the 18 km. hectare bird sanctuary. The most common birds seen are the Bewick's Wren, Marsh Wren,American Robin, Varied Thrush, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Red-winged Blackbird, Spotted Towhee, Common Raven, Song Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Golden-Crowned Sparrow, House Finch, Pine Siskin, Dark-eyed Junco, House Sparrow, Stellar's Jay, Canada Geese, Great Blue Heron, Mallard, Pied-Billed Grebe, Ring-Necked Duck, Common Golden-eye, Buffle-head, Wood Duck, Northern Flicker, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, American Coot, California Quail, American Coot, Balucous-Winged Gull, Red-Tail Hawk, Rock Pigeon, Belted-Kingsfisher, Bushtit, Northwestern Crow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee and others. The best time to observe for birds is early Spring, Summer and fall. There are a few observation decks and a viewing tower ideal for spotting, viewing ang photographing birds and other wild-life like beavers. The area is off-limit to dogs and motorized vehicles. The presence of bleached down dead trees ( Garry Oaks mostly) gives the area an eerie look. It is a popular place for joggers, hikers and bird-watchers. It is also wheelchair accessible and open to the public year-round at no-charge like the rest of the other parks found in the Regional District of Nanaimo.