Wednesday bird walk, March 12, 2008

Long-tailed Duck: Photo by Ralph Hocken

The Wednesday bird walk went to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach. Eleven birders found fifty-one species of birds. Off the Viewing Tower in Qualicum Beach there were huge rafts of thousands of sea ducks, including Brant Geese, Greater Scaup, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Barrow's Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Pacific Loon and Common Loon. Another great highlight of the morning was the sighting of approximately two hundred Violet-green Swallows and Tree Swallows hawking insects just above the Little Qualicum River. A true sign that spring is just around the corner.

Eleven birders found the following fifty-one species.

Canada Goose

Brant

Trumpeter Swan

Eurasian Wigeon

American Wigeon

Mallard

Northern Pintail

Green-winged Teal

Greater Scaup

Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Black Scoter

Long-tailed Duck

Bufflehead

Common Goldeneye

Barrow's Goldeneye

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Pacific Loon

Common Loon

Horned Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Brandt's Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Merlin

Killdeer

Black Oystercatcher

Black Turnstone

Bonaparte's Gull

Mew Gull

Ring-billed Gull

California Gull

Herring Gull

Thayer's Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Belted Kingfisher

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Tree Swallow

Violet-green Swallow

American Robin

European Starling

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Red-winged Blackbird

Brewer's Blackbird

Purple Finch

The Backyard Wildbird & Nature Store's weekly bird walk in the Parksville/Qualicum Beach area is on Wednesday mornings at 9 a.m. Participants meet at the Parksville Visitor Centre at Highway 19A and Northwest Bay Road in Parksville at 9:00 A.M. Snow, rain and/or heavy winds will deter us--but we will plan a walk for every week. Everyone is welcome to bring their binoculars and join us for a morning of birding. For the weekly location of the birdwalk, please call Neil Robins at (250) 954-1928 or the Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store at (250) 390-3669.