WEDNESDAY BIRD WALK, MARCH 26, 2008

Bonapart's Gull: John Purves Photo.

The Wednesday Bird Walk went to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville. Ten birders found forty-five species of birds. The highlights of the morning included the sighting of the first Turkey Vulture of the season. We saw steady streams of Black, Surf, White-winged Scoters and Long-tailed Ducks flying up and down the Strait of Georgia. A large raft of Red-breasted Mergangers and Long-tailed Ducks were seen not far from shore. We saw several Red-crossbills on the beach in front of us and Golden-crowned Kinglets kept us entertained as they moved very quickly and hawked insects on the low bushes along the forest trails.

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.

Ten birders found the following forty-five species

Brant

Mallard

Greater Scaup

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Black Scoter

Long-tailed Duck

Common 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

Turkey Vulture

Osprey

Bald Eagle

Black Oystercatcher

Mew Gull

California Gull

Thayer's Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Common Murre

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Chestnut-backed Chickade

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

Bewick's Wren

Winter Wren

Golden-crowned Kinglet

American Robin

Varied Thrush

European Starling

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Purple Finch

Red Crossbill

Pine Siskin