WEDNESDAY BIRD WALK, MAY 14, 2008

Yellow Warbler: Ralph Hocken Photo.

The Wednesday Bird Walk went to the Beaver Ponds in Nanoose Bay. Twelve birders found forty-four species of birds during a foggy spring morning. Among the highlights was the sighting of a Cassin's Vireo on a tree not far from us just as we were leaving the trail. He had serenaded us all morning, but we had not been able to see him until then. Hutton's Vireos and several Warbling Vireos sang all morning as well. We saw seven species of Warblers including:Orange-crowned Warblers, a Yellow Warbler, twelve flycatching Yellow-rumped Warblers, a Black-throated Gray Warbler, several Townsend's Warblers, a Common Yellowthroat and many Wilson's Warblers.

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. 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 & Nature Store at 1-888-249-4145.

Twelve birders found the following forty-four species of birds:

Canada Goose

Mute Swan

Wood Duck

Mallard

Hooded Merganser

Ruffed Grouse

Great Blue Heron

Band-tailed Pigeon

Rufous Hummingbird

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

Hammond's Flycatcher

Pacific-slope Flycatcher

Cassin's Vireo

Hutton's Vireo

Warbling Vireo

Common Raven

Tree Swallow

Violet-green Swallow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Bushtit

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

Winter Wren

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Hermit Thrush

American Robin

Orange-crowned Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Black-throated Gray Warbler

Townsend's Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Wilson's Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Chipping Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Purple Finch

Red Crossbill

Pine Siskin