The Backyard's Weekly Bird Walk locations are found in the Backyard Bird Report at the very end of the most recent report. Any cancellations will be posted by 8am the day of the walk.

Tuesday 9 October 2012

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, October 09, 2012


Northern Shrike: Ralph Hocken Photo.
The Tuesday bird walk went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was cloudy and cool but as the morning progressed it became sunny and warm. The highlights included seeing hundreds of American Robins with some Varied Thrush throughout the morning. Over twenty-five Killdeer were on the mudflats along with a Baird’s Sandpiper and one Western Sandpiper. One lone Greater White-fronted Goose flew overhead and disappeared heading south. We spotted an Eurasian Widgeon in with a flock of American Widgeon. A Northern Harrier flew low over the estuary hunting for prey. We spotted a Northern Shrike perched high on top of a Conifer Tree next to the road. Bonaparte's Gulls, Mew Gulls, California Gulls, Thayer’s Gulls and Glaucous-winged Gulls were on the gravel bar just off shore on the Strait of Georgia. We spotted an adult nonbreeding Pigeon Guillemot along with several Pacific Loons and a raft of Harlequin Ducks and Surf Scoters on the Strait.
Eighteen birders saw and heard the following sixty-two species:
Canada Goose
Greater White-fronted Goose
American Widgeon
Eurasian Widgeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail

Green-winged Teal

Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Common Loon
Pacific Loon
Pied-bill Grebe
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Western Grebe
Pelagic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Merlin
Northern Harrier
Northern Shrike
Baird’s Sandpiper
Killdeer
Western Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Bonaparte's Gull
Mew Gull
California Gull
Thayer’s Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Pigeon Guillemot
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Steller’s Jay
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Bewick's Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
Varied Thrush
Cedar Waxwing
Common Yellowthroat
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Brewer's Blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Purple Finch
House Finch
Pine Siskin

 
The Tuesday bird walk on October 16, will go to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach. Meet at the Viewing Platform in north Qualicum Beach at 9:00 A.M.


Good birding
Neil Robins
Parksville
British Columbia

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