Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, March 19, 2013

 

 

                 Ducks in flight--Herring Spawn: Ralph Hocken Photo.

 

 

The Tuesday bird walk went to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville. The morning was cloudy with a strong biting cold wind off the Strait of Georgia. Thousands of singing Brant were just offshore at the main beach. Hundreds of Mew Gulls, a number of California Gulls, many Thayer's Gulls, three Herring Gulls and several Glaucous-winged Gulls were along the shoreline. Thousands upon thousands of Surf Scoters, Greater Scaup, Harlequin Ducks, White-winged Scoters, Black Scoters and Long-tailed Ducks formed a huge raft further offshore. We spotted one lone Pigeon Guillemot swimming by itself along the Strait. We had good views of a Brown Creeper climbing a tree, with Golden-crowned Kinglets feeding above the Creeper.  A Pacific Wren sang in the forest and gave us good long views. 

Nineteen birders saw and heard the following forty-four species:

Canada Goose

Brant

Greater Scaup
Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Black Scoter

Long-tailed Duck

Bufflehead

Common Goldeneye

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Pacific Loon

Common Loon

Horned Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Bald Eagle

Black-bellied Plover

Black Oystercatcher

Dunlin

Mew Gull

California Gull

Thayer's Gull

Herring Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Pigeon Guillemot

Northern Flicker

Northwestern Crow
Common Raven

Anna’s Hummingbird

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Brown Creeper

Bewick’s Wren

Pacific Wren

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

American Robin

Varied Thrush

European Starling
Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Purple Finch

Pine Siskin  

 

The Tuesday bird walk on March 26, 2013, will be going to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville.

 

Good birding

Neil Robins

Parksville