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.

Monday 23 December 2013

Western Grebes by the thousands at Qualicum Beach

 
Hi birders,
 
I had the good fortune to go birding with John Purves today. We saw a Greater White-fronted Goose in with  a flock of Canada Geese and twenty Brandt Geese at the Parksville Community Park in Parksville. Two Cackling Geese in with a flock of Canada Geese and one lone Eurasian Widgeon in with a flock of America Widgeon at French Creek. The big sighting of the day was what we estimated at close to ten thousand Western Grebes, along with eight Clark’s Grebes fairly close to shore. The raft of Western Grebes stretched offshore from Surfside Drive in north Qualicum Beach to Memorial Drive near the visitor centre in Qualicum Beach. It was  a truly amazing sight as the Grebes went on and on! Hundreds of Pacific Loons and Red-necked Grebes. twelve Black Scoters, several White-winged Scoters. In with the Grebes were Common Murre, Ancient Murrelets and Long-tailed Ducks. 

Good birding
Neil Robins
Parksville.

No comments: