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 21 October 2014

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, October 21, 2014

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Englishman River Estuary, Plummer Road side in Parksville. The morning was cloudy with a few light showers.  There was a stiff sea breeze off the Strait of Georgia.  A Barred Owl was spotted perched on a hydro wire just off Highway 19a along Plummer Road at the start of the walk. Two  Bald Eagles, a Sharp-shinned Hawk, a Northern Harrier and a Cooper’s Hawk were seen as we walked along the trail next to the river. Large flocks of  Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, American Widgeon and two Eurasian Widgeons were seen on the estuary near the mud flats. Large numbers of  Harlequin Ducks were on the Strait throughout the morning. Five Western Grebe’s, a Marbled Murrelet and a Common Murre were seen further offshore.  Red-necked Grebes, Horned Grebes, Pacific Loons and Common Loons were seen closer to shore.
 
                                         Sharp-shinned Hawk: Ralph Hocken Photo.
 
Twenty-three birders including visiting birders from Whitecourt and Carstairs Alberta, saw and heard the following fifty-two species:
Canada Geese
 American Widgeon
Eurasian Widgeon
 Mallard
 Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
 Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
 Red-breasted Merganser
Common Merganser
Western Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Horned Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
 Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Marbled Murrelet
Common Murre
Great Blue Heron
 Belted Kingfisher
 Bald Eagle
Cooper’s Hawk
 Sharp-shinned Hawk
Northern Harrier
Barred Owl
 Dunlin
Thayer’s Gull
  Mew Gull
 California Gull
 Glaucous-winged Gull
 Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Steller’s Jay
 Common Raven
 Northwestern Crow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 
 European Starling
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
 Song Sparrow
 Spotted Towhee
Dark-eyed Junco
Brewer’s Blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Blackbird
Purple Finch
House Finch 
                                                           
 Harlequin Duck: Ralph Hocken Photo.
 
The Tuesday bird walk on October 28, 2014 will be going to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville. 
Good birding
Neil Robins
Parksville

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