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 6 October 2015

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, October 06, 2015

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. The morning was cloudy with sunny periods with only a light shower.   A Townsend’s Solitaire perched on a tall tree at the start of the walk.  A Hutton’s Vireo was spotted near the top of the bushes near the trail.  We saw a  Northern Shrike  flying out from a short snag near the estuary in search of prey and returning to the perch.  A Black-bellied Plover, an American Golden-Plover, several Killdeer, three Greater Yellowlegs and one Lesser Yellowlegs were seen feeding on the mudflats as the tide was coming in.  We had another sighting of the Townsend’s Solitaire off the trail at the end of the mudflats, giving us great views.  A Peregrine Falcon and a Merlin gave chase to the birds on the mudflats. We had a terrific morning of birding.
                                                                                                 

                                                   American Golden Plover: Len Bettam Photo.         

Fifteen birders saw and heard the following sixty-three species:
Canada Geese
 American Widgeon
 Mallard
 Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
 Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
 Red-breasted Merganser
Hooded Merganser
Western Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Horned Grebe
 Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Common Murre
Black-bellied Plover
American Golden-Plover
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Great Blue Heron
 Belted Kingfisher
Northern Rough-wing Swallow
 Bald Eagle
Cooper’s Hawk
Peregrine Falcon
Merlin
Red-tailed Hawk
Northern Harrier
Northern Shrike
Ring-necked Pheasant
Bonaparte's Gull
Thayer’s Gull
  Mew Gull
 California Gull
 Glaucous-winged Gull
 Northern Flicker
Steller’s Jay
 Common Raven
 Northwestern Crow
American Robin
Varied Thrush
Townsend’s Solitaire
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Anna’s Hummingbirds
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Hutton’s Vireo 
Yellow-rumped Warbler
 European Starling
Savannah’s Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
 Song Sparrow
 Spotted Towhee
Dark-eyed Junco
Brewer’s Blackbird
Purple Finch
House Finch 
American Goldfinch 
                                                               

Townsend’s Solitaire: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

The Tuesday bird walk on October 13 will be going to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach. We meet at the Parksville Community Park at the parking lot close to the Lions Club Playground at 9:00 a.m., or at the Brant Viewing Platform in north Qualicum Beach at about 9:20 a.m. 

Good birding
Neil Robins
Parksville

 

 

 

 

 

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