The Tuesday bird walk went to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum
Beach. The morning was partly sunny with calm winds making a good day for
birding.
A large number of Black-bellied Plovers, Black Turnstones, Black
Oystercatchers and one lone Dunlin greeted us at the viewing tower. There was a
flock of Ancient Murrelets further off shore. We had the unusual sighting of
four River Otters swimming and playing at the mouth of the river. There were
also many Seals offshore keeping an eye on us. The trees around the estuary were
loaded with Bald Eagles. Four Trumpeter Swans and large numbers of Great Blue
Herons were resting on the estuary. Hundreds and hundreds of Pacific Loons and
Common Murre were flying down the Strait of Georgia.
River Otters: Len Bettam Photo.
Twenty birders saw and heard the following sixty species:
Canada Goose
Snow Goose
Trumpeter Swan
Mallard
American Widgeon
Green-winged Teal
Northern Pintail
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
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Merlin
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Black-bellied Plover
Black Turnstone
Dunlin
Black Oystercatcher
Killdeer
Mew Gull
California Gull
Thayer's Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Common Murre
Ancient Murrelet
California Quail
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Anna’s Hummingbird
Pacific Wren
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
European Starling
Spotted Towhee
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Purple Finch
House Finch
House Sparrow
Bald Eagle: Rosemary Taylor Photo.
The Tuesday bird walk on January 26, 2016 will be going to the Plummer Road
side of the Englishman River in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community
Park near the Lions Club Kids Playground Parking Lot at 9:00 a.m. or at the
corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive at about 9:10 a.m.
Good birding
Neil Robins
Parksville
Thebirdstore.blogspot.com
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