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 March 2017

Parksville/ Qualicum Beach Tuesday Bird Walk, March 21, 2017 

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to Columbia Beach. The morning was cloudy with light rain and a light wind off the Strait Of Georgia.  We saw hundreds of  Brant Geese offshore from Columbia Beach. Thousands of Mew Gulls, California Gulls, Thayer's Gulls, Glaucous-winged Gulls and newly arrived Bonaparte's Gulls were in the area all morning.  Numerous Pacific Loons and Common Loons were seen on the Strait Of Georgia.  A Brandt's Cormorant, a Common Murre and a Pigeon Guillemot were observed further offshore. Over twenty Long-tailed Ducks were heading up the Strait.  Black Turnstones, Black-bellied Plovers were resting along the many big rocks along the shoreline. Song Sparrows, a White-crowned Sparrow, a Golden-crowned Sparrow and an Anna’s Hummingbird were seen just off the road. 

There are thousands of Surf Scoters, Gulls, Dunlin and Plovers at Parksville Bay today.



Bonaparte's Gulls in flight: Ralph Hocken Photo:
 

Twenty-one birders saw and heard the following forty-four species:
Canada Geese
 Brant
 Mallard
 Harlequin Duck,
 Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
 Long-tailed Duck
 Common Goldeneye
 Barrow's Goldeneye
 Common Merganser
 Red-breasted Merganser
 Pacific Loon
 Common Loon
Red-necked Grebe
 Horned Grebe
 Brandt's Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
 Pelagic Cormorant
 Bald Eagle
Black Turnstone
Black-bellied Plover
 Killdeer
Black Oystercatcher
 Bonaparte's Gull
Mew Gull,
California Gull
 Thayer's Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
 Common Murre
Pigeon Guillemot
Eurasian-collared Dove
Northern Flicker
Northwestern Crow
 Common Raven
 American Robin
Anna’s Hummingbird
Spotted Towhee
 Red-wing Blackbird
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
 Dark-eyed Junco
 House Finch
House Sparrow







Brandt’s Cormorant: Ralph Hocken Photo:
 
The Tuesday bird walk on March 28, 2017 will be going to the Somass Estuary in Port Alberni. Meet at The Parksville Community Park at the parking lot near the Lions Kids Playground at 8:30 a.m. or meet at the parking lot along Alberni Inlet & third Avenue in Port Alberni at about 9:15 a.m.(Follow Highway 4 into Port Alberni, go right to the tee intersection, turn left along third Avenue and park at the parking lot next to the Alberni Inlet)           
 
 Good birding
Neil Robins
 
 
THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE
314 Metral Drive
 Nanaimo B.C.
V9T-2L8
Phone: 250-390-3669
Fax: 250-390-1633
Blog: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com
 

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