Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, September 05, 2017

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was cloudy and smokie with a light breeze off the Strait of Georgia. We spotted a Barred Owl as it moved along the forest.   It stopped to look us over, giving us great views. We watched as Cedar Waxwings, a Black-throated Gray Warbler, an Orange-crowned Warbler, a Cassin’s Vireo and a Willow Flycatcher came and went as they fed on a berry tree just off the trail.  We saw a Merlin perched on a big snag near the strait.  One Pigeon Guillemot and two Marbled Murrelets were seen near the shore heading down the Strait of Georgia.  Three River Otters were seen walking along a gravel bar.  We spotted Two Pacific White- sided Dolphins swimming just off shore going down the Strait.

We watched in fascination as five Killer Whales headed up the Strait, diving and surfacing above the water.   Much to our enjoyment they turned around and headed down the Strait, doubling our pleasure. We were entertained for about forty-five minutes.  It was a Whale of a Bird Walk this morning!

Seventeen birders saw and heard the following forty-three species:

Canada Geese

Mallard

Northern Pintail

Gadwall

Harlequin Duck

Red-necked Grebe

Common Loon

Double-crested Cormorant

Pigeon Guillemot

Marbled Murrelet

Merlin

Sharp-shinned Hawk

 Barred Owl

Great Blue Heron

California Gull

 Glaucous-winged Gull

Black-bellied Plover

Killdeer

Belted Kingfisher

Northern Flicker

 California Quail

Steller’s Jay

 Northwestern Crow

 Common Raven

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

Bushtit

Berwick’s Wren

  American Robin

Cedar Waxwing

Anna’s Hummingbird

Rufous Hummingbird

Black-throated Gray Warbler

Orange-crowned Warbler

Cassin’s Vireo

 Willow Flycatcher

 Spotted Towhee

 Song Sparrow

 White-crowned Sparrow

 House Finch

 Purple Finch 

American Goldfinch

Five Killer Whales

Two Pacific White-sided Dolphins

Three River Otters

The Tuesday Bird walk on September 12, 2017, will be going to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (at the Lions Club Playground parking lot) at 9:00 a.m. or at the corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive on the Oceanside of Highway 19a at about 9:10 a.m.

Good birding

Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE

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