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 18 December 2018

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, December 18, 2018


Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, Columbia Beach, December 18, 2018.  
The rains & winds let up and the Tuesday bird walk finally got to go to Columbia Beach in French Creek. The morning was sunny and with calm winds off the Strait of Georgia. We did have a few light showers near the end of the walk.  A Brandt’s Cormorant, four Rhinoceros Auklets, several Ancient Murrelets, a large flock of Western Grebe and  many Common Murre were seen on the Strait.  Eight Black-bellied Plovers, four Black Oystercatchers, many Dunlin and several  Black Turnstones were seen on the gravel bar.  A Cooper’s Hawk and a Sharp-shinned Hawk were seen near French Creek. A Bewick’s Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet and seven Golden-crowned Kinglets, several American Robins, three Varied Thrush and a Cedar Waxwing were seen in the bushes near the Creek.
Rhinoceros Auklet

Fifteen birders including a young visiting birder from California saw and heard the following sixty-two species:
Canada Geese
Brant
Harlequin Duck
American Wigeon
Mallard
Surf Scoter 
 White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead 
 Common Goldeneye
Barrow’s Goldeneye 
Common Merganser 
 Red-breasted Merganser
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
 Horned Grebe
 Red-necked Grebe
 Western Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
 Pelagic Cormorant
Brandt’s Cormorant
Rhinoceros Auklet
Ancient Murrelet
Common Murre
 Bald Eagle
Coopers Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Black-bellied Plover
 Black Oystercatcher
Dunlin
 Black Turnstone
 Mew Gull
 California Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Iceland Gull
Herring Gull
 Glaucous-winged Gull 
 Rock Pigeon 
Great Blue Heron
 European Starling
Northern Flicker
 Common Raven
Northwestern Crow
Anna’s Hummingbird
 Chestnut-backed Chickadee 
Bewick’s Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
 American Robin
Varied Thrush
                                                                   Cedar Waxwing
Spotted Towhee
Fox Sparrow
 Song Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Purple Finch
House Finch
Dark-eyed Junco
Pine Siskin
House Sparrow
Golden-crowned Kinglet: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Please Note
Check this site (www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com) early Tuesday and Sunday on stormy mornings to see if the walks have been cancelled!

The Sunday Bird Walk on December 23, 2018 will be going to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo. Meet at the Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store, 6314 Metral Drive in Nanaimo at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at Neck Point off Hammond Bay Road at about 9:15 am.

The Tuesday Bird Walk on January 08, 2019 will be going to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (near the Lions Club playground parking lot) in Parksville at 9:00 am, or at Rathtrevor Park main parking lot at about 9:10 am. 

Good birding
                                                                       Neil Robins

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of us at 
THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD& NATURE STORE
6314 Metral Drive
Nanaimo, B.C. 
V9T-2L8
Phone: 250-390-3669
Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca










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