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 10 February 2009

Parksville/Qualicum Beach, Vancouver Island--Tuesday bird walk



Yellow-billed Loon: Ralph Hocken Photo

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville.
Twelve hardy birders saw and heard seventeen species of birds.
The winds were strong from the southeast and seas were rough with heavy pounding surf and the blustery rain and snow followed us all morning. It was an awesome scene seeing the sea in it's dark winter stormy mode.

The big surprise of the morning was the sighting of a flock of over two hundred Brant Geese flying near the shore. A large flock of Dunlin and Black-bellied Plovers were feeding along the tide line and we spotted an American Golden Plover feeding in with the Black-bellied Plovers. A Common Loon and a Yellow-billed Loon were riding the surf offshore. Long lines of Surf Scoters and American Wigeon flew just above the water heading down the Strait of Georgia. We spotted a Brown Creeper feeding as it climbed a big Fir Tree. A fast flying Red-tailed Hawk flew over us heading south.

Twelve birders found the following seventeen species of birds on February 10, 2009:
Brant
American Wigeon
Buflehead
Common Goldeneye
Common Loon
Yellow-billed Loon
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Black-bellied Plover
American Golden-Plover
Black Oystercatcher
Black Turnstone
Dunlin
Mew Gull
Thayer's Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Brown Creeper

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