Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, October 09, 2012

Northern Shrike: Ralph Hocken Photo.

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was cloudy and cool but as the morning progressed it became sunny and warm. The highlights included seeing hundreds of American Robins with some Varied Thrush throughout the morning. Over twenty-five Killdeer were on the mudflats along with a Baird’s Sandpiper and one Western Sandpiper. One lone Greater White-fronted Goose flew overhead and disappeared heading south. We spotted an Eurasian Widgeon in with a flock of American Widgeon. A Northern Harrier flew low over the estuary hunting for prey. We spotted a Northern Shrike perched high on top of a Conifer Tree next to the road. Bonaparte's Gulls, Mew Gulls, California Gulls, Thayer’s Gulls and Glaucous-winged Gulls were on the gravel bar just off shore on the Strait of Georgia. We spotted an adult nonbreeding Pigeon Guillemot along with several Pacific Loons and a raft of Harlequin Ducks and Surf Scoters on the Strait.

Eighteen birders saw and heard the following sixty-two species:
Canada Goose

Greater White-fronted Goose
American Widgeon

Eurasian Widgeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal

Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter

Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser
Common Loon

Pacific Loon

Pied-bill Grebe
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe

Western Grebe
Pelagic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Merlin

Northern Harrier

Northern Shrike
Baird’s Sandpiper
Killdeer
Western Sandpiper

Greater Yellowlegs
Bonaparte's Gull
Mew Gull
California Gull

Thayer’s Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Pigeon Guillemot
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker

Steller’s Jay
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch
Bewick's Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglet

American Robin

Varied Thrush

Cedar Waxwing
Common Yellowthroat
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow
Brewer's Blackbird

Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird

Purple Finch
House Finch
Pine Siskin
 

The Tuesday bird walk on October 16, will go to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach. Meet at the Viewing Platform in north Qualicum Beach at 9:00 A.M.

Good birding

Neil Robins

Parksville

British Columbia