Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, October 21, 2014

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Englishman River Estuary, Plummer Road side in Parksville. The morning was cloudy with a few light showers.  There was a stiff sea breeze off the Strait of Georgia.  A Barred Owl was spotted perched on a hydro wire just off Highway 19a along Plummer Road at the start of the walk. Two  Bald Eagles, a Sharp-shinned Hawk, a Northern Harrier and a Cooper’s Hawk were seen as we walked along the trail next to the river. Large flocks of  Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, American Widgeon and two Eurasian Widgeons were seen on the estuary near the mud flats. Large numbers of  Harlequin Ducks were on the Strait throughout the morning. Five Western Grebe’s, a Marbled Murrelet and a Common Murre were seen further offshore.  Red-necked Grebes, Horned Grebes, Pacific Loons and Common Loons were seen closer to shore.

 

                                         Sharp-shinned Hawk: Ralph Hocken Photo.

 

Twenty-three birders including visiting birders from Whitecourt and Carstairs Alberta, saw and heard the following fifty-two species:

Canada Geese

 American Widgeon

Eurasian Widgeon

 Mallard

 Northern Pintail

Green-winged Teal

 Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Black Scoter

 Red-breasted Merganser

Common Merganser

Western Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Horned Grebe

Double-crested Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant

 Pacific Loon

Common Loon

Marbled Murrelet

Common Murre

Great Blue Heron

 Belted Kingfisher

 Bald Eagle

Cooper’s Hawk

 Sharp-shinned Hawk

Northern Harrier

Barred Owl

 Dunlin

Thayer’s Gull

  Mew Gull

 California Gull

 Glaucous-winged Gull

 Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

Steller’s Jay

 Common Raven

 Northwestern Crow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Ruby-crowned Kinglet 

 European Starling

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

 Song Sparrow

 Spotted Towhee

Dark-eyed Junco

Brewer’s Blackbird

Red-winged Blackbird

Brown-headed Blackbird

Purple Finch

House Finch 

                                                           

 Harlequin Duck: Ralph Hocken Photo.

 

The Tuesday bird walk on October 28, 2014 will be going to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville. 

Good birding

Neil Robins

Parksville