Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, December 23, 2014

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. The morning started out with light showers and strong winds off the Strait of Georgia, but when the showers stopped we had a good morning of birding. We spotted a Ruby-crowned Kinglet feeding low in the bushes next to the parking lot.  A flock of Pine Siskins were feeding and singing at the top of a tall tree above the Ruby-crowned Kinglet.  A flock of Common Mergansers were resting on the banks of the river.  A flock of Canada Geese, a Cackling Goose and a Snow Goose all flew in and landed on the river.  Two flocks of Common Murre were flying up the Strait.  The resident Peregrine Falcon was perched in its usual spot high on a snag looking down on us as we looked up at him through our scopes.  An Anna's Hummingbird was perched on a snag next to the trail.

                                                         Peregrine: Falcon: Ralph Hocken Photo.                                                        

 

 

 

     Common Merganser: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

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

Canada Geese

Cackling Goose

Snow Goose

Brant
American Widgeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
White-winged Scoter
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Barrow's Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Common Loon
Pacific Loon
Common Murre
Pelagic Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Belted Kingfisher
Bald Eagle
Peregrine Falcon
Mew Gull
California Gull
Thayer's  Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Anna's Hummingbird
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Northern Flicker

Downy Woodpecker
Steller’s Jay

Northwestern Crow
Common Raven

American Robin

Varied Thrush
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Pacific Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglet
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco

Pine Siskin

                                                                     

                                                     Anna’s Hummingbird: Ralph Hocken Photo.

The Tuesday bird walk on December 30, 2014 will be going to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville. 

Merry Christmas

Neil Robins

Parksville