The Tuesday bird walk went to the North Entrance to the Englishman River
Estuary off of Mills Road in Parksville. The morning was cloudy with sunny
periods and the winds were calm. The highlight of the morning was the sighting
of a Common Redpoll perched on top of a tall Cedar Tree not far from the viewing
platform. The Redpoll stayed on it’s perch for a long period of time, looking in
all directions, and giving us great views! We saw a female Pine Grosbeak
feeding along the Corfield Trail. Ten Western Meadowlarks were perched in a tall
deciduous tree near the edge of the estuary on the Community Park side. A
Northern Shrike was also perched in the same area. We saw a large number of
Northern Flickers throughout the morning. Flocks of Brant and Long-tail Ducks
flew up the Strait of Georgia.
Thirteen birders including a visiting birder from New Brunswick saw and
heard the following fifty-three species:
Canada Geese
Brant
American Widgeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Green-wing Teal
Gadwall
Surf Scoter
White-wing Scoter
Bufflehead
Long-tail Duck
Barrow’s Goldeneye
Common Goldeneye
Red-breasted Merganser
Common Merganser
Common Loon
Pacific Loon
Pelagic Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Brandt’s Cormorant
Common Murre
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Coopers Hawk
Northern Shrike
Mew Gull
California Gull
Thayer's Gull
Herring Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
California Quail
Anna's Hummingbird
Northern Flicker
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Steller’s Jay
Varied Thrush
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
European Starling
Western Meadowlark
Spotted Towhee
Red-wing Blackbird
Song Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Pine Grosbeak
Dark-eyed Junco
Purple Finch
Red Crossbill
Common Redpoll
House Finch
Pine Siskin
The Tuesday bird walk on January 05, 2016 will be going to Deep Bay. Meet
at the Parksville Community Park at the parking lot near the Lions Club Kids
playground at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at the Deep Bay Marina at about
9:35 a.m.
Happy New Year
Good birding
Neil Robins
Parksville
www.thebirdstore.blogspot.co