Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, May 03, 2016

The Tuesday bird walk met at the Brant viewing platform in Qualicum Beach and went on to the Little Qualicum River Fish Hatchery. The morning was cloudy with light rain showers but calm winds. One Bonaparte's Gull, seven Pacific Loons and one Common Loon were in their very colorful breeding plumage not far from shore at the viewing platform.  An American Dipper was gathering nesting material and going under the bridge at the Hatchery. We had great views of a Pacific-slope Flycatcher perched  and singing at the top of a tall conifer tree. We heard and then saw a Red-breasted Sapsucker close to the trail.  We first heard a Warbling Vireo singing and after much searching we spotted the Vireo close to the trail.  A Western Tanager, a Hammond’s Flycatcher, a Yellow-rumped Warbler, a Wilson’s Warbler and a Common Yellowthroat as well as several  Black-throated Gray Warblers and Orange-crowned Warblers were heard during the morning. There were a large number of Chipping Sparrows seen throughout the morning. 

 

Pacific-slope Flycatcher: Len Bettam Photo.

Thirteen birders saw and heard the following forty-seven species:

Mallard

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

 Pacific Loon

Common Loon

 Horned Grebe

 Red-necked Grebe

 Bald Eagle

 Red-tailed Hawk

Black Oystercatcher

American Dipper

Bonaparte's Gull

 Mew Gull

Thayer’s Gull

 Glaucous-winged Gull

Belted Kingfisher

 Red-breasted Sapsucker

Northern Flicker

 Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Northwestern Crow

 Common Raven

 Violet-green Swallow

 Tree Swallow

Red-breasted Nuthatch

 Chestnut-backed Chickadee

 Pacific Wren

 American Robin

 Rufous Hummingbird

 European Starling

 Western Tanager

Yellow-rumped Warbler

 Black-throated Gray Warbler

Orange-crowned Warbler

 Wilson’s Warbler

 Common Yellowthroat

 Warbling Vireo

Pacific-slope Flycatcher

Hammond’s Flycatcher

 Spotted Towhee

Brown-headed Cowbird

 Chipping Sparrow

 Song Sparrow

 White-crowned Sparrow

Red Crossbill

Dark-eyed Junco

American Goldfinch

 

                                     Bonaparte's Gull: Ralph Hocken Photo.

The Tuesday bird walk on May 10, 2016 will be going to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville.

Meet at the Parksville Community Park near the Lions Club Kids Playground at 9:00 a.m. or at the corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive at about 9:10 a.m. 

Good Birding

Neil Robins

Parksville 

thebirdstore.blogspot.com

thebackyard@shaw.ca