Parksville/Qualicum beach Tuesday bird walk, march 07, 2017

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was cloudy with very strong winds off the Strait of Georgia.  We heard a Hutton’s Vireo singing just off the trail and after searching the woods, we saw the Vireo as he flew overhead.  One Eurasian Widgeon along with a large number of American Widgeon and five Gadwalls were seen along the shoreline. 

The herring spawn is on!  Thousands of Surf Scoters flew in and landed just off shore.  California Gulls, Mew Gulls,Thayer's Gulls and Glaucous-winged Gulls by the thousand were seen along the shoreline and flying overhead throughout the morning.  But the biggest highlight of the morning was a Western Meadowlark singing from a bush in the meadows. Later on we watched as four meadowlarks flew into the tall grass. We spotted a Northern Shrike perched at the top of a tall bush in the meadow and watched as the shrike flew after prey and returned to the perch.

 

 

                                                                              

Western Meadowlark: Ralph Hocken Photo:

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

Canada Geese

Brant

Harlequin Duck

Eurasian Widgeon

American Widgeon

Green-wing Teal

Mallard

Northern Pintail

Gadwall

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Long-tail Duck

Lesser Scaup

Greater Scaup

Bufflehead

Barrows Goldeneye

Common Goldeneye

Red-breasted Merganser

Common Merganser

Horned Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Common Loon

Pacific Loon

Marbled Murrelet

Killdeer

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Merlin

Northern Shrike

California Gull

Mew Gull

Thayer's Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Anna’s Hummingbird

Northern Flicker

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

Bewick's Wren

Pacific Wren

Hutton’s Vireo

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

American Robin

Varied Thrush

European Starling

Western Meadowlark

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Purple Finch

House Finch

Red Crossbill

Pine Siskin  

                                             Eurasian Widgeon: Ralph Hocken Photo:

The Tuesday bird walk on March 14, 2017 will be going to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach. We will meet at the Parksville Community Park at the parking lot near the Lions Club Kids Playground at 9:00 a.m. or at the Brant viewing Platform in north Qualicum Beach at about 9:15 a.m 

Good birding

Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE

314 Metral Drive

 Nanaimo B.C.
V9T-2L8

Phone: 250-390-3669

Fax: 250-390-1633

Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca

Blog: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com