Parksville/Qualicum beach Tuesday bird walk, May 23, 2017

The Tuesday bird walk went to Moorecroft Regional Park in Nanoose Bay. The morning was sunny and warm. Turkey Vultures, Bald Eagles and a Cooper’s Hawk flew high overhead.   We saw and heard several Orange-crowned Warblers, a Yellow-rumped Warbler, a Townsend’s  Warbler and a Wilson’s Warbler during the walk. A Warbling Vireo was feeding high up in the tall trees over the trail giving us great looks.   We heard and then saw a Great Horned Owl fly from its perch not far from the trail.  A Willow Flycatcher, hunting insects, flew from its perch over the marsh, giving us great views. We heard several Pacific-slope Flycatchers and Hammond’s Flycatchers on the walk through the forest. A Western Tanager flew in over the marsh and landed in a tall snag giving us excellent views. A Yellow-rumped Warbler and a Townsend’s  Warbler  were seen just above us at the end of the walk. 

Western Tanager: Ralph Hocken Photo: 

Seventeen birders including visiting birders from New Jersey-USA, Whitecourt and St. Albert saw and heard the following forty-four species:

Mallard

Surf Scoter

Pelagic Cormorant

Pacific Loon

Black Oystercatcher

Mew Gull

Herring Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Turkey Vulture

Bald Eagle

Cooper’s Hawk

Great Horned Owl

Common Raven

Northwestern Crow

Anna’s Hummingbird

Rufous Hummingbird

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Pileated Woodpecker

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Brown Creeper

Red-breasted Nuthatch

American Robin

Swainson’s Thrush

Western Tanager

Black-headed Grosbeak

Willow Flycatcher

Pacific-slope Flycatcher

Hammond’s Flycatcher

Warbling Vireo

Orange-crowned Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

                                Townsend’s  Warbler                                

 Wilson’s Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Chipping Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Purple Finch

American Goldfinch 

                                                            Great Horned Owl: Hans Laue Photo:

The Tuesday bird walk on May 30, 2017 will be going to Springwood Park in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park at the parking lot next to the Lion’s Club Kids playground at 9:00 a.m.or at the west end of Despard Avenue in Parksville at about 9:10 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