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Tuesday, 5 September 2017

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, September 05, 2017


The Tuesday bird walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. The morning was cloudy and smokie with a light breeze off the Strait of Georgia. We spotted a Barred Owl as it moved along the forest.   It stopped to look us over, giving us great views. We watched as Cedar Waxwings, a Black-throated Gray Warbler, an Orange-crowned Warbler, a Cassin’s Vireo and a Willow Flycatcher came and went as they fed on a berry tree just off the trail.  We saw a Merlin perched on a big snag near the strait.  One Pigeon Guillemot and two Marbled Murrelets were seen near the shore heading down the Strait of Georgia.  Three River Otters were seen walking along a gravel bar.  We spotted Two Pacific White- sided Dolphins swimming just off shore going down the Strait.

We watched in fascination as five Killer Whales headed up the Strait, diving and surfacing above the water.   Much to our enjoyment they turned around and headed down the Strait, doubling our pleasure. We were entertained for about forty-five minutes.  It was a Whale of a Bird Walk this morning!

Seventeen birders saw and heard the following forty-three species:
Canada Geese
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Gadwall
Harlequin Duck
Red-necked Grebe
Common Loon
Double-crested Cormorant
Pigeon Guillemot
Marbled Murrelet
Merlin
Sharp-shinned Hawk
 Barred Owl
Great Blue Heron
California Gull
 Glaucous-winged Gull
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
 California Quail
Steller’s Jay
 Northwestern Crow
 Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Bushtit
Berwick’s Wren
  American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
Anna’s Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Cassin’s Vireo
 Willow Flycatcher
 Spotted Towhee
 Song Sparrow
 White-crowned Sparrow
 House Finch
 Purple Finch 
American Goldfinch

Five Killer Whales
Two Pacific White-sided Dolphins
Three River Otters

The Tuesday Bird walk on September 12, 2017, will be going to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (at the Lions Club Playground parking lot) at 9:00 a.m. or at the corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive on the Oceanside of Highway 19a at about 9:10 a.m.

Good birding
Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE
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Blog: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com




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