Parksville/Qualicum beach Tuesday bird walk, October 03, 2017

The Tuesday bird walk went to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park in Parksville.  The morning was sunny and the winds were calm.  A Bald Eagle was spotted high in a conifer tree near the parking lot. Twelve Savannah Sparrows were perched in a bush next to the trail.  A Yellow-rumped Warbler was seen hawking insects from a tall tree near the trail. A Merlin was spotted high in a conifer tree.  Twelve Horned Grebes, twenty Red-necked Grebes and five Western Grebes were seen not far from shore.  A large number of Pacific Loons, several Common Loons, four Double-crested Cormorants, six Pelagic Cormorants and one Pigeon Guillemot were seen heading up the Strait of Georgia.  Two flocks of over one hundred Bonaparte's Gulls were seen heading up the Strait near the horizon.  A Brown Creeper was spotted climbing a fir tree next to the trail. Two Bewick’s Wrens were feeding on a small bush. Two Varied Thrush were spotted high up on a fir tree.  A Cooper’s Hawk flew over head and landed in a short tree giving us great views.  We had a great birding morning!  

Bonaparte's Gulls: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Twenty-five birders including visiting birders from California and Vancouver saw and heard the following fifty-five species:

Canada Geese

Mallard

American Wigeon
Harlequin Duck

Green-wing Teal

Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter

Common Merganser

Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe

Western Grebe

Great Blue Heron

Black-bellied Plover

Black Turnstone

Pacific Loon

    Common Loon

Double-crested Cormorant
 Pelagic Cormorant

Pigeon Guillemot

Bald Eagle

Merlin

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Cooper’s Hawk

Bonaparte's Gull

 Mew Gull

Iceland Gull
 California Gull
      Glaucous-winged Gull

     Northern Flicker

        Pileated Woodpecker
       Red-breasted Sapsucker

Northwestern Crow 

                                                   Common Raven

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Brown Creeper
    Red-breasted Nuthatch
     Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Anna’s Hummingbird

 American Robin      
Varied Thrush

Bewick’s Wren

Pacific Wren

European Starling 

 Spotted Towhee

Golden-crowned Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

                                                              Savannah Sparrow

  Song Sparrow
     Dark-eyed Junco 

 Purple Finch

Pine Siskin

House Finch

Savannah Sparrow: Ralph Hocken Photo:

The Tuesday Bird walk on October 10, 2017, will be going to Deep Bay . Meet at the Parksville Community Park (at the parking lot in front of the Lions Club Playground) at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at the Deep Bay Marina at about 9:35 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