Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, October 31, 2017

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday Bird Walk, October 31:

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Brandt viewing platform and Lot Ten in north Qualicum Beach. The morning was clear and sunny with calm winds, making for a very pleasant bird walk.  The highlight of the morning was when we sighted four Humpbacked Whales far offshore. The whales entertained us royally for an hour as we watched them spout and breach.  Two Western Grebes were spotted in with a flock of Buffleheads not far from shore.  A Long-tailed Duck flew just above the water heading down the Strait Of Georgia.  Red-breasted Mergansers, Common Mergansers and Black Scoters were seen not far from shore.  At Lot Ten we watched large numbers of Glaucous-winged Gulls feeding on fish carcasses along the river banks.

Bufflehead: Ralph Hocken Photo:

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

Canada Geese

Harlequin Duck
Bufflehead

Red-breasted Merganser

Common Merganser

Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe 

Western Grebe

Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron 

Belted Kingfisher

Pigeon Guillemot

Black-bellied Plover
Black Oystercatcher
Bonaparte’s Gull

Mew Gull 

California Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Bald Eagle 

Pileated Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Eurasian-collared Dove 

Steller’s Jay

Northwestern Crow

                                                                  Common Raven

American Robin

Varied Thrush

Bewick’s Wren

Pacific Wren
Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Fox Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Spotted Towhee

Dark-eyed Junco 

Glaucous-winged Gull: Ralph Hocken Photo:

The Tuesday bird walk on November 07, 2017 will be going to the Englishman River, Plummer Road side in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (at the parking lot in front of the Lions Club Playground) at 9:00 a.m. or at corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive at about 9:10 a.m.

Good Birding

Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE

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