Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, November 07, 2017

             Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday Bird Walk, November 07:

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Englishman River on the Plummer Road side in Parksville. The morning was cloudy with a strong wind off the strait of Georgia.  We spotted a Norther Harrier at the beginning of the morning flying just above the grass. The Harrier then perched on a log to give us great views.  A Cooper's Hawk and a Merlin flew over head. A very large flock of  American Wigeons with one Eurasian Wigeon were seen swimming in the flooded estuary. Three flocks of Dunlin and a flock of Black-bellied Plovers were seen flying up the Strait Of Georgia. We spotted a Clark’s Grebe swimming up the Strait and we were entertained by him for about thirty minutes.

Clark’s Grebe(front) and a Western Grebe (back): Ralph Hocken Photo:

Twelve birders saw and heard the following fifty-five Species:

Canada Geese

American Wigeon

Eurasian Wigeon

Bufflehead

 Mallard

 Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal

 Greater Scaup

 Harlequin Duck

 Surf Scoter

 White-winged Scoter

 Black Scoter

Long-tailed Duck

Common Goldeneye

Common Merganser

 Red-breasted Merganser

Ancient Murrelet

Common Murre

 Pacific Loon

 Common Loon

Red-necked Grebe

 Horned Grebe

 Clark’s Grebe

 Double-crested Cormorant

 Brandt’s Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

 Norther Harrier

 Cooper's Hawk

Merlin

Killdeer

Dunlin

Black-bellied Plover

  Mew Gull

 California Gull

Iceland Gull

 Glaucous-winged Gull

 Belted Kingfisher

Anna's Hummingbird

 Northern Flicker

Common Raven

 Northwestern Crow

 Steller’s Jay

Eurasian-collared Dove

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

European Starling

Red-breasted Nuthatch

 Spotted Towhee

 Fox Sparrow

 Song Sparrow

 Golden-crowned Sparrow

 Dark-eyed Junco

 Red-winged Blackbird

Brewer’s Blackbird

 House Finch

Northern Harrier: Ralph Hocken Photo:

The Tuesday bird walk on November 14, 2017 will be going to Columbia Beach in French Creek. 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 area off Admiral Tryon Blvd. (turn onto Columbia Drive off highway 19a then turn right onto Admiral Tryon Blvd.  Go about one hundred yards and turn left to the parking area) 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