Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, January 30,2018

Parksville/Qualicum Beach, Tuesday bird walk January 30, 2018:

The rain finally subsided and the Tuesday bird walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in  Parksville. The morning was cloudy with sunny periods with calm winds—and no rain!  Brant Geese were spotted flying up the Strait of Georgia.  A Western Gull and two  California Gulls, along with a large flock of Mew Gulls were seen on a gravel bar just off shore.  Four Gadwall were spotted along the Estuary.  A Sharp-shinned Hawk was perched on a stump not far from the trail.  A Cooper’s Hawk flew over head.  We spotted a Northern Shrike perched in a bush.  A large flock of Bushtits were seen feeding near the trail.  Three Western Meadowlarks were perched near the Community Park.  Three Virginia Rails were heard and one was seen next to the trail.

Bushtit: Ralph Hocken Photo: 

Fourteen birders including visiting birders from Seattle and North Vancouver saw and heard the following sixty species:

Brant

Canada Goose

 Mallard

 Northern Pintail

 Green-winged Teal

Gadwall

 Surf Scoter

Bufflehead

Red-breasted Merganser

Common Merganser

Barrows Goldeneye

Common Goldeneye

 Pacific Loon

Common Loon

 Horned Grebe

 Pelagic Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

 Coopers Hawk

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Northern Shrike

Western Gull

 California Gull

Mew Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Iceland- Thayer's Gull

 Killdeer

Black-bellied Plover

Black Turnstone

 Dunlin

 Black Oystercatcher

  Virginia Rail

Downy Woodpecker

 Northern Flicker

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

 Chestnut-backed Chickadee

 Bewick's Wren

Pacific Wren

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

 Bushtit

Belted Kingfisher

 Anna’s Hummingbird

Western Meadowlark

California Quail

Evening Grosbeak

Varied Thrush

American Robin

Spotted Towhee

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Purple Finch

House Finch

Red Crossbills

Pine Siskin

Dark-eyed Junco

Western Meadowlark: Ralph Hocken Photo: 

Please Note

Check this site (www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com)  early Tuesday and Sunday mornings on stormy mornings to see if the walks have been cancelled! 

The Tuesday Bird Walk will  on February 06, 2018 will be going to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (near the Lions Club parking lot) in Parksville at 9:00 am., or at the main parking lot at Rathtrevor Park at about 9:10 am.

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