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Tuesday, 27 March 2018


Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday Bird Walk, March 27, 2018
The Tuesday bird walk stopped at the Brant Viewing Area in Qualicum Beach on our way to the Little Qualicum River Estuary. The morning was cloudy with calm winds.  A raft of thousands upon thousands of Surf Scoters, White-winged Scoters, Black Scoters, Brant Geese, Lesser and Greater Scaup stretched from the Brant viewing area to the east end of Surfside Drive.  At the estuary Bonaparte's Gulls, Mew Gulls, California Gulls, Iceland (Thayer’s) Gulls, Herring Gull, and Glaucous-winged Gulls lined the shoreline and all of the gravel bars from the mouth of the Little Qualicum River Estuary to the Brant Viewing Area.  We estimated that there were three hundred Common Murre heading down the Strait of  Georgia. Two Eurasian Widgeons, American Widgeons and Northern Pintails were seen resting on a gravel bar at the mouth of the river. Black Oystercatchers, Black-bellied Plovers and a Black Turnstonewere seen along the shore.
Bonaparte's Gulls: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Eighteen  birders including visiting birders from Ottawa, Calgary and North Vancouver saw and heard the following fifty-three species:
Brant
Canada Geese
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
American Widgeon
Eurasian Widgeon
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tail Duck 
Lesser Scaup
Greater Scaup
Bufflehead
Northern Pintail
Barrows Goldeneye
Common Goldeneye
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Red-breasted Merganser
Common Merganser
Common Loon
Common Murre
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Killdeer
Black Oystercatcher
Black-bellied Plover
Black Turnstone
Bonaparte's Gull
Mew Gull
California Gull
Iceland(Thayer’s) Gull
Herring Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Northern Flicker
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Eurasian-collared Dove
Violet-green Swallow
Anna’s Hummingbird
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bewick’s Wren
American Robin
European Starling
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Brewer’s Blackbird
House Finch 
House Sparrow
Surf, White-wing and Black Scoters: Ralph Hocken Photo:

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

The Tuesday Bird Walk on April 03, 2018 will be going to Columbia Beach.  Meet at the Parksville Community Park (near the Lions Club playground parking lot) in Parksville at 9:00 am, or at the parking area off Admiral Tryon Bld. (turn onto Columbia Drive off Highway 19a, go to the tee intersection of Admiral Tryon Bld., turn right & go about one hundred yards to parking area on your left) at about 9:20 am.

There will be no Sunday Bird Walk on April 01, 2018 as it is Easter Sunday. (Check www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com) for the location of the April 08, 2018 Sunday Bird Walk)
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










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