The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

                 Tuesday bird walk, October 09, 2018

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. The morning was sunny with strong winds on the Strait of Georgia. We heard and saw a huge amount of American Robins, during the morning.  Four Red Crossbills were seen perched high at the top of a tall Conifer Tree and a flock were seen flying over the tall trees. Two Sharp-shinned Hawks, a Cooper’s Hawk and a Merlin flew over head.  Two Northern Shovelers were spotted just off the mud flats. A Clark’s Grebe was spotted off shore and three Western Grebes were seen a little further off shore. A Band-tailed Pigeon being chased by a Cooper’s Hawk was spotted.  Pacific Loons and Common Loons were heading up the Strait.  A Lincoln’s Sparrow was preening itself just off the trail.

Red Crossbill: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Twenty-one birders including three visiting birders from Victoria and two visitors from Ships Point saw and heard the following fifty-three species:

Canada Geese

American Widgeon

Mallard

Northern Pintail

Green-winged Teal

Harlequin Duck

Northern Shoveler

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Red-breasted Merganser

Common Merganser

Clark’s Grebe

Western Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Horned Grebe

Pacific Loon

Common Loon

Common Murre

Killdeer

Great Blue Heron

Belted Kingfisher

Bald Eagle

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Cooper’s Hawk

Merlin

Iceland(Thayer’s) Gull

Mew Gull

California Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Northern Flicker

Common Raven

Northwestern Crow

Eurasian-collared Dove 

Band-tailed Pigeon

American Robin

Cedar Waxwing

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Anna’s Hummingbirds

Bewick’s Wren

Pacific Wren

European Starling

Lincoln’s Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Red Crossbill

Song Sparrow

Spotted Towhee

Dark-eyed Junco

Brewer’s Blackbird

Purple Finch

House Finch

American Goldfinch

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

The Sunday Bird Walk on October 14, 2018 will be going to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo. Meet at the Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store at 6314 Metral Drive in Nanaimo at 9:00 a.m. or at the main parking lot at Neck Point off Hammond Bay Road at about 9:15am.

The Tuesday Bird Walk on October 16, 2018 will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (near the Lions Club playground parking lot) in Parksville at 9:00 am, or at the end of Shelly Road on the oceanside of Highway 19a in Parksville 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: ww.thebirdstore.blogspot.com