The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park, January 08, 2019. 

There was light snow during the walk with some rain and the wind off the Strait of Georgia was very strong. We started the walk with a small flock of Brant and a very large flock of Surf Scoters riding the rough seas far offshore.  A large number of Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted Mergansers, Common Mergansers, Horned Grebes, Red-necked Grebes and Common Loons were seen offshore.  Flocks of Pacific Loons were heading up the Strait. A great number of Brant were seen heading to the shore during the morning.  A Brandt’s Cormorant was spotted further off shore.  A flock of over two hundred Dunlin were seen heading to the shoreline.  Many Black Turnstones were resting on the point. Two Varied Thrush were seen near the ground next to the trail. Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Golden-crowned Kinglets were heard and then seen in the forest.

Brant in flight: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Sixteen birders saw and heard the following forty-four species:

Brant                                         

American Widgeon

Mallard 

Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

 Bufflehead

Common Goldeneye

Red-breasted Merganser

Common Merganser

Common Loon

Pacific Loon

Horned Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Marbled Murrelet

Common Murre

Pelagic Cormorant

Brandt’s Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorant

Mew Gull
Iceland-(Thayer's) Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Black-bellied Plover

Black Turnstone

Dunlin

Black Oystercatcher

Bald Eagle

Common Raven
Northwestern Crow

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

American Robin

Varied Thrush

Brown Creeper

Anna’s Hummingbird

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglet
Red-breasted Nuthatch

Beswick’s Wren

Pacific Wren

Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Pine Siskin

Dunlin in flight: Ralph Hocken Photo:

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 January 13 2019 will be going to Bowen Park in Nanaimo. Meet at the Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store, 6314 Metral Drive in Nanaimo at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at Bowen Park near the Bowing green off Bowen Road at about 9:20 am.

The Tuesday Bird Walk on January 15, 2019 will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (near the Lions Club playground parking lot) in Parksville at 9:00 am, or end of Shelly Road on the ocean side of highway 19a at about 9:10 am. 

Good birding

Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD& NATURE STORE

6314 Metral Drive

Nanaimo, B.C. V9T-2L8

Phone: 250-390-3669
Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca

www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com