The Backyard's Weekly Bird Walk locations are found in the Backyard Bird Report at the very end of the most recent report. Any cancellations will be posted by 8am the day of the walk.

Tuesday 15 March 2011

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk,March 15, 2011



Top Photo--Winter Storm Watch birders: Marie Sprandel Photo.
Bottom Photo--Brant in flight: Ralph Hocken Photo.

The Tuesday bird walk went to Columbia Beach and Parksville Bay. A West Coast Winter Storm greeted us for the morning. The surf was up and strong winds and heavy rain were with us all morning. The big surprise of the morning was the sighting of one Bonaparte's Gull at the start of the walk. Hundreds of gulls, Harlequin Ducks, Surf Scoters, White-winged Scoters were seen further off shore heading down the Strait of Georgia. We spotted three Eurasian Collared Doves perched in a tree along Admiral Tryon Blvd. Thousands upon thousands of Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Surf Scoters, White-winged Scoter,
Black Scoters, Long-tailed Ducks, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Barrow's Goldeneye and Brant formed a massive moving raft offshore from the hovercraft landing pad at Parksville Beach.
"A NATURAL PHENOMENON!!"

Five very wet birders saw and heard the following forty-one species of birds.
Canada Goose
Brant
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Barrow's Goldeneye
Red-breasted Merganser
Horned Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Bald Eagle
Black-bellied Plover
Black Oystercatcher
Black Turnstone
Dunlin
Bonaparte's Gull
Mew Gull
California Gull
Herring Gull
Thayer's Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared Dove
Northern Flicker
Northwestern Crow
American Robin
European Starling
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
House Finch

Good birding
Neil Robins
Parksville
British Columbia

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