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 23 April 2013

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, April 23, 2013

The Tuesday bird walk went to the viewing platform in Qualicum Beach and the Little Qualicum River Fish Hatchery north of Qualicum Beach. The morning started out cloudy and cool but soon turned sunny and warm. We spotted two American Dippers in the river. We saw and heard Yellow-rumped Warblers and Orange-crowned Warblers throughout the morning. We also heard and then saw a Black-throated Grey Warbler feeding high up in a deciduous tree near the trail. A Chipping Sparrow was perched and singing low in the bushes near the trail. A Red-breasted Sapsucker caught our attention as it appeared to be working on a nesting hole.  He flew to a low tree not far from us and started feeding on the sap, giving us great views.  As he was rhythmically tapping on the tree one could imagine him pounding out the Morse Code!
 
Black-throated Grey Warbler: Ralph Hocken Photo.
 
Fourteen birders saw and heard the following fifty species:
Brant
Mallard
American Widgeon
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Cooper's Hawk
Bonaparte's Gull
Mew Gull
Western Gull
Thayer's Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Common Murre
Belted Kingfisher
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Violet-green Swallow
Tree Swallow
Rough-winged Swallow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Brown Creeper
Pacific Wren
American Dipper
Golden-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
Varied Thrush
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Grey Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Spotted Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red Crossbills
Pine Siskin
 
Red-breasted Sapsucker: Ralph Hocken Photo.
 
The Tuesday bird walk on April 30, 2013 will be going to the Top Bridge Trail in Parksville.
 
Good birding
Neil Robins
Parksville
British Columbia

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