Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, October 14, 2014

The Tuesday bird walk went to Deep Bay with a quick stop at Nile Creek. The morning was cloudy and very windy with a light shower to finish off the morning.  A Cooper’s Hawk flew over head just above us, giving us great views. Two Bald Eagles were spotted on their nest high in a tall conifer. Two Yellow-rumped Warbler’s and a flock of Golden-crowned Kinglet’s were seen in the bushes just off the trail.  Large numbers of Harlequin Duck’s, Surf Scoter’s, White-winged Scoter’s, a few Black Scoter’s, Long-tailed Duck’s and Greater Scaup were seen just offshore. Three Western Grebe’s, several Red-necked Grebe’s and Horned Grebe’s were seen throughout the morning on the Strait of Georgia.  A large flock of Greater White-fronted Geese flew high overhead heading west. Two Heermann's Gull’s along with Mew Gull’s, California Gull’s, Thayer's Gull’s and Glaucous-winged Gull’s were seen at the Nile Creek Estuary.

                                   

                                                              Black Scoter: Ralph Hocken Photo.                                               

 Nineteen birders saw and heard the following fifty species:

Trumpeter Swan

Greater White-fronted Geese

Canada Geese

American Widgeon

Mallard

Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Black Scoter

Long-tailed Duck

Greater Scaup

Common Merganser

Pacific Loon

Common Loon

Red-necked Grebe

Horned Grebe

Western Grebe

Pelagic Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorant

Belted Kingfisher

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Cooper’s Hawk

Killdeer

Heermann's Gull

Mew Gull

California Gull

Thayer's Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Eurasian-collared Dove

Rock Pigeon

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Northern Flicker

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Golden-crowned Kinglet

American Robin

European Starling

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Brewer’s Blackbird

House Finch

Purple Finch

Pine Siskin

American Goldfinch 

The Tuesday bird walk on October 21, 2014 will be going to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville. Meet at the parking lot near the Lions Club Playground in Parksville Community Park at 9:00 a.m. or at the corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive in Parksville at about 9:10 a.m.  

                                                                                       

          Golden-crowned Kinglet: Ralph Hocken Photo.

 

Good birding

Neil Robins

Parksville