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 13 October 2015

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, October 13, 2015

 

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Little Qualicum River Estuary in Qualicum Beach. The morning was cloudy with a breeze off the Strait of Georgia.  A flock of twelve  Black Scoters, three flocks of Surf Scoters, several White-winged Scoters, numerous Red-breasted Mergansers, Pacific Loons and Common Loons were seen on the Strait.  A Red-tailed Hawk, a Sharp-shinned Hawk and a Merlin flew overhead, entertaining us during the morning.  One Killdeer, four  Black Turnstones, a Dunlin, two Pectoral Sandpipers and nine Black Oystercatchers were seen feeding close to shore.  A large flock of  Bonaparte's Gulls gathered along the gravel bars not far from shore.
                              
                                                                      Black Scoters: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

Eleven birders saw and heard the following fifty-six species:
Canada Goose
 American Wigeon
 Mallard
Green-wing Teal
 Harlequin Duck
 Surf Scoter
 White-winged Scoter
 Black Scoter
 Red-breasted Merganser
 Common Merganser
 Pacific Loon
 Common Loon
 Horned Grebe
 Red-necked Grebe
 Western Grebe
 Double-crested Cormorant
 Pelagic Cormorant
 Great Blue Heron
 Bald Eagle
 Red-tailed Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Merlin
 Killdeer
 Black Turnstone
Dunlin
Pectoral Sandpiper
Black Oystercatcher
 Bonaparte's Gull
 Mew Gull
 California Gull
 Thayer's Gull
Western Gull
 Glaucous-winged Gull
 Belted Kingfisher
Eurasian Collared Dove
 Northern Flicker
Steller’s Jay
 Northwestern Crow
 Common Raven
European Starling
California Quail
 American Robin
Varied Thrush
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Anna’s Hummingbird
 Chestnut-backed Chickadee
 Red-winged Blackbird
 Spotted Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
 Song Sparrow
  Dark-eyed Junco
 House Finch
Purple Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
 

                                                Black Turnstones and  Bonaparte's Gulls in flight: Ralph Hocken Photo.
 

The Tuesday bird walk on October 20, 2015 will be going to Deep Bay. Meet at the Parksville Community Parks at 9:00 a.m. or at the parking lot at the Deep Bay Marina at about 9: 40 a.m. 

Good birding
Neil Robins
Parksville

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