The Backyard Wildbird & Nature Store Articles

Parksville/Qualicum Beach, Tuesday bird walk December 12, 2017:

The Tuesday went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in  Parksville. The morning was cloudy with calm winds. The highlight of the morning was the sighting of two Common Redpolls feeding in a tall birch tree next to the trail.  We heard a flock of Red Crossbills fly overhead.  We saw a Golden-crowned Kinglet and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet moving very quickly in the trees along the trail.  A large flock of Brant Geese were spotted on the ocean. Ten Gadwall were seen near the shore line.  We had great views of a Hairy Woodpecker feeding in a tall conifer.  A Brandt’s Cormorant, several Barrow’s Goldeneye, Common Goldeneye and Red-breasted Mergansers were seen just offshore.

Northern Shrike: Ralph Hocken Photo.

Twenty-two birders including two visiting birders from St. Albert, Alberta saw and heard the following fifty-four species:

Canada Geese

Brandt Geese

American Widgeon

Mallard

Northern Pintail

Gadwall

Surf Scoter

White-wing Scoter

Bufflehead

Barrow’s Goldeneye

Common Goldeneye

Red-breasted Merganser

Common Merganser

Hooded Merganser

Common Loon

Pacific Loon

Double-crested Cormorant

Brandt’s Cormorant

Common Murre

Belted Kingfisher

Killdeer

Great Blue Heron

Mew Gull

California Gull

Thayer's Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull

Bald Eagle

Merlin

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Northern Shrike

Anna's Hummingbird

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Steller’s Jay

American Robin

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Brown Creeper

Bewick's Wren

Pacific Wren

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

European Starling

Spotted Towhee

Brewers Blackbird

Song Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Common Redpoll

Red Crossbill

House Finch

Pine Siskin  

                                                  Hairy Woodpecker: Ralph Hocken Photo:

Please Note

Check this site (www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com)  early Tuesday and Sunday mornings on stormy mornings to see if the walks have been cancelled!

The Tuesday Bird walk on December 19, 2017, will be going to the Plummer Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (at the parking lot in front of the Lions Club Playground) at 9:00 a.m. or at the corner of Plummer Road and Shorewood Drive on the oceanside of Highway 19A in Parksville at about 9:10 a.m.

Good Birding

Neil Robins

THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD &; NATURE STORE

314 Metral Drive

Nanaimo B.C.
V9T-2L8

Phone: 250-390-3669

Fax: 250-390-1633

Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca

Blog: www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com