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 14 April 2015

Parksville/Qualicum beach Tuesday bird walk, April 14, 2015

The Tuesday bird walk went to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River in Parksville. The morning was sunny with a strong wind off the Strait of Georgia but it was very calm in the forest and meadows.  As we started the walk we spotted a Hermit Thrush feeding along the trail just in front of us. The birding got better as the morning went on.  A Townsend’s Warbler was singing and feeding high up in a big leaf maple tree.  He was soon joined by a Yellow-rumped Warbler, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet and an Orange-crowned Warbler.  An American Kestrel was perched on a snag and we watched as he flew and hunted over the meadow.  We were entertained as he hovered and flew over the meadow looking for prey. We spotted a Savannah Sparrow perched on a bush close to the shoreline.  A Snow Goose and two Greater White-fronted Geese were feeding in the meadow near the R.V. Park.  A Townsend’s Solitaire perched on a short bush along the trail giving us great looks. We watched a Red-breasted Sapsucker making a nest hole in a tall snag .  He would peck for a while and then go into it to see if it was big enough. We left before he accomplished that!  A Northern Flicker was drilling into a tree for a nest on another snag further on in the forest.  Spring is here!!

 
                                                                     

Townsend’s Solitaire: Ralph Hocken Photo.

 

Thirteen lucky birders saw and heard the following sixty-one species (a record for this time of the year!):
Canada Goose
Snow Goose
Brant
Greater White-fronted Geese
Mallard
Bufflehead
American Wigeon
Northern Pintail
Surf Scoter
Common Merganser
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
American Kestrel
Dunlin
Killdeer
Black Turnstone
Greater Yellowlegs
Mew Gull
California Gull
Thayer’s Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Belted Kingfisher
Band-tailed Pigeon
Eurasian-collared Dove
California Quail
Ring-necked Pheasant
Rufous Hummingbird
Anna’s Hummingbird
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Violet-green Swallow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Bushtit
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Bewick’s Wren
Pacific Wren
American Robin
Hermit Thrush
Varied Thrush
European Starling
Townsend’s Solitaire
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Townsend’s Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Red-winged Blackbird
Spotted Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Purple Finch
American Goldfinch
Pine Siskin 
                                                                           

         Savannah Sparrow: Ralph Hocken Photo. 

The Tuesday bird walk on April 21 will be going to Moorecroft Regional Park in Nanoose Bay. 

Good birding
Neil Robins
Parksville 

 

 

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