Once again, 11 birders went to look for concentrations of waterbirds feeding on herring spawn – and we were successful! We went south to Qualicum Bay, Little Qualicum estuary, and Columbia Beach and had thousands of gulls and seaducks at all of the locations. We spent a few enjoyable hours scoping the huge flocks on the water and the weather held off fairly well all morning. After lunch at French Creek, we birded at Qualicum Beach and Qualicum Bay on the way home, this time in light showers. Overall, we had 46 species. Some highlights were early Tree Swallows, Violet-green Swallows and Bonaparte’s Gulls; and many flocks of Brant.
Brant
Canada Goose
Trumpeter Swan
Eurasian Wigeon
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Greater Scaup
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Brant’s Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Killdeer
Black Oystercatcher
Black Turnstone
Bonaparte’s Gull
Mew Gull
California Gull
Herring Gull
Thayer’s Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Anna’s Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northwestern Crow
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
American Robin
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
