Photo: Jim Thorne
19 MARCH 2024
1:30-3:30 PDT
Tide at the beginning of count: 11.6 feet
Tide at the close of count: 10.6 feet
Falling tide
Weather: clear, mild, light breeze, slight chop on sea
Participants: 14
Total brant counted: 983
Zone 1: North area: from Qualicum Beach Viewing Stand north to the mouth of the Little Qualicum River.
Total brant in zone: 18
- 1:50 to 2:05 No brant observed at Qualicum Beach Viewing Stand. Multitude of gulls, 2 oystercatchers, turnstones.
- 2:10 to 2:20 Kincaid –no brant observed. Gulls, dunlin, sea lions, harlequin ducks
- 2:25 to 2:40 Surfside E—no brant observed. Gulls, sea lions, 1 cormorant, grebes, goldeneye, immature bald eagle
- 2:45-3:10 Surfside W—18 brant on a distant sandbar among gulls, sea lions, pintails
Zone 2: Central area: from French Creek Marina to south end of Seacrest
Total brant in zone: 522
- French Creek: 0 brant; 2 pigeon guillemots
- Admiral Tryon West: 8 brant flying north; ~300 scoters and greater scaups mixed
- Admiral Tryon East: ~350 brant; very large flock of gulls
- Johnstone Rd: ~150 brant; 6 Greater yellowlegs, very large flock of gulls
- Butterball: 0 brant; very large flock of gulls
- Seacrest: 14 brant flying south; very large flock of gulls
Zone 3: South area: Rathtrevor Beach, Brant point, West end of Mariner Way, Parksville Bay
Total brant in zone: 443
- Rathtrevor beach, Brant Point: 80 brant observed, scattered by eagle. 35 people on beach, several dogs on leash along path, 600 + gulls, 30 + goldeneyes, buffleheads, grebes.
- Mariner Way: 19 brant; 30+ goldeneyes, 1 common merganser, 10 surf scoters flying, ~20 wigeon, 3 white-winged scoters flying, few gulls, 1 seal
- Community park, Parksville Bay: 335 brant. 3 Canada geese, American wigeons, 1 Eurasian wigeon, 2 gadwall, 30+mallards, raft of scoter sp., 1 kingfisher