Date: 3 March 2025
Time: 10:30-12:30
Tide at the beginning of count: 11.6 feet
Tide at the close of count: 6 feet
Falling tide
Weather: overcast
Participants:
Helen Davidson
Jane Osborne
Liz Bredberg
Marilyn Bilsbarrow
Sandy and Dan Gray
Dave Erickson
Liz and Jim Thorne,
Bonnie Mullin
Dennis and Brenda Horwood
Total brant counted: 842
Zone 1: North area:
• Qualicum Beach—Tourist Info (Beach Creek), and the gazebo viewing stand.
• Foot of Kincaid Rd. beach access
• East end of Surfside Drive, Offshore view
• Little Qualicum Estuary, west end of Surfside Dr. and mouth of Little Qualicum River
Total brant counted in area: 0
Other birds observed: 3 Common mergansers, 4 red-breasted merganser, Icelandic gull, American wigeons, 4 oystercatchers, 200 gull sps., black turnstones, common goldeneye, +/-40 buffleheads, 2 harlequin ducks, 4 northern pintails, 4 horned grebes, cormorant sp., 8 pacific loons, mixed raft of 300 scoters, 300 surf scoters, great blue heron
Zone 2: Central area:
• French Creek Marina—east side view offshore and towards Parksville, view the creek mouth from the west side
• Columbia Beach, Admiral Tryon Blvd. east; view offshore, and French Creek River mouth
• Admiral Tryon West, beach access to tidal pools
• Foot of Johnstone Rd.
• Foot of Butterball, off Pintail & Yambury Rd.
Total brant counted in area: 800 +
Other birds observed: American wigeon, red-breasted merganser, lesser/greater yellowlegs, 2 kildeer, scoters, gulls flying west, scattered divers, 1 Eurasian wigeon, 200+ gulls, scattered dabblers & divers,
Zone 3: South area:
• Rathtrevor Beach, Brant Point, Craig Bay, may need to walk to the right along the bay
• West end of Mariner Way—view offshore and to river mouth, may need to walk to river
• Parksville Bay, Parksville Community Park—from the Labyrinth view offshore, sandbars, and west shore of PVBay
Total brant counted: 42
Other birds observed: 340 +gull sp, 324+ surf scoters, 10 black-bellied plovers, 8 bufflehead, 200+ peep sps, 24 mallards, 3 bald eagles, 1 Anna’s hummingbird, 4 long-tailed ducks, 4 oystercatchers, 1 pacific loon, 2 red-breasted mergansers, 5 common goldeneyes, 60 american wigeons, 4 northern pintails, 1 cormorant sp., 2 Canada geese, 2 crows,
2 pedestrians, 1 off-leash dog
Photo credit: Jim Thorne