Black Turnstone on Hornby Island. Photo by Barb Biagi.

Art Martell, one of our summer 2015 speakers, brings groups over from the Comox Valley occasionally to spot birds. He has an amazing amount of knowledge to share. The list below is of species that the group heard or spotted during the walk. As the list makes clear, we have an abundance of natural diversity on Hornby!

From Comox Valley Nature: Fifteen birders enjoyed a beautiful day on Hornby on Sunday. First we went to Sandpiper Beach for shorebirds, then to Art and Sue’s cabin for lunch, and then a walk around the Helliwell Provincial Park loop trail. Highlights were many Black Turnstones, a few Black Oystercatchers and a Surfbird at Sandpiper Beach. Nearby a Western Meadowlark was seen.

The following 49 species were seen or heard on Hornby:

Canada Goose
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Common Merganser
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Black Oystercatcher
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Black Turnstone
Surfbird
Common Murre
Pigeon Guillemot
Marbled Murrelet
Mew Gull
California Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Rock Pigeon
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Merlin
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Pacific Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
European Starling
American Pipit
Orange-crowned Warbler
Dark-eyed Junco
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Spotted Towhee
Western Meadowlark
Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin

Photo of a black turnstone by Barb Biagi.