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Active Pass
The ferry trip between Tsawassen and Swartz Bay can provide some great birding; see cormorants, loons, alcids, bald eagles and Bonaparte’s gulls. Rarities like parasitic jaeger can sometimes be seen.
Blenkinsop Lake
Green herons can compete with black-headed grosbeaks for your attention at the water’s edge and in the hedgerows. Black-headed grosbeak, yellow warbler, Wilson’s warbler, warbling vireo and bushtit will also be in view.
Cattle Point/Willows Beach/Uplands Park
Look for oldsquaw, black oystercatchers, harlequin ducks and Brant geese. Various gulls and a few bay and sea ducks may be seen offshore.
Coles Bay
Inverness Road, in North Saanich, is on the sheltered, western side of the Saanich Peninsula. Walk down the winding trail to the beach, through cedar trees and quiet creeks.
Devonian
On William Head Road, in Metchosin, a small nature sanctuary sits between farmland with gentle trails through mixed woodland and winding creeks, a cobble beach. Enjoy views of the Olympic Mountains, Race Rocks and the Juan de Fuca Strait. Bird watching takes place at Sherwood Pond.
East Sooke Regional Park
Beechey Head in East Sooke Park is a staging area for southbound migrant red-tailed hawks and turkey vultures. Birders come from mid-September to late October in order to view the migrating raptors at the peak of their migration. As many as 1000 turkey vultures can be seen kettling over the coastal hills of East Sooke Park before they cross the Juan de Fuca Strait. A birder can hope to list up to 13 species of raptors. Other, less common raptors that regularly stage here include peregrine falcons, merlins, American kestrels, Cooper's hawks, sharp-shinned hawks, northern harriers, osprey and bald eagles. Rare raptors to our area ,that pass through in most years, include the golden eagle, rough-legged hawk, northern goshawk and broad-winged hawk.
Elk and Beaver Lakes
Winter waterfowl like common and hooded mergansers give way to black-headed grosbeaks along Jenning’s Lane in spring. Ospreys may nest in summer.
Esquimalt Lagoon
Shorebirds and Brant geese use both sides of the causeway during migration, as do winter waterfowl and a variety of gulls, including mew gulls and glaucous-winged gulls. Heermann’s, Bonaparte’s, ring-billed, California and even western gulls have also been reported from this site. Shorebirds, Caspian terns and great blue herons feed at low tide.
Francis/King Regional Park
A variety of woodland habitats along Munn’s Road and the nearby hydro right-of-way can produce a spectacular spring dawn chorus.
Goldstream Provincial Park
In the fall, an amazing birding opportunity exists at Goldstream Park, when more than 250 eagles gather to feed on spawning salmon and their eggs. Gulls, dippers and bald eagles are common. Birds such as the red-tailed hawk, the merlin falcon and the occasional golden eagle arrive at the end of the salmon run to eat the remaining carcasses. In spring, Swainson’s thrush, willow and Pacific slope flycatchers can be seen. Red-breasted sapsucker, pileated woodpecker, American dipper, California quail, purple finch and Steller’s jay also make their home in the park.
Island View Beach Regional Park
From the beach, Brant Geese and shorebirds can be seen during migration, as well as all three scoters and oldsquaw. Short-eared owls, northern harriers, shrikes and flickers can be seen in the fields and hedgerows.
Jocelyn Hill/Gowlland Tod Provincial Park
Blue grouse, red crossbills, Cassin’s vireo, western bluebirds and migrant raptors may be seen or heard.
Lone Tree Hill
Millstream Road in the Highlands is a terrific place to view bald eagles, ravens, red-tailed hawks, turkey vultures and Cassin’s vireo with the Malahat, Highlands and the Olympic Mountains in the distance.
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Martindale Flats
Flooded fields in winter attract a variety of waterfowl including trumpeter swans. Look for sky larks, ring-necked pheasants, savannah sparrows, white-crowned sparrows, Cooper’s hawks and peregrine falcons. Turn off the Pat Bay Hwy at Island View Road.
McMicking Point
Fore! Keep an eye on the golfers while you look for migrating rocky-shore birds like wandering tattlers. whimbrels and Pacific golden plovers can be seen on the fairways.
Mount Douglas
Dense woods on Mount Douglas's slopes provide habitat for woodpeckers, Anna’s hummingbirds and varied thrushes. The summit can be a migrant trap for western tanagers, warblers and lazuli buntings.
Mount Tolmie
Another high point in Victoria that has proven to be a migrant trap over the years is Mount Tolmie. Trails through Garry Oak meadows connect with the grounds of the University of Victoria. Look for Anna’s hummingbirds, lazuli buntings, olive-sided flycatchers, western wood pewees and California quail.
Ogden Point/Dallas Road/Clover Point
Offshore species like Caspian terns and red-backed phalaropes will be in view in the area that extends between Ogden Point and Clover Point. Also watch for alcids, black oystercatchers, Heermann’s gulls and harlequin ducks.
Quick’s Bottom and Viaduct Flats
A freshwater marsh and a beaver-dammed field support a variety of birds. Ruddy ducks, ring-necked ducks, mallards, pied-billed grebes, bushtits, red-tailed hawks, bald eagles, Cooper’s hawks, turkey vultures, Hutton’s vireos, blue-winged teal, mixed swallow species, gadwalls and nesting northern orioles can be seen at Viaduct. In the evenings, listen for great horned owls in the forest. Virginia rail, common snipe, marsh wrens, various sparrows and various ducks can be seen at Quick’s Bottom. A walk from Quick’s (off Markham) to Viaduct (off Interurban) is worthwhile.
Rithet’s Bog
Rithet’s Bog has produced western meadowlarks, Anna’s hummingbirds, Cooper’s hawks, cedar waxwings, bushtits and Virginia rail. Take Chatterton Way, off Quadra.
Sidney Spit Marine Park
Sidney Spit is a wonderful place to see shorebird migration in late August through early September. Look for alcids, including tufted puffins and cormorant species during the short ferry ride from Sidney. great blue herons and Brant geese also nest on Sidney Spit.
Swan Lake
Formed over 12,000 years ago when the last glacier receded, Swan Lake now provides excellent bird viewing opportunities year-round. A 2.5-kilometre loop trail, featuring two wharfs and a floating walkway, provides ample access to the lake environment. Great blue herons can almost always be sighted. Cooper's and sharp-shinned hawks are common. During the winter months, lesser scaup, ring-necked ducks, ruddy ducks, pied-billed grebes, northern shovelers, green-winged teals and American widgeons can be seen. During spring and summer, the lake edge teems with swallows, marsh wrens and red-winged blackbirds. Green herons can also be a treat and be sure to check the feeders at the nature house.
Victoria International Airport
To view Sky Larks, drive around the airport perimeter. Stop at the end of Canora Drive and walk along the fence. On Willingdon Road, stop at the gate at the end of the runway and walk the dirt road to the picnic tables. Along Mills Road, pull over at the highpoint, midway along the road.
Witty’s Lagoon
Witty's Lagoon is as diverse in bird life as it is in landscapes, making it a birder's paradise. The variety of habitats range from sandy beach and rocky shore to thick woods and a saltwater lagoon. The park contains over 160 documented species and is considered one of the best places in the region to birdwatch. Listen for the rattle call of the belted kingfisher flying high over the creek. Feel the air vibrate as orange-crowned warblers and dark-eyed juncos fill the forest with birdsong. Wander through the tidal flats to Tower Point, following the tracks of great blue heron or western sandpiper. Bring your binoculars and be prepared for discovery.
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