Oak Bay Birding, Victoria Vancouver Island BC

Birding

Oak Bay is surrounded by a mainly rocky
coastline, ideal for the 240 species that visit
the Victoria region annually.

Birding locations suggested here are excellent
to visit individually and work well as part of a walking or cycling tour. They are located a pleasant distance from each other and there is easy access to all locations including beaches, parks and gardens. While Victoria's climate makes for successful birding year round, species are more numerous during the spring and fall migrations. The highest bird numbers occur in winter, representing several species of waterbirds, including gulls, cormorants, diving ducks, dabbling ducks, grebes, alcids, and mergansers.

The Victorian Bird House, located at 687 St. Patrick Street, is a recommended stop for birding information as well as birding accessories.

For birds common to our area, please see the list at the end of this page.

Lansdowne School. This spot is recommended in the morning before the birds are chased from the fields by schoolchildren. Common sightings include the Black-bellied Plover, American Golden-Plover, Whimbrel, Short-billed Dowitcher, Long-billed Dowitcher, Common Snipe, Baird's Sandpiper or Pectoral Sandpiper.

Loon Bay. Near the Royal Victoria Yacht Club (3475 Ripon Road) Look for shorebirds including Greater Yellowlegs, Short-billed Dowitcher, Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper and Semipalmated Sandpiper.

Lansdowne Road and Beach Drive. There is beach access to Spoon Bay. Frequent visitors are Black Oystercatchers, Black Turnstone, Surfbird, Dunlin, Black-bellied Plover and Greater Yellowlegs.

Cattle Point. During the winter loons, grebes and alcids are easily spotted, as are Marbled Murrelet, Pigeon Guillemot, Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone and Surfbird. Various Gulls, and a few Bay Ducks and Sea Ducks may be seen offshore in the spring.

Uplands Park. This park is 76 acres of wilderness trails and well-maintained paths. The bush is frequented by Berwick's Wren, a number of sparrows, California Quail, Chestnut-backed Chickadee and Bushtit.

Bowker Creek. At the end of Bowker Avenue, the site can be accessed by walking along the beach. A number of rock shorebirds frequent the beach, Surfbirds being the most common. Black-bellied Plover, Greater Yellowlegs, Black Turnstone and Dunlin are present during the winter, as well as several kinds of salt water ducks. Common Terns are regularly seen on the rocks.

Victoria Golf Course. The course is private property but birding is permitted in the early morning and late evening. There is lots of parking on Beach Drive. The shoreline is full of birds, especially towards Gonzales Point where Brandt's Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant and Double-crested Cormorant can be found on the rocks. In the scrub along the shoreline California Quail, Black Oystercatcher and House Finch can be found year-round while Golden-crowned Sparrow and Fox Sparrow can be found in winter. Lincoln's Sparrow, Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Pacific and American Golden-Plovers are found on the golf course during migration. Seasonally, look for Wandering Tattler, Whimbrel, Baird's Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, Short-billed Dowitcher, Greater Yellowlegs, Killdeer, Black Turnstone and Surfboard. Offshore look for loons, grebes, alcids, oldsquaw, Harlequin Duck, Common Tern, Heerman's Gull and Red-necked Phalarope. During migrations the Horned Lark, American Pipit and Lapland longspur frequent this location. Watch for Whimbril reported at the Royal Victoria Golf Course during the spring.

McMicking Point is commonly frequented by gulls. Harlequin Duck can be found year round. Caspian Terns are encountered in late summer and Pelagic Cormorant and Double-crested Cormorant in winter. Wandering tattlers, whimbrels and Pacific golden plovers are frequent visitors.

Discovery Island, about three miles east of Oak Bay, is home to Glaucous-winged Gulls, Pelagic Cormorants, Pigeon Guillemots and Black Oystercatchers. The Great Chain Islets Archipelago, a sensitive seabird nesting area and ecological reserve, is located between Oak Bay and Discovery Island and is home to a colony of Brandt's Cormorants.

Year-round and Common Species
Glaucous-winged Gull, Harlequin Duck, Mallard, Great Blue Heron, Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, Red-tailed Hawk, Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Downy Woodpecker, Stellar's Jay, Common Raven, Northwestern Crow, Red-winged Blackbird, California Quail, Bewick's Wren, Chestnut Backed Chickadee, Bushtit, European Starling, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch, House Sparrow

Common Shorebirds
Black Turnstone, Surfbird, Greater Yellowlegs, Black-bellied Plover, Dunlin, Sanderling, Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Red-necked Phalarope (late summer, fall)

Common Gulls
Heerman's Gull (summer), Glaucous-winged Gull (year-round), Thayers Gull (fall, winter), Western Gull (Winter), Mew Gull, California Gull (summer), Bonaporte's Gull (spring,fall), Ring-billed Gull (late summer)

Wintering Swans, Geese and Ducks
Tundra Swan, Trumpeter Swan, Mute Swan, Greater White-fronted Goose, Canada Goose (and Dusky, Cackling and other sub-species migrating through), Wood Duck, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, American Widgeon, Northern Shoveler, Eurasion Widgeon, Northern Pintail, Gadwall, Canvasback, Ring-necked Duck, Common Merganser, Hooded Merganser