If space allows, guests may join for up to three trips, after which they are expected to join the Society.
Codes for Field Trip Difficulty Levels:
LEVEL 1—Easy walking, mostly level paths.
LEVEL 2—Paths can be narrow with uneven terrain.
LEVEL 3—Obstacles in paths or steeper grades, requiring agility.
LEVEL 4—Very steep, insecure footing, or longer hikes requiring good physical condition.
Please—no pets on VNHS field trips.
If you would like to do a talk or know someone who might, please contact one of the presentation night coordinators. If you have an idea for a field trip or wish to volunteer as a leader, please contact the Field Trip Coordinator. Many of you do interesting things either for fun or for work, and it would be great to share! See Contact page for email addresses and phone numbers.
TUESDAY MORNING BIRDING – Meets every Tuesday one block south of the foot of Bowker Ave on the waterfront (off Beach Drive) at 9:00 a.m. or at the foot of Bowker Ave at 9:30 a.m. Birding activities take place at various locations around Greater Victoria. For more information call Bill Dancer at 250-721-5273. Novice and experienced VNHS members all welcome.
SATURDAY MORNING BIRDING –Meets every Saturday morning, usually at 8:00 a.m., rain or shine. Check on the Calendar on the Thursday/Friday before to find out the week’s location. Novice and experienced VNHS members all welcome.
SWAN LAKE GUIDED BIRD WALKS – Every Wednesday 9:00 a.m. Bring your binoculars and walking shoes and meet in the parking lot for this informal and informative walk around the lake area. Walks are led by Victoria Natural History Society members. Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary is at 3873 Swan Lake Road, off Ralph Street.
December 3, 2024 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Corner of Bowker Ave. and Bowker Place, Victoria
TUESDAY BIRDING. We meet every Tuesday, one block south of the foot of Bowker Ave on the waterfront (off Beach Drive) at 9:00 am, or at the foot of Bowker Ave at 9:30 am, rain or shine. Birding activities take place at various locations around Greater Victoria. For more information call Bill Dancer at 250-721-5273 or Agnes Lynn at thelynns at shaw.ca or 250-721-0634. Novice and experienced VNHS members all welcome.
December 7, 2024 @ 8:30 am - 11:30 am Victoria Region
FIELD TRIP (LEVEL 2)
Meet at 8:30 a.m. for a chance to tune up your winter bird-spotting identification skills. This trip will cover the area around Langford Lake (https://ebird.org/hotspot/L2423287/bird-list). Bring your walking shoes, field guide, and notepad. This is a regular Saturday Birding Group outing but it is also a great opportunity for novice or near-novice Christmas Bird Counters to get some practice.
DIRECTIONS: meet at Langford Lanes parking lot on Langford Parkway.
December 10, 2024 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Corner of Bowker Ave. and Bowker Place, Victoria
TUESDAY BIRDING. We meet every Tuesday, one block south of the foot of Bowker Ave on the waterfront (off Beach Drive) at 9:00 am, or at the foot of Bowker Ave at 9:30 am, rain or shine. Birding activities take place at various locations around Greater Victoria. For more information call Bill Dancer at 250-721-5273 or Agnes Lynn at thelynns at shaw.ca or 250-721-0634. Novice and experienced VNHS members all welcome.
We will again be partnering with Rocky Point Bird Observatory for a Christmas Bird Count for Kids in conjunction with our regular count day. This family-focused event at Beckwith Park, Saanich, is meant to encourage young birders to become engaged with citizen science, and we are delighted to include their observations in our official CBC results. If you are interested in helping out or would like more information, please contact RPBO at cbc4kids@rpbo.org.
The Victoria Christmas Bird Count is on Saturday, December 14 this year. You don’t need to be an expert birder to participate. Novices will be teamed up with more experienced counters as much as possible. Anyone can help out by acting as a tally person or as a spotter. Most teams spend all of the daylight hours out in the field, but there is room for people who can only spend part of the day too. Come out for as long as you can!
North Salt Spring Island/Galiano Christmas Bird Count and South Salt Spring Island/Sidney Christmas Bird Count
North Salt Spring Island/Galiano Christmas Bird Count and South Salt Spring Island/Sidney Christmas Bird Count
December 15, 2024
South Salt Spring Island/Sidney CBC: Please contact Daniel Donnecke at sidneycbc@naturevictoria.ca.
North Salt Spring Island/Galiano CBC: Please contact Tim Marchant tim@timmarchant.com (North Salt Spring) or Mike Hoebel mhoebel@telus.net (Galiano Island).
December 17, 2024 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Corner of Bowker Ave. and Bowker Place, Victoria
TUESDAY BIRDING. We meet every Tuesday, one block south of the foot of Bowker Ave on the waterfront (off Beach Drive) at 9:00 am, or at the foot of Bowker Ave at 9:30 am, rain or shine. Birding activities take place at various locations around Greater Victoria. For more information call Bill Dancer at 250-721-5273 or Agnes Lynn at thelynns at shaw.ca or 250-721-0634. Novice and experienced VNHS members all welcome.
December 21, 2024 @ 8:30 am - 11:30 am Victoria Region
FIELD TRIP (LEVEL 1.5) Meet at 8:30 a.m. We typically do this loop trail in spring, but it's also good for winter visitors and we can enjoy the year-round residents too (Rithet's Bog). A different set of waterfowl can be found, recently including Trumpeter Swan and Northern Shoveler. Virginia Rail is possible, and Barred Owl is frequently found here. Winter passerines include Varied Thrush and both kinglet species. Please wear waterproof footwear, as parts of the trail may be flooded. DIRECTIONS: Park along Dalewood Lane, just off Chatterton Way at the northwest corner of the Bog.
December 24, 2024 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Corner of Bowker Ave. and Bowker Place, Victoria
TUESDAY BIRDING. We meet every Tuesday, one block south of the foot of Bowker Ave on the waterfront (off Beach Drive) at 9:00 am, or at the foot of Bowker Ave at 9:30 am, rain or shine. Birding activities take place at various locations around Greater Victoria. For more information call Bill Dancer at 250-721-5273 or Agnes Lynn at thelynns at shaw.ca or 250-721-0634. Novice and experienced VNHS members all welcome.
December 28, 2024 @ 8:00 am - 11:00 am Victoria Region
Meets every Saturday morning, usually at 8:00 a.m., rain or shine. We ask that participants have both vaccines completed, to come on this walk. Check here on the Thursday/Friday before to find out the week’s time and location. Novice and experienced VNHS members all welcome. Non-members can participate up to three times, after which they are expected to join the Society.
December 31, 2024 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Corner of Bowker Ave. and Bowker Place, Victoria
TUESDAY BIRDING. We meet every Tuesday, one block south of the foot of Bowker Ave on the waterfront (off Beach Drive) at 9:00 am, or at the foot of Bowker Ave at 9:30 am, rain or shine. Birding activities take place at various locations around Greater Victoria. For more information call Bill Dancer at 250-721-5273 or Agnes Lynn at thelynns at shaw.ca or 250-721-0634. Novice and experienced VNHS members all welcome.
