2024 July 18 morning – Victoria Natural History Society

2024 July 18 morning

On July 15, Marie O’Shaughnessy wrote:

I saw these dragonflies at Swan Lake:
48 Blue Dashers
4 Western Pondhawks
1 Common Green Darner
2 Blue-eyed Darners
3 Eight-spotted Spotted Skimmers
4 Black Saddlebags
2 Cardinal Meadowhawks
1 Four-spotted Skimmers

Marie sent these photographs:

Blue Dasher Pachydiplax longipennis (Odo.: libellulidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy

Western Pondhawks Erythemis collocata (Odo.: Libellulidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy

Black Saddlebags Tramea lacerata (Odo.: Libellulidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy

A photograph of a lady beetle that was formerly here has been moved to 2024 July 18 evening.

The photograph below, taken at Jeremy Tatum’s Saanich apartment, is obviously a pug of the genus Eupithecia – but beyond that I don’t think we can go.

Eupithecia sp. (Lep.: Geometridae) Jeremy Tatum

August 2024

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Fall Migration Birding at the Pedder Bay Banding Station
Fall Migration Birding at the Pedder Bay Banding Station

August 3, 2024 @ 7:00 am - 10:00 am
Pedder Bay RV Resort & Marina, 925 Pedder Bay Drive, Victoria, BC V9C 4H1, Canada

FIELD TRIP (Level 3, or 1.5 if you skip the hill loop)

Meet: 7:00 a.m. at Pedder Bay (Park in the grass parking lot at the back.)

Join us at the Rocky Point Bird Observatory banding location at Pedder Bay. We will start the morning birding the Pedder Bay census route and contribute our sightings to Pedder Bay’s day list. The location should be busy with passerine migrants, so there should be many birds around. Mid-morning, we will visit the banding station to see the fall bird monitoring program in operation, maybe watch a bird being banded, and meet the RPBO banders and crew there that day.

DIRECTIONS: Drive time from Victoria is approximately 30 minutes. The most enjoyable drive to Pedder Bay is following Metchosin Road, turn right on Happy Valley Road, then left on Rocky Point Road. Follow Rocky Point Road until Pedder Bay RV Resort and Marina. Turn left on Pedder Bay Drive.

PARKING: Please park at the back in the grass parking lot behind the logs / RV checkin kiosk. Do NOT park in the paved lot closest to the marina (reserved for boat trailers and marina guests)

See more details

Monthly Butterfly Walk
Monthly Butterfly Walk

August 4, 2024 @ 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Mount Tolmie, Mt Tolmie, Saanich, BC V8P 4P9, Canada

Join us on our monthly Butterfly Walk. Each outing is intended to help us learn more about local butterflies. This field trip is weather-dependent as it needs to be sunny and warm to make it worthwhile.

We start at the top of Mount Tolmie (off Cedar Hill X Road). Meet at 1 p.m. in the lot by the reservoir where we will have an initial look for butterflies and then decide where to go from there. Car-pooling is encouraged. We try to return by 4 p.m.

Cancellations or special instructions will be posted on the Invertebrate Alert or the calendar closer to the date. Contact Gordon Hart at butterflies AT vicnhs.bc.ca for more information.

See more details

Tuesday Birding
Tuesday Birding

August 6, 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.

See more details

Island View Beach Birding
Island View Beach Birding

August 10, 2024 @ 7:30 am - 10:30 am
Island View Beach Regional Park, 3215 Island View Rd, Saanichton, BC V8M 1W3, Canada

FIELD TRIP (LEVEL 1.5)

Meet at 7:30 a.m. at the north end of the parking lot.

The Saturday Birding Group will be going to Island View Beach. At this time of year, we may find some interesting shorebirds on their southbound migration, and we will still see a few beach flowers in the dunes as we walk along. We’ll walk back on the trail away from the water to check for interesting land birds.

DIRECTIONS: To reach Island View Beach, go north on the Pat Bay highway, turn right at the lights at
Island View Road (Michell’s Market) and follow that to a left on Homathko Road, which leads to the
parking lot.

See more details

Tuesday Birding
Tuesday Birding

August 13, 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.

See more details

Saturday Birding at Esquimalt Lagoon
Saturday Birding at Esquimalt Lagoon

August 17, 2024 @ 8:00 am - 11:00 am
Victoria Region

Meet at 8:00 a.m. near the bridge at the outlet of the lagoon. This trip will cover the ocean birds along the lagoon and may go into the fields behind the lagoon to provide a variety of birds. This is a good location for shorebirds during the fall migration, which is well underway. DIRECTIONS: Esquimalt Lagoon is in Colwood on Ocean Boulevard, off the Old Island Highway. Meet and park near the bridge.

See more details

Tuesday Birding
Tuesday Birding

August 20, 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.

See more details

Birding Panama Flats
Birding Panama Flats

August 24, 2024 @ 8:00 am - 11:00 am
886 Hyacinth Ave, Victoria, BC V8Z 2S4, Canada

Meet at 8:00 a.m.–Join us at one of the best spots for shorebirds and waterfowl, in the ponds. Many birds can be found around the edges too. DIRECTIONS: Turn off Interurban Road at Hyacinth and follow the road to the end.

See more details

Sidney Spit Birding
Sidney Spit Birding

August 26, 2024 @ 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Sidney Spit Ferry, 9835 Seaport Pl, Sidney, BC V8L 4X3, Canada

FIELD TRIP (LEVEL 1.5)

Meet at 9 a.m. at the Sidney Spit Ferry (purchase tickets online)

Each year around this time, we take the ferry to Sidney Spit to look for interesting shorebirds on their southbound migration. Possibilities include Baird’s Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Sanderling, Semipalmated Plover, and maybe the elusive Buff-breasted Sandpiper. We will also check out the Purple Martins at their nest boxes on the dock and enjoy other passerines migrating through.

The group will take the 9:30 ferry from Port Sidney Marina. We will have lunch on the island. Bring food and water as there is no drinking water within the park.

Purchase your ticket online at SidneySpitFerry.com to reserve your spot (remember to book your return time as well). The cost is $25 for adults ($21 for seniors and children). The return ferry leaves the island at 1:00, 3:00, and 4:00 p.m. so you can choose how long you wish to stay.

DIRECTIONS: Port Sidney Marina is at the end of Seaport Place in Sidney. Parking can be found a short distance away in the residential areas.

See more details

Tuesday Birding
Tuesday Birding

August 27, 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.

See more details

Birding Cattle Point & Uplands Park
Birding Cattle Point & Uplands Park

August 31, 2024 @ 7:30 am - 10:30 am
Cattle Point Dark Sky Urban Star Park, 1 Scenic Dr, Victoria, BC V8R, Canada

FIELD TRIP (LEVEL 2)

Meet: 7:30 a.m. at the Cattle Point parking lot.

Cattle Point is a good place to look for birds during fall migration, both on land and offshore. On the water, we should see various alcids and other seabirds with the possibility of spotting a passing tern or jaeger or something rarer.Uplands Park's Garry oak/riparian meadow habitat can be full of fall migrant sparrows and warblers with possible rarities.

See more details

	August 2024
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
				1	2	3 Fall Migration Birding at the Pedder Bay Banding Station Fall Migration Birding at the Pedder Bay Banding Station August 3, 2024 @ 7:00 am - 10:00 am Pedder Bay RV Resort & Marina, 925 Pedder Bay Drive, Victoria, BC V9C 4H1, Canada FIELD TRIP (Level 3, or 1.5 if you skip the hill loop) Meet: 7:00 a.m. at Pedder Bay (Park in the grass parking lot at the back.) Join us at the Rocky Point Bird Observatory banding location at Pedder Bay. We will start the morning birding the Pedder Bay census route and contribute our sightings to Pedder Bay’s day list. The location should be busy with passerine migrants, so there should be many birds around. Mid-morning, we will visit the banding station to see the fall bird monitoring program in operation, maybe watch a bird being banded, and meet the RPBO banders and crew there that day. DIRECTIONS: Drive time from Victoria is approximately 30 minutes. The most enjoyable drive to Pedder Bay is following Metchosin Road, turn right on Happy Valley Road, then left on Rocky Point Road. Follow Rocky Point Road until Pedder Bay RV Resort and Marina. Turn left on Pedder Bay Drive. PARKING: Please park at the back in the grass parking lot behind the logs / RV checkin kiosk. Do NOT park in the paved lot closest to the marina (reserved for boat trailers and marina guests) See more details •
4 Monthly Butterfly Walk Monthly Butterfly Walk August 4, 2024 @ 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm Mount Tolmie, Mt Tolmie, Saanich, BC V8P 4P9, Canada Join us on our monthly Butterfly Walk. Each outing is intended to help us learn more about local butterflies. This field trip is weather-dependent as it needs to be sunny and warm to make it worthwhile. We start at the top of Mount Tolmie (off Cedar Hill X Road). Meet at 1 p.m. in the lot by the reservoir where we will have an initial look for butterflies and then decide where to go from there. Car-pooling is encouraged. We try to return by 4 p.m. Cancellations or special instructions will be posted on the Invertebrate Alert or the calendar closer to the date. Contact Gordon Hart at butterflies AT vicnhs.bc.ca for more information. See more details •	5	6 Tuesday Birding Tuesday Birding August 6, 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. See more details •	7	8	9	10 Island View Beach Birding Island View Beach Birding August 10, 2024 @ 7:30 am - 10:30 am Island View Beach Regional Park, 3215 Island View Rd, Saanichton, BC V8M 1W3, Canada FIELD TRIP (LEVEL 1.5) Meet at 7:30 a.m. at the north end of the parking lot. The Saturday Birding Group will be going to Island View Beach. At this time of year, we may find some interesting shorebirds on their southbound migration, and we will still see a few beach flowers in the dunes as we walk along. We’ll walk back on the trail away from the water to check for interesting land birds. DIRECTIONS: To reach Island View Beach, go north on the Pat Bay highway, turn right at the lights at Island View Road (Michell’s Market) and follow that to a left on Homathko Road, which leads to the parking lot. See more details •
11	12	13 Tuesday Birding Tuesday Birding August 13, 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. See more details •	14	15	16	17 Saturday Birding at Esquimalt Lagoon Saturday Birding at Esquimalt Lagoon August 17, 2024 @ 8:00 am - 11:00 am Victoria Region Meet at 8:00 a.m. near the bridge at the outlet of the lagoon. This trip will cover the ocean birds along the lagoon and may go into the fields behind the lagoon to provide a variety of birds. This is a good location for shorebirds during the fall migration, which is well underway. DIRECTIONS: Esquimalt Lagoon is in Colwood on Ocean Boulevard, off the Old Island Highway. Meet and park near the bridge. See more details •
18	19	20 Tuesday Birding Tuesday Birding August 20, 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. See more details •	21	22	23	24 Birding Panama Flats Birding Panama Flats August 24, 2024 @ 8:00 am - 11:00 am 886 Hyacinth Ave, Victoria, BC V8Z 2S4, Canada Meet at 8:00 a.m.–Join us at one of the best spots for shorebirds and waterfowl, in the ponds. Many birds can be found around the edges too. DIRECTIONS: Turn off Interurban Road at Hyacinth and follow the road to the end. See more details •
25	26 Sidney Spit Birding Sidney Spit Birding August 26, 2024 @ 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Sidney Spit Ferry, 9835 Seaport Pl, Sidney, BC V8L 4X3, Canada FIELD TRIP (LEVEL 1.5) Meet at 9 a.m. at the Sidney Spit Ferry (purchase tickets online) Each year around this time, we take the ferry to Sidney Spit to look for interesting shorebirds on their southbound migration. Possibilities include Baird’s Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Sanderling, Semipalmated Plover, and maybe the elusive Buff-breasted Sandpiper. We will also check out the Purple Martins at their nest boxes on the dock and enjoy other passerines migrating through. The group will take the 9:30 ferry from Port Sidney Marina. We will have lunch on the island. Bring food and water as there is no drinking water within the park. Purchase your ticket online at SidneySpitFerry.com to reserve your spot (remember to book your return time as well). The cost is $25 for adults ($21 for seniors and children). The return ferry leaves the island at 1:00, 3:00, and 4:00 p.m. so you can choose how long you wish to stay. DIRECTIONS: Port Sidney Marina is at the end of Seaport Place in Sidney. Parking can be found a short distance away in the residential areas. See more details •	27 Tuesday Birding Tuesday Birding August 27, 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. See more details •	28	29	30	31 Birding Cattle Point & Uplands Park Birding Cattle Point & Uplands Park August 31, 2024 @ 7:30 am - 10:30 am Cattle Point Dark Sky Urban Star Park, 1 Scenic Dr, Victoria, BC V8R, Canada FIELD TRIP (LEVEL 2) Meet: 7:30 a.m. at the Cattle Point parking lot. Cattle Point is a good place to look for birds during fall migration, both on land and offshore. On the water, we should see various alcids and other seabirds with the possibility of spotting a passing tern or jaeger or something rarer.Uplands Park's Garry oak/riparian meadow habitat can be full of fall migrant sparrows and warblers with possible rarities. See more details •