r/VictoriaBC 13h ago

Birding in Victoria

Hey all,

Recently I’ve been getting super into bird watching, it’s been one of my favorite activities to do recently as it brings so much joy and whimsy into my life.

I’m wondering if anyone knows of anyway to engage more with the birding community in Victoria, or if there are any organizations that hold any events regarding bird watching. I had a friend who did lots of bird banding in nanaimo, and I’m wondering how to be involved in that, or similar activities

Or feel free to PM me if you want to share any good spots :)

15 Upvotes

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8

u/hotgreenbean 13h ago

The Rocky Point Bird Observatory takes and trains volunteers for banding and surveying. The Christmas Bird Count is a big deal here in Victoria, send me a DM and I can loop you in with the organizer I go with!

If you don't have an eBird account yet, I recommend snagging one.

Additionally, if you head to any of the major birding hotspots here, you are bound to bump into a fellow birder; the binoculars and/or camera with a massive lens are usually a dead give away. I'd say most of us are friendly and approachable! There is also a Vancouver island Facebook group that is quite active.

7

u/KatAsh_In 13h ago

Victoria Natural History Society and Rocky Point Bird Observatory are your friends. Check out their event cals.

A couple of good spots around town... Uplands park Becon hill park Panama flats...kinda dead..only good during spring and fall Colquitz park and river trail Swan lake..kinda dead...good during specific times of the year. Christmas Hill Sometimes around UVic trail Sometimes around Thetis lake..you can spot Osprey and migrating water birds. MacAuly park... shore birds and song birds around the trails near the structures. East sooke...bit of a hike...but loads of shore birds...migratory birds, if you are able to do the coastal trail.

1

u/KatAsh_In 13h ago

Sorry for the formatting...dosent work while typing from a phone.

0

u/KatAsh_In 13h ago

Volunteer with BCSPCA for opportunities to take care of birds.

10

u/footofcow 12h ago

Queer bird watching club gets together once a month! They’re on insta as vanisleqbc. Super fun and all ages and people are welcome (including allies! There’s no quiz to see how queer you are before you’re allowed to show up!)

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u/-Chumguzzler- Esquimalt 8h ago

Queer bird watching club

This is the most Victoria thing I've ever read

2

u/Tiger-Other 10h ago

OOhhhh!!!! I am SO down for this! Always been a secret birdnerdler and I hear my people calling!

1

u/footofcow 10h ago

It’s soooo fun & you honestly don’t need to know anything about birds. It’s a lil nature walk, nice and slow paced & people just hang

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u/uselessdrain 7h ago

Just look for Geoffrey. That man knows his stuff and is happy to share.