Bird Watching in Oak Bay - Heading North
Oak Bay Marina and Queen’s Park
The Chain Islets, visible from the shoreline around Oak Bay Marina, are an ecological
reserve for Glaucous-winged Gulls, Pigeon Guillemots and Pelagic or Double-crested
Cormorants, which are often seen drying their wings on the rocks near the Oak
Bay Marina. Red-throated Loons, Horned and Red-necked Grebes, Common Murres
and Rhinoceros Auklets frequent the dock fingers from late October to mid-December.
Adjacent to the marina, Queen's Park offers great views of a diverse range of
shorebird species.
Discovery Island
About three miles east of Oak Bay, Discovery and Chatham Islands are 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. Book a kayak or camping
excursion for an in-depth exploration of the islands.
Mouth of Bowker Creek
The mouth of Bowker Creek is accessible from the beach and is a favorite spot
for Canada Geese, Great Blue Herons and various shore birds. Beach access is
located at the end of Bowker Avenue where there is some limited parking. Look
for the active eagle’s nest in the tree to the right of the beach access.
Turn right and follow the shoreline. You will pass several houses and the beach
becomes quite rocky near the mouth of the creek so sturdy footwear is required.
A number of rock shorebirds frequent the beach with Surfbird being the most
common. Black-bellied Plover, Greater Yellowlegs, Black Turnstone and Dunlin
are present during the winter, joining several kinds of salt water ducks. Common
Terns are regularly seen on the rocks.
Uplands Park
This park is 76 acres of wilderness trails and well-maintained paths, including
Garry Oak meadow. The underbrush is frequented by Berwick’s Wren, a number
of sparrows, California Quail, Chestnut-backed Chickadee and Bushtit.
Cattle Point
The Cattle Point loop is located in Uplands Park along Beach Drive. A tiny piece
of coastal prairie attracts some open country birds in the fall including Horned
Larks, American Pipits and Lapland Longspurs, particularly in September and
early October. "Sooty" Fox Sparrows inhabit the adjacent forest patch
late September to late May. 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.
Spoon Bay
Beach access to Spoon Bay is at the intersection of Lansdowne Road and Beach
Drive. Frequent visitors include Black Oystercatchers, Black Turnstone, Surfbird,
Dunlin, Black-bellied Plover and Greater Yellowlegs.
Loon Bay.
Access to the bay is in the 3200 block of Beach Drive. Look for shorebirds including
Greater Yellowlegs, Short-billed Dowitcher, Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper
and Semipalmated Sandpiper.
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