Sixteen DNCBers enjoyed a long but fun Monday on our ferry outing to Victoria. Check out the photo and video evidence on our Flickr site.
We took the 7 a.m. ferry (free) to Swartz Bay and the 5 p.m. back to Tsawwassen. In between we had double-decker bus rides to and from Victoria (5 buck Day Pass), on top for neat views. We met Vancouver Island residents “founding” DNCBers Rick & Marg and newbies Tom & Isabelle at Government House and they were instrumental in helping us find birds this day. They also fit in nicely with the DNCB Chatfest.
Under Terry’s guidance, we walked through Beacon Hill Park. Hilights were: an Orange-crowned Warbler, a pair of Great-horned Owls, Cooper’s Hawk, several Bewick’s Wrens, several modeling male Peacocks, several Great Blues at their Heronry, and lots of gorgeous flowers (Camas Lilies, Rhodos, etc.). Glen’s eBird List shows we had 24 species at the park.
Roger walked to Clover Point and got a neat video of a River Otter. Others walked to Ogden’s Point, saw nothing, and took the bus to the Sticky Wicket pub. Tom, Isabelle, Gerhard and I got tired at Mile 0, around 1 p.m., and walked to the pub, a bit early but so good. The beef burger soup was delicious along with three pints of Budweiser (on special). We caught the 3:40 bus back to Swartz Bay; I tried to sleep but PB Lorna kept laughing at Roger.
We saw lots of Pigeon Guillemots and Cormorants on the ferries, but no Bonaparte Gulls (I saw hundreds last Sunday). The whole day was nice and sunny, but the wind on the ferry deck was cool. We took a couple of Group Photos, on the ferry and in front of the Parliament Buildings. It’s a very long day, lots of yawning and napping on the home ferry, but it’s a super fun DNCB outing.
We sixteen were: Organizer Terry C, ‘Vagrant” Roger M, newbies Tom & Isabelle, Old Faithful’s Rick & Marg, Gerhard, PB Lorna, Mike B, welcome back Jonathan & Lorraine, Vancity Lidia, photog & eBirder Glen B, Richmond Donna, Margaretha (we lost her at noon), and me.
Next Wednesday, May 22, our destination is Minnekhada Regional Park in Coquitlam. For info on these outings, and other reports and photos see our website at: www.dncb.wordpress.com. Cheers: Tom
Tom Bearss, President, Delta Naturalists Society
