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Flocking together in a birder’s paradise
Tuesday, August 20th, 2002 by GetawayBC.com
Oak Bay residents fly united in their love of all things winged and feathered. With thousands and thousands of pounds of birdseed sold each year and stunning gardens designed to attract as many feathered friends as possible, the Oak Bay area is a heavenly haven for birds.
Add in the multitude of diverse eco-systems housed in the municipality and you have a rare recipe for bird-brained success. Natural habitats abound for everything from sea shore birds to resident bald eagles to beautiful backyard visitors.
Bird experts site the abundance of geographical diversity within the municipality as being responsible for making Oak Bay a birder’s paradise.
“We have a lot of gardens, a lot of trees, a fair amount of shelter, and a lot of water,” explains Victorian Bird House owner Jennifer Hill.
A combination of Garry oak stands, extensive shoreline and the University of Victoria’s sprawling woods have bird-watchers flocking in from around the world for the opportunity to view some of Victoria’s 388 different species.
Bird watching is the second-fastest growing hobby in North America after gardening, with a whopping $2.73 billion dollars spent annually on bird seed.
Oak Bay’s Wild Birds Unlimited owner Earl McKenzie sites the accessibility and low cost as partially responsible for the boom in bird watchers. Bird watchers only need a pair of binoculars, a good pair of shoes and a bird identification book is optional.
“There is a magical element that I keep hearing about from people. There is really something mesmerizing about the whole process,” says McKenzie.
“We have bald eagles, we have herons, we have both big and small birds,” explains Hill. “It is because we have a garden paradise here.”
The abundance of shorebirds, including the magnificent blue heron is just one option for the serious birder. Hot flock spots for viewing our flighty friends include Anderson Hill Park, where dusk draws a ballet of birds.
“Sit down on the bench there and watch the green swallows swooping around – it is just beautiful,” enthuses Hill.
Anderson Hill is also home to a bald eagle family, quails and pheasants.
Cattle Point is still considered one of the most reliable sites to locate the rare rock sandpiper, marbled murrelet or pigeon guillemot.
Hill sums up the bounty of birds found in the Oak Bay area.
“Just turn your ears to the street and you can hear them. You don’t have to go very far to find birds here.”
Bird watchers can get some free advice and pick up binoculars or bird-watching books at either of the two birding stores in Oak Bay. Choose from The Victorian Bird House on St. Patrick (370-2474) or Wild Birds Unlimited in Estevan Village (595-3595).
Eagle-eye cam
Cyber surfers can check out a family of Oak Bay eagles on a new Web cam.
Tucked on top of a five-story structure, 300 meters away from the nest, a camera with a one-second refresh rate is trained on the resident eagles 24 hours a day. The footage is unedited and allows the rare opportunity to view the eagles going about their daily bird business.
See it online at: http://www.oakbaycam.com;