Signs of Spring and Early Arrivals - March

Warblers are arriving.

Orange-Crowned Warbler and Yellow-rumped Warbler can been seen on area hilltops. Hutton's Vireos & Sky Larks all and sing . Brant are moving through the area: Check Esquimalt lagoon, Island View Beach, Cattle Point and Bazan Bay for these geese. Townsand's Solitaire are in the hills. Rufous Hummingbird, Tree Swallow, and Violet-Green Swallow have arrived.

Birds to watch for in the next while include: Northern Rough-Winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, Western Bluebird, Mountain Bluebird, Chipping Sparrow, Yellow; Townsands; & Black-throated Grey Warblers, and any early arrival Flycatchers. Also watch for large shorebirds.

Sea Duck and Waterfowl are now leaving the region on their migration north to summer breeding ranges. More species are still here although numbers are decreasing.

Places to go

• Three Scoter species, 2 Goldeneye species, 2 Grebe species, and 1 Loon species at Patricia Bay on Saanich Peninsula.
• Sky Lark, Western Meadowlark near Victoria Airport off Willingdon Rd.
• Long-tailsed Duck, Red-breasted Merganser, Pelagic Cormorant close to shore off the Fisherman's Wharf in Sidney.
• Heerman's Gull, Sanderling, Black Oystercatcher, Mew Gull at Clover Point. Various Alcids off Ogden Pt. Breakwater
• Sanderling, Dunlin, Black-bellied Plover, and Black Turnstone at Esquimalt Lagoon. Western Gull, Mew Gull and Brewers' Blackbird as well.
• Black Turnstone at Cattle Point in Oak Bay. Also check at the foot of Bowker Rd. Also watch for Brant, Harlequin Duck, and shorebird arrivals.
• Ruddy Duck, Gadwall, Ring-necked Duck, and Hutton's Vireo at Viaduct Flats.
• American Pipit, Savannah Sparrow, Harris's Sparrow, Sky Lark, Peregrine Falcon, Northern Harrier, Ring-necked Pheasant at Martindale Flats.
• Sky Lark and Western Meadowlark at Saanich Bulb Fields
• Virginia Rails and Red-tailed Hawk at Quick's Bottom.
• Anna's Hummingbird, Cooper's Hawk at Rithet's Bog.
• Redheads, Common Merganser, Hooded Merganser on Beaver Lake. Raft of American Coot on Elk Lake.
  Red-breasted Sapsucker, Pileated Woodpecker, American Dipper, Rufous Hummingbird, Purple Finch, and Steller's Jay at Goldstream Provincial park.