Vancouver Island - Part 1

07 September, 2023 

Waterloo, ON - Victoria, BC

     We picked up Selwyn and Victoria at 14h:00 and drove to the Kitchener-Waterloo Regional Airport, for us the first time flying out of there, and the first time using Westjet. 

     Everything went smoothly and we settled in for the long wait until flight time. Having heard bad things about Westjet we were a little nervous, but all went well, and even though we had two connecting flights, in Calgary and Vancouver, each leg of the journey proceeded on schedule and we arrived in Victoria around 22h:30.

     We got a taxi to the Airport Day's Inn and settled in for a comfortable night in a large, well-appointed room. Hotels are ridiculously expensive these days, but there is nothing to be done about that.

08 September, 2023

Day's Inn - Clover Point - Ogden Point Breakwater - Oak Bay 

     The continental breakfast at the hotel was a fine affair, with a wide variety of food. Selwyn received precise instructions on how to make a waffle and did a fine job in producing two, one for him and one for me. There were also boiled eggs, bagels, cream cheese, toast, muffins, fruit and other stuff. Most importantly there was good hot coffee, the essential ingredient to kickstart the body first thing in the morning!

     We could only pick up our rented car at the airport at noon, so we took a walk and spent a leisurely hour or so in our room, catching the 11h:00 shuttle from the hotel. We had a fine Ford Edge Titanium 4WD, which served us very well throughout our trip. It had every modern bell and whistle you could imagine, push button start, and was about twice the size of my own little Volkswagen. It took a while to get used to it, and initially it seemed huge, but once I was familiar with it, it was a very pleasant vehicle to drive.

     Our first stop was at Clover Point, a place very dear to me, and where I start my day on every visit to Victoria.

     Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens) is the default gull in coastal British Columbia, and right away we were treated to a display where a juvenile harried its long-suffering parent over a crab, which it seemed to have no idea how to handle.

     Like all children, it has much to learn, I suppose.

     We were interested onlookers.

     In addition to the birds, the plants around the coast are different from those at home, and exciting to see, witness this Oregon Gumplant (Grindelia stricta).

     Many of the west coast specialties were new to Victoria, so she was quite excited when a Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) swam past us.

     Several Grey Plovers (Pluvialis squatarola) played hide-and-seek with us, but ultimately they were unable to escape Miriam's probing lens.

     I had thought that all the cormorants we saw were Double-crested (Nannopterum auritus) but looking at this picture, this individual is clearly a Pelagic Cormorant (Urile pelagicus).

     Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia) are boldly marked and quite different from the form we see in Central Canada.

     American Crows (Corvus brachyrynchos caurinus) were numerous, cheeky and bold.

     Their vocalization is quite distinct and noticeably different from birds in other regions of Canada; it was formerly considered a separate species, Northwestern Crow.

     Is there anything more agreeable than to see a flock of gulls loafing around on a rocky shoreline?

     We are accustomed to seeing Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) in fields and meadows, but it is not shy in adapting to coastal habitat.

     This juvenile Heermann's Gull (Larus heermanni) appeared to be coordinating its toilette with a Harlequin Duck.

     And speaking of Harlequin Ducks, tiny little gems that they are.....

     ..... and dusky, alluring Song Sparrows.

Ogden Point Breakwater, Victoria, BC

     A vase of cut flowers in the home is a very fine adornment, California Poppies (Eschscholzia californica) along the shore even better.

     The entire length of the breakwater is decorated with indigenous art, a very appealing touch, and abundantly appropriate given the rich cultural heritage of the ancestral occupants of the west coast, and their deep, spiritual relationship to the sea.

     Strands of Bull Kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) were just about everywhere, on the water, and washed up on the shore.

     We were quite excited to see this aptly named Egg Yolk Jelly (Phacellophora camtschatica), yet another reminder that we had in the space of a day been whisked from fresh water lakes to the Pacific Ocean.

     A couple of sea stars were equally appealing, not as clear as we might like, but given the fact that they were a couple of metres down in salt water, the pictures are really not too bad.

Leather Star (Dermasterias imbricata)

Rainbow Star (Orthasterias koehleri)

     For me, the most thrilling discovery was a Giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini), fresh on the heels of having reviewed a book on this taxon. 

     We strolled back along the breakwater, where we all, but especially Victoria, were elated to see a mixed flock of Black Turnstones (Arenaria melanocephala) and Western Sandpipers (Calidris mauri). They stayed for quite a while, fed, preened, paraded in front of us, quarreled a little, rested - the following pictures speak for themselves.

     We had not seen a Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) all day so we were happy to hear their familiar call and see a squadron of them come in to land on the water.

     We were bid a cheery farewell by a member of the Leafcutter, Mortar and Resin Bees (genus Megachile) devoting its full attention to Oregon Gumplant.

Helms Inn, Victoria, BC

     We checked into our accommodation, right across from Beacon Hill Park, and close to Clover Point, our home for the balance of our stay on Vancouver Island. We were very satisfied with this location and would certainly stay there again.

Oak Bay, Victoria, BC

     Since our last visit, Miriam's sister, Jan, has moved to a condominium in Oak Bay, a delightful location, on a quiet street just minutes from Oak Bay Marina.

     She hosted us all for a superb dinner of homemade clam chowder soup with toasted croissants, a wonderful salad and blackberry cobbler. I can't think of a better way to end our first day on the Island.