Field Trip Details and Speakers for the 2013, Sidney AGM
Banquet Speaker
Dr. Sean Boyd, Research Scientist, Environment Canada; and Adjunct Professor, Centre for Wildlife Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, will share his research on the connectivity between the Salish Sea and breeding areas for a number of different species that were tagged with satellite radios.
Field Trips
Trip will be run Saturday and Sunday mornings. A fourth field trip will be added, if the number of conference registrants warrants it.
Trip 1 – Saanich Peninsula – Airport, Newton Heights, Martindale Flats, Island View Beach
This trip will start at the Victoria airport for Sky Larks, possible raptors and water birds on Patricia Bay. We will proceed to the Newton Heights area and have an easy walk (2km) on the road on the south side of Mount Newton looking for warblers, flycatchers and other spring migrants in this area of mixed forest and large rural lots. The trip will proceed to the Martindale/Island View area to look in the open agricultural land then stop at the shoreline of Island View Regional Park for shorebirds and other saltwater birds. We will walk a short distance along the trail at the edge of Island View Beach and return to Sidney along Lochside Drive with possible stops along the waterfront if time permits. Birds to look for on this trip will be Sky Lark, American Kestrel, MacGillivray’s Warbler, Cassin’s and Hutton’s Vireo, California Quail and Rhinoceros Auklet.
Trip 2 – Victoria East – Elk Lake Regional Park, Swan Lake, Victoria Waterfront
We will head south toward Victoria and stop in the mixed habitat at Elk Lake Regional Park along the Pat Bay Highway. This is a very good area for a variety of spring migrants and local resident species. This location has had sightings of Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Brewer’s Sparrow and Blackpoll Warbler in the past. We will take a one kilometre walk through the forest and along the lake before heading to Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary for birds on the lake and in the very productive woodland area around the nature house. We will finish at the Victoria waterfront, first to Ogden Point and then to Clover Point. The trip will involve a short walk on Ogden Point breakwater which offers good view over the ocean for alcids. We will drive to Clover Point that juts out from the waterfront and look for gulls and shorebirds. Return to Sidney via the Pat Bay Hwy. Birds to look for on this trip will be Black-headed Grosbeak, Chipping Sparrow, Virginia Rail, Wandering Tattler, Brandt’s Cormorant and Rhinoceros Auklet.
Field Trip 3 – Victoria West – Francis King Park & adjacent power lines, Panama Flats
We will start at Francis King Regional Park for a short walk through the mixed woodlands near the nature house then move a short distance away for a 2 km hike along an open area near the Pike Lake hydro site. This area is excellent for migrant passerines and resident songbirds. We will then head to Panama Flats located in a former farm valley which, because of berms constructed by a former owner, has created excellent habitat for shorebirds and waterfowl. This area was excellent for water birds in 2012 with sightings of Snowy Egret and Black-necked Stilt. The area is also surrounded by shrubbery providing habitat for woodland birds. The return drive will be along the peninsula waterfront if time permits. Birds to look for on this trip will be House Wren, Cassin’s Vireo, MacGillivray’s Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Olive-sided Flycatcher and the swallows and shorebirds at Panama Flats.
Red-Crossbill
Photo: George Clulow
Extension Trip
Details are being finalized, and complete information will be published here the week of April 14th.
Saturday Afternoon Speakers
Stacey Hrushowy, Executive Director of the Rocky Point Bird Observatory
Eyes on the Skies: The Citizen Science That Drives Bird Monitoring and Research at Rocky Point Bird Observatory.
Julia Daly, Garry Oak Ecosystem Recovery Team
Reintroducing the Western Bluebird as a breeding species to the east coast of Vancouver Island .
David Manning
Nesting Turkey Vultures and Peregrine Falcons on Pender Island and the Saanich Peninsula.
Click here for the Conference Registration Form and Waiver
Announcing BCFO’s 2013 Annual Conference – Sidney, BC
May 10, 11, and 12
Sky Lark (European) photo courtesy Chris Thomas –
http://Birds.Ceeege.Com/
BCFO will be holding its 23rd Annual General Meeting on Southern Vancouver Island. We will be based in Sidney where all conference events will be held at the Mary Winspear Centre.
Lots of good birding locations are within easy driving distances, and the local naturalists are already planning a full complement of great trips. The possibilities for the extension trip are many, and planning is underway for that too.
As more details are confirmed, they will be published here, and in BC Birding.
Stay tuned!
22nd Annual BCFO Conference Princeton, BC – June 1 – 3, 2012
The 22nd Annual Conference will be held in the Princeton Auditorium at the Riverside Centre, located at: 148 Old Hedley Road, Princeton, B.C.
This year there will be not only one flat rate for the Conference, but also a rate for those wishing to attend only the Friday night ‘Meet & Greet’ and Saturday night Banquet. The cost for only the meet and greet and the banquet will be $50.00 per person, which does not include field trips or any other meals. The all-inclusive price for the Conference will be $150.00, including all field trips, the meet and greet, and the banquet. The meet and greet will include cheese, meat and veggie platters. A no-host cash bar will be open from 6:00 till 9:00 pm. Breakfasts and lunches both days and the banquet will be held in the Princeton Auditorium at the Riverside Centre in Princeton.
Other Events:
- Birding field trips on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
- Annual general meeting and technical presentations on Saturday afternoon in the Princeton Auditorium.
- Guest speaker at the Banquet on Saturday night.
- 2012 Extension Trip
Princeton Conference Schedule
Registration
Conference fee is: $150.00 per person, including all activities as noted above. A registration fee of$50.00 is available for non-birders who wish to attend social events on Friday and Saturday evenings; see registration form for details. Attendance is limited to BCFO members and spouses/partners/family members. Non-members may join BCFO at the same time as they register for the Conference.
Registration Form and Liability Waiver (PDF)
Please complete both forms and mail w/payment to:
BC Field Ornithologists
PO Box 45507
Westside RPO
Vancouver, BC, V6S 2N5
Attendance is limited to BCFO members and spouses/family members. You may join BCFO at the same time as you register for the Conference. Please refer to our membership fees for details.
For information contact: Wayne Diakow
Transportation and Accommodation
Transportation to the conference and accommodation are up to the individual(s) to arrange. Below is a list of local hotels, a link about those hotels, and campsites.
http://www.tripadvisor.ca/AllLocations-g181776-c1-Hotels-Princeton_British_Columbia.html
Hotels / Motels
- Best Value Princeton Inn & Suites 250-295-3537
- Sandman Inn 250-295-6923
- The Villager Inn 250-295-6996
- Countryside Inn 250-295-7464
- Evergreen Motel 250-295-7179
Campgrounds
- Otter Lake Provincial Park (33 km NW of Princeton on Coalmont Rd.)
- Allison Lake Provincial Park (28 km north of Princeton on Hwy 5A)
- Princeton Municipal RV Park and Campground (2.8 km E of Princeton on Hwy 3)
Extension Trip – Northern Washington: Sagebrush, Pine and Oak.
Join Russell Cannings on a four day tour around Northern Washington in search of summer and resident birds in the forests, grasslands, hills and wetlands around northern Washington. A few of the target species include tri-colored blackbird, spotted owl, sage sparrow, sage thrasher plus some owl and hawk specialties
