Board of Directors – Victoria Natural History Society

The 2023-2024 Victoria Natural History Society Board of Directors are:

Officers

PRESIDENT: Rick Searle, rick.searle(at)gmail.com, president@vicnhs.bc.ca
VICE-PRESIDENT: Vacant
TREASURER: Gordon Hart, 250-721-1264, treasurer@vicnhs.bc.ca
SECRETARY: Sherry Kirkvold, secretary@vicnhs.bc.ca
PAST PRESIDENT: Phil Lambert

Directors and Committees

Jim Cuthbert, 250-896-6379, jimcuthbert33(at)gmail.com (Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary Representative)
Gail Harcombe 250-652-3508, publications@vicnhs.bc.ca (Publications)
Vicki Metcalfe, volunteers@vicnhs.bc.ca (Volunteer Coordinator)
Rick Searle, rick.searle(at)gmail.com (Publicity)
Liz Turner, schoolprograms@vicnhs.bc.ca (Schools Program)
Ken Walker, aljeke3(at)gmail.com (BC Nature Representative)

Directors at Large

Gaylia Lassner 250-858-5373, gaylialassner(at)gmail.com
Stephen Ruttan, 250-472-2406

Committee (not on the Board)

Claudia Copley, membership@vicnhs.bc.ca (Membership)

Presentation Hosts

Marine Night: Phil Lambert 250-477-5922, marinenight@vicnhs.bc.ca
Botany Night: Kristen and James Miskelly 250-544-0455, botanynight@vicnhs.bc.ca
Natural History Night: Stephanie Weinstein 250-686-7609, naturalhistorynight@vicnhs.bc.ca
Birders’ Night: Ann Nightingale 250-514-6450, birdersnight@vicnhs.bc.ca

September 2023

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Waterfront Birding
Waterfront Birding

September 2, 2023 @ 7:30 am - 8:30 am
Cattle Point, Oak Bay, BC, Canada

Level 2

This isa good time to check out the waterfront for birds. Meet the leader at CattlePoint (Beach Dr between Rutland Rd and Dorset Rd) at 7:30 a.m. We will wanderaround Cattle Point and then make a few stops between there and Clover Point.We’ll end up at the Ogden Point Breakwater. There will be birds on the water aswell as shorebirds to watch for. For more information, contact Agnes atthelynns at shaw.ca or call (250) 721-0634 if you do not have access to email.

See more details

Monthly Butterfly Outing
Monthly Butterfly Outing

September 3, 2023 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Mount Tolmie, Mt Tolmie, Saanich, BC V8P 4P9, Canada

Level 2

Join GordonHart on our monthly Butterfly outing. Each outing is intended to help uslearn more about our local butterflies. This outing is weather dependent. Itneeds to be warm and sunny to make it worthwhile. Check the web calendar closeto the date. We will start at the top of Mount Tolmie (off Cedar Hill CrossRd). Meet at 1:00 p.m. in the lot by the reservoir where we will have aninitial look for butterflies and then decide where to go from there. ContactGordon at (250) 721-1264 or butterflies@vicnhs.bc.ca for more information.

See more details

Tuesday Birding
Tuesday Birding

September 5, 2023 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Corner of Bowker Ave. and Bowker Place, Victoria

TUESDAY BIRDING. We meet every Tuesday, one block south of the foot of Bowker Ave on the waterfront (off Beach Drive) at 9:00 am, or at the foot of Bowker Ave at 9:30 am, rain or shine. Birding activities take place at various locations around Greater Victoria.
For more information call Bill Dancer at 250-721-5273 or Agnes Lynn at thelynns at shaw.ca or 250-721-0634. Novice and experienced VNHS members all welcome.

See more details
VNHS Board
VNHS Board

September 5, 2023 @ 10:00 am - 11:30 am

See more details

Saturday Birding - Beaver Lake
Saturday Birding - Beaver Lake

September 9, 2023 @ 7:30 am - 10:30 am
Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park, 5267 Patricia Bay Hwy, Victoria, BC, Canada

Beaver Lake Birding
FIELD TRIP (LEVEL 2)
The VNHS Saturday Birding Group will be going to Beaver Lake Park this Sat Sep 9. We will start at 7:30 a.m. at the big parking lot at Beaver Lake and probably go around to the Retriever Ponds near the south end of the lake. We are hoping to see some Warblers before they are all gone. To reach the parking lot where we start, turn on to Beaver Lake Road off Elk Lake Drive (parallels the Pat Bay Highway). There is a large Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park sign at that Beaver Lake Road intersection. Drive along Beaver Lake Road until you reach the big parking lot.

For more details, contact Agnes Lynn at thelynns at shaw.ca or call 250-721-0634 if you do not have access to email.



Organiser: Victoria Natural History Society

See more details

Tuesday Birding
Tuesday Birding

September 12, 2023 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Corner of Bowker Ave. and Bowker Place, Victoria

TUESDAY BIRDING. We meet every Tuesday, one block south of the foot of Bowker Ave on the waterfront (off Beach Drive) at 9:00 am, or at the foot of Bowker Ave at 9:30 am, rain or shine. Birding activities take place at various locations around Greater Victoria.
For more information call Bill Dancer at 250-721-5273 or Agnes Lynn at thelynns at shaw.ca or 250-721-0634. Novice and experienced VNHS members all welcome.

See more details
The Return of the Humpback Whales
The Return of the Humpback Whales

September 12, 2023 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
On Zoom

Natural History Night

Have you ever wondered what we can learn from whale snot, or why whale poop is important? Would you like to listen to some humpback songs? These are all elements of a good news conservation story that has seen a return of humpback whales to their historic numbers and areas on the BC Coast. This has also provided opportunities for scientists and citizen scientists alike to study these fascinating marine mammals. Sherry Kirkvold will share some of what she has learned from her naturalist work on ecotourism vessels on the BC/Alaska Coast. She will explain how we learn about the social lives of humpback whales by observing their cooperative feeding strategies, listening to the sounds and songs they compose, and by tracking their movements using tail identification.

You areinvited to Natural History Night via Zoom.

When:Sep 12, 2023, 7:30 p.m. PST.

Please register in advance for this meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAkce6hqj4uHtc54NiI7VczT0P09bV5DAb6

See more details

Birding Beacon Hill Park
Birding Beacon Hill Park

September 16, 2023 @ 8:30 am - 9:30 am
Beacon Hill Park, 100 Cook St, Victoria, BC V8V, Canada

Level 2

We willwander around Beacon Hill Park looking for birds. Meet at 8:30 a.m. at thecorner of the Petting Zoo. Parking is right next to it. It will mostly be theyear-round residents now but also some breeding season residents that linger abit longer. We will first go to the ponds across the road from where we start,then head for the summit, down through the Southeast Woods, then to GoodacreLake and Fountain Lakes and finally back to the starting point. Contact Agnesat thelynns at shaw.ca or (250) 721-0634 for more information.

See more details

Tuesday Birding
Tuesday Birding

September 19, 2023 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Corner of Bowker Ave. and Bowker Place, Victoria

TUESDAY BIRDING. We meet every Tuesday, one block south of the foot of Bowker Ave on the waterfront (off Beach Drive) at 9:00 am, or at the foot of Bowker Ave at 9:30 am, rain or shine. Birding activities take place at various locations around Greater Victoria.
For more information call Bill Dancer at 250-721-5273 or Agnes Lynn at thelynns at shaw.ca or 250-721-0634. Novice and experienced VNHS members all welcome.

See more details
Botany Night Cancelled
Botany Night Cancelled

September 19, 2023 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

Presentation cancelled.

When:Sep 19, 2023 07:30 p.m. PST.

Please register in advance for this meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcpf-CqrT0uHtEjEv_yA-acX1Zmr6g652_4

See more details

Hawkwatch
Hawkwatch

September 23, 2023 @ 10:30 am - 1:30 pm
East Sooke Regional Park - Aylard Farm Parking Lot, 1 Becher Bay Rd, Sooke, BC V9Z 1B7, Canada

Hawkwatch
Field Event (Level 3)
The VNHS Birding Group will start from Aylard Farm in East Sooke Park to get to the vantage point above Beechey Head to watch for raptors. Meet at the parking lot at the end of Becher Bay Rd at 10:30 a.m. We will have a leader who will lead the way up to the lookout. This leader and others will be available up at the top to help you find those illusive raptors till about 2:00 p.m.

The hike up to the viewpoint requires a 20-minute trek up a steep and rocky trail. Bring binoculars, water and perhaps a lunch. You can stay as long as you like and then return to the parking lot whenever you wish. If you do not want to make the trek up to the hill, there are good opportunities in the field near the parking lot to look for raptors as well. CRD will once again be there and we hope to have live raptor demonstrations.

You must register for the field trip up the hill as the number is limited at the top. For more information or to register, contact Agnes at thelynns at shaw.ca or call (250) 721- 0634 if you do not have access to email. Afterwards, at about 3:00 p.m., join fellow members at the Picnic Shelter to socialize over hot dogs and drinks. RSVP by September 20 to gail.harcombe@gmail.com so we know how many hot dogs to BBQ! Don’t forget to bring a chair.

The success of this event is dependent on the weather so you must decide if you wish to go.



Organiser: Victoria Natural History Society

See more details

Diving Deep with ROPOS*
Diving Deep with ROPOS*

September 25, 2023 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
On Zoom

Marine Night

Heidi Gartner is taking over as the Marine Night Coordinator for VNHS! Come learn a little about her career transition from shocked Ontarian university student to deep-sea biologist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada. This past summer, she was part of an expedition team that explored BC’sdeep ocean with the remotely operated vehicle ROPOS. It was an expedition filled with many exciting discoveries! Come see the amazing imagery of our deep-sea animals and ecosystems.

*RemotelyOperated Platform for Ocean Science - an ROV used primarily for scientific research

You are invited to Marine Night via Zoom.

When:Sep 25, 2023 07:30 p.m. PST.

Please register in advance for this meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUrf-iqqj0iGNC4SfKEIdtS1FnoNggkNooC

See more details

Tuesday Birding
Tuesday Birding

September 26, 2023 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Corner of Bowker Ave. and Bowker Place, Victoria

TUESDAY BIRDING. We meet every Tuesday, one block south of the foot of Bowker Ave on the waterfront (off Beach Drive) at 9:00 am, or at the foot of Bowker Ave at 9:30 am, rain or shine. Birding activities take place at various locations around Greater Victoria.
For more information call Bill Dancer at 250-721-5273 or Agnes Lynn at thelynns at shaw.ca or 250-721-0634. Novice and experienced VNHS members all welcome.

See more details

Birds and Climate Change: The changes that are already happening
Birds and Climate Change: The changes that are already happening

September 27, 2023 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
On Zoom

Birders' Night

Steve Hampton has been birding since he was 7years old. He worked for California Department of Fish & Wildlife for 25 years, where he was involved in oil spill response, natural resource damage assessment, seabird restoration, and partnerships with Native communities. He also serves on the American Ornithological Society’s Ad-hoc Committee on English Bird Names and as conservation chair and CBC compiler for Admiralty Audubon in Port Townsend, Washington. He combines his love of birds with a PhD in resource economics to analyze bird data. His article in the December 2022 issue of Birding summarized the recent research on birds and climate change. He will present that information, with a special focus on the Pacific Northwest.

You are invited to Birders’ Night via Zoom.

When:Sep 27, 2023 07:30 p.m. PST.

Please register in advance for this meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0lfu6upjgjGdJ03Gzr3L-6qKJTHhrp2eCB

See more details

Saturday Birding
Saturday Birding

September 30, 2023 @ 8:00 am - 11:00 am
Victoria

Meets every Saturday morning, usually at 8:00 a.m., rain or shine. We ask that participants have both vaccines completed, to come on this walk. Check here on the Thursday/Friday before to find out the week’s time and location. Novice and experienced VNHS members all welcome. Non-members can participate up to three times, after which they are expected to join the Society.

For more details or to find out time & location if it is not described here, contact Agnes Lynn at thelynns at shaw.ca or 250-721-0634.



Organiser: Victoria Natural History Society

See more details

	September 2023
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
					1	2 Waterfront Birding Waterfront Birding September 2, 2023 @ 7:30 am - 8:30 am Cattle Point, Oak Bay, BC, Canada Level 2 This isa good time to check out the waterfront for birds. Meet the leader at CattlePoint (Beach Dr between Rutland Rd and Dorset Rd) at 7:30 a.m. We will wanderaround Cattle Point and then make a few stops between there and Clover Point.We’ll end up at the Ogden Point Breakwater. There will be birds on the water aswell as shorebirds to watch for. For more information, contact Agnes atthelynns at shaw.ca or call (250) 721-0634 if you do not have access to email. See more details •
3 Monthly Butterfly Outing Monthly Butterfly Outing September 3, 2023 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Mount Tolmie, Mt Tolmie, Saanich, BC V8P 4P9, Canada Level 2 Join GordonHart on our monthly Butterfly outing. Each outing is intended to help uslearn more about our local butterflies. This outing is weather dependent. Itneeds to be warm and sunny to make it worthwhile. Check the web calendar closeto the date. We will start at the top of Mount Tolmie (off Cedar Hill CrossRd). Meet at 1:00 p.m. in the lot by the reservoir where we will have aninitial look for butterflies and then decide where to go from there. ContactGordon at (250) 721-1264 or butterflies@vicnhs.bc.ca for more information. See more details •	4	5 Tuesday Birding Tuesday Birding September 5, 2023 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Corner of Bowker Ave. and Bowker Place, Victoria TUESDAY BIRDING. We meet every Tuesday, one block south of the foot of Bowker Ave on the waterfront (off Beach Drive) at 9:00 am, or at the foot of Bowker Ave at 9:30 am, rain or shine. Birding activities take place at various locations around Greater Victoria. For more information call Bill Dancer at 250-721-5273 or Agnes Lynn at thelynns at shaw.ca or 250-721-0634. Novice and experienced VNHS members all welcome. See more details VNHS Board VNHS Board September 5, 2023 @ 10:00 am - 11:30 am See more details • •	6	7	8	9 Saturday Birding - Beaver Lake Saturday Birding - Beaver Lake September 9, 2023 @ 7:30 am - 10:30 am Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park, 5267 Patricia Bay Hwy, Victoria, BC, Canada Beaver Lake Birding FIELD TRIP (LEVEL 2) The VNHS Saturday Birding Group will be going to Beaver Lake Park this Sat Sep 9. We will start at 7:30 a.m. at the big parking lot at Beaver Lake and probably go around to the Retriever Ponds near the south end of the lake. We are hoping to see some Warblers before they are all gone. To reach the parking lot where we start, turn on to Beaver Lake Road off Elk Lake Drive (parallels the Pat Bay Highway). There is a large Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park sign at that Beaver Lake Road intersection. Drive along Beaver Lake Road until you reach the big parking lot. For more details, contact Agnes Lynn at thelynns at shaw.ca or call 250-721-0634 if you do not have access to email.  Organiser: Victoria Natural History Society See more details •
10	11	12 Tuesday Birding Tuesday Birding September 12, 2023 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Corner of Bowker Ave. and Bowker Place, Victoria TUESDAY BIRDING. We meet every Tuesday, one block south of the foot of Bowker Ave on the waterfront (off Beach Drive) at 9:00 am, or at the foot of Bowker Ave at 9:30 am, rain or shine. Birding activities take place at various locations around Greater Victoria. For more information call Bill Dancer at 250-721-5273 or Agnes Lynn at thelynns at shaw.ca or 250-721-0634. Novice and experienced VNHS members all welcome. See more details The Return of the Humpback Whales The Return of the Humpback Whales September 12, 2023 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm On Zoom Natural History Night Have you ever wondered what we can learn from whale snot, or why whale poop is important? Would you like to listen to some humpback songs? These are all elements of a good news conservation story that has seen a return of humpback whales to their historic numbers and areas on the BC Coast. This has also provided opportunities for scientists and citizen scientists alike to study these fascinating marine mammals. Sherry Kirkvold will share some of what she has learned from her naturalist work on ecotourism vessels on the BC/Alaska Coast. She will explain how we learn about the social lives of humpback whales by observing their cooperative feeding strategies, listening to the sounds and songs they compose, and by tracking their movements using tail identification. You areinvited to Natural History Night via Zoom. When:Sep 12, 2023, 7:30 p.m. PST. Please register in advance for this meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAkce6hqj4uHtc54NiI7VczT0P09bV5DAb6 See more details • •	13	14	15	16 Birding Beacon Hill Park Birding Beacon Hill Park September 16, 2023 @ 8:30 am - 9:30 am Beacon Hill Park, 100 Cook St, Victoria, BC V8V, Canada Level 2 We willwander around Beacon Hill Park looking for birds. Meet at 8:30 a.m. at thecorner of the Petting Zoo. Parking is right next to it. It will mostly be theyear-round residents now but also some breeding season residents that linger abit longer. We will first go to the ponds across the road from where we start,then head for the summit, down through the Southeast Woods, then to GoodacreLake and Fountain Lakes and finally back to the starting point. Contact Agnesat thelynns at shaw.ca or (250) 721-0634 for more information. See more details •
17	18	19 Tuesday Birding Tuesday Birding September 19, 2023 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Corner of Bowker Ave. and Bowker Place, Victoria TUESDAY BIRDING. We meet every Tuesday, one block south of the foot of Bowker Ave on the waterfront (off Beach Drive) at 9:00 am, or at the foot of Bowker Ave at 9:30 am, rain or shine. Birding activities take place at various locations around Greater Victoria. For more information call Bill Dancer at 250-721-5273 or Agnes Lynn at thelynns at shaw.ca or 250-721-0634. Novice and experienced VNHS members all welcome. See more details Botany Night Cancelled Botany Night Cancelled September 19, 2023 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm Presentation cancelled. When:Sep 19, 2023 07:30 p.m. PST. Please register in advance for this meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcpf-CqrT0uHtEjEv_yA-acX1Zmr6g652_4 See more details • •	20	21	22	23 Hawkwatch Hawkwatch September 23, 2023 @ 10:30 am - 1:30 pm East Sooke Regional Park - Aylard Farm Parking Lot, 1 Becher Bay Rd, Sooke, BC V9Z 1B7, Canada Hawkwatch Field Event (Level 3) The VNHS Birding Group will start from Aylard Farm in East Sooke Park to get to the vantage point above Beechey Head to watch for raptors. Meet at the parking lot at the end of Becher Bay Rd at 10:30 a.m. We will have a leader who will lead the way up to the lookout. This leader and others will be available up at the top to help you find those illusive raptors till about 2:00 p.m. The hike up to the viewpoint requires a 20-minute trek up a steep and rocky trail. Bring binoculars, water and perhaps a lunch. You can stay as long as you like and then return to the parking lot whenever you wish. If you do not want to make the trek up to the hill, there are good opportunities in the field near the parking lot to look for raptors as well. CRD will once again be there and we hope to have live raptor demonstrations. You must register for the field trip up the hill as the number is limited at the top. For more information or to register, contact Agnes at thelynns at shaw.ca or call (250) 721- 0634 if you do not have access to email. Afterwards, at about 3:00 p.m., join fellow members at the Picnic Shelter to socialize over hot dogs and drinks. RSVP by September 20 to gail.harcombe@gmail.com so we know how many hot dogs to BBQ! Don’t forget to bring a chair. The success of this event is dependent on the weather so you must decide if you wish to go.  Organiser: Victoria Natural History Society See more details •
24	25 Diving Deep with ROPOS* Diving Deep with ROPOS* September 25, 2023 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm On Zoom Marine Night Heidi Gartner is taking over as the Marine Night Coordinator for VNHS! Come learn a little about her career transition from shocked Ontarian university student to deep-sea biologist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada. This past summer, she was part of an expedition team that explored BC’sdeep ocean with the remotely operated vehicle ROPOS. It was an expedition filled with many exciting discoveries! Come see the amazing imagery of our deep-sea animals and ecosystems. *RemotelyOperated Platform for Ocean Science - an ROV used primarily for scientific research You are invited to Marine Night via Zoom. When:Sep 25, 2023 07:30 p.m. PST. Please register in advance for this meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUrf-iqqj0iGNC4SfKEIdtS1FnoNggkNooC See more details •	26 Tuesday Birding Tuesday Birding September 26, 2023 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Corner of Bowker Ave. and Bowker Place, Victoria TUESDAY BIRDING. We meet every Tuesday, one block south of the foot of Bowker Ave on the waterfront (off Beach Drive) at 9:00 am, or at the foot of Bowker Ave at 9:30 am, rain or shine. Birding activities take place at various locations around Greater Victoria. For more information call Bill Dancer at 250-721-5273 or Agnes Lynn at thelynns at shaw.ca or 250-721-0634. Novice and experienced VNHS members all welcome. See more details •	27 Birds and Climate Change: The changes that are already happening Birds and Climate Change: The changes that are already happening September 27, 2023 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm On Zoom Birders' Night Steve Hampton has been birding since he was 7years old. He worked for California Department of Fish & Wildlife for 25 years, where he was involved in oil spill response, natural resource damage assessment, seabird restoration, and partnerships with Native communities. He also serves on the American Ornithological Society’s Ad-hoc Committee on English Bird Names and as conservation chair and CBC compiler for Admiralty Audubon in Port Townsend, Washington. He combines his love of birds with a PhD in resource economics to analyze bird data. His article in the December 2022 issue of Birding summarized the recent research on birds and climate change. He will present that information, with a special focus on the Pacific Northwest. You are invited to Birders’ Night via Zoom. When:Sep 27, 2023 07:30 p.m. PST. Please register in advance for this meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0lfu6upjgjGdJ03Gzr3L-6qKJTHhrp2eCB See more details •	28	29	30 Saturday Birding Saturday Birding September 30, 2023 @ 8:00 am - 11:00 am Victoria Meets every Saturday morning, usually at 8:00 a.m., rain or shine. We ask that participants have both vaccines completed, to come on this walk. Check here on the Thursday/Friday before to find out the week’s time and location. Novice and experienced VNHS members all welcome. Non-members can participate up to three times, after which they are expected to join the Society. For more details or to find out time & location if it is not described here, contact Agnes Lynn at thelynns at shaw.ca or 250-721-0634.  Organiser: Victoria Natural History Society See more details •