August 15 – Victoria Natural History Society

2015 August 15

Two more photographs from Devon Parker’s recent trip to Juan de Fuca Ridge.

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Devon Parker

Sylvan Hairstreak Satyrium sylvinum (Lep.: Lycaenidae) Devon Parker

Aziza Cooper writes: Today, under grey skies, the VHNS trip to Saanichton Spit and Island View Beach found 2 Purplish Coppers, 1 Ringlet, 5 Woodland Skippers and 2 Cabbage Whites. And I thought we wouldn’t see any butterflies!

Jeremy Tatum writes: The Western Tiger Swallowtail caterpillar that was shown on August 4 has pupated. Its chrysalis is shown below.

Western Tiger Swallowtail Papilio rutulus (Lep.: Papilionidae)

Jeremy Tatum

Here are two woolly bear caterpillars, the first from Blenkinsop Lake, the second from Swan Lake, today.

Lophocampa maculata (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae) Jeremy Tatum

Spilosoma virginica (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae) Jeremy Tatum

June 2025

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Monthly Butterfly Walk
Monthly Butterfly Walk

June 1, 2025 @ 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Field trip (Level 2)

Join us on our monthly Butterfly Walk. Each outing is intended to help us learn more about local butterflies. This field trip is weather-dependent as it needs to be sunny and warm to make it worthwhile. We start at the top of Mount Tolmie (off Cedar Hill X Road). Meet at 1 p.m. in the lot by the reservoir where we will have an initial look for butterflies and then decide where to go from there. Car-pooling is encouraged. We try to return by 4 p.m.  Cancellations or special instructions will be posted on the calendar closer to the date. Contact Gordon Hart at 250-721-1264 or butterflies@vicnhs.bc.ca for more information.
See more details
The Evening Chorus at Blenkinsop Lake
The Evening Chorus at Blenkinsop Lake

June 1, 2025 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

FIELD TRIP (LEVEL 1)

Meet at 7:30 p.m. Blenkinsop Lake is a great place for evening birding. Commuting cyclists and group running clubs are done for the day and we should have the trail largely to ourselves. Late in the day, diurnal birds are starting to wind down but are still foraging for the day's last meal for themselves and their young. A few songbirds sing until late in the day or even for awhile after sunset. Crepuscular birds such as owls will be active. DIRECTIONS: Parking is available between Don Mann Excavating (4098 Lochside Drive) and the Lochside Trail.

See more details

Tuesday Birding
Tuesday Birding

June 3, 2025 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Corner of Bowker Ave. and Bowker Place, Victoria

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.

Novice and experienced Nature Victoria members are welcome!

For more information call Bill Dancer at 250-721-5273.

See more details

Birding Killarney Lake
Birding Killarney Lake

June 7, 2025 @ 7:30 am - 10:30 am
Hartland Regional Park, 1 Hartland Ave, Victoria, BC V9E 1J9, Canada

LEVEL 3.0
Meet: 7:30 a.m. at the parking lot next to Hartland landfill entrance.

Killarney Lake is located downslope on the eastern side of Mount Work near the Hartland Landfill, yet it has remained relatively undiscovered by most of the Victoria community. The lake is situated in a lush Douglas-fir forest that is home to Western Flycatcher, Olive-sided Flycatcher, wrens, various thrushes and warblers, and other species. We walk down the powerlines to the trail that circles the lake, on the way we may spot MacGillivray's Warbler in the scrub. As we move down into the forest, we'll be on the lookout for woodpeckers and owls. We'll circle the lake, stopping at main beach to scan for any waterbirds and swallows, before continuing on to where we entered the area. Total trail length is roughly 2.6 kilometres and has some steeper spots but is reasonable. The one caution is the powerlines approach as we'll be sharing the trail with mountain bikers.

DIRECTIONS: From West Saanich Road, head up Hartland Road all the way to the landfill. Parking lots are clearly marked.

See more details

Tuesday Birding
Tuesday Birding

June 10, 2025 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Corner of Bowker Ave. and Bowker Place, Victoria

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.

Novice and experienced Nature Victoria members are welcome!

For more information call Bill Dancer at 250-721-5273.

See more details

Florence Lake and Langford Lake Birding
Florence Lake and Langford Lake Birding

June 14, 2025 @ 7:30 am - 10:30 am
Victoria Region

FIELDTRIP (LEVEL 2)

Meet at 7:30 a.m. Join us at Florence Lake and Langford Lake. At Florence Lake, listen for Soras or Virginia Rails. Sometimes we find Steller's Jays, Band-tailed Pigeons, and other birds not too common in town. Then we'll continue to Langford Lake, to look for birds in the marshy areas, open fields, and woods. DIRECTIONS TO FLORENCE LAKE: Take the Island Highway to Exit 15 (McCallum Road). Turn right at the stop sign, and you will be on McCallum/Spencer Road. Turn left on Springboard Place. Park at the end of the road (not in the turnaround), where we will meet. DIRECTIONS TO LANGFORD LAKE: Return on McCallum/Spencer Road to the corner by the gas station. Curve around the front of the gas station onto the frontage road that leads to the Leigh Road overpass. Turn left at Leigh Road and cross the highway on the overpass. Turn right on Goldstream Avenue. Park at the west end of Goldstream Avenue just before it dead ends at the highway. Meet at the parking pullout; the group will walk to the boardwalk from there.

See more details

Tuesday Birding
Tuesday Birding

June 17, 2025 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Corner of Bowker Ave. and Bowker Place, Victoria

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.

Novice and experienced Nature Victoria members are welcome!

For more information call Bill Dancer at 250-721-5273.

See more details

Birding W̱MÍYEŦEN Nature Sanctuary (Mary Lake)
Birding W̱MÍYEŦEN Nature Sanctuary (Mary Lake)

June 21, 2025 @ 7:30 am - 10:30 am
Victoria Region

FIELDTRIP (LEVEL 1)

Meet at 7:30 a.m. A mostly level walk along a small lake and a circular trail through coniferous coastal Douglas-fir forest. In this private sanctuary and eBird hotspot, we should see and hear a good selection of woodpeckers, flycatchers, vireos, wrens, and warblers. A donation of $5 is requested to help offset the cost of property insurance for visitors. DIRECTIONS: 1772 Millstream Road in Highlands District. Park on the road; we will walk in.

See more details

Tuesday Birding
Tuesday Birding

June 24, 2025 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Corner of Bowker Ave. and Bowker Place, Victoria

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.

Novice and experienced Nature Victoria members are welcome!

For more information call Bill Dancer at 250-721-5273.

See more details

Saturday Birding
Saturday Birding

June 28, 2025 @ 8:00 am - 11:00 am
Victoria Region

FIELD TRIP (LEVEL 2)

Located in Gowlland Tod Provincial Park, the trail to Tod Inlet passes through a lush forest above Tod Creek before reaching the scenic inlet that is home to many different types of plants and wildlife. On the trail down to the inlet, we may find a few woodpecker species, warblers, Western Flycatcher, and possibly a few others. Down at the inlet, we'll see Purple Martin nest boxes. DIRECTIONS: The trail to Tod Inlet begins along Wallace Drive near Butchart Gardens. Follow West Saanich Road north from Royal Oak, turning left and driving north on to Wallace Drive. From Sidney, take Keating Road, cross West Saanich, and head toward Butchart Gardens. Near Butchart Gardens, turn on Wallace Drive and head south for 1 kilometre. Parking is along the roadside on Wallace Drive.

See more details

	June 2025
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
1 Monthly Butterfly Walk Monthly Butterfly Walk June 1, 2025 @ 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm Field trip (Level 2) Join us on our monthly Butterfly Walk. Each outing is intended to help us learn more about local butterflies. This field trip is weather-dependent as it needs to be sunny and warm to make it worthwhile. We start at the top of Mount Tolmie (off Cedar Hill X Road). Meet at 1 p.m. in the lot by the reservoir where we will have an initial look for butterflies and then decide where to go from there. Car-pooling is encouraged. We try to return by 4 p.m.  Cancellations or special instructions will be posted on the calendar closer to the date. Contact Gordon Hart at 250-721-1264 or butterflies@vicnhs.bc.ca for more information. See more details The Evening Chorus at Blenkinsop Lake The Evening Chorus at Blenkinsop Lake June 1, 2025 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm FIELD TRIP (LEVEL 1) Meet at 7:30 p.m. Blenkinsop Lake is a great place for evening birding. Commuting cyclists and group running clubs are done for the day and we should have the trail largely to ourselves. Late in the day, diurnal birds are starting to wind down but are still foraging for the day's last meal for themselves and their young. A few songbirds sing until late in the day or even for awhile after sunset. Crepuscular birds such as owls will be active. DIRECTIONS: Parking is available between Don Mann Excavating (4098 Lochside Drive) and the Lochside Trail. See more details • •	2	3 Tuesday Birding Tuesday Birding June 3, 2025 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Corner of Bowker Ave. and Bowker Place, Victoria 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. Novice and experienced Nature Victoria members are welcome! For more information call Bill Dancer at 250-721-5273. See more details •	4	5	6	7 Birding Killarney Lake Birding Killarney Lake June 7, 2025 @ 7:30 am - 10:30 am Hartland Regional Park, 1 Hartland Ave, Victoria, BC V9E 1J9, Canada LEVEL 3.0 Meet: 7:30 a.m. at the parking lot next to Hartland landfill entrance. Killarney Lake is located downslope on the eastern side of Mount Work near the Hartland Landfill, yet it has remained relatively undiscovered by most of the Victoria community. The lake is situated in a lush Douglas-fir forest that is home to Western Flycatcher, Olive-sided Flycatcher, wrens, various thrushes and warblers, and other species. We walk down the powerlines to the trail that circles the lake, on the way we may spot MacGillivray's Warbler in the scrub. As we move down into the forest, we'll be on the lookout for woodpeckers and owls. We'll circle the lake, stopping at main beach to scan for any waterbirds and swallows, before continuing on to where we entered the area. Total trail length is roughly 2.6 kilometres and has some steeper spots but is reasonable. The one caution is the powerlines approach as we'll be sharing the trail with mountain bikers. DIRECTIONS: From West Saanich Road, head up Hartland Road all the way to the landfill. Parking lots are clearly marked. See more details •
8	9	10 Tuesday Birding Tuesday Birding June 10, 2025 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Corner of Bowker Ave. and Bowker Place, Victoria 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. Novice and experienced Nature Victoria members are welcome! For more information call Bill Dancer at 250-721-5273. See more details •	11	12	13	14 Florence Lake and Langford Lake Birding Florence Lake and Langford Lake Birding June 14, 2025 @ 7:30 am - 10:30 am Victoria Region FIELDTRIP (LEVEL 2) Meet at 7:30 a.m. Join us at Florence Lake and Langford Lake. At Florence Lake, listen for Soras or Virginia Rails. Sometimes we find Steller's Jays, Band-tailed Pigeons, and other birds not too common in town. Then we'll continue to Langford Lake, to look for birds in the marshy areas, open fields, and woods. DIRECTIONS TO FLORENCE LAKE: Take the Island Highway to Exit 15 (McCallum Road). Turn right at the stop sign, and you will be on McCallum/Spencer Road. Turn left on Springboard Place. Park at the end of the road (not in the turnaround), where we will meet. DIRECTIONS TO LANGFORD LAKE: Return on McCallum/Spencer Road to the corner by the gas station. Curve around the front of the gas station onto the frontage road that leads to the Leigh Road overpass. Turn left at Leigh Road and cross the highway on the overpass. Turn right on Goldstream Avenue. Park at the west end of Goldstream Avenue just before it dead ends at the highway. Meet at the parking pullout; the group will walk to the boardwalk from there. See more details •
15	16	17 Tuesday Birding Tuesday Birding June 17, 2025 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Corner of Bowker Ave. and Bowker Place, Victoria 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. Novice and experienced Nature Victoria members are welcome! For more information call Bill Dancer at 250-721-5273. See more details •	18	19	20	21 Birding W̱MÍYEŦEN Nature Sanctuary (Mary Lake) Birding W̱MÍYEŦEN Nature Sanctuary (Mary Lake) June 21, 2025 @ 7:30 am - 10:30 am Victoria Region FIELDTRIP (LEVEL 1) Meet at 7:30 a.m. A mostly level walk along a small lake and a circular trail through coniferous coastal Douglas-fir forest. In this private sanctuary and eBird hotspot, we should see and hear a good selection of woodpeckers, flycatchers, vireos, wrens, and warblers. A donation of $5 is requested to help offset the cost of property insurance for visitors. DIRECTIONS: 1772 Millstream Road in Highlands District. Park on the road; we will walk in. See more details •
22	23	24 Tuesday Birding Tuesday Birding June 24, 2025 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Corner of Bowker Ave. and Bowker Place, Victoria 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. Novice and experienced Nature Victoria members are welcome! For more information call Bill Dancer at 250-721-5273. See more details •	25	26	27	28 Saturday Birding Saturday Birding June 28, 2025 @ 8:00 am - 11:00 am Victoria Region FIELD TRIP (LEVEL 2) Located in Gowlland Tod Provincial Park, the trail to Tod Inlet passes through a lush forest above Tod Creek before reaching the scenic inlet that is home to many different types of plants and wildlife. On the trail down to the inlet, we may find a few woodpecker species, warblers, Western Flycatcher, and possibly a few others. Down at the inlet, we'll see Purple Martin nest boxes. DIRECTIONS: The trail to Tod Inlet begins along Wallace Drive near Butchart Gardens. Follow West Saanich Road north from Royal Oak, turning left and driving north on to Wallace Drive. From Sidney, take Keating Road, cross West Saanich, and head toward Butchart Gardens. Near Butchart Gardens, turn on Wallace Drive and head south for 1 kilometre. Parking is along the roadside on Wallace Drive. See more details •
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