Today I stopped in at Swan Lake to see how spring was progressing. Progressing is the wrong word because it seems that spring is in full swing with many of the trees getting there leaves and even flowers! Along with all the new growth it seems like the bird population has swelled as the weather has warmed up.
A Bewick’s Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
There where also a number of Ring-necked Ducks (Aythya collaris).
Victoria British Columbia is a wonderful place for photographers to get a sampling of the amazing natural beauty that Vancouver Island and BC has to offer. This list is in no way complete and is just a fraction of sights that Vancouver Island, BC and even Victoria has to offer.
Cattle Point is a small park that has a panoramic view of the Olympic mountains across from Victoria. This park is popular due to its easy access and easy walking trails. Although this is a pretty tame park there is no shortage of good photo opportunities here. This is a great location to catch a sunrise from or if you are more interested in wildlife you can often spot river otters feeding in the evenings and of course you can often spot shore birds darting around the rocks.
The Swan Lake Christmas Hill nature sanctuary is a great place to take in some local wildlife while not having to leave the city. The lake and surrounding native plants make for an oasis that birds and subsequently other wildlife flocks too. Even if you are not into bird watching you can still enjoy the beautiful trails that circle this urban oasis.
Clover Point is a popular location with tourists visiting the city of Victoria. This park offers a waterfront path near downtown that follows along the ocean front looking down onto a pebbled beach with the Olympic Mountains rising above the ocean in the distance. Along with being a great location to take in the sunset it is also another hot spot for shore birds and if you pay close attention often a seal or two.
Esquimalt Lagoon is a great location for birds specially during migrations as many birds use this area as stop over before continuing on there journey. Although this location is most attractive to birders it also offers some decent spots for sunsets and other landscape shots.
Goldstream Provincial Park is not quite in Victoria but it is very close and has some of the best opportunities for photography in the area. During the late fall and early winter you can witness the salmon swimming up the river to spawn and with that the flocks of gulls and eagles. At any time of the year there are plenty of hiking trails ranging from easy to advanced which all offer glimpses into the Pacific North-West’s amazing ecosystem ranging from temperate coastal rainforest to rocky outcroppings and mountains.
So are you saying these are the only good places to take photos in Victoria? Absolutely not, there are many more places and I am sure I will get around to writing about them but I wanted to keep this article somewhat short. Be sure to keep a look out for future articles exploring Victoria and beyond. If you do have your own personal favourites feel free to let me know, you can leave a comment or send me an email.
I have been feeling under the weather the past few days but managed to get out for a bit this Saturday and made my way to Swan Lake. Looks like spring is on the way, there where a few signs fresh green sprouts. I got there a bit late but I did manage to capture a Song Sparrow (Melospiza Melodia) doing a little dance.
Today while I was at Swan lake I stopped in at the nature house and had a short visit with a Western toad (Bufo boreas).
Around Victoria you seem to see a lot of great blue herons around at various locations. I find it quite amazing that these birds always have such slight differences that can make them so unique.
