Birds, Hardhack & Mountain Sneezeweed – Uplands Park – July 28-2013

An enthusiastic group met to day at 8:00AM, at Cattle Point in Uplands Park, to enjoy the Friends of Uplands Park monthly Sunday Bird Walk, led by Geoffrey and Dave Newell.



The “mystery” patch of beautiful yellow flowers is Mountain Sneezeweed, fronting an expanse of Hardhack, and lining either side of one of the muddiest winter-spring paths into the Central Meadow. The muddy path is actually a vernal pool and full of what seems to be algae in the spring, now appearing as dry gray sheets at the base of the Sneezeweed.

Uplands Park Featured in Oak Bay News — “Blackberry-picking a priority in Oak Bay “

In case you missed it, there was some drama in Uplands Park on Tuesday, July 16, 2013: namely, an attempt to save a favourite blackberry patch in Uplands Park, from further destruction.

Read the article in the July 18th issue of the Oak Bay News ” Blackberry-picking a priority in Oak Bay ” at   http://www.vicnews.com/neighbourhoods/oak_bay/216087041.html

The “unpublished story”: Oak Bay Parks set themselves the task of cleaning out the Midland Road ditch to ensure water flows freely, but in so doing, was also clear cutting a popular blackberry picking patch that grows on either side of the Midland Road ditch in Uplands Park. A lone bicyclist, en route to work, was horrified that the blackberry patch was being sacrificed, as collateral damage, and urged Oak Bay Parks to find a way to deal with the ditch cleaning without destroying any more of the Blackberry patch. To their credit, Oak Bay Parks, decided to postpone further ditch work until after blackberry season. It is hoped that Oak Bay Parks will find a more sensitive way to address the ditch work and also find a way to do so without further wide scale destruction of this popular blackberry patch.

Geoffrey Newell – Birder Extraordinaire – Oak Bay News Feature Article

Our Friends of Uplands Park Bird Walk leader, has been featured, front page, in the July 26, Oak Bay News. Article at http://www.vicnews.com/eeditions/?iid=i20130726070301591

Birding with Geoffrey and the Friends of Uplands Park – Sun. July 28 at 8:00 a.m

Communication from Dave Newell:

The next two birdings with Geoffrey and the Friends of Uplands Park are

• Sun. July 28 at 8:00 a.m 
• Sun. Aug. 11 at 8:00 a.m

Please meet us in the large parking lot out at the end of Cattle Point this Sunday. We hope to see you there!

 

We are sorry to say that there will be no at the end of August as Geoffrey and his brother Jean will be representing Canada at the Pan American Karate Tournament in Columbia, South America at the end of August.

Geoffrey, however, will also be giving a lesson for the Capital Regional District out at Witty’s Lagoon on Sunday, August 18 at 9:00 a.m., meeting at the Nature House.  Witty’s affords an excellent place to observe migrating sandpipers and other shorebirds.

Perhaps you noticed Geoffrey’s photo on the front page of the Oak Bay News (and perhaps Victoria News – we have not checked yet) this Friday, July 26. [See:  http://www.vicnews.com/eeditions/?iid=i20130726070301591]

Thank you for coming out on all the bird trips.  We are very grateful for everyone’s participation.

As always, we really enjoyed our last experience with all of you.  Perhaps you would like to bring a friend this Sunday as well.   Again, we never tire taking pleasure in watching for the seasonal changes in birds and wildflowers within the endangered Garry Oak Ecosystem and along the shoreline.

Below are the bird lists from out last trips.

Victoria–Cattle Point, Capital, CA-BC
Jun 9, 2013 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 kilometer(s)
Comments:     sunny, warm, breezy, low tide
1 Eared Grebe in breeding plumage
30 species (+1 other taxa)
Canada Goose  2
Double-crested Cormorant  1
Great Blue Heron  2
Turkey Vulture  4
Bald Eagle  4
Black Oystercatcher  5
Glaucous-winged Gull  30
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  1
Pigeon Guillemot  20
Anna’s Hummingbird  8
Rufous Hummingbird  1
Downy Woodpecker  2
Northwestern Crow  15
Violet-green Swallow  2
Barn Swallow  2
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  10
Bushtit  4
Red-breasted Nuthatch  2
Bewick’s Wren  6
American Robin  2
European Starling  5
Cedar Waxwing  12
Orange-crowned Warbler  2
Spotted Towhee  15
Chipping Sparrow  1
Song Sparrow  2
Brown-headed Cowbird  10
House Finch  5
Red Crossbill  1
Pine Siskin  3
American Goldfinch  8

Summer Birding in Uplands Park with Geoffrey Newell

Summer Birding in Uplands Park with Geoffrey Newell, hosted by the Friends of Uplands Park.

Sunday, July 28 at 8:00 a.m.
Sunday, August 11 at 8:00 a.m.

Meeting at Cattle Point in the large parking lot down near the shoreline. Bring your binoculars.