Esquimalt Lagoon Migratory Bird Sanctuary Wildlife Watching

Colwood's Esquimalt Lagoon lies west of Esquimalt Harbour. The Colwood Waterfront offers kilometers of gorgeous ocean shoreline with views of Victoria at one end and the Olympic Mountains' spectacular snow-capped peaks at the other. The vista is completed by the Fisgard Lighthouse. On December 12, 1931, the Esquimalt Lagoon MBS was founded. The lagoon's shallow tidal waters attract tens of thousands of ducks from October to May, making it one of the region's best bird watching locations. The lagoon provides abundant feeding grounds and a safe haven for birds traveling up and down the Pacific coast. Year-round, a number of tiny streams run into the lagoon, providing habitat for Cutthroat, Trout, and Coho Salmon, as well as other aquatic species. Bivalves, sand dollars, sea lettuce, and eelgrass may all be found in plenty in the lagoon itself. During periods of cold weather when freshwater lakes and ponds freeze, the lagoon becomes crucial for waterfowl, especially those wintering inland. For permanent and migratory birds, mudflats, eelgrass, and estuary fringe marsh habitats provide good feeding and nesting opportunities. Waterfowl use two gravel-bar islands and a rocky outcropping near the entry as crucial refuge places. Large flocks of gulls and herons can often be seen feeding here. During periods of cold weather when freshwater lakes and ponds freeze, the lagoon becomes crucial for waterfowl, especially those wintering inland. For permanent and migratory birds, mudflats, eelgrass, and estuary fringe marsh habitats provide good feeding and nesting opportunities. Waterfowl use two gravel-bar islands and a rocky outcropping near the entry as crucial refuge places. Large flocks of gulls and herons can often be seen feeding here.

Esquimalt Lagoon Migratory Bird Sanctuary Bird Watching

The Esquimalt Lagoon Migratory Bird Sanctuary is a great place to go bird watching, and it also has a lot of other things to do. Let's start with the birds, as this is a bird sanctuary: Snow geese, ducks, and gulls are some of the most typical sightings in this area. Heermann's gulls, Bonaparte's gulls, ring-billed gulls, California gulls, western gulls, mew gulls, glaucous-winged gulls, and Caspian terns are among the species seen in this area. Black-bellied plover, black and ruddy turnstones, black oystercatcher, dunlin, dowitcher, killdeer, western and least sandpipers, sanderling, semipalmated plover, and greater yellowlegs are among the shorebirds in season. The lagoon is one of British Columbia's seven Migratory Bird Sanctuaries and an important stopover for birds migrating between North and South America. Look around, and you'll see blue herons standing gracefully in the shallow water, oystercatchers and terns along the coast, mallards and mergansers swimming past, and bald eagles flying overhead. Please keep dogs on a leash to safeguard this delicate ecosystem and nesting region.

Birds Inhabiting Esquimalt Lagoon Migratory Bird Sanctuary

Western Meadowlark

Horned Lark

Common Tern

America Golden-plover

Eurasian Wigeon

Cormorants

American Coot

Mallard

Northern Pintail

Green-winged Teal

American Wigeon

Hooded Merganser

Black Oystercatcher

Pacific Great Blue Heron

Canvasback

Bufflehead

The Best Wildlife Watching Tour Guide on Vancouver Island

The lagoon attracts visitors who come to enjoy the wildlife, walk along the beach, picnic, beach comb, sunbathe on the sand, splash in the cold water, kayak, and scuba dive. It's a wonder where you'll spend your vacation on the island, especially if your main goal is to go bird watching. Birds, in reality, do not build their nests in areas that are highly visible and accessible. As a result, you'll need someone familiar with the location and the animals that live there. Who better to guide people on such trips than those who have spent their whole lives doing so? Vanisle Wildlife tour professionals with over a decade of guiding expertise are on hand to make your visit to Esquimalt Lagoon Migratory Bird Sanctuary on Vancouver Island as enjoyable as possible. In addition, wildlife watching tour companies can provide services (such as meals and boats) to make your trip more pleasant and memorable. They also know the busiest times of the day and the best sites in Esquimalt Lagoon Migratory Bird Sanctuary to see a variety of bird species. So, if you go on Esquimalt Lagoon Migratory Bird Sanctuary bird viewing excursions with a tour guide, you won't return back empty-handed. We are happy to be responsible for whale-watching, bear-watching, bird-watching, and wildlife-watching tour operators, and we are eager to teach our clients about the marvels and fragility and the wonders of Esquimalt Lagoon Migratory Bird Sanctuary.