Sites
Our Locations
RPBO operates at the following sites.
RPBO operates our Passerine Migration Monitoring and Northern Saw-whet Owl Monitoring programs here.
Pedder Bay Marina, owned by the Oak Bay Marine Group, has been very accommodating and supportive of RPBO since our site was established there in 2011.
Because of its proximity to patrons of the marina and campground, the site offers RPBO an opportunity for community education. We offer bird walks on Thursdays and Sundays during the banding season. The site is also used for training volunteers.
Download a complete eBird Checklist (pdf) of the species that can be seen at Pedder Bay.
Directions to Pedder Bay Marina.
RPBO operates our Passerine Migration Monitoring and Northern Saw-whet Owl Monitoring programs here.
**This site has RESTRICTED ACCESS and is not open to the public.**
Download a complete eBird Checklist (PDF) of the species that can be seen at Rocky Point.
This site is on lands operated by the Department of National Defense. Special clearance is required for RPBO members and no one without the requisite DND clearance may go onto the site.
There is cell phone reception at the banding station.
There is a portable toilet about a 5-minute walk from the banding station.
RPBO operates a MAPS program at Witty's Lagoon under a research permit granted yearly by CRD Parks. The site is in a grassy meadow and forested area behind the public beach.
Download a complete eBird checklist (PDF) of the species that can be seen at Witty's Lagoon.
Cell phone service is available from the beach.
RPBO established a MAPS program site on the Power To Be property on Prospect Lake in 2021.
**This site has RESTRICTED ACCESS and is not open to the public.**
Download a complete eBird checklist (PDF) of the species that have been seen at Power-To-Be Prospect Lake.
Cell reception is available, and there is a portable toilet on site.
In case of fire or emergency, call 911.
The following map shows the locations of many of the banding sites in our program. Go here to learn more.
On the 2nd Sunday of each month, starting at 9:00 am, RPBO volunteers host guided bird walks through Outerbridge Park (Victoria). Everyone is welcome! For a list of birds you might encounter while visiting the park, see our brochure Birds of Outerbridge Park or the Outerbridge Park eBird CheckList
This property, located at 1181 Royal Oak Drive, was owned by Mrs. Joan Outerbridge from the late 1980s to 2005. She purchased parcels of adjoining land as they came available, and dedicated her time to creating gardens, ponds and landscape features that would provide an oasis for wildlife, particularly birds. For a number of years, the property was known locally as the ‘Shangri-La Bird and Nature Sanctuary’ and was open to the public. Mrs. Outerbridge sold the property to the Municipality of Saanich with the understanding that the park would be kept as a bird and nature sanctuary.
The main entrance is off of Royal Oak Drive, and pedestrian access is from Blenkinsop Road. The site includes handicap-accessible trails, benches, an interpretive sign, three ponds and Lochside Creek. A wide variety of native and ornamental plants can be seen in formal and naturalistic settings; many are chosen for the food and shelter they offer birds.
Rocky Point Bird Observatory was a recipient of financial support from the estate of Mrs. Outerbridge and is committed to supporting her vision to provide a place to know and love birds.
Visiting our Sites
For your safety, and the safety of all staff and volunteers (and the birds!), please ensure you are familiar with this protocol before visiting our stations. RPBO-Fire-Plan
The Pedder Bay site is open daily from July 21 to October 18 for Songbird Fall Migration. The number of birds caught does drop dramatically around the second week of October.
Staff and Volunteer shifts start half an hour before sunrise and run for 6 hours. The best time to visit would be between 8 and 10am (earlier is better!).
Bird Walks are scheduled at 9am on Thursdays and Sundays. Meet the bird walk leader at the Pedder Bay Coffee Shop before 9am. You’ll be treated to an educational bird walk (flat terrain) followed by a visit to the bird banding station where you can see the birds up close! Everyone is welcome; bring binoculars if you’ve got them, and learn about the local birds!
Please monitor the weather on the day of your visit as adverse weather (high winds and/or rain) may require us to close our operations at short notice. For bird safety, nets are closed if there is rain or high winds.
Access Instructions
Directions to Pedder Bay Marina in Metchosin.
If you are coming with a large group, please carpool; we have been asked to limit the number of vehicles.
PARKING:> Parking is in the grassy area adjacent to the marina parking lot, against the log behind the check-in kiosk. If for any reason you are unable to park behind the kiosk, then please be careful where you park. (If you park too close to the boat trailers fishermen may not be able to get out. Leave at least 2 or 3 car lengths distance between the trailer hitch and your car.)
If an RPBO volunteer is not meeting you at the parking area, then walk back down the road you drove in on, look for an orange cone on the right side of the road about 100 meters past the 2nd speed bump. Walk up the trail to the banding station (to your right at the junction).
Cell phone reception is typically available, though may be weak for some providers. In an emergency, there are landlines in the office.
There is a coffee shop/snack bar at the marina which is open early.
There are two heated, full-service washrooms, one at the campground, and the other in the coffee house.
Dates & Time:
RPBO's Nocturnal Owl Monitoring runs every night from September 15 to October 31. Volunteer shifts start at sunset, and run for 6 hours. Guest visits are open to the public on certain nights, for one-hour time slots.
Weather:
Please monitor the weather on the day - adverse weather (high winds or rain) may require us to close our operations on short notice, for the safety of the birds.
Public Visits:
Tickets are free and operated through Eventbrite. For special event group visits, please contact us and we'll try to arrange a date (subject to staffing).
Access Instructions:
Directions to Pedder Bay Marina in Metchosin
Parking is in the grassy area at the end of the marina's main parking lot. Park against the large logs behind the Check-in Kiosk. If you are unable to park here (the chain may be up), then Owl Night visitors can park at the near end of the main lot. *Please be mindful to park well away from all trailers and boats.*
If you are coming with a large group, please carpool; we have been asked to limit the number of vehicles.
If an RPBO volunteer is not meeting you at the parking area, then walk back down the road you drove in on. Look for an orange cone and a wooden ramp on the right hand side of the road about 100m past the 2nd speed bump. Walk up the dirt trail to the banding station. Keep right at the junction about 25m up, and you'll see the lights of the station.
Cell phone reception is typically poor or unavailable, for some providers.
There is a heated, full service washroom at the campground.
The coffee shop is closed during owl banding.
RPBO's MAPS program (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) runs on a periodic basis from May 31st through August 8th. Under the MAPS protocol we visit each of our sites once in each 10 day period. Here are the dates we’ll be at the Witty's Lagoon Regional Park site.
- Tuesday, July 2 – 5:00 am to 12:30 pm
- Friday, July 12 – 5:10 am to 12:40 pm
- Saturday, July 20 – 5:20 am to 12:50 pm
- Friday, August 2 – 5:30 am to 2:00 pm
Please monitor the weather on the day of your visit, as adverse weather (high winds and/or rain) may require us to close our operations on short notice.
Access
The banding site is in the orchard behind the picnic area on the beach. From either the main Witty’s Lagoon parking lot on Metchosin Road or the Witty Beach Road parking lot, make your way down to the beach and find the information kiosk near the picnic tables. Near the kiosk you’ll see a grassy trail to a large oak tree. Follow that trail into the orchard. You'll find the bander and other volunteers in that area.
There is an outhouse on the beach about a 5 minute walk from the banding station.
A New Building for Rocky Point Bird Observatory
We have monitored fall migrating songbirds for the last 29 years on DND lands at Canadian Forces Ammunition Depot Rocky Point, using a simple lean-to as a Banding Station which was open to the weather and provided only partial protection from the elements. Thanks to a very successful partnership with Royal Bay Secondary School, RPBO now has a new secure bird banding building. Read More