FIELD TRIP
Victoria, British Columbia
A few days on Vancouver Island's southern coast, spent mostly at the water's edge — low tide pools, rocky points, and the kind of quiet that makes herons and oystercatchers feel like the main event rather than background birds.
Great blue herons turned up everywhere, patient and unbothered, working the shallows for an easy meal. Black oystercatchers lined up along the kelp-stained rocks like they'd been arranged for the photo. A crow held court on the sunbleached logs. And offshore, a harbour seal hauled out to do absolutely nothing, which felt about right for the pace of the trip. Love those curly whiskers!
This collection is what came home with me from those few days — the birds, the light, and the long stretches of coastline in between.
Clouds at sunset flying into Victoria
Great Blue Heron wading with reflection, shoreline, Oak Bay
Great Blue Heron standing on seaweed, Oak Bay
Great Blue Heron grooming in the shallows, Oak Bay
Five black oystercatchers on lichen-covered rocks against blue sea, Oak Bay
Crow calling from a weathered log, backlit, Oak Bay
Crow perched on sun-bleached driftwood in front of beach grass, Oak Bay
Four black oystercatchers resting on a rocky point, two with heads tucked, Oak Bay
Four black oystercatchers lined up on a lichen-covered rock, Oak Bay
Two harbour seals and pup hauled out on seaweed-covered rocks at the water's edge, southern Vancouver Island
Flock of black turnstones resting on a rocky islet above the sea, southern Vancouver Island
Cormorants on a white-streaked rocky islet, several drying their wings, southern Vancouver Island
Rhinoceros auklet swimming on open water, southern Vancouver Island
Wide view of French beach at low tide, framed by evergreens, southern Vancouver Island
Pale hair lichen growing on bare, twisting branches, southern Vancouver Island
Adult gull standing beside its fluffy chick on a rocky outcrop, Salish sea
Harbour seal resting on a barnacle-covered rock, looking at the camera, southern Vancouver Island near Sidney
Panorama of inlet seen from the Malahat, southern Vancouver Island