In a letter send October 27th to Park Managers and Planners from the 5 municipalities surrounding the Victoria Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Jacques Sirois noted that:

Today, VHMBS is 93 years old. It is the oldest Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Pacific Canada. Amazingly, it is older but better, cleaner and wilder; a great, positive story thanks to the efforts of many.

He thanked the people responsible for new signage for the Sanctuary as well as

the CRD, the Bateman Centre, Friends of Shoal Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary, and Nature Canada for their support.

He mentioned that; “This morning near Kitty Islet,  there was a feeding frenzy of gulls and cormorants on Pacific Herring, with Buffleheads, Common Loons, Western Grebes, Marbled Murrelets, Rhinoceros Auklets, Heermann’s Gulls, Surf Scoters and others nearby, an unusual and fantastic scene for an urban area”.  He also forwarded the photos below to illustrate his comments

Thanks, Jacques and Happy Birthday VHMBS!

1 of 5 new signs in Oak Bay, this one at Kitty Islet, installed Oct. 14, 2016 on All Buffleheads Day 2016

Juvenile Pacific Herring in eelgrass on the beach at Kitty Islet, Oct. 20, after a feeding frenzy of Heermann’s Gulls and Glaucous-winged Gulls