Impromptu Birding Bike Ride tomorrow at Sunrise

Hello friends —

Sorry for the long absence in communication, this late spring and summer were very full of traveling to academic conferences and (sadly) did not leave much time for birding! Preparing for my new course at UVic, Political Ecology, has also been quite demanding.

However, I am going to be out tomorrow with a few bird-curious friends making our way by bicycle from míqәn (Beacon Hill Park) to Blankinsop Lake. We’ll gather at the south corner of Southgate and Quadra St. just after sunrise, or around 7:30am. If anyone from the past Bird Language meet-ups wants to join, that would be great! Here’s the location—

The ride will be about 9km and the suggested biking time is 40 minutes (I imagine we will go much slower). We can stop along the way for birding at Bamfield Park and Swan Lake, depending how much time folks have. I have another event to carry on to afterward, but there will probably be a few folks doing the return route together or there are also transit options around there to make your way home with your bike.

Sorry for the last minute nature of this announcement, and I look forward to planning some more workshops and meet-ups in the Spring of 2024 and will send out out further notice! Hope everyone has been enjoying those Golden Crowned Sparrow songs around our neighbourhoods, I am finding they are especially active and vocal this year. The finches (Amercan Goldfinch, House Finch) were also making a great racket from my mom’s balcony in Cook St. Village yesterday. I guess they are all enjoying the sunshine. Anyways, there will be at least three of us for the ride tomorrow morning and I hope a few of you can make it despite the last minute nature of this announcement.

Happy Fall.

—Julian