Flowering Cherry

The flowering plums are pretty well finished now and the flowering cherries are taking their place. On my way out to Cadboro Bay to photograph the grounded sailboat I passed this glorious specimen and had to stop and take a photograph. That's Cadboro Bay visible on the right.

On the Beach 2

Continuing the theme of floating things on the beach, here's another casualty of recent stormy weather, on the beach at Cadboro Bay. I'm guessing this one broke loose during a storm from its mooring at the yacht club (visible on the left in the photo below) and then was pushed up onto the beach by waves and wind.

Cadborosaurus

As well as having a nice beach, Cadboro Bay is home to Cadborosaurus willsi, a large sea-serpent. What we see here is a playground representation of "Caddy" that is much enjoyed by younger visitors to the beach. You can find out more about Caddy by visiting the Wikipedia link HERE.

Cadboro Bay Beach

Cadboro Bay is named after the Hudson's Bay Company ship Cadboro. It was the ship that carried James Douglas to Victoria when he founded the settlement here. Cadboro Bay is a relatively large bay (compared to Foul Bay, for example) and the sandy beach is quite extensive. In the photo above, the cluster of sailboats on the left are moored at the Royal Victoria Yacht Club.

Cadboro Bay

Cattle Point divides Oak Bay and Cadboro Bay. While I was looking for birds, others were watching the small sailboats racing in Cadboro Bay.

Cadboro Bay from Cattle Point

I visited Cattle Point on the eastern shore of Victoria to see if there were any shorebirds there. It's a beautiful viewpoint, especially for looking north towards Cadboro Bay, which view is pictured above. I didn't see any shorebirds aside from a few Black Oystercatchers but thanks to a friendly birder who alerted me, I was able to add a new species to my life list, the Rhinoceros Auklet (Cerorhinca monocerata). The photos below are only suitable for identification. My only excuse for such poor photos is that the Rhinoceros Auklets were so far offshore as to be little more than black dots to the naked eye and not much larger through a 500mm supertelephoto lens. However, in the photos below the distinctive white eye plumes and projecting horn at the base of the upper bill are clear identification features.Cattle Point seems to be a good place in general to view some of our urban wildlife. The photo below shows a Northern Otter, a Crow and two Canada Geese sharing a bit of rocky shoreline, quite unconcerned by a photographer and a class of primary school students roaming around in the near vicinity.

Beaches 2 - Cadboro Bay

Closer to the city's centre than yesterday's featured beach is Cadboro Bay, reputed home of the famed Cadborosaurus (Cadborosaurus willsi) or "Caddy" as she is affectionately known by the locals. This sea monster lurking in the bay doesn't deter sailors such as the young lad learning the ropes above. And Cadboro Bay's sandy beach seems like an inviting place to doze and get a start on one's tan.

In 1842 when James Douglas, the founder of the city of Victoria, first sailed along this coast, he anchored in Cadboro Bay and the bay was named after the schooner he was on, the Hudson's Bay Company ship, the Cadboro.

Cadborosaurus

The picture above is Cadboro Bay. I went there to see a sea lion that apparently had hauled itself up onto the beach to moult and had become a local celebrity for doing so. I suspect it was embarrassed by all the attention and swam off to find a quieter location because it was not there today. But it was a bright, sunny day so I didn't mind. Cadboro Bay has a nice, sandy beach although I think the youngsters to the right are jumping the gun a bit on wading. (I was wearing gloves and they were running around barefoot.) However, although there was no sea lion I realize I have been remiss in not mentioning before that this bay is home to the legendary Cadborosaurus willsi, a local version of the Loch Ness monster. Below is a sculpture of "Caddy" that graces the children's playground in Gyro Park, attached to Cadboro Bay Beach.