Indeed, the Victoria Airport is the last reliable stronghold for Sky Lark.
They can often be seen on runways or fields around them from perimeter fence
(albeit this is not best time of year as they are not singing/displaying
much and can be hard to spot otherwise). Best locale is at end of Canora
Road (at Ocean Avenue, not far from control tower on south-east side of
airport). Alternatively, you can try from the airport viewing area/picnic
site off Willingdon on west side (just past Budget Rent-a-Car lot).

In Vancouver, aside from Iona (which is phenomenal!), don't neglect Boundary
Bay dyke off Highway 10 in Delta (drive to end of either 112th, 96th, 72nd,
or 64th). If you time tides right, great shorebirding spectacle awaits (and
ususally a few falcons about stalking plovers and the like)...Nearby in
Tsawwassen, Beach Grove park can be good as well, along with the Roberts
Bank superport (but do not drive in too far as most of area is off-limits).

Good luck,
David Allinson
President, Rocky Point Bird Observatory
572 Atkins Avenue
Victoria, BC
V9B 3A3
Ph. (250)391-1786

Web site: www.islandnet.com/~rpbo
275 species and counting!
Look for a bargraph checklist coming soon.

"Not everything that can be counted counts,
and not everything that counts can be counted."
Albert Einstein


----- Original Message -----
From: "B&P Bell" <bellasoc at isomedia.com>
To: <mpmoskwik at hotmail.com>; <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Saturday, August 24, 2002 2:32 PM
Subject: Re: Vancouver B.C. Trip


> Matthew & Tweeters -
>
> An excellent spot for shorebirding is at the Iona Sewage Treatment
> Ponds, located on Iona Island north of the Vancouver Airport. This is
> also close to a jetty of the Frazier River. Another good spot for
> shorebirds is along Boundary Bay with a number of access points (just
> south of Hwy 99 and Hwy 10 in Delta). The Crested Mynas have been seen
> fairly recently in the 2nd and Wylie vicinity, but they are spotty. Some
> people apparently have their timing right and see them easily, other
> have spent considerable time there without seeing them. Look for a
> couple of blocks around the vicinity. The Skylarks are seen regularly at
> the Victoria International Airport in Sidney. We saw them there on the
> afternoon of August 12th in a field near the parking lots at the main
> entrance. You are probably going to have to walk the fields as they are
> not doing much singing this time of year.
>
> A number of the Canadian folks can probably give you more locations (or
> better directions).
>
> Good birding,
>
> Brian H. Bell
> Woodinville Wa
> bellasoc at isomedia.com
>
> Matthew Moskwik wrote:
>
> > Tweeters, In about two weeks I'm going to spend a few days in
> > Vancouver, B.C. I'd like to do a little birding while I'm there, so I
> > was wondering if anyone had any good shorebirding and/or passerine
> > birding locations around Vancouver. Also I was wondering whether the
> > Crested Mynas were still being seen around 2nd and Wylie, as they
> > would be a life bird for me? Apparently, their numbers are declining,
> > so I'd like to see them before they completely disappear. Also, are
> > Eurasian Skylarks still being seen around Victoria? If so, does
> > anybody know where I might be able to find them? Thanks. Matthew
> > MoskwikCheney, WAmpmoskwik at hotmail.com
>
>
>