Birds of Mill Bay

251 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Mill Bay (British Columbia) since 2010, across 171,048 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are American Robin, Dark-eyed Junco and Chestnut-backed Chickadee.

Mill Bay is backyard-bird country: 66% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. American Robin, Dark-eyed Junco, Chestnut-backed Chickadee and Spotted Towhee make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

22 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Bald Eagle, Turkey Vulture and Red-tailed Hawk.

Records peak in December and are lowest in August — about 3.2 times as many in the busiest month. Part of that is birds (migrants and breeding arrivals), part is people: more birders are out in good weather, so treat the curve as activity, not a census.

Shawnigan Lake, 4 mi to the west, has fewer species on record (210 against 251). Birds logged far more often around Mill Bay than there include Savannah Sparrow and Eurasian Skylark.

Daylight runs from 16 h 9 min at midsummer to 8 h 17 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:25 AM in mid-April and 5:11 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Foods for the most recorded backyard birds here, from our species notes.

• American Robin

  Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets

• Dark-eyed Junco

  White proso millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn

• Chestnut-backed Chickadee

  Black-oil sunflower · Suet

• Spotted Towhee

  Millet · Sunflower chips

• Anna's Hummingbird

  Sugar water: 1 part sugar to 4 parts water

• Song Sparrow

  Millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn

• Shawnigan Lake4 mi west · 210 species
• Deep Cove4 mi north-east · 268 species
• Brentwood Bay6 mi south-east · 306 species
• Cowichan Bay7 mi north-west · 261 species
• Sidney7 mi east · 297 species
• Saanichton7 mi south-east · 303 species