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June 21, 2026 Roberts Bay Residents Newsletter: Birds, Boat Tours and Green Crab Monitoring

The latest newsletter from the Roberts Bay Residents group celebrates the arrival of summer and highlights several opportunities to learn more about and help protect the natural wonders of Roberts Bay.

1. Birds in the Bay

Roberts Bay is home to fewer bird species in summer than in winter. Recent ebird checklists  confirm what we observe and hear from neighbours: Canada Geese, Great Blue Herons, Mallards, and Glaucous Winged Gulls are the seabirds present in large numbers now. Northwestern Crows are regulars. Bald Eagles, Ospreys and Kingfishers put in frequent appearances. In May, an Oystercatcher spent about a week foraging at the waterline in front of the Mermaid Creek estuary. Shrubs and trees on the backshore are also home to white crowned sparrows, robins, woodpeckers and many, many other species.
 

2. Boat Tours of the Bird Sanctuary

Friends of Shoal Harbour is offering its very popular boat tours of the Bird Sanctuary again this year. Go to the FOSH website or see the poster attached to this newsletter for dates and tickets. If you want a tour, act quickly because there are only a few tickets left!

3. Check Up! Final Report is out.

The final report of the Saanich Peninsula Environmental Coalition’s Check-Up! project in collaboration with SFU’s ACT – Action on Climate Team, is published! The full report and two page sumaries for each indicator can be found on PlaceSpeak:  http://placespeak.com/saanichpeninsulabioregion.
 
If you participated in any of the Check Up! surveys and events over the past years, thank you! The report identifies a way forward to improve municipal stewardship of the environment  in the Saanich Peninsula bioregion, which contributes so much to the mental and physical health of our communities. 
 
To find the report, the Executive Summary and the 2 page condensed overviews for each indicator, click on the link and scroll down on the PlaceSpeak page or use the Resources tab at the top of the home page. For example, the 2 page summary for Living Shorelines identifies six key opportunities for better coordination and consistency including “Coordinated peninsula-wide tracking of shoreline condition, habitat loss, and cumulative coastal impacts to support adaptive management at a bioregional scale.”
 
There is a municipal election this fall (October 17, 2026). How can the information in the Check Up! report help us elect Councillors who will be champions of a  better collaborative approach to the peninsula bioregion?

4. European Green Crab trapping in Roberts Bay

In the late summer of 2023, the Peninsula Streams and Shorelines Society’s Beach Program and trained volunteers from Roberts Bay Residents  conducted early detection trapping in Roberts Bay for the highly invasive European Green Crab. None were found at that time but, recognizing the importance of repeat monitoring, Friends of Shoal Harbour is sponsoring Peninsula Streams to conduct 2 follow-up trappinng sessions this summer: 
– 11 am July 29 and Juy 30
– 10 am August 26 and 27
To volunteer, observe, or ask questions, chloe.kraemer@peninsulastreams.ca.The traps are set on day 1 and retrieved on day 2 when the animals caught are identified, measured and recorded.  Hopefully, there will still be no Green Crabs but it is fascinating to learn about the creatures that live in Roberts Bay. 

Why is it important to keep checking for European Green Crabs in our bay?  Peninsula Streams and Shorelines Society’s Beach Program web page has lots of good information about these crabs, including the locations of established populations and where small detections are being monitored, eg. The Gorge Waterway and Ganges Harbour. “Extremely adaptable to a wide range of environmental conditions, green crabs are able to quickly establish in a variety of habitats and climates. Once they do, these crabs have a major ecological impact, outcompeting native species for food, excavating eelgrass beds during foraging and burrowing, and heavily predating on a number of native species such as clams, oysters, mussels, snails, small fish, and shore crabs. Their impact on eelgrass beds is of particular concern due to their role as critical estuary habitat for outmigrating juvenile salmon.

Once a population of European green crabs has established, it’s virtually impossible to fully eliminate them. Early detection and prevention of this species in our local waters is key; by getting ahead of the problem and removing individuals before they have a chance to reproduce, we can protect our native populations and habitats from this harmful invasive species.” 

5. Fifth Annual Roberts Bay Criss Cross Date

Expect lots of activity in Roberts Bay between 3 and 6:30 pm July 25th as the Aquanuts do their annual swims across Roberts Bay accompanied by a support fleet of paddleboards and small boats. As always, the swimmers would appreciate encouraging applause from spectators on the shore, but please give them lots of space. More information at the Aquanuts Criss Cross Facebook page.  To learn more about the Aquanuts in general, here is their regular Facebook page.

We wish you all a very happy, safe, summer.
 
Roberts Bay Residents
 
Jocelyn Gifford, Communications
We welcome your feedback and suggestions. Just reply to this newsletter or write to robertsbayres@gmail.com. 
 
To unsubscribe, simply reply to this email or write to robertsbayres@gmail.com
 
Our mission: We are a small group of friends who live on Roberts Bay or nearby and work together to preserve the ecology of the bay for future generations  by promoting eological understanding among neighbours through newsletters, relationships, and volunteer projects.
 
“Our vision is to build a future in which our community lives in harmony with the living wonders of Roberts Bay and where the natural beauty and functionality of the ecosystems of the bay are preserved and enhanced to ensure that this very special place remains a safe refuge for wildlife and a source of inspiration for its present and future residents and visitors.”
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