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Sidney Channel (BC047)

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Sidney Channel (BC047)

Saanich Peninsula, Colombie-Britannique

Latitude 48,626°N
Longitude 123,358°O
Altitude 0m
Superficie 87,10km²

Description du site

Sidney Channel is a 4 km wide body of water that lies along the extreme southeast shore of Vancouver Island between James Island (and the larger Saanich Peninsula) and Sidney Island. Along with Haro Strait, it connects the Juan de Fuca and Georgia Straits. Both Sidney and James Island are overlain by unconsolidated glacio-marine and outwast sand deposits. Large schools of a smelt, known as sandlance, reproduce in the sand, and subsequently attract large flocks of seabirds in spring and summer. The eroded sand has also formed a lagoon at the northwestern end of Sidney Island, which attracts hundreds of sandpipers in the spring and summer.

Oiseaux

Sidney Channel is noted for the variety of marine birds that occur at the site throughout the year. Although most places along the south coast of the Strait of Georgia have relatively few birds in summer, the channel and lagoon on Sidney Island are well known for the presence of murrelets, auklets, cormorants, gulls and shorebirds. During winter, seaducks are spread throughout the channel, and during the spring they are joined by migrating grebes, loons, brant, and shorebirds.

Of particular significance at this site are the large concentrations of Brandt's Cormorants during fall migration (just over 1% of the worlds estimated population), and Mew Gulls and Brant during spring migration (about 1% of the northeastern Pacific Mew Gull population, and 1-2% of estimated Pacific Brant population). During fall, winter, and spring, large number of Pigeon Guillemots are also present (almost 3% of the estimated national population) and about 300 Brant over-wintered in 1996-1997. In addition, about 20 pairs of nesting Black Oystercatchers (about 2% of the estimated national population) nest on islets located in the area.

About 50 Marbled Murrelets (listed as nationally threatened) are also regularly reported at this site. Although breeding sites for these birds have not been found, these observations may represent a remnant local breeding population. (Many of the southern Georgia Strait breeding populations have been extirpated as result of the cutting of old growth forest). In addition to the Marbled Murrelets, about 50 Great Blue Herons (ssp. fannini nationally vulnerable) are also regularly recorded feeding at this site. In 1988, 100 pairs were reported to nest on Sidney Island, but since then the colony has been abandoned.

Enjeux de conservation

Sidney Channel is located in an area that is affected by a multitude of land uses. For example: sewage from towns on the Saanich Peninsula is deposited into the channel; tanker traffic to and from a large ARCO oil refinery at Cherry Point, Washington passes about 5 km to the north and east along Haro Strait; a crab fishery operates in the strait; thousands of recreational boaters from marinas in both the U.S. and Canada utilize the channel (Sidney is the first Canadian Customs Point); and sea-kayakers travel along the shore. The northern end of Sidney Island including Sidney Spit became part of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve in 2003. It was formerly the Sidney Spit Marine Park under provincial jurisdiction. The park area comprises about 400 acres at the north end of the island. The southern end of Sidney Island, and all of James Island, is privately owned.

Catégories ZICO Habitats Usages Menaces Potencielles ou Existantes Status de Protection
Cormoran pélagique
Nombre Année Saison
8162018Printemps
6002015Hiver
Guillemot marbré
Nombre Année Saison
501995Été
Goéland de Heermann
Nombre Année Saison
272021Été
302020Automne
382020Été
140 - 2002019Automne
30 - 4502019Été
51 - 702018Automne
45 - 522018Été
25 - 672017Automne
24 - 1002016Automne
25 - 502016Été
40 - 452015Automne
67 - 1052015Été
65 - 752014Automne
1502009Automne
24 - 1802009Été
242007Automne
30 - 902007Été
652004Automne
45 - 952001Automne
502000Été
301998Automne
431998Été
701997Automne
581997Été
31 - 561996Automne
261996Été
24 - 741993Automne
25 - 831993Été
25 - 331992Automne
50 - 1001992Été
411990Automne
851990Été
Grand Héron
Nombre Année Saison
43 - 482021Été
372021Printemps
352020Hiver
362019Été
432018Automne
352012Automne
352007Été
382000Été
35 - 381998Automne
35 - 521998Été
421997Automne
35 - 421997Été
36 - 461996Automne
34 - 461996Été
40 - 511996Printemps
35 - 531995Été
501995Autre
401994Automne
741994Printemps
01994Été
351993Été
621993Printemps
551991Automne
381990Automne
2001988Été
Ictérie polyglotte
Nombre Année Saison
12015Hiver
Macareux rhinocéros
Nombre Année Saison
8 0002019Été
6501995Été
Bernache cravant
Nombre Année Saison
3001997Hiver
3 0001995Printemps
Goéland arctique (thayeri)
Nombre Année Saison
802015Automne
792005Hiver
Grèbe jougris
Nombre Année Saison
3501996Printemps
Huîtrier de Bachman
Nombre Année Saison
772019Automne
401995Été