Michael Price wrote:

>Judging by the last few posted Vancouver BC Alerts, one might gain the
>impression that the Alternate-plumaged adult male Common Eider Somateria
>mollisima, race v-nigra, has left: this is definitely *not* the case. It is
>still here and associating as usual with Surf Scoters.

>If you can find the largest scoter flock, but as one visitor said: check out
>*all* the scoter flocks--it's usually on the edge of it:

OK, I confess: I was that "one visitor." I apologize for not posting to the
group. I made a mad dash up there on Tuesday, and started my search at
Ambleside Park, where Michael and Jack last reported seeing it.
Subsequently, the birds had shifted locations, and by following the shore I
finally found the eider just south of Stanley Park, off Alexandra/Sunset
Beach Park(s). It is truly a magnificent bird, and anyone who still wants
to see it has only to follow Michael's excellent directions to find it. At
one point the duck came as close as 20 m to the seawall, and someone with a
decent camera could have obtained some pretty nice photos.

Even if you are unable to locate the eider, that entire area offers
excellent opportunities to observe sea ducks close at hand -- especially
Surf Scoters and Barrow's Goldeneyes. One thing that I found curious was
that each flock of scoters seemed to contain a single female Long-tailed
Duck as well. And the only Black Scoters I saw were a single female in one
raft of Surf Scoters, and two more in the larger flock that included the
eider.

>Access from the Seawall if walking. ..(snip).. remember that
>ya gotta pay for parking in Stanley Park (C$1.00 for 2 hrs) and they *do*
>ticket.

Yep - keep a loony in your pocket. It's a small price to pay for good
parking and easy access to the waterfront.

Good luck!

-- Janet Hardin
Port Townsend, WA
wings at olympus.net