Subject: Eastside irruption of Sea Ducks
Date: Oct 14 00:02:23 2002
From: Kerry Turley - kdturley at bentonrea.com


To add to Rich Repp's discovery of the Surf Scoter at Buchanan Lake here in
Yakima here are a few of the gleanings from some of the lists I am on (last
2 days only). I don't remember anything (with Sea Ducks) of this magnitude
on the eastside of the mountains before. Maybe some others will have some
input on this?

Most seem to be in female/immature plumage.

48 - Surf Scoter on Potholes Reservoir, Grant Co. WA
45 - Surf Scoter ( with one nicely plumed drake) Lake Lenore, Grant Co.
7 - Surf Scoter Alkali Lake, Grant Co. WA
17 - Surf Scoters Gingko overlook, Vantage WA
12 - Surf Scoters below Vantage, WA
8 - Surf Scoters Sullivan Lake, Pend Oreille Co. WA
2 - White-winged Scoters Soap Lake, WA
3 - Surf Scoters Soap Lake, WA
4 - Long-tailed Ducks Soap Lake, WA

1 - Surf Scoters Page Pond, Shoshone Co. ID
3 - Surf Scoters Holding Pond Genesee, ID

1 - Surf Scoter S end of Stump Lake Nicola Valley, Merritt, B.C.
3 - Surf Scoter N end of Nicola Lake, Nicola Valley, Merritt, B.C.
3 - Surf Scoter Nicola L. Nicola Valley, Merritt, B.C.
3 - White-winged Scoter Pennask Bay, Nicola Lake, Merritt, B.C.
5 - Surf Scoter Penticton, B.C.
1 - White-winged Scoter, Penticton, B.C.
2 - Surf Scoter Okanagan Lake, Penticton, B.C.

Interestingly it seems that this irruption has missed eastern Oregon, the
only report from Oregon that was close was of 16 Surf Scoters on the
Columbia River in Multinoma Co. (mouth of the Sandy)

Makes life interesting, huh! Keep the binos handy.

Kerry Turley
304 E. Woodin Rd.
Sunnyside, WA 98944