Birders,

During a brief visit to Birch Bay State Park yesterday afternoon,
I found a group of 4 BLACK SCOTERS-- my first for the fall.
The group included 3 males and one female. The males, as is typical,
were courting the female, giving the usual loud whistle which
accompanies the display.

Compared to the normal fall arrival date for Black Scoters in the
Vancouver/Bellingham area, this is about 10 days early. Although
non-breeding Surf and White-winged Scoters usually remain
in good numbers all summer in places like Birch Bay, Drayton
Harbor, and Boundary Bay, Black Scoters are extremely rare
in summer.

Other waterbirds seen at Birch Bay included:

Common Loon 50
Red-necked Grebe 20
Horned Grebe 15
Great Blue Heron 6
Mallard 25
Green-winged Teal 5
Surf Scoter 100
White-winged Scoter 150
Harlequin Duck 6
Glaucous-winged Gull 250
Ring-billed Gull 1
Bonaparte's Gull 2
Killdeer 4


Good luck and good birding,

Wayne C. Weber
Delta, BC
contopus at telus.net