Hi. Yesterday I saw about 100 surf scoters (at least I think that's what they were) travelling in lines back and forth in the water very near the docking point of a ferry at the Tswassen terminal. I would like to spend more time watching these birds. Can anyone: 1) confirm that is the kind of bird I saw; 2) tell me where some good above-ground-level viewing places may be near Victoria; 3) if there are not any or many good places in Victoria, where there may be some in and around Vancouver.

Thank you for your help!

I don't know about the Victoria area but there are lots of all three, Surf, White wing and Black Scoters in the Parksville/Qualicum/Deep Bay area.

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billandsonia

Great thanks for the reply. There was another post in response, though it seems to have disappeared. The person suggested I could supply some more info about the birds i saw in order to identify them. The birds were a collection of about 100, smaller than the usual sort of mallard-type ducks we often see (maybe about 1/2 the size), and with, I think, stout red beaks and brown-ish body color. The interesting thing for me was their behaviour in which the group would stretch out in a line, swim about 50 metres toward the ferry dock, then bunch up as they turned, and then begin to stretch out again in a line as they headed the other direction. This kind of collective pattern is of great interest to me, and I would like to be able to document it more thoroughly, but of course I need to find out where I can see them, and ideally from a somewhat overhead vantage point. I wonder if anyone else has seen them at the Twsawwasn ferry terminal, which would lead me to think I would have a good chance of seeing them again if I were to go. However, I live in Victoria, and easier for me to find places around here if possible.

[quote="packfodder"]Hi. Yesterday I saw about 100 surf scoters ... Can anyone: 1) confirm that is the kind of bird I saw;

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If this is what you saw then indeed it is a Surf Scoter.