[Nicasso]

If you know the best places to find Black Scoters within 1 hour of Vancouver, British Columbia, please respond to this topic. Do not include places in regions like the Sunshine Coast or Vancouver island, because those require a ferry and are farther away. Don’t include Washington state either, because the US-Canada Border is not publicly open yet, unless you are fine with being quarantined for 2 weeks, which i’m not.

(written as of December 21st, 2020)

[BirdingBC]

Black Scoters can be hard to find as they are fairly rare for our region. The most recent (Dec 20) was 4 black scoter at Tsawassen, Centennial Beach Boundry Bay. The Bay would be good this time of year so worth a trip for a variety of species. People are probably out there keeping an eye open for them and only a few have been reported in the last couple months.

eBird can give further details:

https://ebird.org/species/blksco2/CA-BC-GV

https://ebird.org/map/blksco2?neg=true& ... 0&eyr=2020

Here in Victoria, I have yet to see a Black Scoter for the year. Too few around and have not been lucky on timing to go out and see one.

Cheers and good birding,

[Nicasso]

Okay. If you know any good places to find wintering Black Scoters in British Columbia that don’t include a ferry and are preferably under 6 hours away from Vancouver, please tell me. Thank you for your past response though; that is probably the most helpful response i’ll hear for my question.

[Nicasso]

Thank you for the advice. I’ll probably go birding at Centennial beach (Boundary Bay) some day in December to search for Black Scoters and other birds too, despite being locally rare.

[zwest]

Yes, Centennial Beach (walk south towards the U.S. border) is your best bet, but usually you’ll need a scope to see them properly.

Occasionally they show up at White Rock Pier as well, but I have yet to see one there.

[Calidris33]

To contradict, there are almost always scoters to be seen off White Rock Pier at high tide this time of year. And fairly close. I walk there a few times a week and almost always see them. Lots yesterday in the rain!

[jewill]

Those would be Surf, and to a lesser extent, White-winged Scoters at the pier. You are correct in that they are abundant now, no matter what the weather. I’ve even seen surfing Surf Scoters, riding the waves during high winds .
Black Scoters are quire rare and although they have been reported and photographed at the pier, I’ve never seen one.

[Calidris33]

Sorry - I do not know my scoters well!

[jewill]

Sorry - I do not know my scoters well!

There’s nothing to be sorry for. That’s how we all learn. I was at the pier this morning and even though others reported seeing Black Scoters there (this was on eBird) I didn’t see a single one! I think they may be confusing juvenile Surf Scoters with Black Scoters - an easy mistake to make.