This morning was grey and wet. Participants started cancelling before I set off. Thanks to two huge traffic jams enroute from Tsawwassen and a circuitous route avoiding the second one, I was late arriving at White Rock. I pulled on extra layers of rain protection, trudged down the stairs to the pier, and began walking.
A mixed flock of White-winged Scoters and Surf Scoters was close by on the high tide. The rain came down steadily. Cheery pier walkers said hello as we passed each other. Then I saw two familiar faces in the distance: Stephanie and Colin back from their Australia travels! Colin wanted to know where everyone else was. Snug at home, was my guess. The two intrepid travellers had already been to the end of the pier, but I made them retrace their steps so I too could admire the group of 4 Black Turnstones on the breakwater.
It was too wet to see much else, other than a few Glaucous-winged Gulls and more Scoters. A Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Bufflehead, a Common Loon, and the usual flock of Rock Pigeon (introduced species) completed the eBird list for the day. We reminisced about sunny Australia birds all the way back down the pier, and decided democratically to skip Elgin Park.
Another great morning Casual Birding, with 9 species observed.
Report by Anne Murray
Next Tuesday and Wednesday (Jan 30 & 31) the outings will be to Blaine, USA
Meet at 8:30 AM at Blaine Marine Park. Approximate address is 235 Marine Drive, Blaine, WA, USA. Bring passport or Nexus.
Cross the border at Peace Arch and take the immediate exit 276 into Blaine. At the traffic circle before the shops, turn right onto Marine Drive, cross the railway tracks and park on the street by the small lookout (across the street from Sundance Yacht Sales). We’ll look for birds there and at the pier at the end of Marine Drive. Then we will drive around the bay to Semiahmoo Resort. Before going to the resort we will park by the APA museum in Semiahmoo Park (at the beginning of the spit on the left).
Delta Naturalists Society 