Trip report by Leader: Thomas Plath 

January 25, 2020, a break in the bad weather allowed for a decent outing at the White Rock pier. The eight of us made use of the gift shop overhang while it was raining to scope seabirds along the waterfront. In front of us were 1,000’s of birds still present from the anchovy spawn a few weeks previous. Right away a nice flock of about 50 Bonaparte’s Gull were noticed roosting on the water off the breakwater. Red-necked and Horned Grebes were scattered across the bay and further out a couple of Western Grebes.  Small flocks of Surf and White-winged Scoters were present but no Black Scoters were seen.  The rain ceased and so the group headed down the pier. Great looks of basic plumaged Common, Pacific and Red-throated Loons were had, and a close inspection of the large cormorant flocks revealed all three species including a few hundred of Brandt’s Cormorant, normally quite scarce at this locality. Several participants enjoyed a pair of Long-tailed Ducks and a couple of Black Turnstones roosting on the rock breakwater.