Surf Scoter

A female Surf Scoter was reported yesterday morning by Roy Gerig, and by afternoon two more people had spotted it.  The bird was seen on the pond in front of the Lowe’s Home Improvement Center by the Salem Airport. As a Hot Spot for eBird the pond carries the name of Turner Rd Ponds. My guess is that name harkens back to the days when there where several ponds there left from gravel mining, but a good part of the area has been filled in for Lowe’s, Walmart, and an assortment of smaller stores leaving only one pond. The exciting thing is that Surf Scoters are normally seen on the coast, not so far inland. Not having any pressing obligations this afternoon I decide to go have a look and see if I could be fortunate enough to find it.  To my astonishment it was the third bird I saw when I got there.  I first noticed lots American Coot’s, a dime a dozen bird, next I spotted two Western Grebes, a some-what unusual bird, and then I noticed the Surf Scoter directly in front of me.  My lucky day!