Walking on the beach

I went for a walk this morning. It was a perfect morning - sunny and cold, maybe just a little too cold for the way I was dressed, but I didn't care. There never are very many people on the Seawall in the winter even if it is sunny and so there's no need to watch who's in front of you - instead I can watch the water.

And it was definitely worth it...

Vancouver's on one of the coastal migration paths, especially for water birds, and today there were hundreds and hundreds of black and white ducks on the water. Probably two-thirds of them were Surf Scoters and the other third were Barrows Goldeneyes. They're quite different, the surf scoters are mostly black while the goldeneyes are half and half, but together they're incredible.

And, even better than watching them on the water, I got to see the surf scoters take off in the hundreds and fly away. One of them glides up off the water, then another and then - suddenly - there are hundreds of them in the air, their wings flashing in the sun. And the sound of them is marvellous - their wings create a music that is unbelievable.

I could have spent all morning there because they only moved a mile or so along the beach and then went right back to where they'd started.

Kate