There were probably at least 3000 scoter about 1/2 to 3/4 mile (a "guesstimate"} offshore from Stratford Point early this afternoon. White-winged Scoter were by far the most numerous, although a few male Surf Scoters could be discerned. I arrived at the 3000 figure by individually counting 500 birds in a line and then transposing the width of that line upon the remainder of the flock. The estimate may actually be low, since the rest of the line was denser in spots than the section in which I actually counted one by one. The birds can be viewed by walking East from the Eastern end of the seawall in Stratford, towards the Stratford lighthouse As you approach a rather steep bluff on the shoreline, more than 3/4 of the way to the lighthouse, scope offshore. This is a long hike. Today the water was flat calm and the light was not too harsh, so glare off the water was not bad. Late afternoon would produce the best lighting conditions. If the water is choppy, viewing is poor. Charlie Barnard Stratford **************Great Deals on Dell Laptops. Starting at $499. (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1217883258x1201191827/aol?redir=http://ad.doubleclick. net/clk;211531132;33070124;e)