Photo Study Of Surf Scoters And Others At Brigantine And The Avalon Seawall, February 9th, 2011

    We were able to get to both Brigantine and Avalon yesterday. Brig was almost completely iced over, including the sluiceways, which greatly reduced the opportunities to
    photograph birds...although we did get some. Avalon was a Scoter convention. We counted almost 300 Surf Scoters and about 20 Blacks but alas not one White-winged.
    Also, there were lots of Long-tailed Ducks. The flocks of sea ducks kept milling around, working their way from time to time closer to the rock jetty where they would feed.
    We did not see the previously reported Harlequins or Eared Grebe.

Rafts Of Scoters Milling Around, Bathing And/Or Feeding

The Surf Scoter

Surf Scoter Drake

 Surf Scoter Hen

 Surf Scoter Pair

Surf Scoter Drake Flies

Surf Scoter Hen Flies

       The Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) is a large sea duck which breeds in Canada and Alaska.  It winters further south in temperate zones, on the coasts of the northern
    USA.  Small numbers regularly winter in western Europe as far south as Great Britain and Ireland. Some birds may over-winter on the Great Lakes. It forms large flocks
    or rafts on suitable coastal waters. These are tightly packed, and the birds tend to take off together. The adult female averages about 2 lbs and is 17 inches in length, while
    the adult male is on average 2.3 lbs. and 19 inches in length. The Surf Scoter is characterized by its bulky shape and large bill. The male is all black, except for white patches
    on the nape and forehead. It has a bulbous red, orange-yellow and white bill. The females are brown birds with pale head patches. The wedge-shaped head and lack of white
    in the wings helps to distinguish female Surf Scoters from female White-winged Scoters. Adult scoters of this species dive for crustaceans and mollusks, while the
    ducklings live off any variety of invertebrates. While not endangered, the species has declined 50 to 70 per cent over the past 40 years.
    (Cornell BNA; Wikipedia; Sibley Guide To Birds)

The Black Scoter

 Black Scoter Drake At Avalon

 Black Scoter Hen At Avalon   

    The Black Scoter (Melanitta americana) is a large sea duck. The adult male weighs on average 2.4 lb and is 17 to 19 inches in length. The adult female averages 2.1 lb
   and is 16 to 18 inches in length. It is characterized by its bulky shape and large bill. The male is all black with a very bulbous bill which is mostly yellow. The female is a
   brown bird with pale cheeks. This is America's only black duck, although the female may have some yellow around the nostrils.The Black Scoter breeds in the far north of
   North America, in Labrador and Newfoundland to the southeast Hudson Bay and in Alaska. It also occurs on the Siberian side of the Bering Straits east of the Yana
   River. It winters further south in temperate zones, on the coasts of the northern USA and Canada on the Pacific coast south to the San Francisco Bay region and on the
   Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts, and in Asia as far south as China. Some birds may over-winter on the Great Lakes. This species is a very rare vagrant to western
   Europe. Because only drakes are safely identifiable out of range, the females are likely to be undetected. This species can be distinguished from other scoters, by the lack
   of white anywhere on the drake, and the more extensive pale areas on the female.This species dives for crustaceans and mollusks while migrating or wintering on the
   sea-coasts, and feeds on insects and their larvae, especially caddisflies, fish eggs and, more rarely, vegetation such as duck weed while nesting on freshwater. It forms large
   flocks on suitable coastal waters in winter quarters. These are tightly packed, and the birds tend to take off together; in the breeding season they are less social.
    (Cornell BNA; Wikipedia; Sibley Guide To Birds)

    For comparative purposes here are two photos taken at Barnegat Jetty in 2010 of a male and female White-winged Scoter:
                                                                                                                                    
 
White-winged Scoter Drake                                                                                                White-winged Scoter Hen  

    The White-winged Scoter (Melanitta deglandi) is another large sea duck characterized by its bulky shape and large bill. This is the largest species of scoter. Females weigh from
    2.1-4.2 lb and are 19-22 inches in length. They are brown with pale head patches.  The males weigh from 3-4.7 lb and are 21-24 inches in length. The Drake is all black, except
    for white around the eye and its white wing speculum; its bill is red-orange with a black base and a large knob. The White-winged Scoter breeds over the far north
    of Asia east of the Yenisey Basin, and North America . It winters further south in temperate zones, on the Great Lakes, the coasts of the northern USA and the southern coasts
    of Canada,  and Asia as far south as China. It forms large flocks on suitable coastal waters. These are tightly packed, and the birds tend to take off together. In freshwater, this
    species primarily feeds on crustaceans and insects. Its favorite food is an amphipod (Hyalella  azteca). While in saltwater areas, the White-winged Scoter feeds on mullosks
    and crustaceans. Its favorite foods are Rock Clams (Protothaca staminea), Atlantic Razor Clams (Siliqua spp.) and Arctic Wedge Clams (Mesodesma arctatus).
    (Cornell BNA; Wikipedia; Sibley Guide To Birds)

And here are some of the other birds seen today: 
  
Ruddy Turnstone On The Avalon Seawall

Killdeer At Brig

Red-throated Loon At The End Of The Avalon Seawall

Northern Pintail Hen At Brig

 
Long-tailed Drake At Avalon

Juvenile Northern Harrier At Brig

     Species seen today:

     To see a larger image of any of the photos below, please click on either the thumbnails or the captions...thanks!

     Howard B. Eskin 2011             Please email your comments to hbeskin@voicenet.com             Please click here to go back to Bird Webpage Index