LOUISIANA BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE

REPORT FORM

1. English and Scientific names: White-winged Scoter, Melanitta fusca

2. Number of individuals, sexes, ages, general plumage (e.g., 2 in alternate plumage): 2; one adult male in definitive alternate plumage, one “female plumaged” bird.

3. Locality: Parish: Cameron

Specific Locality: About 2 miles W of beach terminus of Erbelding Road along gulf beach, thus about 1.3 miles S of Johnsons Bayou.

4. Date(s) when observed: 2/22/14

5. Time(s) of day when observed: ca. 9:49-10:15 a.m.

6. Reporting observer and address: Paul Conover, Lafayette LA 70506

7. Other observers accompanying reporter who also identified the bird(s): Dave Patton

8. Other observers who independently identified the bird(s):

9. Light conditions (position of bird in relation to shade and to direction and amount of light): Good light, sunny but not too bright given that it was still a bit early. Light was behind us and in our favor, birds were in close.

10. Optical equipment (type, power, condition): Zeiss 10s, Nikon Fieldscope 20-60X, Samsung Galaxy 4S cellphone video camera.

11. Distance to bird(s): on different days, different distances. The birds were just within 100 yards at the outset, I’d think, as they were very visible with the naked eye. They drifted out a bit, but then came back.

12. Duration of observation: almost the whole of time listed above. Birds were diving a lot, but would stay up for long periods of time, and often alternated dives so one bird would be visible at any given time.

13. Habitat: Gulf beach shore

14. Behavior of bird / circumstances of observation (flying, feeding, resting; include and stress habits used in identification; relate events surrounding observation):

Birds were diving and when not, were swimming. No special behavior or circumstances. Birds were together, and were feeding together. I should note that I had at least 2 birds about a mile from this spot a week before, but that the present birds were not the same individuals as those.

15. Description: Apparently large ducks, but no other species near for direct comparison. Dark diving ducks, long and stocky.

Male was unmistakable, with blackish-brown overall color, distinct and bold white secondary panel on folded wings showing as a diagonal slash near rear end of bird throughout observation, small but conspicuous white horn-shaped marking surrounding and rising upwards behind white eye, and gaudy pinkish-orange bill with blackish cutting edge and knobby black nostril hump and basal feathering.

The “female-plumaged” bird was a warmer, paler brown, darkest on head. Bill was dark, appeared somewhat humped. White secondary slash or at times, diamond, also conspicuous as on male. Whitish oval patch behind and below eye with intrusion of darker feathering in lower half of patch. Pale brown patch saddled base of bill before and below eye. No other salient markings.

16. Voice:

17. Similar species: Clearly scoters; male an obvious ID based on appearance. Other individual same overall size, shape as male, dark overall identifying as scoter, white wing markings eliminating other scoter species. No reason to suspect other white-winged scoter forms as this has been an “irruption” year for the American species.

18. Photographs or tape recordings obtained? Several minutes of videoscoped footage using cellphone.

19. Previous experience with this species: Pretty good and thankfully widening experience.

21. This description is written from: Memory, video.

22. Are you positive of your identification if not, explain: Yes

23. Date: 2/23/2014