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): 1 adult female      

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3. Locality: Parish:  Cameron

   Specific Locality:  Peveto Beach, gulf nearshore near western end of Little Florida Subdivision, out from junction of Ocean and Beach streets.   

4. Date(s) when observed:  2/22/14 

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5. Time(s) of day when observed:  ca. 11:10-11:25 a.m.  

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

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

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

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9. Light conditions (position of bird in relation to shade and to direction and amount of light):  Sunny, too bright for excellent looks, but good enough to document.    

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

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11. Distance to bird(s):  on different days, different distances.  The bird was at the end of the rock groin and later about 20 yards within it.  I guess about 500 feet. 

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12. Duration of observation:  Except for a few dives, the entire viewing time

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13. Habitat:  Gulf waters nearshore by rock groin  

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

     Bird was first seen diving and surfacing, then preening and resting.      

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15. Description:  Large dark duck, seen near smaller Lesser Scaup.    

 

This individual was very plain.  The overall body color was a rich dark brown, with a darker brown head.  I was unable to see any paler markings on the face.  Bill had a hump in the culmen, but not a conspicuous one.  Slope of head and bill fairly smoothly concave. 

 

When flapping after preening, white secondaries and white tips to greater secondary coverts created a large quadrilateral of white from the body to mid-wing.  I believe that the broad white tips to secondaries indicate an adult plumage, which would make this a female. 

 

Bill black. 

 

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16. Voice: 

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17. Similar species:  Other American scoters eliminated by all white secondaries.  Other ducks eliminated by large size relative to nearby scaup.           

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18. Photographs or tape recordings obtained?  Videoscoped footage using cellphone yielded accompanying stills.   

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19. Previous experience with this species:  Good and getting better with obliging birds like this one.       

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

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

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23. Date: 2/23/2014

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