|
English
and Scientific names: |
White-winged Scoter
(Melanitta fusca deglandi)
|
|
Number
of individuals: |
1
first-spring male |
|
Locality:
LOUISIANA: |
Cameron |
|
Specific
Locality: |
surf
off Broussard Beach, ca. 2 mi. SE of Cameron |
|
Date(s)
when observed: |
13
April 2008 |
|
Time(s)
of day when observed: |
~10:30
AM CDT |
|
Reporting
observer and address: |
Justin
Bosler Lancaster,
PA |
|
Other observers
accompanying reporter who also identified the bird(s): |
Devin
Bosler |
|
Other observers who
independently identified the bird(s) |
None |
|
Light conditions
(position of bird in relation to shade and to direction and amount of light): |
Good
light conditions with sun nearly directly overhead in partly cloudy sky. Heat haze made obtaining identifiable
photos difficult. |
|
Optical
equipment: |
Zeiss
Victory FL 8x42 binocular (good condition) and Nikon Fieldscope 60ED w/ 45x
optical zoom (fair condition) |
|
Distance
to bird(s): |
~200
meters |
|
Duration
of observation: |
About
25 minutes |
|
Habitat:
|
nearshore
Gulf of Mexico |
|
Behavior
of bird: |
Resting
and preening with small flock of Blue-winged Teal and Lesser Scaup. Wing stretching and flapping between
preening allowed for good views of white secondary patches. White in secondaries only partially
visible on folded wing; however, becoming slightly more noticeable when
pitching/rolling to preen underparts. |
|
Description: |
Very
large, blackish-brown sea duck with large, wedge-shaped head, and gently
sloping forehead merging with longish, triangular bill with feathered
“snout”. White comma mark sweeping up
behind eye on blackish-brown head. Bill
with orangish tip and black bulbous hump at base of culmen. Darker upperparts and breast contrasted
with paler sides and flanks. Underparts
entirely dark brown. Relatively long,
stiff tail held upright at all times.
White secondaries obvious on outstretched wing, but less so on folded
wing. However, becoming slightly more
noticeable when pitching/rolling to preen underparts. A poorly-defined small, rounded pale patch
on center-rear of head was suggestive of a first-spring male. |
|
Voice: |
No
voice heard. |
|
Similar species: |
Massive,
wholly dark sea duck eliminates all other regularly occurring dabblers and
divers, barring Black and Surf Scoter.
Bill shape (flattening gradually towards tip), structure (black
bulbous hump at base of culmen), and color (mostly black with orange only at
tip) along with head pattern (bold, white eye crescents) and white
secondaries eliminate other 2 species of scoter. |
|
Photographs or tape
recordings obtained? |
Photos
obtained by Justin Bosler, and attached. |
|
Previous experience with
this species: |
Years
of experience with this species along the Eastern seaboard from NJ to
ME. In addition to a few individuals
on the West Coast and at least one prior sighting at Lake Pontchartrain, New
Orleans, LA (Orleans) on 7 February 2007. |
|
Identification
aids: |
None |
|
This
description is written from: |
notes
made during the observation and from memory. |
|
Are you positive of your
identification? If not, explain: |
Yes,
100% positive. |
|
Reporter:
|
Justin
Bosler
|
|
Date
and time: |
10 August 2008
1:40 AM EDT |