|
English
and Scientific names: |
White-winged Scoter (Melanitta
fusca)
|
|
Number
of individuals: |
1 female type plumage in heavy wing molt |
|
Locality:
LOUISIANA: |
Cameron |
|
Specific
Locality: |
Holly Beach - west end |
|
Date(s)
when observed: |
16 May, 2009 |
|
Time(s)
of day when observed: |
7:20-7:30 p.m |
|
Reporting
observer and address: |
Phillip Wallace |
|
Other observers
accompanying reporter who also identified the bird(s): |
David Muth discovered the bird |
|
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): |
Adequate; sun to WSW, bird to south of observers |
|
Optical
equipment: |
Kowa 20-60x scope |
|
Distance
to bird(s): |
30-60 m |
|
Duration
of observation: |
10 minutes |
|
Habitat:
|
Gulf, between beach and rock groins, eventually swimming beyond the rocks.. |
|
Behavior
of bird: |
Swimming, preening, exercising wings |
|
Description: |
Scoter - Dark diving duck with stiff tail. Two small pale patches on face, one in the auricular area and one at base of bill. Initially thought it was a Surf Scoter, but head and bill shape more consistent with White-winged. Bill thinner than Surf; in video, head shows a flat-top look with with fairly steep slope to the bill, unlike in Surf, where the bill seems to continue the same angle of slope as the head. The head on this bird seems to peak at the front. In the video there seems to be a little white in the trailing edge of the secondaries when the bird is flapping its wings, but I'm not sure I'm not just seeing the water behind missing feathers. At some angles in the video there seems to be a dark cap more like a female Black Scoter |
|
Voice: |
None |
|
Similar species: |
The white patches on the face indicate Surf or White-winged. The head and bill shape indicate White-winged. |
|
Photographs or tape
recordings obtained? |
Video submitted to LBRC |
|
Previous experience with
this species: |
I've seen several times in LA and elsewhere. |
|
Identification
aids: |
Madge and Burn, WATERFOWL; Sibley |
|
This
description is written from: |
Notes written the evening of the observation and primarily from video. |
|
Are you positive of your
identification? If not, explain: |
No. The video is not perfect and the bird is in ratty plumage. |
|
Reporter:
|
20 June, 2009
|
|
Date
and time: |
6:00 p.m. |