Female First
I saw the female first. That was on August 29. I was excited to see her. And that was sad. Observers fifty years ago write that Surf Scoters used to show up in huge numbers, blanketing the water. Now it’s a thrill to see just one. Anyhow, there she was, the only one of her kind that I could see. This was up near the Open Circle Viewpoint. I saw her again for a couple of days thereafter, but then no more. On September 15, I saw a male in the same location. Also by his lonely. I saw him again on the 19th, busy foraging and preening as before. Then on the 21st, today, I didn’t see him on the water and thought he’d moved on. But then I saw an interesting dark lump on a rock by the water’s edge, north of the promontory, and there he was, resting quietly. First time ever that I’ve seen a Surf Scoter out of the water. That beak is one of a kind!
The sitting scoter on 9/21 at 1 pm. The swimming male on 9/19 at 8:15 am. The female on 8/29 at 11 am.
Martin Nicolaus
Probably afternoon between 3 and 4:30.
Thanks for sharing that report on the 2 Scoters. What time of the day did you see them?