Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata)

Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, California. December 2015. Not baited. Not called in.

It was really nice to see a Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) for the first time during a short walk at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach. You can see the full birding report of my morning at Bolsa Chica here. I find this diving duck a bit odd looking but it has some very nice colors and details. This species in common on both the Pacific and the Atlantic coasts of the US in winter, but it breeds on freshwater lakes in Canada and Alaska. On this picture you can see a male. The female is much less colourful.

Love Nature.
Jonathan