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Re: HBSP, 11/23/01




On Fri, 23 Nov 2001, Robert C. Perkins wrote:

>       surf scoter
>       white-winged scoter
> 
>      Three flocks of scoters flew north off the beach as we were 
> walking back from the jetty.  There were at least two whitewinged in 
> one flock.  I looked specifically for black scoters in all three 
> flocks but was unable to pick any out.

Hmm... 

On November 16 and 17, I was scoping scoters off the beach just 30 miles
northeast of there, at Waites Island, SC, across a narrow channel from NC,
and I scanned several rafts of scoters, finding nothing *but* BLACK
SCOTERS.  There were about 500 present, and one flock of 200 was close
enough for me to go through it bird by bird repeatedly, and every single
bird was a black scoter.  (The more distant flocks also seemed to be pure
black scoters, though I couldn't check every bird individually, so I
couldn't swear there wasn't a white-winged or female surf among them).

On my last visit to the beach, I was able to find one solitary female SURF
SCOTER feeding about 100 yards from one of the rafts of black scoters.

Why do you suppose the results were so different at two pretty similar
places?  Do scoters assort by habitat?  All the blacks at Waites were
feeding 100-400 yards off a sandy beach, a mile or two from the local
jetty and inlet.  But HBSP looks just like that to me.

Was it just luck?  Bob, were your birds closely associated with the jetty
or inlet channel?  Rereading your note, it seems you saw them flying, not
feeding.

Anyone have an explanation?

Chris

Christopher E. Hill		
Department of Biology
Coastal Carolina University			Ph: 843.349.2567
P.O. Box 261954					Fax:843.349.2201
Conway, SC 29528				E: chill@coastal.edu

Everybody's ignorant, just on different subjects.  - Will Rogers