scoters in profile

no close shots at all this year but how easy are these three on an East coast seawatch?
One thing that was obvious this time was that the White-winged Scoters were very much a lone group feeding further out than the Surfs and Blacks and remaining in their own little clusters -- click for bigger images

scoter and small Canada passage

the narrow passage between Campbell and Quadra concentrates migrating wildfowl in autumn and there were several flocks of scoters moving through, mainly Surf but with a few White-winged attached and off flocks of small race Canada's passed over while this juvenile White-fronted Goose dropped in on the spit walking about within 5m of a bemused walker before flying off prior to me getting good views of it -- need to try and work out what race it is

a gathering of drake Surf Scoters

most of the large flocks were females and immatures but there was a good scatter of adult drakes

Surf and White-winged Scoters

a migrating flock off Campbell River -- really nice to get to grips with all 3 nearctic scoters

Filey 2cy drake Surf Scoter

light appalling looking into the sun / bright cloud and bird never very close -- appears to have retained all juvenile wing feathers and most of body feathers --

Surf Scoter

spent the morning dipping a bb dipper then opted for the Filey Surf Scoter but by then it was windy, cold, dull and the sea very rough -- tough conditions for getting onto the bird from low levels but what a cracker -- all of these were with Canon 500 f4II and 2x III with 1DX or 7D2 -- image size v quality of files