365 Urban Species. #331: White-winged Scoter

[urbpan]

Photo by cottonmanifesto, who rejected it, but I grabbed it out of the discard pile because I needed it for the project. Location: Revere Beach.

Urban species #331: White-winged scoter Melanitta fusca

The white-winged scoter is a large (as heavy as a red-tailed hawk), mostly ocean-going duck, found near Boston from late fall to early spring. In the summer it breeds in Alaska and western Canada, near inland ponds and lakes. In the winter it comes south of relatively warmer climes, where food may be more abundant. It dives in the ocean to catch small fish and invertebrates. Populations of white-winged scoters may be in decline, in part due to increased numbers of nest predators such as crows and gulls. Ironically, the small population of white-winged scoters on the great lakes may be increasing, because the invasive zebra mussel is providing a rich food source for them.

Comments

[bellisaurius.livejournal.com]

I'm happy to see there's some predators for those darn zebra mussel's. I know drum eat them sometimes, but not too much else. I just had to clean out the mussels in one of the turbidity sensors at the water plant I work at this week.

[barn-swallow.livejournal.com]

Nice! I saw Black Scoters this weekend, so the White-wingeds are the last scoters I need for my life list. Glad you grabbed this out of the trash ;)

[witch-wolf.livejournal.com]

I am trying to find the name of the bird that part of Revere Beached is closed because of -- I didn't catch the name of it when the national parks lady told me last week. When I walk in that section- I am very careful, she had pointed out what they look like. So far I have seen them a couple of times, but want to know more about them.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

I haven't heard this yet--But sometimes they close beaches because of nesting piping plovers; does that sound right?

[witch-wolf.livejournal.com]

Yes, Yes -- that's it. I was just down there tonight and there is also another bird as well.

Thanks for your help!

Ceit