Black Scoter - Lunan Bay 18/11/2019

Monday in good light, and despite the tide being nearly all the way out many of the scoters were reasonably close in. This small group of Commoms with the Black Scoter were mobile, often flying short distances, diving and as usual squabbling. There was just enough swell to confuse the camera, not helped by the low angle. In a video I took with the DSLR on the tripod, a small wave grabbed focus and that was another one for the bin.

Black Scoter video, click here  

It's a bit like the trick with a small ball and 3 cups, where will it appear next. The next video on the Flickr page after this one is a version at 2/3 speed.

Black Scoter, in the centre of the frame with the very bulbous yellow bill

Although the Common Scoters have yellow on the upper mandible you can see their profile is very different, the Black Scoter's head is bigger and neck thicker, and in good light it's difficult not to see the yellow bill

The head and neck look much bigger in this one but that's more the angle and the difference isn't so marked

This head-on view in a still is a good comparison but when you're looking from hundreds of metres away on a bumpy sea you don't get long to see it as they disappear and re-appear often metres away

Sanderling, the only one north of the river at that time. This was a reflex photo, I can't stop from pointing the camera at anything that moves!