Subject: [Tweeters] Lake Easton White-winged Scoters?
Date: Aug 25 17:52:48 2015
From: Walter Szeliga - walter.szeliga at gmail.com


Dear Tweeters,
Two times now this Summer, once in early June, and then again today (25 Aug), I saw what I believe were two White-winged Scoters on Lake Easton. I never got close looks (binoculars only), but in both instances I did get to see the birds in flight. The ducks were all dark black (belly and back), diving ducks. In flight the only obvious non-dark coloring was the bright white secondaries. When on the water, there was a hint of white on the face, but nothing like the crescent of white on a Barrow?s Goldeneye. The ducks dove strongly with a good wing-flick, reminiscent of a Scoter. They did not show the ?bobbing cork? diving tendency of Bufflehead and didn?t have the same small proportions. It would be great if someone stopped by with a scope at some point to check them out.

Other birds seen include: Common Merganser, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and many Brown Creepers.

In other observing news, my yard in the middle of the Kittitas Valley has been overrun with Nashville, Wilson?s and Yellow-rumped Warblers and Western Tanagers for about a week now. I?m not sure if food is scare in the mountains and birds are motivating towards migration in the valleys on the early side.

Cheers,
Walter Szeliga
Ellensburg, WA