Black Scoter

Anatidae

Oct 29

Melanitta americana (Swainson, 1832) (0, 17)

Photo © By Don Faulkner - Black Scoter (male), CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51970593

STATUS

North-eastern Siberia, Alaska and north-east Canada. Monotypic.

OVERVIEW

Also split in 2005 (Sangster et al., Ibis 147: 822), from Common Scoter M. nigra, the earlier records being regarded as sub-species.

BBRC RECORDS

1.0). 1987 Lothian Gosford Bay, male, 31st December and 1st January 1988.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 81: 549; A. Brown, Lothian Bird Report 1988: 86; M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 83: 455; BOURC (1991), Ibis 133: 222; BOURC (1994), Ibis 136: 253; Lothian Bird Report 1988: 86).

2.0). 1989 Moray & Nairn Culbin Bar, male, 22nd January to 8th February.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 83: 455).

3). 1989 Dumfries & Galloway Loch Ryan, Wigtownshire, male, 16th February.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 84: 463).

1.1). 1989 Lothian Gosford Bay, adult male, 14th March; probably same as 1987-88 individual.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 83: 455).

1.2). 1989 Lothian Gullane Point, adult male, 22nd November; probably same as 1987-88 individual.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 83: 455).

2.1). 1989 Moray & Nairn Culbin Bar, male, 11th December; presumed returning individual.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 83: 455).

2.2). 1990 Highland Dornoch, Sutherland, adult male, 15th April; presumed same as Culbin Bar, Moray & Nairn, 1989.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 87: 517).

2.3). 1991 Highland Embo and Dornoch, Sutherland, adult male, 23rd March to 2nd May; presumed same as 1990.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 87: 518).

2.4). 1991 Highland Dornoch, Sutherland, 11th December; presumed same as 1990.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 87: 518).

4). 1991 Pembrokeshire Newgale, male, 25th December to 9th February 1992.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 87: 518).

2.5). 1992 Moray & Nairn Findhorn Bay, adult male, 29th to 31st October; presumed same, Burghead Bay, male, at least 8th December; presumed returning individual.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 87: 518; M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 88: 503; M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 92: 567; M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 98: 638).

2.6). 1993 Moray & Nairn Findhorn Bay, adult male, 23rd February; presumed same, Burghead, 12th March; presumed same as 1992.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 88: 504).

2.7). 1993 Highland Dornoch, Sutherland, adult male, 6th to 7th March, 4th and 21st April; presumed returning individual of 1991.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 87: 517; M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 88: 504).

5.0). 1999 Caernarfonshire Llanfairfechan, male, 10th March to 8th May, photo.

(Birding World 12 (4): 137, photo; M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 94: 466).

5.1). 2001 Caernarfonshire Llanfairfechan and Penmaenmawr, adult male, 19th to 20th, 28th January; presumed same as 1999.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 95: 489).

6). 2001 Moray & Nairn Burghead Bay, Moray, adult male, 27th October to 7th December.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 96: 559; D. Pullan, Birding Scotland 5 (2): 88-89).

5.2). 2001 Caernarfonshire Llanfairfechan and Penmaenmawr, adult male, 17th December to 8th April 2002; presumed same as 1999.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 95: 489).

5.3). 2002 Caernarfonshire Llanfairfechan and Penmaenmawr, adult male, intermittently, 3rd November to at least 28th April 2003.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 96: 559).

5.4). 2003 Anglesey Point Lynas, adult male, 31st January; presumed same as Caernarfonshire.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 97: 566).

5.5). 2003 Caernarfonshire Llanfairfechan and Penmaenmawr, adult male, 28th September to at least 31st December; same as 2002.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 97: 566).

5.6). 2004 Caernarfonshire Llanfairfechan, adult male, 28th October to 29th March 2005; presumed returning individual.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 98: 638).

5.7). 2005 Caernarfonshire Llanfairfechan, adult male, 13th January to 30th April; presumed returning individual.

(P. A. Fraser, M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 100: 23; P. A. Fraser and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 100: 700).

5.8). 2005 Caernarfonshire Llanfairfechan, adult male, 3rd October to 28th April 2006; presumed returning individual.

(P. A. Fraser, M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 100: 23; P. A. Fraser and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 100: 700).

7). 2005 Moray & Nairn Burghead Bay, Moray, male, 10th October.

(P. A. Fraser, M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 100: 23).

5.9). 2006 Caernarfonshire Llanfairfechan, adult male, 24th September to 9th April 2007; presumed returning individual.

(P. A. Fraser and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 100: 700; N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 101: 524).

8). 2007 Lancashire & North Merseyside Leighton Moss RSPB, male, found exhausted, 16th May, released, Jenny Brown's Point, 16th May, photo.

(Birding World 20 (5): 180, photo; British Birds 100: plate 184; White, McCarthy & Jones, 2008: photo; N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 101: 524, plate 259).

9.0). 2011 Northumberland Stag Rocks, Bamburgh, adult male, 14th to 20th April, photo.

(G. Bradbury, Birding World 24 (2): 154-159, plates 1-8; N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 105: 561).

10). 2011 North-east Scotland Murcar and Blackdog, adult male, 27th June to 4th October, photo.

(Birding World 24 (7): 269, photo; N. Littlewood, Scottish Birds 31: 276-278, plates 237 & 238; N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 105: 561).

9.1). 2011 Northumberland Goswick, adult male, 11th October to 7th November, photo; presumed returning individual.

(N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 105: 561).

11). 2012 North-east Scotland Blackdog and Murcar, first-summer male, 14th June to 6th July, photo.

(Birding World 25 (6): 226, photo; N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 106: 578).

12). 2014 Cleveland/Yorkshire Redcar, adult male, 16th to 18th June, photo.

(N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 108: 573, plate 324).

13.0). 2014 Angus & Dundee Lunan Bay, adult male, 20th to 31st October, photo.

(N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 108: 573).

13.1). 2015 Northumberland Cheswick Sands and nearby areas, 3CY+, male, 20th January to 2nd March, again 26th March, photo; presumed same as Angus & Dundee 2014.

(N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 109: 574).

13.2). 2016 Northumberland Goswick, 4CY+, male, 29th December to 4th March 2017, photo; presumed returning individual.

(C. Holt and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 110: 567; C. Holt and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 111: 563).

14). 2017 North-east Scotland Murcar, 3CY+, male, 31st May to 4th June, photo.

(C. Holt and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 111: 563).

13.3). 2018 Northumberland Goswick, 6CY+, male, 7th January to 8th March, photo; presumed same as 2016-17.

(C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 112: 567).

13.4). 2018 Northumberland Cocklawburn and Goswick, 6CY+, male, 8th to 22nd October, photo; presumed same as 2016-17.

(C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 112: 567).

13.5). 2019 Northumberland Goswick Sands, 7CY+, male, 23rd October to 8th March 2020, photo; presumed returning individual.

(C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 113: 594; C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 114: 576; C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 115: 561).

15.0). 2019 Angus & Dundee Lunan Bay, 2CY+, male, 13th November to 31st January 2020, photo.

(C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 114: 576).

13.6). 2020 Northumberland Cocklawburn, 8CY+, male, 10th November to 24th December, photo; presumed returning individual.

(C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 114: 576).

15.1). 2020 Angus & Dundee West Haven, Carnoustie, 3CY+, male, 17th to 18th November; presumed returning individual.

(C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 115: 561).

16.0). 2021 Highland Dornoch Firth and Embo, 3CY+, male, 4th to 27th March, photo; also in Moray & Nairn.

(C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 115: 561).

15.2). 2021 North-east Scotland Blackdog, 4CY+, male, 26th June to 28th July, photo; presumed same as 2020 Angus & Dundee.

(C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 115: 561).

16.1). 2021 Moray & Nairn Spey Bay, Lossiemouth, 3CY+, male, 11th November to at least January 2022, photo; same as Highland.

(C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 115: 561).

13.7). 2021 Northumberland Stag Rocks and Ross Back Sands, adult male, 12th December to 19th April 2022, photo; presumed returning individual.

(C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 115: 561; L. Bacon, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 116: 556).

15.3) 2022 North-East Scotland Blackdog, 5CY+, male, 31st July to 28th August, photo; presumed returning individual.

(L. Bacon, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 116: 557).

13.8). 2022 Northumberland Various localities between Holy Island and Craster, adult male, 23rd September to 20th November, again, 9th December into 2023; presumed returning individual.

(L. Bacon, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 116: 557).

17). 2024 Norfolk Holkham Bay, 3CY+ male, 27th January to 3rd February, photo.

(P. R. French, A. Holden and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 118: 506).

P). 2025 Northumberland Goswick, adult male, 12th to 27th January, photo; presumed returning individual.