Avalon Seawatch - December 10, 2011

[These Common Eiders were part of a flock of 11 that landed in front of the
seawall this morning. A total of 52 were tallied today. Photo by Tom Reed.]

It was a fun day at the Seawatch, with a steady movement of birds and a few surprises. Red-throated Loons returned to four-digit territory, with noticeable pulses streaming through early and late. Common Eiders also put in a strong showing, including a flock of 22 that contained ten adult males. The first couple hours of the day produced the best birds, frontlined by an adult Little Gull that was in amongst a group of five Bonaparte's Gulls, and a continuation of the Razorbill influx.


Brant - 22
Canada Goose - 17
Gadwall - 2
American Black Duck - 7
Mallard - 2
Lesser Scaup - 11
scaup, sp. - 19
Common Eider - 52 (highest count this season)
Surf Scoter - 173
White-winged Scoter - 43
Black Scoter - 811
dark-winged scoter - 282
scoter, sp. - 88
Long-tailed Duck - 57
Bufflehead - 7
Red-breasted Merganser - 32
Red-throated Loon - 1,537
Common Loon - 6
Horned Grebe - 1
Northern Gannet - 474
Double-crested Cormorant - 44
Great Blue Heron - 1
Laughing Gull - 2
Bonaparte's Gull - 23
Little Gull - 1 (adult, southbound with small flock of BOGU at 8:30am)
Ring-billed Gull - 243
Herring Gull - 45
Razorbill - 7 (all during first two hours of day)
large alcid, sp. - 3

(Total = 4,012)