Another First: White-winged Scoters

 

With the draining of the Meadow Grounds Lake continuing now into its seventh week the water level had fallen too far for launching trailer boats.  With the Meadow Grounds now out of play Saturday morning found me launching on Raystown Lake in neighboring Huntingdon County. 

 

With the lake being 26 miles long with 118 miles of shoreline waterfowl and waterbirds have a lot of territory to hide out in.  While mallards and Canada's were frequently spotted throughout the day the only other species of ducks that I was able to identify were these white-winged scoters.

 

Scoters are considered salt-water ducks however are sometimes spotted on lakes in our region during the migrations.  While I had previously photographed a surf scoter at the Meadow Grounds a few years ago this encounter was my first with the white-winged scoter.

 

As the pair flys away their namesake white wing patches are prominately displayed.