White-winged Scoter (Melanitta fusca), Butcher Jones Recreation Area, Saguaro Lake, Maricopa County

This adult breeding-plumaged female White-winged Scoter was discovered and photographed by Michael Moore on 25 May 2008 at the Butcher Jones Inlet on Saguaro Lake.  In the 1990's, White-winged Scoter was almost annual in Arizona, but recently it has been much rarer.  One was present in this inlet in fall of 2007 and it is possible this is the same bird.  Most scoter records in Arizona are in the fall.  There are five previous spring records for Arizona in March and April of this species.  This the first May record and is the latest record by almost a month.  Remarkably a Surf Scoter was seen the same day in western Maricopa County.  All these birds may be related to the recent strong storm that passed through Arizona.

Note the feathering extending out on to the bill and of course the all white secondaries. 

White-winged Scoter is an Arizona Bird Committee Sketch Details Species. 

Submitting photos to AZFO does not constitute reporting a rare bird for consideration as an official record. To ensure that a record becomes official, details or photos of Sketch Details Species should be sent to the Editors of North American Birds and a full report of Review Species should be submitted to the Arizona Bird Committee. Most rare birds are under _documented and subsequent observers of a rarity are always encouraged to submit reports and additional photos, especially for birds that are challenging to identify.

25 May 2008, photos by Michael Moore