Early on the morning of Sunday 28th June (slightly before 7am) I was walking towards Whitley Bay from the north when I saw 4 sea ducks of a type I didn't recognise swimming across the submerged causeway to St Mary's Island/Lighthouse, at the point where the water is disturbed by tidal flow in opposing directions. Similar size and head shape to eiders but very dark except for very thin lines of white across the back in the shape almost of a St Andrews Cross. Both my books gave velvet scoter as the most likely candidate but said the bird would look entirely black while swimming. Online search for images did find some swimming birds with narrow line of white wing edges showing, so I think they were Velvet Scoters.
Was anyone else lucky enough to see them and if so, is this a one off, or are they here quite regularly?
JeanHB
Was anyone else lucky enough to see them and if so, is this a one off, or are they here quite regularly?
JeanHB
