Arjan Dwarshuis
 ·  30 augustus 2025  15:38, gewijzigd 30 augustus 2025  15:38

Denk goed om even te melden dat het helaas toch om een zwarte zee-eend gaat, de nek is te lang en dun en er zit geen bolling in het geel op de bovensnavel. De bewerkte foto's zal ik later toevoegen bij 'determinatie', omdat het een erg leerzame vogel is.

Andreas Noeske
 ·  1 september 2025  11:42, gewijzigd 1 september 2025  11:44

If one accepts that according to Martin Garner the „most important and well-known difference is in the shape and colour of the pattern on the bill. Black Scoters are also known colloquially by the descriptive names of 'butterbill' and 'coppernose', due to the yellow and orange 'globe' that seems to be stuck on the base of a flat black mandible“ than it seems very hard to believe that this bird is not Melanitta americana despite the fact that this photo is not quite excellent.

According to photographs it seems not necessary to see a bolling (if my translation is correct):

with bolling

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/640082637

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/640082580

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/639395999

without bolling

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/640844090

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/640597721

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/639214523

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/639123644

Koen Stork
 ·  1 september 2025  13:39, gewijzigd 1 september 2025  13:39

@Andreas, on this photo, the yellow colouration on the bill is rather extensive but on other photos it looks more in line with Common Scoter: https://waarneming.nl/observation/371026361/

Andreas Noeske
 ·  1 september 2025  14:58, gewijzigd 1 september 2025  14:59

Great, thanks a lot, Koen! Looks like a Common Scoter. This reminds me on the chapter Fooling the committee in Bill Oddie's Little Black Bird Book.

Of course, I do not assume any intentions, as Arjan already pointed to nigra. It was me who was on his way to get fooled.