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Reports on PABIRDS just before Christmas say there’s been a surf scoter on the Allegheny River upriver from the Highland Park Bridge.
The reports don’t indicate whether it’s a colorful male or a dull looking first-year male or female.
This photo from Wikimedia Commons shows a female and male to give you an idea of what to look for. Notice the heavy triangular bill typical of scoters, and the white patch on the back of the head typical of surf scoters.
If you go looking for the bird, here’s where: Allegheny River at Highland Park Dam
(photo from Wikimedia Commons.Click on the image to see the original)
It’s either a female or an immature male but based on the looks that I got I lean more toward a female.
The Surf Scoter was still there as of 4:10pm yesterday 12/25. I saw it from the lock side of the river though it was across closer to the Aspinwall side. It was just downstream from the Highland Park Bridge appearing between the 2nd and 3rd bridge support. It flew up river to land between the Highland park bridge and the next bridge up. It tucked its head and napped as it floated down stream again. It is a female.