BIRDGUIDES PHOTO OF THE WEEK:12TH-18TH DECEMBER 2022

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BIRDGUIDES REVIEW OF THE WEEK:12TH-18TH DECEMBER 2022

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A Baltic Drifter in a Scottish Freeze-Britain’s first Stejneger’s Scoter delivers a winter twitch to remember

On Saturday 10 December, history was made off Gullane Point, Lothian, with the discovery of Britain’s first Stejneger’s Scoter. Long hidden within the familiar ranks of White-winged Scoter, this dark, heavy-set seaduck had only been recognised as a full species in 2019—yet it had already been firmly lodged on many a British birder’s wish list. Now, at last, it was real.

The timing felt almost symbolic. Stejneger’s Scoter is a bird of the far north Pacific, breeding in eastern Siberia and wintering mainly in coastal waters off eastern Asia. Its appearance in north-west Europe is still exceptional, though recent years have seen a slow but intriguing trickle westwards. In the weeks leading up to the Gullane bird, a small influx into the Baltic had produced no fewer than three individuals in Poland, one in Latvia, and another in Sweden. Ireland, too, had its moment when a drake was found at Rossbeigh, County Kerry, between February and April 2011—discovered, fittingly, by my good friend Josh Jones. Against that backdrop, a British record suddenly felt overdue.

Britain's first Stejneger's scoter

Ireland's first Stejneger's scoter

I couldn’t make it north the following morning, so Sunday became an exercise in patience and second-guessing. By mid-afternoon, there was no sign of the bird, but with a day off looming and unfinished business gnawing away, the decision was made. Early Monday morning, Pete Sutton and I pointed the car north and committed.

The journey was an ordeal in itself. Freezing fog clung stubbornly to the landscape, roads glazed with ice, snow drifting across lanes. First light found us on the A702 towards Edinburgh, the thermometer reading a brutal –16°C. This was proper winter birding.

A702 at first light

The temperature outside was -16

By the time we reached Aberlady Bay and walked down to Gullane Point, familiar faces were already emerging from the gloom—some fresh from having just seen the scoter, which had apparently drifted further west down the estuary. We joined a loose procession along the beach, drawn by the promise of better light and better angles on the sea.

The supporting cast was impressive enough: good numbers of Common Scoter, Slavonian Grebe, Velvet Scoter and Long-tailed Duck rode the swell, constantly reshuffling. For two hours, we scanned, picking through endless dark shapes as the cold worked its way through gloves and boots.

Velvet scoter and Long-tailed ducks

Then, finally, a shout. The bird was there—right at the back of a drifting group of Common Scoters. At least seven Drake Velvet Scoters lay asleep nearby, their bulk and pale wing panels offering just enough comparison. For a moment, everything hinged on a subtle movement: the Stejneger lifted its head, then tucked it back in again. I stayed on it, heart racing, and when it lifted its head once more, the identification locked into place before the group drifted frustratingly further offshore.

Standing next to me was Simon Slade, another good friend who had already connected earlier. Together we tried to relocate the bird, but it vanished into the grey distance. After an hour of fruitless searching, we made the call to move on—there was still another rarity down the road.

At Haddington, the consolation prize proved anything but. A male Black-throated Thrush gave a stunning performance in its favoured yew tree, glowing softly in the winter light. This striking Turdus breeds across northern Scandinavia and Siberia, wintering mainly in south-east Europe, the Middle East and parts of central Asia. In Britain, it is a scarce but regular winter visitor, typically arriving during cold continental spells—often lingering just long enough to remind us how far east its origins lie.

It was only my second Black-throated Thrush for Britain, the last having been back in Derbyshire in February 2007, and it rounded off the middle part of the day beautifully.

We returned to Gullane Sands for the final hours, but the Stejneger’s Scoter refused to reappear as the sun dipped low and the cold deepened once more. 

Gullane sands

With temperatures dropping back towards 12°C by early evening, we began the long journey south, arriving home just after 9.30pm—exhausted, frozen, but utterly satisfied.

A historic bird, savage conditions, and a day that will linger long in the memory. Some ticks are easy; the best ones rarely are.

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BIRDGUIDES PHOTO OF THE WEEK:5TH-11TH DECEMBER 2022

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