Surf Scoter

I did a previous post on the surf scoter (published on March 27, 2023). It notes that I saw my first surf scoter at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in January 2022 and saw more in March 2023 on a birding trip with Island Packers Cruises near Anacapa Island in Channel Islands National Park. On Friday, January 2, 2026 I was at Bolsa Chica again and got my best views of surf scoters so far. There were multiple males and females, they were near shore, and I saw courtship activity among them, including males racing and splashing, lowering their necks and heads in the water and raising their bills upwards in a comical and fun display of testosterone. I feel it is truly a privilege to view these birds. Look at the range map below. These are birds of the far north, many of them from the Arctic Circle. This post is mostly about sharing my better photos and also showing illustrations and a range map from Birds of the World. 

This photo best shows the black "hole" or mark at the beginning of the bill. This photo reveals that it is not a hole, as it sometimes appears, but may even be somewhat raised. 

This photo emphasizes the amazing color of the bill, much like a clown face, or a joker face, with zombie white eyes. 

For whatever reason, this reminds me of a bleating lamb, based on the view of it as a lamb skull. This is my favorite photo. 

Some more sense of color, with the red legs and color of the bill reflected in the water. 

My best photo of a female. They are not as photogenic and there were fewer of them. 

The best view of the white hind-neck. 

Note the halo reflecting in the water. 

The courtship ritual. Testosterone driven males start to go a bit whacky. 

Some very loud splashing going on along with verbal outpourings of emotion. 

Note both males with their back tails standing up in the air, the only photo I have like it. The one is staring down the female with his bill lowered and goo-goo eyes. If it had on glasses, they would be lower down on his bill and his eyes would be staring over them. 

It is hard to get a sense of whether this female enjoys the attention or feels trapped. Maybe both. 

Female

Male

Oriental Magpie-Robin

In our two recent trips to India we have seen the Oriental magpie-robin several times. In December 2024 we saw them near Kaziranga NP, in Assam, across the street from where we stayed at Diphlu Lodge. 

In November 2025 we saw them in Bharatpur at Keoladeo NP.

A few days later I saw one in Ranthambore, near Ranthambore NP, where we stayed at Khem Villas. I was on a tour of the grounds with one of the staff and he identified it as a white-breasted drongo. When I got home and reviewed it on iNaturalist, it was clear that it was an Oriental magpie-robin. 

The nominate male of ssp, saularis, which I saw, is blue-black above and on the breast, with a white belly, white bands along the wing and a black bill and legs [Keoladeo and Khem Villas]. The female is like the male, but the black is replaced by gray, except on the wings [Diphlu Lodge near Kaziranga]. 

Illustration of female, ssp. saularis, from Birds of the World. 

Illustration of ssp. saularis, male, from Birds of the World. 

Range from Birds of the World. 

Indian Robin

While visiting Ranthambore NP in Rajasthan, India we stayed west of the park at Khem Villas, a beautiful resort that grows its own food, has large ponds that house crocodiles and lots of trees and brush. I asked one of the staff to give me a tour of the grounds and during that tour he identified an Indian robin that I was able to photograph. The male, which I saw, had primarily black plumage with a brownish crown and upper back, a white shoulder patch and chestnut undertail coverts.

The female is brownish above, does not have a white shoulder patch and is grayish below. There are a number of subspecies and the range map from Wikipedia below shows how the subspecies are dispersed. We saw ssp. cambaiensis and this illustrations from Birds of the World, both male and female, are from that subspecies.  

Illustration of ssp. cambaiensis, male, from Birds of the World.

Illustration of the female from Birds of the World. 

Range map from Birds of the World.

Range map from Wikipedia that breaks out the ranges of the subspecies. 

Indian Spot-Billed Duck - Keoladeo NP

I did a previous post on the Indian spot-billed duck seen in Kaziranga NP in Assam, India (post on February 6, 2025). We saw more in November 2025 in Keoladeo NP in Rajasthan, India. 

Indian spot-billed duck illustration - female - Birds of the World. 

Indian spot-billed duck illustration - male - Birds of the World. The difference appears to be the size and color of the red spot on the upper bill. 

Illustration of a flying male from Birds of the World. 

A very cool duck. 

Imperial Eagle

Like the Indian spotted eagle in my last post, the imperial eagle, also known as the eastern imperial eagle, is a bird I saw in Keoladeo NP near Bharatpur, India, as identified by my guide, Ashok, who has been a naturalist at Keoladeo for ten years. Like the Indian spotted eagle, when I submitted my photo to iNaturalist, it gave eight suggestions and imperial eagle was not one of them. Even reviewing photos on Birds of the World, there are huge differences in looks as they age.  

Illustration of the imperial eagle from Birds of the World. 

Range from Birds of the World. 

I'm not going to go into much detail. Hopefully, I'll have an opportunity to see another one sometime and get a closer look.