Black Scoter
Melanitta nigra
Black Scoters are found along the North American Pacific coast, although they do not often make their way to the East SF Bay where this one was observed, on Dec. 16, 2015 at Marina Bay Park in Richmond, CA. This one was among a group of about 20 Greater Scaup (one shown in photo at top left), and seemed to be trying to give the group some social direction (right photo). However the Greater Scaups ignored it and it gave up (bottom left), but remained nearby. (Click on images to see enlarged versions.)