Common Scoter
Latin: Melanitta nigra (Linné 1758)
Svenska: Sjöorre
Deutsch: Trauerente
A dragon in the sky
Flocks of common scoters fly along the coast. These flocks are normally formed into a central clump with some birds right at the front and some in a trailing tail at the back. Some might say it looks like a dragon!
The common scoter builds its nest near lakes up in the mountains. The closest such place is in Dalarna, though flocks of scoters rest in Uppland each year. Kjell Kolthoff, who painted many of the murals at Biotopia wrote in the 1930s that "small flocks might be seen in Mälaren until the 12th of may. During migration each year the species is often found in Ekoln close to Uppsala". The common scoter is still often found in Ekoln in the beginning of may.
In september - november the common scoter migrate to the coasts of western Europe where it stays during the winter. In the spring, they pass Uppland between mid april to the beginning of june.
Photo: Mikael Nord©
Latest sightings of common scoters in Uppland
NatureGate on the common scoter
Wikipedia article on the common scoter