The Black Scoter (Melanitta nigra) is a diving sea duck typically encountered in the northern United States or Canada and along the coast. Occasionally the species wanders down to Texas. The bird shown here (left) with a Ruddy Duck (right) briefly visited a pond in Austin, Travis Co., Texas, in November, 2005. These shots were taken from a great distance with a Canon EOS 1D Mark II and EF 600mm F/4 L IS lens and both a 2X and 1.4X extender. These two images are more or less posted as record shots.