[from Barbara Butler]...On Jan. 13th, 2007, the Waterfowl Count group covering the north section of the Hudson River found a pair of White-winged Scoters.  They were first spotted by Carena Pooth while we were at the Rhinecliff town dock, near the railroad station.  Our next stop was the Rhinecliff waterplant, just to the north.  There we got a much closer look at the scoters.  They were floating south.  We saw them about 10:30-11:00am.  The scoters were again reported at the same location the morning of January 15th by Rodney Johnson. The road to the water treatment plant is the road just south of Long Dock Road. 

This is the first time we've had any scoter on the Waterfowl Count.  This is the ninth report of White-winged Scoter in Dutchess County since 1990 and the only one in January.  They are normally fall migrants, with a few sighted in the spring.  They've been found on both the river and inland ponds.  The largest flock was an amazing 250 at Tivoli Oct, 1976.