4 October 2010, Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge, Middletown,
Newport County, Rhode Island.

This is a male molting from eclipse to bright plumage (see
http://fog.ccsf.edu/~jmorlan/Birding%2009-6_Morlan.pdf for terminology).

It takes these eiders up to four years for males to achieve full adult
plumage.

Up to seven subspecies have been named. This is S. m. dresseri, sometimes
called "Atlantic Eider" or "American Eider." It is characterized by
rounded olive-colored lobes to the maxilla. It breeds south to
Massachusetts.

Digiscoped with Panasonic DMC-LZ5 | Nikon FieldScope 3 | 30X WA | hand-held
(no adapter)