Abstract

The first British record of Stejneger’s Scoter Melanitta stejnegeri was discovered off Gullane Point, Lothian, on 10th December 2022. Careful observation and photographic documentation confirmed the identification, and the bird was seen again at several locations in the Firth of Forth through to May 2023, and again during late summer in 2023 and 2024. The striking head and bill structure, including a prominent basal protuberance, combined with bill pattern and profile, allowed confident separation from both Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca and White-winged Scoter Melanitta deglandi. This individual represents an expected addition to the British List following an increasing trend of Stejneger’s Scoters occurring in western Europe in recent years.