Just to clarify...I was lazy and didn't type out the more correct Glaucous-
winged X Western hybrid. "Puget Sound" Gull is the local name given to this
cross.

I was also able to clarify molt and plumage sequence in Common Murre.
According to Bent (Life Histories of North American Diving Birds) pg 178,

" The adult winter plumage is worn for a short time only, as the prenuptial
molt sometimes begins as early as November and is completed in December. In
studying a large series of California Murres (Uria aalge californica, our
subspecies) I have been puzzeled to decide whether certain fall specimens were
molting into or out of the winter plumage, and I am led to infer that the
birds are nearly in a contimual molt throughout the fall, as the two molts
overlap."

Since Bent is a bit out of date I checked a more recent source, Stanley Cramp
et al (Handbook of the Birds of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa,
Vol. IV) pg 182

"Adult Pre-Breeding. Partial, November to the end of March; involves head,
throat, and neck, in 1- and 2- year- olds also the feathers of the of the
underparts and mantle."

So it looks like the Common Murre has started its pre-breeding molt, in which
the feathers of the head, throat and neck are replaced- the white of the face,
chin and throat go from white to black.

_____________________________
Alan J. Knue
pinguinus at aol.com
Seattle, WA 98117