Gene Hunn, Seattle, re. Jim Elder's mystery gull.

Other perhaps off-the-wall possibilities include Slaty-backed (pale eye and
highly variable mantle color to as pale perhaps as California), Vega Herring
Gull (from Siberia) which I think would have an iris like our Herring but
which is somewhat darker, perhaps Mew Gull shade. Both Slaty-backed and Vega
Herring (or a hybrid between them) would have a less heavy bill than a
Western or Glaucous-winged X Western. However, both should by now have
rather heavily streaked heads.