Hi Tweets,

Heavy all-day rain and strong easterlies, a really stinky day saw this
sodden gull-watcher checking out the gulls at the saltwater Kitsilano Pool
in Vancouver BC. Highlights were not one but *two* classic WESTERN GULLS
Larus occidentalis, usually rare in winter in Vancouver, both of the paler
nominate 'occidentalis' race, in the flock of GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS L.
glaucescens and, as usual in winter the most numerous, adult pale-mantled
dark-primaried WESTERN X GLAUCOUS-WINGED HYBRIDS, as well as a Basic 1
Western or hybrid; with these hybrids were two equally dark-mantled adult
birds as occidentalis even to extensive black on the primary and secondary
undersides but both with extensive grey-brown head-streaking and one with
extensive chest-clouding. Other gulls present were MEW GULLS L. canus, race
brachyrhynchus (see below), RING-BILLED GULLS L. delawarensis and a scruffy
Basic 2 CALIFORNIA GULL L. californicus. Also, as customary, the pool also
contained a male/female pair of BUFFLEHEAD Bucephala albeola (When they dive
repeatedly in the pool, what *could* they be doing? Feeding? Courtship?
There's nothing in there to feed on except--gack--gull-poop that's fallen to
the bottom). The pool has hosted at least one wintering Western Gull for
about the last five winters, but why this sudden influx of dark-mantled
birds? I'm speculating that the riproaring windstorms booming through here
in the past month have blown a number of Western Gulls and hybrids (their
offspring?) in from the outer coast.

Of the thirty or so birds present, perhaps ten of the Glaucous-winged and
hybids were lightly oiled and attempting to preen it out.

Also present among the usual Mews was a slightly larger Basic 2 bird
immediately noticeable with its distinctly long grey-blue bill tipped black,
much longer than the other Mews. The bill was straight, with the same depth
from base to tip, no gonys, and was abruptly downcurved at the tip, unlike
the longer downcurve of the tip on a standard Mew. Coloration was pale grey
blue for the basal 2/3's, abruptly tipped black on the distal 1/3.
Unfortunately, the primary pattern was not yet definitive. If there's anyone
in the neighborhood who knows their way around the
canus/brachyrhynchus/kamtschatschensis complex, they might want to suss this
bird out.

Michael Price
Vancouver BC Canada
mprice at mindlink.net

"She's psychic....we've decided to find it charming."
--Frasier