Tweets --

Gene Hunn reported that he and George Gerdts had gone to Sequim and Port
Angeles and located an adult Slaty-backed Gull and a first-year Glaucous
Gull. Having missed both species in the past, I went a-twitching. While I
missed the Glaucous Gull I did find the Slaty-back. Gene's description of
the bird and "her" location were spot-on -- thanks, Gene! The bird was not
there when I first cruised through the area, nor was it anywhere nearby
that I could find. However, it was in the very same field he designated
when I went back again about 5 pm. Also present were good numbers of
Glaucous-winged hybrids (of every variation), as well as two bonafide
Western Gulls. Provided great comparisons of every feature he described.
The only thing that bothered me at first was not being able to see that the
eye was light-colored, rather than dark. With the overcast, distance, and
the surrounding "mascara smudge," the eyes looked dark. It wasn't until the
bird walked closer and turned its head just right that I could see the
lighter color. By contrast, the Westerns had snowy white heads with smaller
looking, very dark eyes. Very considerately, the Slaty-back also stopped
foraging once and stretched its wings, nicely displaying the "necklace" of
white pearls along the primaries.

Nice bird.

-- Janet Hardin
Port Townsend, WA
wings at olympus.net