Hi Tweets -

Today, Sunday, Rick Romea, Gene Revelas, Martha Taylor and I went over
to the Sequim/Port Angeles area on a gull hunt. At about 9:00 this
morning the Slaty-backed Gull was in a field along with Western and
Glaucou-winged. It had moved north from the Schmuck Road site and was in
a field across from the intersection of Port Williams and Holland Roads.
Good looks in good light. When we went back by about 2:00 there were no
gulls in the field, nor along Schmuck Road. It obviously is moving
around, but seems to be staying in the general area.

At about 9:45 out at the Coast Guard gate on Ediz Hook we found the
Glaucous Gull. It was with a collection of other gulls in a fenced area
outside the Coast Guard area (lots of big floats, cages and other
stuff). It was mostly white with light brown flecking on the feather
edges, a two-toned bill (pinkish and black tip), and pure white
primaries. It most obligingly flew giving us views from all sides,
landed, stretched, and stood at just the right angle. Mostly white
wings, above and below, with the primaries nicely displayed. Further
back down Ediz Hood, in an area of log booms there was one, maybe two
Rock Sandpipers along with Dunlin and Black-bellied Plovers. Near these
birds and along the log boom was a Whimbrel. Generally present was a
nice collection of Common Murres, Horned Grebes, Red-breasted
Mergansers, and Harlequin Ducks among others.

At the John Wayne Marina there were nice views of Common and Pacific
Loons, Oldsquaw, Pigeon Guillemots and mergansers and grebes. From
Diamond Point we finally had some distant, but nice views of Marbled
Murrelets. Great day, and we wound up with about 85 species without much
land birding at all.

Brian H. Bell
Woodinville, Wa
bellasoc at isomedia.com