Tweets,
This afternoon while up in the flats I saw a gull that I need some ID help
with and can only put it to a GLGUxGWGU to my identification knowledge.
The bird was on the west side of Chuckanut drive, .5 mile before the
Rhodo. cafe, it was in a field with other gulls, next to a house that has
lots of bird feeders out front. If other people are up looking for the
Kestrel and see this bird I would like to know your thoughts.
The bird was associating with Glacous-winged and GW hybrids. The bird is
entirely white, except it has a faint touch of gray in the scaps, only
noticable if you zoom in on it with the scope. The head is slightly
steaked as a winter herring gull would be. The bill has a pale yellow
base, yet has a bill tip that is bigger and is Adult color, I call it a
corn yellow color. The eye is dark and has some dark smudging around the
eye. The wing-tips however are gray. About the same gray as a pure
glacous-winged gull would have. The legs are the same color pink as the GW
and hybrids around it. By some of the head streaking the beginnings of an
adult bill this bird looks to be about a third winter bird to me. The
problem to me is that I can't justify a glacous gull in any age having
gray primaries, yet I can't justify a GW gull having almost a snow white
appearance and a two toned bill. I got photos of the bird and can share
them once I get them developed.
Thanks for any ideas in advance,

Scott Downes
sdownes at u.washington.edu
Seattle WA

"Birds don't read bird books. (That's why they are seen doing things they
are not supposed to do)." -Mary Wood