Hi gang;

I have a question on Mew Gulls, Laurus canus. The National Geographic guide
lists three subspecies, the nominate race, _Laurus canus_, the Siberian _L.
c. kamtchatschensis_ and the North American race, _L.c. brachyrhynchus_ I
assume from the text that the gulls we have here in Puget Sound are the
North American race, is this correct? Is there any reason to look for
anything else? There were 30 of them on the cable at the Ballard Locks this
morning with many more flying around noisily. The numbers varied greatly as
food sources (fish) came up in the spillway outflow. There was a single
Heerman's again on the cable along with two Bonaparte's, the first I've seen
in a month or two. The goodly number of Mew Gulls posing gave me a good look
at 1st and 2nd winter and adult plumages, but I had to wonder if I was
seeing more than one subspecies? I couldn't tell...

Thanks,
Cliff Drake
Seattle WA
ardea at uswest.net