Have there been many Bohemian Waxwings sighted in Western Washington this winter (I admit
I don't read all of the tweeters messages I receive)? I saw one today hanging with a flock
of 12 Cedar Waxwings. They were in the Mud Bay area (south end of Eld Inlet), at the junction
of O'Leary and Madrona Beach Road. I took a bunch of pictures through my spotting scope.

I was down there checking out gulls at Perry Creek mouth because I would like to some day
have some competence differentiating Herring Gulls, Thayer's Gulls, and Glaucous x Western
Gulls. So far, I am struggling. I got good looks through the scope at a couple of large,
pink-legged gulls with black wing tips and pale eyes. They both had smudgy streaking at the
back of the neck and I tend to want to call them Herring Gulls. I couldn't, however, claim
to have seen anything I could call a Thayer's Gull. Any tips on identifying these large gulls
would be appreciated.

Kelly McAllister
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Olympia, Washington
Reply to: mcallkrm at dfw.wa.gov