Tweets,

With regard to the report of a possible Black-tailed Gull seen January 26
from the Edmonds-Kingston Ferry and Dennis Paulson's caution that the posted
description did not rule out a 2nd-year Mew Gull:

I rode that ferry this morning and on the way to Kingston did have a
2nd-year Mew Gull follow the ferry, much as described for the possible
Black-tailed Gull. The most common gulls on this crossing were
Glaucous-winged Gulls (of various ages), a single adult Western Gull, and
several hybrid Glaucous-winged x Western Gulls. The only other species noted
was the Mew Gull, of which there were a few adults and one 2nd-year.

It did match the posted description very well. The tail was white with a
well-defined black subterminal band about one inch broad. This seemed much
more cleanly marked than is shown by Sibley for that age class. The mantle
was rather clean medium gray (distinctly darker than the Glaucous-winged
Gulls) with black outer primaries showing very little white (just at the
tips). The mantle was patterned by distinctly darker lesser primary coverts,
however. The body was otherwise white except for dusky head streaking. The
bill was bicolored, pale at the base with a black tip, but I could not judge
the color well, nor did I see the leg color. However, these soft parts
should be yellowish on a 2nd-year Mew. Of course, the bird had the delicate
proportions of a Mew Gull.

I have seen a Black-tailed Gull once, on Gambell, an adult in alternate
plumage. My recollection is that it was quite dark on the mantle (though it
was perched there on an ice flow, which might have exaggerated the mantle
contrast), more like a Western Gull than a California or Mew. I also recall
it being rather stocky, quite unlike a Mew. I recall the iris being
strikingly pale, again in contrast to a Mew Gull of whatever age. For what
it is worth, Sibley shows the Black-tailed Gull mantle color the same shade
as a Franklin's or Western Gull and a shade or two darker than California or
Mew.

Gene Hunn

PS: We saw one Arctic Loon with Commons and a Pacific off Point-No-Point
about 10 AM this morning (Saturday).