Subject: Western Gull
Date: Jan 21 19:34:32 2002
From: laurie Knittle - xenops at email.msn.com


Sat. I was looking for the possible Thayer's Gull that Charles Swift found at Little Goose Dam on the Snake River. I could have
been there, but could not pick it out of the swirling gulls which move from below the dam to above. But I did find a 3'rd winter
Western Gull which is a first county record for Columbia Co. that I know of. I asked one of the fishermen what the gulls were
feeding on. He replied that it was because of the Shad smoult. I also noticed that there were lots of fishermen even in the
blowing wind while on Sunday while checking out Ice Harbor Dam there were no fishermen and very few gulls. Maybe gulls and
fishermen know something us birders don't follow too close.

Ken Knittle
washingtonbirder at hotmail.com