Hello all,
This bird doesn't look right for a Glaucous Gull to me from the
photos, being blotched with dark gray and white and no patterning at all. If
this was a Glaucous, it seems it would have to be both melanistic and
albinistic at the same time. A third year Glaucous Gull is generally quite
adult-like except for the bill, and shouldn't have patches of white on the
scapulars. They also should always have a glaringly pale eye. The head is
rather rounded on this bird compared to Glaucous, and has a "blank face" in
contrast to the fierce look of some Glaucous. This bird looks more like a
partially albino immature Glaucous-winged Gull in my opinion. It does look a
bit large with a large bill, but probably within the range of a male
Glaucous-winged.

Cheers and good birding,

Charlie Wright
Birdking88 at aol.com
Sumner, WA

In a message dated 2/1/2003 11:52:45 AM Pacific Standard Time,
littlebirder at netzero.net writes:

As Mark Miller reported yesterday on Obol about the GLAUCOUS GULL at Wy'East
School. We found it in the afternoon on the grass in the pouring rain. We
went back today in better weather and no gulls were there (soccer going on,
etc) so we
checked the Mt. View HS but only on bird so we checked the Safeway parking
lot (known for the gulls on the poles) at the corner of SE 136th Ave. and
Mill Plain in east Vancouver and sure enough it was on one of the light
poles. A man came by on his bike and threw out bread and it along with the
others came down and fed near by. At one point it flew across the road to
the High School Pharmacy parking lot of feed too then flew back to Safeway.
It is a delight to see this bird when it flies.
Photos can be seen at the following website:

http://home.pacifier.com/~birder/gull.html

Sherry Hagen
Vancouver WA
littlebirder at netzero.net

>>>>Hi Everyone--

At the Wy'East Elementary School in Vancouver, there are fields of grass
for soccer and other activities. After heavy rains, gulls gather in
numbers to pick off the drowning animals. Today, the assemblage contains
Mew Gulls, Glaucous-winged Gulls, Thayer's Gulls, and a 3rd year GLAUCOUS
GULL, a plumage I've never seen before. The field is at the corner of SE
MacGillivray Blvd and SE 136th Av.

Mark Miller
Vancouver, WA
snowyowl98683 at comcast.net