Subject: seabird skimming at dusk?
Date: Sep 22 21:17:31 2003
From: Alyssa Sampson - alyssasampson at comcast.net


Hello,

I'm stumped by a bird I saw north of the Kingston ferry dock yesterday, 9/21/03, around dusk, maybe 8:00 pm. It was too far away and dark to get a good look at through my binoculars but its behavior was distinctive.

It would fly around close to the water frequently dipping into the water with its head or bill and executing many turns, but rarely landing and never diving. It landed in the water once, and when swimming had a profile rather like the jaegers in Sibleys. The bird was the size and general shape of a medium to smallish gull but darker than an adult gull and maybe darker than a juvenile gull but I'm not sure. It was after sunset and the light was failing.

I've never seen a gull act like this. Anyone know what kind of gull or something else this might have been?

Thanks,

Alyssa Sampson
Seattle
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