Subject: Pacific County; Black-tailed Gull!!
Date: Aug 3 20:40:57 2004
From: Charlie Wright - charlie at birdwright.com


Greetings,
Fred Boesche and I went out to the coast today in search of shorebirds,
originally. Those were practically nonexistant everywhere we went, except
for Tokeland where around 450 of the expected large shorebirds roosted.

The highlight, most obviously, was the Black-tailed Gull. We studied this
Asiatic gull for a good 50 minutes through my scope. I obtained a good
amount of decent quality video through my scope. I first spotted the bird at
1:20, and the bird finally took off at 2:10pm. The age I'm not entirely
clear on, but a few things suggested it was perhaps not a full adult (very,
very close though). Look for a gull about the size of the Heermann's and a
good bit smaller than Californias. Mantle color several shades darker than
California. The head is lightly streaked with a grey collar, which makes the
bird stand out pretty well. Legs and irides bright yellow. Bill very long
and slender, especially lateraly, for a gull, bright yellow with a black
terminus.

The location is a pulloff on Hwy 101 at MP 20.6. This is at the south border
of North Cove, directly across the street from the North Cove pioneer
cemetery. At non-high tides, there are extensive sandbars where a flock of
(ca. 400) Heermann's and California Gulls roost. When we were there the tide
was coming in, and the sandbars were waining. Gradually the bar the gulls
were loafing on turned into an island, and finally was submerged altogether,
causing the gulls to fly to the other shore. They weren't comfortable after
that, and eventually flew off to the south.

Searching the area in the coming days, at appropriate tides, just might
produce this striking gull.

Good luck
and good birding,
Charlie Wright
Bonney Lake, Washington