Subject: Slaty-backed Gull at Renton
Date: Feb 1 18:20:03 2004
From: Ruth Sullivan - godwit at worldnet.att.net
Hello Tweets,
This afternoon at 3:20pm the elusive adult Slaty-backed Gull was observed bathing and briefly preening along the floating logboom line at Gene Coulon Park. The bird was located after extensive scoping made at this location and within 5 minutes lifted alone off the water and flew to the south up and over the large Boeing building showing the distinctive "string of pearls",as well as a very wide tertial pattern,which was also observed as the bird preened and bathed on the water.The bird as observed in the water showed a very dark "slate-gray" mantle,being much different than any nearby Western Gull,as well as showing the finely streaked head and dark smudge around the clear eye that was noted at fairly close range in good lighting. The straight bill was not as straw-colored as we have noted in other Slaty-backed Gulls,but more of a plain yellow. We observed the bird along with Matt Bartels after many other birders left,but it is uncertain where the bird flew in from and is no doubt elusive.
We arrived at Cedar River Park at the mouth of the Cedar River at 11am,where we joined several other birders in search of either the Great Black-backed Gull or the Slaty-backed Gull with NO luck,as weather conditions were very good,but an obvious brisk to the air. Gull numbers seemed to increase at times from this location,but were most noted and consistent as we scoped east in the direction of Gene Coulon Park,where the largest concentrations of gulls were noted during our entire visit,especially in the mid to late afternoon. It is also seemed that plane and boast activity was highest today than in other visits we have made at either location,which may have had the gulls dispersed more. Notable species observed from Cedar River Park during our visit included a single Clark's Grebe located by Marv Breece during his early morning visit,then relocated by him later in the same vicinity,as we and other birders got good scoping views of it with several nearby Western Grebes for comparison. The orange-yellow bill and grayer sides and flanks were obvious in good lighting contrasting to a darker gray back and white extending up along the neck with the eye showing within a slight dusky area. An apparent Western/Clark's intergrade was also observed amongst a separate Western Grebe flock from Cedar River Park that showed an obvious orange-yellow bill,but the remaining plumage of the bird was of a Western Grebe. A single 1st winter Glaucous Gull was also noted from this location,where it was observed primarily at Gene Coulon Park before 2:30pm. Other notable species noted from both parks included the following:
1 Red-necked Grebe
600+ Western Grebes
18 Greater White-fronted Geese
2 Ring-necked Ducks
1 Dunlin
After viewing the Slaty-backed Gull at Gene Coulon Park we drove back over to Cedar River Park and checked the limited gull flocks,but were unable to relocate the Slaty-backed Gull and to our knowledge the Great Black-backed Gull was not seen during the entire day.
A few additional species we observed to and from destinations included the following:
1 Cooper's hawk along I-5 west of Fife,Pierce Co.
1 Merlin along I-5 south of Southcenter Mall,King Co.
Good gull watching,
Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
Tacoma,WA
godwit at worldnet.att.net
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