Subject: Renton GBBG & SBGU yes & yes today 2/4/04
Date: Feb 4 21:09:35 2004
From: Matt Bartels - mattxyz at earthlink.net


Hi Tweets -
This afternoon in Renton, I was fortunate enough to see both the
Slaty-backed Gull and the Great Black-backed Gull at the mouth of the
Cedar River.

2 other birders were present when the SBGU showed up [and I apologize
for spacing on your names already....]. One of them found and id'd
the Slaty-backed at about 4:00. We all then had 5-10 minutes to watch
it as it washed and preened. As reported previously, the color on the
back is definitely different than the Westerns there, and noticably
darker than all other surrounding adults.
At about 4:10, the airport fireworks truck came over and shot off
enough rounds to clear the place of gulls. Along with some other
gulls, the SBGU first circled and re-settled in the same area, but
then the continuing explosions got the best of it and it flew off
with others to the northeast.
It looked like it might have settled down near the north end of Gene
Coulon, so the other 2 guys headed off with hopes of re-finding it.

I decided to wait by the airport for a new set of gulls to come in,
since the GBBG seems to be more common at the mouth than over at Gene
Coulon. And finally, on my _ninth_ try, I got to meet the Great
Black-backed. It appeared at about 4:30, settled down and stuck
around for another 45 minutes at least. I spent most of that time
just watching it trying to learn to be more careful about noting
details. [Still have work to do on that front...]. After the light
was pretty much gone, around 5:20, I left the area before it did.

Regardless of how the debate over 'purity' of this bird ends up being
decided, this certainly is a remarkably different gull than
everything else out there -- Everyone who told me that it would be
hard to overlook if I ever actually ran across it weren't kidding.
From the size to the white head, checkered mantle & bi-colored bill,
this is a stand-out gull.

Matt Bartels
Seattle, WA

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