Hi tweeters,

I arrived at the mouth of the Cedar River at about 3:00 pm just as Ruth Sullivan was about to head for home. She listed a few of the field marks of the Slaty-backed Gull and commented that there were a lot of gulls at Coulon Park and it might be worth a look. Eventually I got tired of standing in the rain staring at a few dozen gulls, hoping one of them would become something different. I went to Coulon Park and walked from the south end to the north. On the furthest north walkway I met another birder, Steve. We chatted while scanning the gulls as it got closer to sunset. Finally a gull flew in beyond the log boom and started washing. After I got it in the scope I noted the dark mantle, the streaked neck and head and the light eye with a smudgy line through it. After a few splashes it took flight with a few water steps and headed south, disappearing behind the condo building south of the park. My thanks to Ruth for her guidance and to Charlie Wright for his excellent directions for the mouth of the Cedar and Coulon Park. I saw a Slaty-backed Gull near Boundary Bay in BC a few winters ago, but this was a much more satisfying view.

Good birding, Alan Roedell 206-522-0809