Subject: Probable LAUGHING GULL
Date: Jul 17 23:03:08 2004
From: Bob Norton - norton36 at olypen.com


Tweets,
I am convinced that I saw a breeding plumaged LAUGHING GULL today at the
mouth of Kalaloch Creek, in Jefferson County, near Kalaloch Lodge, Olympic
National Park.
The gull was examined for about 20 minutes at distances of 10 to 20
yards with Canon 15x50 internally stabilized binoculars and I feel that
Franklin's Gull was ruled out by the following with the last but real
clincher first: After watching it for 20 minutes with it being disturbed
several times by people on the beach but not being able to follow it in
flight, I got as close as I could without flushing it and when I saw the
next beach walker coming for it I focused on it. and got a great look at the
upper wings as it flew. The wings were dark gray right down to the extensive
black tips with no white at all between the black tip and the dark gray of
the wing. Other things noted were no white noted at all on the folded
primaries, the black of the hood was pretty much straight across on the nape
instead of being hiked up in back as is pictured for the Franklin's. The eye
crescents were much thinner that the the Franklin's should have been. The
bill was longer than the Franklin's and appeared drooped at most angles,
seems to have something to do with the area from where a gonydeal angle
would be. My wife saw the bird first and noted the droop before I saw the
bird, she is not enough of a birder to remember to bring binocs unless I
remember them for her. I had handed her my binocs and was trying to tell her
to look benind the Caspian Terns at an adult Heermann's. She said here it is
but this has a black head. At that point I asked to have my binocs back but
I was impressed that she noted the drooped bill tip at the same time as the
black head.
The bill was red but a much darker red than pictured in Sibley and the
Geo and at some angles looked black even as close as we were. The legs were
darkish with a reddish cast. Notes were made at the time and the guides were
consulted after getting back to the car.
I have considerable experience with both gulls but not since I have
moved to Washington and never had to look at them so closely because usually
only the one species was to be expected.
If you should try for this bird, the easiest way to access the beach is
to drive to the southwest of Kalaloch Lodge thru the cottages to some
parking spots near the ocean. There are steps down to the beach and a narrow
clear path thru the beach logs. There were about 1500 gulls there, mostly
California but some Westerns, some hybrid large gulls, Heermann's and
Caspian Terns. Beach walkers move the birds but they come back.
My original goal was to try to find the MANX SHEARWATERS and CASSIN'S
AUKLETS which Charlie Wright and Carol Schultz saw last week. No luck but we
did not get to Cape Flattery.


Rachel Lawson: Plese truncate this note and put it on the birdbox. My touch
tone phone's 4 is not recognized by Birdbox so I can not give the correct
answer to how many species of chickadees breed in Washington.
Bob Norton
norton36 at olypen.com
Joyce (near Port Angeles), WA