Tweeters:

At about noon yesterday I enjoyed a cooperative 3rd-winter SLATY-BACKED GULL
at Graysmarsh in near Sequim. The bird was first spotted at the public
beach access (which is public but parking is difficult along Wilcox Lane)
and then I followed the bird into the property, where it was associated with
a group of 75 or so GW, GW x W, and W. Gulls following a tractor that was
ploughing the Pheasant Plot (main field) for a barley planting to follow.
The bird will most likely return to the beach once the ploughing is done.

This bird is somewhat inconspicuous among the hybrids and Westerns. It has
a dark gray mantle with a subtle hint of dark brown tone, the eyes have dull
light yellow irises and there is a dusky "line" running horizontally across
the top of the eye. As this is a 3rd-winter, the famed "string of pearls"
are not present on the primaries from above, but the primaries are pearly
gray from below with white spots. Perhaps most apparent other than the
yellow eyes, the bird has a very prominent (but incomplete) black tail band,
much more apparent than on nearby 3rd-winter Westerns, which less
well-defined tail bands. The head is not entirely flat, but flatter and
more blocky than on typical Western. The facial expression, taken together,
is one of ferocity. The bill is dark-smudgy on the outer end, indicative of
3rd-w. As far as pale parts of plumage, although not as smudgy as a winter
adult, this bird does have smudgy spots near the dusky eye line, and on the
breast and nape.

Also present, three northbound TURKEY VULTURES, a lingering SWAMP SPARROW
inside the marsh, and several arriving/singing Audobon's Yellow-rumped
Warblers, also numbers of Tree and V-G Swallows, and a few Rufous
Hummingbirds. There were also 2 Eur. Wigeon, not frequent at Grays.

Scott Atkinson
Lake Stevens
mail to: scottratkinson at hotmail.com