Subject: [Tweeters] Immature Glaucous Gull
Date: Nov 6 18:15:18 2005
From: Dave Jackson - djackson at wavecable.com


This afternoon, roughly 2 p.m., in excellent light, three of us -- Mary Robson, Dave & Julie Jackson -- observed an all-white gull while scouting out the forthcoming OPAS field trip to Ediz Hook, Port Angeles. Detailed location: parking lot off Tumwater St, behind the big shipyard warehouse on Marine Drive.

The gull stood around on a low cement wall 20 feet from us for at least 15 minutes, while Mary fetched her camera from home. Just as she was ready to click a shot through the scope, the bird flew, not to be found later, although we kept an eye out for it while scouting for another two hours. Sorry we have no picture.

Description: no color in mantle or wing tips; more slightly yellowish/brownish, smudgy white than pure white. Large gull (nothing nearby for accurate scale), with pink legs, dark eyes. Massive two-color bill, pink 2/3-3/4 of length, with blackish tip (although not solid jet black as shown in all the bird books I looked in). Conclusion: immature Glaucous Gull.

Please join us for the field trip next Saturday ... details at http://www.olympicpeninsulaaudubon.org/shell.php?page=events_details&title=Ediz%20Hook%0D%0A.

Dave Jackson