Tweets,

We were able to relocate the apparent 1st winter Tufted Duck and the Iceland Gull Charlie Wright had reported two days ago in the Kent Valley, King Co.

The Tufted Duck had moved again, this time to feed with a group of Ring-necked Ducks, Canvasbacks, and scaup, etc., in a flooded field west of Frager Road a short distance south of the "fish pond" on Frager, which is just south of the Kent-Des Moines Rd. (#516), or ca. one winding mile west from West Valley Hwy. on Frager. Turn onto Frager from West Valley Hwy just south of the Green River Bridge, which is south of the junction of the Kent-Des Moines Rd. and W. Valley Hwy. Look for a chain-link fence along the west side of Frager with view due west to the flooded field.

The Iceland Gull was located ca. 2:30 PM in a field just nw of the Boeing Ponds but flew from there to join a flock of ca 100 mostly Glaucous-winged Gulls loafing on a graded muddy patch nw of the intersection of 212th and 59th St., which is the turnoff north to the Boeing Ponds from 212th.

The Iceland Gull appears to be a classic winter adult nominate race (glaucoides) Iceland Gull, distinctly smaller than the neighboring Glaucous-winged Gulls, with immaculate white primaries which extend well beyond the tail, a pearly gray mantle, pale yellow eye, dark reddish orbital ring, rounded head, small slight yellow bill with a neat orangish-red gonydeal spot. The crown was very lightly streaked with pale brownish gray and the nape, upper back, and shoulders very lightly smudged with pale grayish-brown. Legs bright pale pink. In flight the bird was a strikingly pale white-winged gull. George Gerdts (Geopandion at aol.com) was able to digiscope it and will shortly post the best of the lot, if someone will advise George on where and/or how to post them.

Also, there was a mixed group of swans in the flooded field east of West Valley Hwy just ne of Smith Brothers' Dairy, including 3 adult Tundras, 2 adult Trumpeters, and one immature Trumpeter. A male Redhead was nearby in the same flooded field.

Gene Hunn
18476 47th Pl. NE
Lake Forest Park, WA 98155
enhunn323 at comcast.net