This afternoon I spent about an hour and half surveying the gulls at Cedar
River mouth at the south end of Lake Washington, up until dark. This is
about my 5th trip there this month. The weather was pretty horrid and gull
numbers were quite poor today, but at 3:45 I spotted an adult Slaty-backed
bathing vigorously at the river mouth. After about 10 minutes, I ran for my
camera and when I got back the bird was preening and loafing on the sandbar.
The bird eventually flew off with the rest of the gulls to the Boeing
rooftops to roost. Due to my camera's dismal performance in any kind of low
light, I only got two photos that aren't horribly blurred ghosts, but those
photos will be posted soon at www.flickr.com/photos/potoo.
There was also an impressive flock of 112 Canvasback and a Clark's Grebe
again offshore the kayak center.
Cheers,
Charlie Wright
Bonney Lake, Washington