Hello all, I read Charlie's post with great interest as I photographed a
SLATY-BACKED GULL on the sandbars at the Cedar River on 8 February that
looked to me to be a different bird than Cameron had found and he and others
had seen and photographed. Though I did only have several minutes to view
the bird as Johnny Firecracker was soon on the spot dispersing the gulls
with his pyrotechnics, I managed to pop off several photographs. Most
obviously different to me was a bird with a longer bill (or beak) and a nice
eye-smudge both which gave the bird a less stark and "surprised" look to its
face than the other SBGU.
Pictures can be seen halfway down the page at my website at this link:
http://www.pbase.com/slickslug/washington_rarities_etc
Look also there for some photos I've added of a solid white presumably
Ring-billed Gull in Olympia from 1990.
Yesterday I saw a lone TURKEY VULTURE over Delphi Road near Kinney Road in
South Olympia. As well, a pair of RAVENS was in the field at HWY 101 and Mud
Bay Road (not always an easy "get" in Thurston County).
Lastly, I recently had a fantastic time on the IBWO search in a most amazing
place: Congaree National Wildlife Refuge, which has the largest remaining
tract of old growth bottomland hardwood forest in the United States. IBWO's
were there at least into the mid 1930's. Incredible habitat (much better
than where I was in Arkansas last year) with a huge number of trees well,
well over 100 feet tall (not bad for the East Coast). Lay your hand on
enough 300+ year old Cypress, Sweet Gum, Loblolly Pines or others and know
that quite probably one or more of four now extinct species at ne time may
have touched that very same tree.
Though I hope to make searches in this and other places in the future (TX,
LA, FL etc), I am absolutely convinced the Luneau Video shows a normal
Pileated Woodpecker fleeing from the camera. The several frames which show
the bird on the left side of the tree say it all to me. See David Sibley's
site and his IBWO section for the video, his detailed analysis and a
rebuttal from Cornell.
Thanks,
Keith Brady
Olympia, WA

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