After waiting and looking through the gulls for several hours, at about 4:25
the Slaty-backed Gull was suddenly right there, quite close and quite
obvious at the mouth of the Cedar River. I watched it for several minutes
before the gulls took flight and I lost it behind the building. A nice way
to start the new year with a life bird.

There were also several Barrow's Goldeneyes and an Eared Grebe.

Ryan Merrill
Kirkland, WA