Everything I saw points to this being the slaty-backed gulll seen at the mouth of the Cedar River recently. I saw it at around 3:50 P.M., in waning light, as the sun was then behind a layer of stratus clouds. I scoped a large congregation of gulls just offshore, looking for anything unusual, and this bird stood out. Size, shape, eye, bill, and streaked head, especially striking at back of the neck, along with the quite dark mantle and wing tips, fit the bird seen previously.

Today was my first visit to this park in Renton, so I'll hope my location directions will be ok. Just north of the restaurants ( Ivar's and KIdd Valley) is a walkway extending out into the lake, forming a rectangular loop with the shore. It may be associated with docks, though I didn't pay attention to it. At the north end of that is a barrier offshore extending further northward, along which many gulls were congregating. I had stopped by to look at the greater white-fronted geese on the lawn and beach there (21 of them), and decided to scope the gulls from there. It was actively bathing at the time, just beyond the barrier. Probably 150-200 birds or so along this barrier at the time, but spread out. Should be easy to find, if it stays there in coming days.

Bill Boyington
Shoreline, WA

wrboyington at msn.com<mailto:wrboyington at msn.com>