Tweeters,

I received a message today in a roundabout way from a relatively new birder
who feels almost sure that she saw an adult SLATY-BACKED GULL at Green Lake
in Seattle on January 13. She asked that her name not be mentioned on
Tweeters, so I am not. She attached two somewhat distant photos of a very
dark-backed gull. The photos alone may not be adequate to identify the bird,
but in combination with some of the field marks she observed, it seems very
suggestive of a Slaty-backed.

Even though the sighting was 10 days ago, it may be worth a thorough check
of Green Lake and vicinity of this bird. I have forwarded the original
E-mail to a couple of local Seattle experts.

Wayne Weber
Delta, BC
contopus at telus.net