Hello Tweeters,
I did not rest for not seeing the third Circle Slaty-backed Gull the other
day.So I and Igor went back to Wenzel Slew Road in hope of finding this
bird.The weather not supposed to be the best,but for us we was determine to
finding this Gull .It seems to me that this third Cycle bird would probable
the first for our state,since there being only Adult birds was seeing in our
state.So for this reason alone makes this bird more rare.
We got to Wenzel about 8.30 Am The fields here seems deserted with so few
Gulls in comparison to the other day a whole field was covert with Gulls,so
this is why it took much longer to finding the Slaty-backed Gull.Today it
was easy ,we got to the place where the compost fertilizer spraying the
field.The only one Slaty-backed was right to the front in the puddle,this
was the aggressive gull what Lonnie Somer found the other day,this bird
attack every gull what was in his or hers way,also stirring the mud up with
the bright colored feet to get some worms.For Igor it was the first,and I
got many photos of this Gull ,since I was so pleased that this third Cycle
Gull was much darker than Matts Photos.As we met Lonnie,he confirmed that
this was the bird he found the other day,and was unable to show me this Gull
since it disappeared,like all Gulls do there have wings to fly.I also agree
with Cameron Cox.The Slaty-backed Gull got the most distinguish Fieldmarks
of all gulls,and I will tell you a story what is behind the Slaty-backed
Gull what I all alone ID on New Years day 1994.But first I have to let you
know that Patrick went to Revelstoke in Canada for a rare Warbler,but he
also found the first inland Slaty-backed Gull on the Revelstoke Dump.ON
10-23-1993 photographed by Gordon Orville.Patrick was so happy to find his
first Slaty-backed Gull,even so it was in Canada.Few day later we received a
photo of this Gull from Gorden.This was my first Gull that I studied over
and over and always looking at the photo what was not the darkest of all
Slaty -backed but slate dark gray.It seems that this Gull was kind of stocky
build with head shape round ,the eye was not so visible since it was smutch
around the eye but it looked yellow . with a wide trailing edge and bright
pink legs.I was so taken with this bird,that was all what I was all what I
was talking about,and also looked at different birdbooks.Than we got our
first Gull book by P.J.Grant(now I owe also the " Gulls of North
America,Europe,and Asia "by Klaus Malling Olsen Hans Larsson.
It was New years Day 1994 when I got tested on my ID what I study for the
last two month.Patrick was in Seattle and North doing three CBC,I stayed
home for some reason,That day I intend going to the Kent Ponds,but it start
raining ,so instead I went to the Gog-Le-Hi- Te Wetland on Lincoln Avenue.I
only had my binoculars.As I went to the pond in back,I looked at one large
dark mantle Gull.I than I got real nervous,with all my study I was doing,all
what I was thinking of was it could not be,with no help and with no bird
book in the car,I was taken notes drawing a photo what supposed to picture a
gull writing my notes on my drawings.This Gull the whole time did not
moved.What rely stood out was the real black,and I mean real dark
mantle,much darker than the photo I studied.I left the Gull rushed home and
looked at the birdbook and the photo over and over .and as Patrick call in
the evening,before he went for the tally,I told him that I found an Adult
Slaty-backed Gull in Tacoma,It was still no answer for few seconds,than he
said you absolutely sure? I said 99 prozent,I mention the details on the
gull I observed.The next day I went back and the Slaty-backed Gull was on
one of the buildings where some other Gulls also was roosting,the bird
looked even more black from a distance and easy to spot,there was 4 birders
there and all said that this was a good ID for this Gull,the rest is
history.This gull stayed to May and it was maybe the same Gull what came
back for two more years,same place.
Cheers Ruth Sullivan