Tweets,



About 12:30 PM today with the chill wind at my back I was able to study the
controversial "Bob" (or a reincarnation of Bob) in the same field just north
of 212th opposite the new Polygon Northwest housing development in Kent
where Guy McWethy saw it December 30th, 2008. It was in a flock of ca. 500
gulls, the majority Mew Gulls but with good numbers of Glaucous-winged and a
smattering of Herring, Thayer's, and Ring-billed, along with 92 Snow Geese
and assorted Canadas and ducks.



The bird in question was a winter adult with a very pale gray mantle
(notably paler than any other gull in the flock, including Herring and
Ring-billed, with immaculate white primaries that appeared distinctly long,
the primary tips extending at least a bill length beyond the tip of the
tail. There was just a hint of very light brown streaking on the crown and
smudging on the lower nape, scarcely visible. The iris was pale yellow,
almost white; the bill yellow, relatively short and slight, the color a bit
masked with mud. Legs pink. The bird foraged actively at 100 to 150 feet
(too far to judge the color of the eye ring). I had excellent long looks in
my Nikon scope at 25-50x. The general impression was of a slightly built,
slender gull, an impression accentuated by the small bill and head, short
legs, and long wings. At one point it foraged beside a Thayer's and appeared
essential identical in size. Unfortunately, I did not have my camera with
me.



A bit of history is in order. An adult, white-winged gull, seen by Jim
Flynn, Steve Pink, and Dennis Duffy, was photographed at Renton 8 December
2004. It was identified as an Iceland and was accepted as such by the
Washington Bird Records Committee. On 12 January 2006 (the next winter)
Charlie Wright reported a possible Iceland Gull at Kent (almost exactly
where the present individual was seen) and described an adult, white-winged
Iceland to a T. George Gerdts and I independently stumbled on the same bird
the next day and it was subsequently seen and photographed by many. No one
remarked then that a very similar bird, if not the same individual, had been
seen nearby the previous winter. Doubts were raised about the January 2006
bird, which came to be known as "Bob" (for some reason). Doubters asserted
it was a runt Glaucous Gull. The argument raged on.



In December 2006 and January 2007 likely the same bird was noted at the
Cedar River mouth on two or three occasions. January 2008 Michael Hobbs
found a similar bird that Matt Bartels and I were able to observe (with
photos). We were not convinced at that time that it was "Bob" or an Iceland
but it was clearly smaller than nearby Herring Gulls and otherwise identical
in plumage. I think now perhaps it was "Bob" after all.



Now Guy's bird and the individual I saw today is for all intents and
purposes identical to each of these previous sightings. What are we to
conclude? Either a "runt" adult Glaucous (but smaller than a Herring, with a
diminutive bill, long primaries, short legs, and very light head markings)
or an adult white-winged Iceland (either the nominate race or one of the
supposed 5% of Kumlein's Iceland Gulls with pure white primaries) are
extraordinarily unlikely events. To suppose that five years in succession we
should have the extraordinary good fortune to be visited by five different
individuals of this description obviously defies the laws of probability.



I'm convinced now more than ever than this is "Bob's" fifth year to visit us
(as an adult), though it is quite possible an immature Bob began the
tradition as early as 2001. I'm also convinced that Bob is no runt Glaucous,
but an Iceland Gull, whether glaucoides or the rare white-primaried kumlieni
is anybody's guess.



Gene Hunn

18476 47th Pl. NE

Lake Forest Park, WA

enhunn323 at comcast.net