Just a note of hope for those who still want to find the Black-tailed Gull.? It is not always as far away as most reports suggest.?At 3:30 PM yesterday afternoon (Oct 13th) it was on the log boom immediately adjacent to Tyee Marina, and only about 150 yards from the road overlook.??Unlike today when it was raining, the bright afternoon sun yesterday gave us great looks at all the field marks.? It had it's black tail toward us while it preened, making?ID easy in the large flock of Mew and California Gulls, most of which were mature birds with pretty white tails.?Also in the light, the bill is quite obvious and colorful with its dark ring and its tip red.? Standing between a Mew and a California Gull helped too.? It's?larger than the Mew and a bit smaller than the California Gull.?About the only field mark that wasn't visible at that distance was the iris.? I had hoped to see?that from Shep's boat, but by the time we got out to where the bird
had been, it had moved.??So if you get a day with good light, go for the bird, checking everyone with your scope.

Dave Richardson