Hi Tweets,
I was checking for Franklin's Gull and Common Tern with Ruth Sullivan and
Roger Hunt along the Tacoma log booms along the northeast shore of
Commencement Bay and we spotted a Black-tailed Gull. The gull was roosting
on the log booms with California and Bonaparte's Gulls, is slightly smaller
then a California Gull, has a yellow green bill with black and red tip,
yellow iris, sooty nape, gray mantle that is darker then the California
Gulls, yellow legs, and a distinctive black subterminal band on the tail. I
wonder if this is the same bird found by Charlie Wright two years ago? I
think the bird may be best viewed in the afternoon and evening after feeding
at the mouth of the Puyallup River, and can best be seen from either the
Dick Gilmur Memorial Public Shoreline Access along 509-Marine View Drive
and/or the pull out just north of this access. Unfortunately if it's sunny,
the back lighting can make for difficult viewing. Too bad I just sold my
boat last month! We were lucky and had nice views of the Franklin's Gull
and Common Tern as well reported earlier by other Tweets.
Good birding,
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742
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