Tweets, Hopefully these directions will make locating "the gull" easier for
people unfamiliar with the area. From I-5 northbound the simplest route is
I-705 toward downtown Tacoma, then Hwy 509 which speeds you eastward past
the port facilities along the south tip of Commencement Bay. From I-5
southbound the Fife exit to 54th northbound or the Port of Tacoma Rd exit
will connect with Hwy 509. The route continues eastward as 509/Frontage Rd
and turns northward as 509/Marine View Drive along the east side of the bay.
The gull site is reached within 10 minutes or so after leaving the freeway.
The bird is being seen on a log boom offshore from app. the 5000 block of
Marine View Drive. Viewpoints/pulloffs are few but include (driving from the
south with the bay on the left) (1) Richard Gilmur Restoration and Kayak
access and (2) an unpaved pulloff just past the 5100 street sign adjacent to
the 5118 residence. At 5pm Monday I stood at this location in the shade of a
15-ft maple, scoped the log boom directly beyond a small dead tree and a
triple pier post, and practically the first bird I looked at was it. In the
less-than-optimal sunlight I first noticed the long bill but it took a while
before a diagnostic view of the colors (black band and dark red tip) was
offered. Fortunately the bird was still standing and preening, so I
eventually could see well the dark tail with a narrow white terminal band --
about 1.5x the thickness of the yellow legs. Besides the comparatively
darker mantle, the nape and neck-side are relatively dark, kind of wrapping
around behind the "ear" area and "framing" the head, accentuating its round
contours. And as Hans described, it has a faintly paler halo or "bald spot"
on the crown. Also, as Sibley notes, at certain angles the white "wing
crescent" appears narrower than on other gulls. By 5:30 or 5:45pm it sat
facing the shore and tucked its head in, making it virtually impossible to
pick out except it remained in the same spot: scanning leftward 2-3 logs
from the 90-degree corner of the boom's right-most extremity, about 2/3 of
the way leftward on the log to the left of the large, spherical metal float.
This is the nearest section of the log boom, parallel to shore, but a scope
is required. In the time I was there two local birders who had scopes came
and left. I didn't hear of anyone seeing the Franklin's Gull at this site.
Good birding!
-- Paul Hicks / Tenino / phicks AT accessgrace.org