Hi Tweeters --

Today I observed an adult BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE flying over the
Columbia River at the town of Cathlamet, in Wahkiakum County.
According to the checklists available from WOS, there are fewer than
5 previous Wahkiakum Co. records for this species. It seems likely
that this individual could have been blown upriver by the high winds
in the preceding 24-48 hours.

While viewing gulls along the river near the sewage ponds at the edge
of town, the bird flew into my binocular view, quite close to shore
and headed downriver. The dusky nape contrasting with white head
caught my eye. It was about the size of a Mew Gull, so I looked at
the wingtips expecting to see white spots, but instead saw jet-black
"dipped-in-ink" primary tips with no white spots at all. At this
point it dawned on me that the bird could be a kittiwake. The bird
was flying away from me, but soon it banked in good light and I could
clearly see the distinctive dorsal wing coloration of Black-legged
Kittiwake -- pale silvery-whitish primaries contrasting with darker
gray coverts, secondaries, and mantle. The bird banked several more
times, each time showing this two-toned effect, at which point I
became certain of the ID. It landed on the water where a slough
flows into the Columbia, and was immediately attacked by a gang of
Glaucous-winged Gulls, at which point it flew off and crossed the
river, where I lost sight of it near Ryan Island (still in Washington
waters).

Jay Withgott
Portland, OR
withgott at comcast.net