Hi Tweeters

forwarding word of a probable Laughing Gull seen today at Bottle Beach - would be great to hear more if others are able to relocate this bird.
The photos look pretty solid as well on first look ?

Best

Matt Bartels
Seattle, WA


> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: Geoff Malosh
> Subject: Laughing Gull at Bottle Beach SP July 20
> Date: July 20, 2016 at 3:48:13 PM PDT
> To: mattxyz at earthlink.net
>
> Hello Matt,
>
> I got your email address from the tweeters archives. I'm visiting from Pennsylvania and wanted to get the word out that I found a Laughing Gull in second summer plumage at Bottle Beach SP, Grays Harbor earlier this afternoon. I realize this species is very rare for Washington. I also noted that there were reports of another second summer-type Laughing Gull this past May at Bottle Beach and again earlier this month on Vancouver Is. I suspect this is the same bird in each case. I arrived there around 12pm today with the tide rising. The bird was hanging out with ring-billed gulls and departed out into the harbor after about 10 minutes. Slightly smaller than ring-bills, obviously darker gray back, no white spots on folded primaries, very little trace of a hood except for a darker arc behind the eyes and over the head, otherwise quite white-headed, and an all dark fairly strong bill. From Franklin's by larger size and build, lack of distinct hood, and bill shape. I got some photos but I'll have to get them off my camera later tonight if I have a chance. I'll submit an ebird report hopefully tonight too. I'm a former voting member of the Pennsylvania BRC myself... so I'll make sure to submit a full report to WBRC too.
>
> If you want to forward this email to anyone or to the tweeters list (I am not subscribed) please feel free.
>
> A few other notes that might be of interest to birders ... also at today Bottle Beach were the following best counts of shorebirds: 146 Black-bellied Plovers, 3 Greater Yellowlegs, 450 Western Sandpipers, 15 Least Sandpipers, 238 Short-billed Dowitchers, and 5 Ruddy Turnstones.
>
> Yesterday at Bill's Spit in Ocean Shores at high tide and afterwards were about 275 Marbled Godwits, 40 Whimbrel, and about 300 Short-billed Dowitchers. At sunset on the ocean side at the Taurus Blvd access I had a Black Turnstone (first one I've seen reported here tbis fall) among hundreds of Semi Plovers and Sanderlings and lesser numbers of Western Sandpipers, as well as two Semipalmated Sandpipers (juvs).
>
> Good birding,
> Geoff Malosh
> Pittsburgh, PA
>
> pomarine at earthlink.net
>
>