Black-tailed Gull gone
Just a quick update: Monday was the last day that the Black-tailed Gull was reported. Searches on Wednesday and Thursday failed to turn it up.
This entry was posted
on Friday, November 13th, 2009 at 11:26 AM and is filed under Rare Birds.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Both comments and pings are currently closed.
Today, Dec. 23rd at about 3:20 pm, while waiting in traffic next to the transit center at the Lakewood Mall (south of Tacoma) I saw a Black-tailed Gull. I was sitting in my car watching half a dozen large gulls circling and picking at garbage on the sidewalk along with several crows about 50 feet away to the northwest of me. I realized that one gull, while similar in size and crude color scheme to the other gulls, was quite unique. Finally I saw it from behind with its wings spread in full sunlight and its black tail clearly displayed. It occurred to me that it might be a rare Black-tailed Gull like the one I’d read mention of in the December issue of The Towhee (Tahoma Audubon Society paper). I noted as many details as I could discern while waiting in my car. Later I checked with my Sibley field guide and recent photos on the internet from Commencement Bay in Tacoma. It clearly was a Black-tailed Gull. I guess I should have put shopping on hold for a few more minutes and gotten out of my car to better take in the close up view.