January 4 - Gull Darn It!

At 11 a.m. I drove downtown to scope the mudflats at the Port of Olympia's North Point, and arrived in the midst of a Puget Sound 45° rain,

The Hooded Mergansers thought the weather was just Ducky . . .

which the birds were trying to snooze their way through.

When you're miserable, just keep your head tucked down like this heron

or, this miserable Double-crested Cormorant

I did see a Western Grebe near the Hearthfire Restaurant,

Western Grebe

which was my first for the year as was this White-crowned Sparrow on my way back to the car.

The yellow bill suggests this is the Puget Sound White-crowned Sparrow

Then I drove over to Mud Bay to scope the gulls, looking for an immature Glaucous Gull that had been seen there this week, but no luck.  I continued down to the Department of Natural Resources Preserve at the mouth of Kennedy Creek,

but it was high tide and little to be seen,

Kennedy Creek estuary

although there was a single Black-bellied Plover on the grassy island, which was new for me for the year.

I returned to Perry Creek to scope through the gull congregation there.  Although I couldn’t find the Glaucous Gull among the 600 or so gulls roosting there and scavenging on old chum salmon carcasses,

There were 600 gulls at the mouth of the Creek to sort through - I think this is an immature Glaucous-winged

I did find a single immature Thayer’s Iceland Gull in the flock (sorry, no photo).  The mergansers were feeding in amongst the gulls.

Drake Common Merganser

Hen Common Merganser getting the stink-eye from an Olympic Gull

I finished the day with another stop at Mud Bay and called it a day with 3 new species for the year, bringing my species count to 86.  I didn't find the Glaucous Gull, but it wasn't a bad day at all.

"Olympic Gull" - a hybrid Glaucous-winged X Western Gull

North Point eBird Checklist is Here

First Mud Bay eBird Checklist is Here

Kennedy Creek eBird Checklist is Here

Lower Perry Creek eBird Checklist is Here

Perry Creek mouth eBird Checklist is Here

Last Mud Bay eBird Checklist is Here

December 14 - Perry Creek Gulls and Chum Salmon

I drove over to the mouth of Perry Creek to see what gulls might be congregated for the chum salmon run.  As I arrived, 3 immature bald eagles were just leaving, and the gulls were settling back down for their lunches.

Gulls at the mouth of Perry Creek

Perry Creek, along with McLane, Perkins, and Swift Creeks, furnishes the bulk of the fall chum that return to Eld Inlet.  The four creeks together have averaged an annual ‘escapement’ of about 45,000 adults over the past 5 years.  The bounty of fish eggs and fish carcasses is a big draw - and a huge source of protein - for gulls, eagles and ducks.

Feeding on a chum carcass - Yum!

The peak of the run into Perry Creek appears to be past, but there are still fish entering from Puget Sound, although none are “bright”.  Now, even the freshest fish are what the commercial fishermen refer to as “alligators”: pretty colored-up as they enter fresh water

Glaucous-winged gull contemplating live and dead salmon

I scanned the large flock of over 400 gulls and saw an immature gull with a bi-colored bill.  Oh, joy! I thought; it may be an immature Glaucous Gull, which is an uncommon visitor from the northlands.

The immature gull - 3rd from the left in the front row - has a bi-colored bill

But, the bird turned to show its side, and revealed itself to likely be ‘just’ a Glaucous-winged Gull.  Steve Howell’s book Gulls of the Americas notes that “… some (pure?) birds … have strongly bicolored bills, recalling Glaucous Gull."

Immature Glaucous-winged Gull with a bi-colored bill

There were mostly Glaucous-winged gulls in the flock, although there are always some hybrid Glaucous-winged X Western Gulls, told by their darker wingtips and mantles, combined with dusky head feathering.  These hybrid gulls are common enough here in south Puget Sound - especially during the salmon runs

"Olympic Gull" Showing dark wing-tips

The Western X Glaucous-winged Gull hybrid is often referred to, among local birders, as the "Olympic Gull"

I believe that there were a number of Glaucous-winged X Herring Gull hybrids in the flock, as well, because several had very pale eyes - more so than the other Glaucous-winged birds.  I do note that Howell (op. cit.) tells us that up to 5% of the Glaucous-winged Gulls can have pale eyes.  However, the only birds I saw with the really pale eyes also had dark wing-tips.

Putative Glaucous-wing X Herring Hybrid

Please let me know if I've mistaken my ID:  I’m always up for being schooled on gull identification skills!

While I was watching, all the gulls crouched and looked up, and sure enough, an adult Bald Eagle came dropping into the flock.

Bald Eagle coming in Hot!

The gulls barely got out of the eagle’s way as it fed on a chum carcass.

Sushi Lunch!

This is a great place to sort through the gulls during and after the salmon run.  There will be dead spawn-outs at the mouth of the creek into next month, attracting the gulls and immature eagles.

Glaucous-winged Gull with its lunch - Yum!

Perry Creek eBird Checklist is Here