It was a great birthday present today when after working SDC at Sunrise from 8-4, the Swallow-tailed Gull was relocated today at the Everett Marina off 10th St. Ken called, and we met at the Poodle Dog in Fife about 5:15. Traffic was very light, and we got to the site at 6:15 PM and birders there gave us the thumbs up as we parked.
Sure enough the gull was roosting on a log boom a few hundred yards out in the bay, and was from time to time lifting its head to look around and we were able to see the overall sleek and long winged appearance, the fairly dark back, the black bill with white on the dorsal base, and at time could see the light bill tip. We even got to see the red eye ring fleetingly a couple of times when the bird turned its head so the sunlight hit the face just right. After a few minutes two PEFA zoomed by, got the gulls up, and we all lost sight of the STGU for a while. Finally Ken relocated the bird on the back side of the same log boom, and we got looks at the head whenever it lifted its head high. It moved up a bit, and preened extensively, at times showing its forked tail well. After a while I decided to walk towards the end of the open shore to try to look at the bird from behind the logs. It worked better, Ken joined me, and there it once lifted its wings and we got a nice look at the dark gray triangle on the upper back and coverts contrasting with the rest of the white breast, belly, and flanks. We could also see the blackish feathering on the primary tips.
Not the types of looks others got earlier and elsewhere on prior days, but still pretty special to see this southern hemisphere pelagic gull on shore in WA. Lifer fir sure! This gets me back the one we all lost when our Thayer’s gulls became Iceland gulls.