Glaucous-winged gull at Lake Murray

     At approx. 11 a.m. today (1-24) a less-than-adult Glaucous-winged gull was well seen at Lake Murray. The location was Alvarado Bay (the first small bay on the left as you enter the park via Kiowa St.). There’s a small man-made spit that extends southwestward Into Alvarado Bay, and the gull was sitting at the end of it. Its pale gray and white wing tips were easily seen, as was its almost entirely blackish bill color except near the base. Based on the latter as well as faint bits of pale tan feathers on the wings, I concluded it was a second winter bird (its appearance was virtually identical to that shown for a 2nd winter GWGU on p. 221 of Sibley, 1st ed. (and indeed like Tony’s photo on p. 245 of the Bird Atlas). I returned to the spit about 5 minutes later, but the wildlife there was fisherman = 1, GWGU = 0.  I couldn’t find it again. 

    The Bird Atlas notes that GWGUs are now rare inland; I’ve never seen one at Lake Murray before.  

Phil Pryde 

San Marcos