Arriving we saw a couple young Glaucous Gulls, a nice Mew Gulls, and a few Thayer's Gulls including a nice adult bird. Scanning, I noticed ( it stuck out like a sore thumb!)a very small Glaucous looking bird. Instantly I was speechless. As Dan knows, when I see something weird and/or rare, I am just sputtering word fragments as I am intently thinking, and observing the bird in question. That happened then, and I still can't remember my initial word, but I guess I said something leading to an Iceland Gull in the flock, by a juvenile Herring.
We scrambled for notes and pictures, when a car pulled up right next to the flock. The driver pulls out a MONSTROUS camera lens, and I yell to pete that we should go over there and see what is up, and see if they can get pictures of our bird. The guy was Jim Greaves, with his wife, Lark. I knew them from the Montana listserv, but not in person.
Here are some of the only initial pictures taken (by Jim Greaves)
The rest was kinda a blur. I know that the gull flew and we got good looks at it flying around, then it left.
Dan Casey got to see it on Tuesday, and Wednesday. It looks like a SOLID Iceland Gull!!!
OH! by the way, it was a lifer!!! 314!!
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