Long-line season opened a little later this year, just late last week as I understand it (I recently learned that the season can open anywhere between the end of February and the end of March). As a result, there have been few concentrations of gulls to look at so far this year. That being the case, I didn’t expect to see much this morning while I was walking over to UAS for class, and indeed, the channel was pretty quiet as I looked over it while crossing the bridge. There were a few gulls in the little cove between the work float and Coast Guard dock, and while none of them stuck out strongly to my eyes, I decided to take a quick look through my binoculars as I walked by (I was already going to be a couple minutes late to class).

With binoculars, one of the gulls seemed distinctly darker and made me think I might be looking at a Western Gull. I only had time to take a few quick shots in the not yet bright light and I’ve included the best of them with this post.

Compared to the first Western Gull I saw back in 2008, this one does not seem to have quite as dark a mantle, nor are its eyes as pale yellow, but it does seem to match reasonably well with the Western Gull from last year. (This year’s gull’s eyes seem a bit darker in the photos than last year’s, but I think that’s because the pupils are much larger in this year’s due to the relatively dim light, whereas the one last year was in full sun.)

As I left class this morning, I saw a long-liner tied up at SPC and another down at North Pacific Seafoods, so it looks like long-liners are starting to deliver. There was much more gull activity in the channel, and while I was watching, it was clear there was some fish slurry that started being put out by SPC. Herring have not yet spawned, so I suspect that until they do (which could be any time in the next week or so), the channel will be pretty active with gulls, and there’s a decent chance this gull could be refound (though I did not see it the channel after class this morning).

I found this gull in the channel near the Green 11 Marker between UAS and SPC. I saw it on Tuesday but the light was not good enough for me to be sure about how dark its mantle was. I found it again in the same location on Thursday afternoon and was able to get better pictures. It looks pretty good for a Western Gull to me (though I’m hesitant to be too confident with unusual gulls), which would make the third time in the last 5 springs that one has been observed in the channel. This species is considered casual in Alaska. It has been found only a handful times in the Sitka area. It is more commonly found in Ketchikan, though Heinl and Piston report most observations there are of hybrids (with Glaucous-winged Gulls).

Each time I saw this bird, it was near the green 11 Marker in the channel between UAS and SPC. Of course there were over 1000 other gulls around fighting for scraps from SPC’s outflow, so it was not always easy to pick out. If I had to guess, I suspect this bird will stick around in the channel until the herring start spawning (which will probably be in the next few days).

Western Gull (Larus occidentalis) observed off O'Connell Brige, 31 March 2009.

For the second year in a row, an apparently pure (or nearly so) Western Gull showed up in/around the Channel. Unlike the Western Gull I saw last year, this one was not hanging out right on the ramp where it was easy to get reasonably close photos. I happened to notice this one in fading light while checking out gulls on a rock pile below the bridge shortly before sunset. At first I thought it was the Slaty-backed Gull I had seen earlier in the month, but when I looked at the pictures, it was clear that it was not a Slaty-backed Gull. I almost went down to the beach below the bridge to try for better photos, but the flock was startled up by a passing boat an when the Western Gull landed, it was on the opposite side the rocks where I could not see it nearly as well.

Western Gulls are considered Casual in Alaska, and this only the fifth report I know of for the Sitka area.

Thanks to Steve Heinl for confirming this identification.

Western Gull (Larus occidentalis) observed off O'Connell Brige, 31 March 2009.

Western Gull (Larus occidentalis) observed off O'Connell Brige, 31 March 2009.

A Western Gull below the bridge was a nice bird for the state.

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Western Gull (Larus occidentalis) near the Channel.

This gull was in with the hundreds (probably over 1000) in the channel today taking advantage of the fish processor’s outflow. It initially stood out due to its dark gray upper parts.

Western Gulls are considered casual for Alaska, so I was not really expecting to find one in Sitka any time soon. I am still not absolutely sure this bird is a Western Gull, but the only other realistic possibility seems to be a Glaucous-winged X Western Gull hybrid, with mostly Western Gull genes.

Characters that lead me to this conclusion include: Large bulbous beak, pale eye with yellow eye ring, dark upper parts, pink legs, and extensive black on the primaries.

Western Gull (Larus occidentalis) near the Channel.

Western Gull (Larus occidentalis) on the Ramp.

Western Gull (Larus occidentalis) has a much thicker bill than the Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens) just in front of it.