[obol] 2 Glaucous Gull at Fernhill Wetlands; Valley Memorial Park (Washington Co)

[Stefan Schlick]

After mostly being confined to bed for a week due to sickness, I finally managed to sneak out for some birding yesterday evening and today.
 
Yesterday evening I stopped by Valley Memorial Park in Hillsboro. Both the female COMMON GOLDENEYE and the drake EURASIAN WIGEON continue. Also 2 Canvasbacks and Lesser Gold-finch.
 
I got to Fernhill just after 3pm today and the timing was right. There were large numbers of gulls close to the parking lot. Soon I was looking at "the" GLAUCOUS GULL about 100yds out. As I was fiddling with my optics, a few gulls flew in and landed on the parking lot. One of them was a second Glaucous, so Steve Helm and I got great looks for about 15 minutes. The first bird was visible at the same time. Both birds are first-cycle birds and I can't see any reason why they shouldn't be pure. In particular, there is no reason to suspect hybridization with Glaucous-winged. 2 adult WESTERN GULLS (again, no Glaucous-winged in them), Herring, one adult Thayer's in near breeding plumage with a below average size bill, Ring-billed and Mew.
 
Otherwise, Fernhill was quiet. Overall duck numbers are extremely low. The Great Horned Owl is still one the nest. I reported this bird exactly 4 weeks ago, so it's getting late. Hopefully, this isn't a sign of partial nest failure. Tundra Swans are still in the mitigation area.
 
Finally, at my feeder for the 5th time this winter there was a Slate-colored Junco. A Varied Thrush dropped in early in the morning - a yard bird.
 
Stefan Schlick
Hillsboro, OR
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