[Tweeters] Skamania County gull?

[Wilson Cady]

 Today Les Carlson and I were birding on Strawberry island, below Bonneville Dam in Skamania County. When we checked the  downstream fish bypass structure for gulls we spotted a small gull perched on the concrete apron among the California and Olympic  Gulls I assumed it would be a Bonaparte's as several have been there the last week. When we put a scope on it we could see that it had black legs, a partial hood and a black  bill. This is quite wide channel and we were viewing in the normal strong winds there and i used a point and shoot camera to get as many photos as we could but the Corps of Engineer wildlife harassment vehicle arrived and he fired multiple explosive shell and dispersed the birds. Not long after that the gull was spotted flying above the white water of the spillway and then it perched again an I got some more bad photos. But on viewing the heavily cropped photos on my lap top I am starting to think that it may have been a Laughing Gull and deleted the sighting from my eBird report until I can check the other photos. Either gull species would be a new bird for Skamania County.  Wilson Cady
Columbia River Gorge, WA
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