Date: Mon, 22 Dec 2003 13:14:54 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Fred Shaffer Subject: 1st winter Iceland Gull at Schoolhouse Pond My lunchtime gull count was rewarded by finding a beautiful 1st winter Iceland Gull. The bird was staying to the rear of the approximately 700 or 800 gulls on the melting ice at the pond. The bill was all dark, the mantle was light tan, flecked with white, and the primaries (when folded) were a match in color with the mantle. The gull seemed closer in size to the nearby Ringers then it did to the Herring Gulls, although that may be based more on gis. When extended, the wings were all creamy white below, and tannish-white above. At one point, the Iceland Gull stole a meal from a nearby Herring Gull, at which point the larger gull pecked at the Iceland Gull until it broke through the ice. The Iceland Gull still didn't relinquish its meal. Also present were approximately 150 Herring Gulls, 500+ Ring-billed Gulls, 2 adult Great Black-backed Gulls, and 5 late Laughing Gulls. Fred Shaffer Patuxent MOS glaucousgull1611@aol.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================