Hello all, I had a great time enjoyng the large gull flock resting on the ice and bathing in the little bit of open water at Patuxent NWR Visitor's Center today. I was joined at various points by George Jett, Tom Harten, Arlene Ripley, and Les Roslund. Highlights were 1 1st winter Iceland, 2 1st winter Glaucous, and at least 3 ad. Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Also 26 Rusty Blackbirds and an aparent Blue x Canada Goose with a flock of 100 or so Canadas. S rare an experience to enjoy the gulls so easily from inside, where the temperature remained well above freezing and wind chill was negligable. I did not spend all my time at the Visitors Center though, and found myself wandering around a bit. One discovery is worthy of mention I think...Redington Lake is not the only one hosting sizable gull flocks. Phil Davis and Dave Mozurkovich have already posted reports of good gulls on other akes in the Bowie area. I had a single Glaucous with several hundred gulls on a frozen pond off Rte. 564 south of the landfill, and another set of several hundred gulls on another (mostly) frozen pond off Prospect Hill Rd.. Among them were 1 ad. and two first-winter Lesser Black-backeds. Neither pond was on my DeLorme atlas. I thought it worthy of mention so that when Gail find her Slaty-backed :-) at the pond, and we all chase it to hear it has just flown :-( we can go check these other ponds and find it again even closer and in better light :-) :-) :-). I can post better directions when the time comes...I don't have my map handy right now. Also of interest was the fact that I had two more 1st winter Lessers today. After seeing NONE last winter, I am shocked each time I see one this winter. Good birding, Marshall Iliff miliff@aol.com