Well! That didn't take long! The St. Mary's County, MD Kelp Gull was back at the pier behind the Sea Breeze Restaurant at 9:40 a.m. today, Sunday, March 14, 1999. Arlene Oley, Bridgewater, NJ, and Sandra Escala, Princeton, NJ, had spent Saturday not seeing the bird along with several dozen other good-natured but disappointed birders. They arrived at 9:30 and watched the Kelp Gull fly in from upriver, circle the pier, and land at 9:40 this morning. After an excited call from the restaurant manager, Arlene, and Clifton, Tyler Bell, my niece Deirdre Baker, and I arrived around 10:45, and spent 45 minutes enjoying the bird with the few people (non-birders) who were at the restaurant and willing to chance the weather. When we left, the gull was sitting on pier; it had been fed raw jumbo shrimp by the Sea Breeze's Clifton Heiston, after a mid-morning call from his sister (the owner of the Sea Breeze, vacationing in Flordia), who ordered Clifton to re-find the bird that people were still coming to see. Predictions of possible heavy rain mixed with snow will keep most birders away today. I'll continue daily visits and postings. And the next time the bird goes missing for a while, I now know simply to say I won't be posting any future updates and merrily begin fantasizing about resuming a life... The folks at the Sea Breeze Restaurant have offered to give updates. You may call them at 301-373-5217. If you need directions or wish more information, please feel free to email me but please check the BirdChat archive site first at: http://listserv.arizona.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9902d&L=birdchat&O=T&P-6521 Jane Kostenko jkostenko@somd.lib.md.us California, Maryland Yesterday is history; tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why they call it the PRESENT.