The St. Mary's County, Maryland, Kelp Gull was present today, Wednesday, December 1, 1999, at the usual spot on the pier behind the Sea Breeze Restaurant, between 11:15 and 11:45 a.m. A small craft advisory has whitecaps whipped up on the river, and impressive waves were breaking on the restaurant piers. The Kelp Gull stayed hunkered down for much of my time there, but stood up and did an odd little dance when a Great Black-backed Gull came over too close. The Kelp Gull is looking really sharp--the deep black mantle easily separated it from the rather dingy-looking GBBGs, and the crisp, clean white trailing edge on its wings was really wide. The legs are still yellowish-green. Its head was more slanty-looking than usual, but it was holding it in to the wind and bobbing, like it kept falling asleep and jerking its head back up. All in all, it was a very pleasant (though chilling!) December sighting! Notes in the sign-in log at the restaurant also indicate that birders had excellent looks at the Kelp Gull on Tuesday, November 30, at 11:30 a.m. Visiting birders report that the gull was seen over the weekend, but not continuously throughout either weekend day--it was seen at 8:30 a.m. on November 27 by Ohio birders, not seen throughout that day or the next morning by other birders, but then seen by the Montgomery County MOS chapter on November 28, at 3:30 p.m. All bets are off as to predicting times when the bird is best seen! 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.