There is a 1st winter Iceland Gull at Schoolhouse Pond in Upper Marlboro
today (a little before 1 PM). I found the gull during my lunchtime search
through the usual hordes of gulls which visit the pond during the colder
months. There were several hundred gulls at the pond, and I found the
Iceland Gull about half way through my search. Unfortunately, the gulls
lifted off, perhaps because of a passing eagle or hawk. Many of the gulls
left, but some of the larger ones hung around, and fortunately the Iceland
Gull was one of them.
I got pretty good looks at the gull through my bins. The bird was all
creamy, off-white, with white wingtips and an all black bill. When
extended, the wing still showed all white. A very pretty gull.
Also present were a decent number of Laughing Gulls for mid-December,
although they may decide to leave with the cold, blustery weather coming
in. Large numbers of Herring Gulls were also present, along with a
smaller number of Ring-billed Gulls and 2 Great Black-backed Gulls (3rd
winter and 1st winter).
Fred Shaffer
Patuxent MOS
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