Despite thick fog and temperatures in the high 30's (but mercifully no 
wind), Marvin Cooper, Barrett Pierce, Joy Bowen and I found a resplendent 
Kelp Gull sitting and preening at the Sea Breeze restaurant on Sandgates 
Rd. in St. Mary's County at 9 a.m. this morning.  Marvin and Barrett had 
come from Seattle and Amarillo, TX, respectively, to see this bird and 
he/she did not disappoint, even taking off at one point, circling around to 
show all field marks and then settling back on the same post.  All around 
were Herring, Ring-billed and Great Black-backed Gulls for detailed 
comparisons.  Many photos were taken.  No other birders were evident.

The four of us later went on to Point Lookout State Park, where we could 
hear ducks on the water but frustratingly could see nothing.  We did some 
land birding (highlights Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Hermit Thrush, and 
Fox Sparrow) and retreated to Deano's Restaurant in Ridge (great cheese dip 
and excellent meat loaf and barbecue) until the fog lifted at about 2 p.m. 
Upon our return to Point Lookout we had two flying Great Cormorants, 3 
Common Loons, Tundra and Mute Swans, all 3 scoter species numbering in the 
thousands, mostly Surf but with good close views of Black Scoters on the 
water and White-winged in flight, multiple (and noisy) Long-tailed Ducks, 
Common Goldeneyes and Bufflehead, a few Red-breasted and Hooded Mergansers 
and just 2 Horned Grebe.  A very large raft of Scaup (probably mostly 
Greater) was flushed away from us by some small fishing boats.  10 Eastern 
Bluebirds were looking for food on the beach!

Our Western visitors were very pleased indeed.  We also had 2 Bonaparte's 
Gulls in the State Park for a 5-gull day.  Our follow-up targets will be 
white-winged and/or smaller gulls in MD and DE over the next few days.

Many thanks to Jane Kostenko and Tyler Bell for confirming Shrimpie's 
presence on New Years' Day. That piece of news encouraged us to make the 
trip from Bethesda today.

Mike Bowen
Montgomery Bird Club
Bethesda MD



D. H. Michael Bowen (Mike)
8609 Ewing Drive
Bethesda MD 20817-3845
Tel/Fax: (301) 530-5764
e-mail: