I arrived at Hains Point around 8:45 this morning, parking on the river side at Parking Area C and walking a good ways down Ohio Drive. After initially despairing, I found the Franklin's Gull with a flock of other gulls in a large, flooded pond area on the edge of the golf course, just over the fence. It was just a bit past the second restroom structure on the left. I did not have a lot of time to linger, but it was the only hooded gull I observed, and easily identifiable by prominent white eye-arcs and large white spots on the primaries. Posture and size also seemed different from Laughing Gull.

	Other treats included:

	Baltimore Oriole, m and f, feeding on tent caterpillars. (perhaps they are nesting here?)
	Eastern Kingbird
	Common Yellowthroat, 2 seen, more heard
	Warbling Vireo, 1 seen, another heard

	Plus unidentified peep flying from floating log to floating log as they moved down the still-swollen Potomac.

	Good birding!

   Warren & Lisa Strobel 
    Annapolis, MD
    
    www.birdcouple.com