At lunchtime, I scoped the 150 or so gulls on the ice at Schoolhouse Pond.  Gulls were constantly flying over and dropping in, but numbers remained relatively low.  However, this time I found a 1st winter Thayer's Gull on the ice.  Jim Stasz and Mikey also saw the gull, which I am fairly certain is a different bird from the Iceland (Kumlien's) that I saw this morning.  

The Kumlien's Gull from this morning was very white, with primaries the same color as the rest of the upperparts, and with an all black bill.  It was also very petite and had very pale primaries when extended.  Mikey had a picture of the Iceland Gull (presumably the same bird I had this morning) from Depot Pond, and it was a very pale white, clearly different than the Thayer's.  The morning gull I saw was pretty much a textbox Kumlien's Gull.

Conversely, the Thayer's Gull at noon had light brown primaries (as well as lightly marked tertials) that were clearly a shade darker than the mantle.  The bird also had a black bill, but with a more difuse base.   Structurally, the bird had a larger bill and slightly less rounded head then the Iceland Gull.

Other birds at the pond included 1 Great Egret, Trumpeter Swan #962, 6 Pintails, 2 Wood Ducks, 12 Shovelers, and 1 Coot.

Fred Shaffer
Patuxent MOS