Dear All

After yesterday's failed attempt to do the Anacostia gull roost I tried again this morning but got waylaid this time by a showing of about two thousand gulls on the Tidal Basin.  It was very busy and I scanned furiously for 30 mins for nought but then a v interesting 1st winter gull flew through my scope view and landed on the ice.  It took two steps and promptly went to sleep for a few mins facing directly towards me (and I couldn't find my camera, later found behind the seat in the car - typical) revealing very few features.  Then a helicopter flew over and it woke up for about 30 secs and then flew off, so I got no really good quality time to grill it but I basically got all the standard features of Thayer's Gull on it - all dark small bill, rounded head shape, 15% smaller and shorter legged than Herring Gull, monotone peculiar dark but warm almost velvety face/throat/breast, dark centred tertials, dark primaries with narrow v-shaped pale edgings on the closed wing, dark secondary bar in flight and very contrasting primary pattern, pale underwing.  It was very distinctive.  Having looked at some refs I am happy with the id but wish I could have seen it better for longer.  There were no other gulls of note there.

I then legged it down to the Anacostia where there were virtually no gulls but a fine male White-winged Scoter swimming down the river.  It headed towards the Potomac last seen south of the S capitol St Bridge heading for Hains.   I have some terrible pictures if anyone's interested.

The only other thing of note was a Palm Warbler flying over the Anacostia.

Cheers

Gary