I bumped into Joe Hanfman at Schoolhouse Pond around 1 PM today.  Joe had found a pretty adult Lesser Black-backed Gull (LBBG) on the ice and we got good scope views of this bird as it stood on the ice with some surrounding Ring-billed and Herring Gulls.  Numbers were much reduced from yesterday's count, but it was nice getting extended views of this attractive bird.  While we were looking at the LBBG, I suddenly noticed the 1st winter Iceland Gull in the water just to the right of the LBBG.  The bird must have flown in while we were scoping the other gulls.  For a minute or so, both the LBBG and the Iceland Gull were in the same scope view, practically right next to each other.  The Iceland Gull than flushed and appeared to fly off, but more gulls were flying into the area as I left.  This is the third day in a row that the Iceland Gull has showed up at the pond.  Totals for my lunchtime count included 119 Ring-billed Gulls, 9 Herring Gulls, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, and 1 Iceland Gull.

Fred Shaffer

Crofton, MD