As Jim Nelson reported on my behalf this morning -- thanks, Jim -- I 
failed to rediscover the reported Iceland Gull at the head of the 
Washington Channel in DC.  That's the gull reported by Paul Pisano, 
Max Wilson and others from last weekend and photographed by Steve 
Hersey just yesterday.

There is just a narrow shelf of ice on the east side of the 
Washington Channel, behind which is a low building with "Poseidon" 
written twice on it. (Restaurant?  Deep-sea diver haunt?  Night 
club?)  Lots of gulls on this shelf -- mostly Ring-billed but with a 
few Herrings and Great Black-backed and . . .  a 1st cycle Glaucous 
Gull, looking very much like the one lots of us DC birders saw close 
nearby on New Year's Day, 2011.

But no Iceland Gull either here or anywhere along the Channel down to 
Hains Point, and I looked at hundreds of gulls. (I had originally 
meant to visit the Anacostia to continue the search but it was just too cold.)

I also went to the tip of Hains Point and searched the far shore by 
Bolling Air Force Base.  I found a diving duck, repeatedly diving, 
among some Herring Gulls close to the red buoy with a "2" painted on 
it, which was where Steve Hersey found a White-winged Scoter as 
recently as early this morning.  But the duck I found had no white 
wing stripe and was a light gray-white, with a patchy white 
face.  Long way away, but I was pretty confident that this duck was a 
female or perhaps young male Long-tailed Duck.

Back on land, I found a Black-capped Chickadee about 100 yards north 
of the first bathroom you come to as you drive north from the point 
on the National Airport side of Hains Point.  This was very close to 
where I found one on 12/31/10, and perhaps the very same bird.  Like 
that one, this bird was very tame and responded to spishing by 
attempting to land on my sleeve.  Very bright white cheek patch, 
contrasting nicely with nape and back feathers, and with noticeably 
large amounts of white in the wings. The only chickadee in the 
vicinity.  Did not vocalize, however (nor did the December 31 
bird).  Many Juncos and White-throated Sparrows in the same area, 
feeding in bare patches in the snow.

Mike Bowen
Montgomery Bird Club
Bethesda, MD

D.H. Michael Bowen
8609 Ewing Drive
Bethesda, MD  20817
Telephone: (301) 530-5764
e-mail:  dhmbowenATyahooDOTcom

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