[SBB] Iceland Gull, Salt Pond A16

At about 11:20 this morning Pat Kenny, Roland Kenner and I had a bright white first cycle ICELAND GULL on the first island in Salt Pond A16. The overall bright white gull had dark eyes, a medium thick, medium length (similar in shape and size to that of Thayer's Gulls) black bill with some yellowish-orange lightening at the base, and pink legs. Later as the bird moved about the island we could see that the upper rump was a light beige and even later when it flew we could see that the under-wing coverts and axillaries were also a light beige and that the upper tail was an even lighter shade of beige (the rest of the bird including primaries being bright white). The bird appeared to be somewhat smaller than and was obviously not as massive as nearby American Herring Gulls. After having made calls in an attempt to locate someone with a camera I finally contacted Peggy Don who was already at the pond (photographing a Glaucous Gull) but just as she was preparing to photograph the Iceland Gull it flew toward the Newby Island Dump. In the meantime Roland had alerted Dean Manley to the birds presence and the five of us watched as it spent several minutes flying low over Salt Pond A18, it then sat on the water for a few minutes slowly drifting to the southeast in the wind and eventually was lost to sight as flew even further east northeast. Hope someone eventually gets a good photo of this extraordinary gull.

I should also note that two ROSS'S GEESE were in New Chicago Marsh, that Peggy and I had at least three SANDERLING on the last island in Salt Pond A16 and that when I left a dark eyed (first year) GLAUCOUS GULL was on the third island in the pond. Pat, Roland and I were unable to locate the Tundra Swan in Grant Lake this morning.