By Sally Siko

Last month I tried to find an Iceland Gull which had been been reported on Pea Island in the OBX of NC.
Unfortunately I never found the bird which didn’t come as much of a surprise since the Iceland had been spotted hanging out with a large flock of other gulls at Oregon Inlet.
Given that the flocks tend to move around quite a bit throughout any given day, my odds of success in finding the Iceland that morning were slim at best.

Redemption was found last weekend though while on another birding trip to the OBX.
While walking on the Salt Flats Wildlife Trail along the North Pond, the Iceland Gull that I’d searched for weeks ago flew directly in front of me, wheeling and banking in the air just a few feet above the ground and water!
I couldn’t believe that the bird was right there, no effort required other than walking a few feet in the rain down a weedy sand path.
How cool was that?!
Though part of me always seems to crave more of a challenge when it comes to finding rare birds, I’ll take a win whenever I can get it.

Though the far southern range of the Iceland Gull extends off the coast of North Carolina during the winter months, they are an uncommon bird to find here in the Tarheel state.
These lovely birds are a medium-size gull, whose smaller size helps to differentiate themselves from the look-alike Herring Gulls they like to hang out with.
Iceland’s have very pale plumage and white wing tips and, like the glaucous gull, it is been given the nickname of ‘white-winged’ gull. They’ve also got a rounded head and smallish beak, giving them a sweet, almost dove-like expression.
Just gorgeous and well worth getting out into the rain to see on a windy January day!

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5