Ipswich Sparrow Shows Off + Iceland Gull

This morning I birded Dune Road after a stop at Merritts Pond in Riverhood in a futile search for the previously reported Pink-footed Goose.  My first stop was Old Ponquogue Bridge which yielded the usual bay-residing birds including Common Loon and Bufflehead.  No Snowy Owls were present unlike last time which was disappointing given how common they have been this winter with the "Snowy Owl Irruption" along the barrier beaches.

Snowy Owl Old Ponquogue Bridge this past December

As I was about to depart for Shinnecocek Inlet, a small sparrow flew into the median where some weedy brush was growing out of the parking lot.  I quickly re-parked the car and discovered this nice Ipswich Savannah Sparrow feeding.  

It was quite photogenic and gave great views!

At Shinnecock Inlet, nothing out of the ordinary was present, but this first-cycle Iceland Gull made up for it.  

I had first noticed this bird to the west of inlet about a third of a mile down the beach and decided to walk closer hoping for another photogenic bird.  However, just after I got within decent range of the bird, it flew back to the inlet where I had started from!  Luckily, it landed on the near jetty and remained until after I had trekked my way back up of the beach.  

Notice that although this bird appears to be "small eyed" which according to allometric identification one may be thinking Glaucous Gull, note the complete dark bill which on a similarly aged Glaucous Gull would be distinctly bicolored- pink with a black tip.

I birded back west on Dune Rd in search of Nelson's Sparrows or any other Ammondramus sp. for that matter, but even with wading through the freezing marsh none would show themselves.  By mid-afternoon, the rain began and I was forced to abandon my search.