Herring Gull in Costa del Este

A first winter Herring Gull was seen at dusk (high tide) at a newly discovered roost at Costa del Este by Rafael Cortez, Jan Cubilla and three fourths of the Montañez family. The gull was noticeably larger than the Laughing (and Franklin's) Gulls it was flying with. Its breast was mottled brown and it had pink legs and a pale bill base. The back was brownish-black as were the wings, with a darker trailing edge in the secondaries. The rump was white with some dark splotches that formed a dark tail band. The Herring Gull was in a small flock of gulls, most (at least 85 of them) were Franklin's in both adult and first winter plumage. Also seen were large numbers of Black Terns and a pair of Glossy Ibis.
The new roost is in a flooded grassy field located to the left of the Corredor Sur, just beyond Snipe Field.