This bird was found in a mixed flock of gulls standing in the unpaved parking lot northwest of the Pavilion at the north end of Duxbury Beach. Heavy rains create large freshwater puddles in that spot and before they eventually evaporate they sometimes host good numbers of migrating shorebirds and in the winter, gulls. It is especially good for photographing because often you can inch your car to within 30-60 feet of the birds without leaving the unpaved road that divides the paved from the unpaved lots.

In today's downpours I checked the spot expecting to see bedraggled shorebirds and instead found a flock of 53 gulls standing quietly (and not a single shorebird). Among the Herring and Ring-billed Gulls were a couple of Laughing and Great Black-backed Gulls and this handsome somewhat early adult breeding plumage Lesser Black-backed Gull. The distinctive yellow legs seem to be much brighter than those seen on the winter birds.