I had a great day today visiting a variety of spots in Prince George's County.  Highlights were waterfowl along the Potomac and a HUGE flock of gulls at Depot Pond (apparently where the Upper Marlboro area gulls have been hanging out).  Highlights from each stop included:

Wharf Road - a great number of ducks, with smaller numbers of Tundra Swans and gulls.  900+ Ruddy Ducks, 140 Ring-necked Ducks, 30 Pied-billed Grebes, 2 Bufflehead, 2 Canvasback, 2 Black Ducks, 1 female scaup sp., a small group of Shovelers, and 5 or so Tundra Swans.  Gulls consisted mostly of Ring-billed, with smaller numbers of Laughing and Herring.  There were also several Forster's Terns.  Also present was a Great Blue Heron and a late Great Egret.

Mockley Point - Another good flock of waterfowl.  740+ Gadwall, 26 American Wigeon, 6 Black Ducks, 1 Pied-billed Grebe, 1 Horned Grebe, 5 Double-crested Cormorants, and a few Mallards and Canada Geese.  Also present were 10 Bonaparte's Gulls flying over the main channel of the river.

Schoolhouse Pond - 120 or so Laughing Gulls plus 3 Ring-billed Gulls.  Mallards, Northern Shovelers, Canada Geese, 1 Pied-billed Grebe, and 4 Double-crested Cormorants also present.  

Depot Pond - an incredible flock of Laughing Gulls:  I counted over 2,700 during a fairly slow, deliberate count.  There were more gulls here than I have seen on some trips to landfills.  Apparently this is where all the gulls have been hanging out this fall, as numbers are well down at nearby Schoolhouse Pond.  Also present were 44 Ring-billed Gulls and 15 Herring Gulls.  In spite of searching through this huge group carefully, I was unable to turn up a Franklin's or other more unusual gulls.  When all these birds lifted off simultaneously around 3 PM, it was a sight to behold.  If this pattern continues, I may be making some lunchtime trips to Depot Pond in coming weeks.

Governor Bridge Natural Area - Highlights included a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, several Eastern Bluebirds, an Eastern Phoebe, and a flock of Carolina Chickadees that included one bird vocalizing like a Black-capped.  The bird had lots of white in the wing coverts and fairly bright flanks, but I was unable to see the cheek patch, lower bib, or head shape.

Good birding,

Fred Shaffer

Crofton, Anne Arundel