Today I had car problems that needed fixed immediately, so after I dropped my vehicle off at the Bowie Toyota on Gov Br Rd, I walked down to the Gov Bridge Natural Area (park) to do some birding while I waited for the estimate/repair.  Along the way, I got picked up by another birder (Warren S) while I was walking to there, and we birded briefly together at the park before he had to go to work.

It was apparent that the hoped-for arrival of thrushes did not occur, except for one flock of Robins I saw feeding in an overflow parking lot for Bowie Baysox Stadium.  Instead there were numerous catbirds and blue jays.

However, a Mourning Warbler was a great surprise found at the jct of yellow (I'm sure) and red (? - I think) trails.  This area is North of the big lake, and betweeen the lake and the road.  The trail follows a wet area where there must have been some heavy equipment digging a long time ago, the topography is obvioulsy disturbed there.  At the trail jct there are two nearby bridges over the outlets at the adjacent ponds.  That is the best I can do for a description of location.

The bird popped into view shortly after we arricved at that location, and it was in good view only very briefly, and then remained obscured but occasionally showing a partial view as it moved around.  It was there only about 40-50 seconds and then it crossed the trail, and dove into thicker cover on the south side of the trail in a wetland area.  We tried pishing and a few call notes but it did not show again.  When it was first in full view I had a very nice broadside view.  I could see it had a solid dull gray hood but no visible black bib, with solid yellow underparts (belly and rump).  As for any eyering it was not obvious, I did not see one.  The back was solid brownish green with no wing bars.  I think it may have been an adult female.

We also saw a Swamp Sparrow, my FOS for a definite fall migrant.  It was with a song sparrow by one of the ponds in the meadow area along the path to the canoe launch.

There were a lot of Yellowthroats but that was the only other warbler species I saw at the park this morning, plus one Maggie as I walked along the road before I arrived there.

Cheers!
Jeff Shenot
Croom MD

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