The Bonies Ate the Hornies - 18 Mar 2026
Yesterday afternoon Justin Labadie reported as many as 400 Horned Grebes on Lake Erie across from Cells 3 - 5 at Pt. Mouillee SGA in s. Monroe Co., MI USA. With high winds finally starting to diminsh here in SE Mich I decided to drive out this morning to look for them. Temperatures were in the low 20's and wind chills would put them in the single digits. Someone was not wrong. I arrived at the Mouillee Creek parking lot shortly before 8:30 am and rode out the Middle Causeway. The plan was to ride directly to the Banana Unit, south to Cell 2, east to the Lake Erie shoreline, then back north to Cell 5. Clouds and a partially-obscured sunrise, high winds (still), and low temperatures had put a fresh layer of ice on all inland ponds including the Lautenschlager and Walpatich Units. Small pockets of open water were tightly packed with Gadwall, American Wigeon and Ring-necked Ducks. Near the Pump House the ducks were closer, but they flushed upon my approach. This Wood Duck was stuck b...