Snowy Egret, Avocet @ Pt. Mouillee - 18 Aug 2007

0700 Hrs. Parking at the Mouillee Creek entrance of Pt. Mouillee SGA (US Turnpike just S. of Roberts Rd in Monroe Co.) I rode the Middle Causeway up toward the Walpatch and Latenschager Unit. Earlier this week (8/13/07) I had spotted a Snowy Egret in the Latenschager Unit and managed a few flight pics before it disappeared into the Lead Unit. Hoping to see it again today, I first stopped in the lilypad-covered Walpatch and spotted several Black-crowned Night Herons, Wood Ducks, and a Kingfisher. The Latenschager Unit was pretty quiet - a half-dozen Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs, a single Long-billed Dowitcher, and several (presumed) Short-billed Dowitcher Juveniles. The field on the opposite side of the pond held a single Pectoral Sandpiper, several juvenile Semipalmated Sandpipers and a couple more juvenile SBD's. From there I rode the dike separating the Long Pond Unit and the Nelson Unit north to the North Causeway. Along the way I spotted a young Northern Harrier resting in a field and managed a few digiscoped images from about 100 yds. While watching it through the scope a Sora flushed from the dike behind me. I watched as it flew and disappeared into the cattails. Continuing on toward the Vermet Unit I spotted a few dowitchers, Killdeer and yellowlegs in the Long Pond Unit. The NW corner of the Vermet Unit held a couple Great Egrets, and an immature Snowy Egret feeding along side. Shooting into the sun, I took a few pics of it before trying to move around to the other side of it. The egrets flushed and flew off toward the middle of the Vermet Unit, but the Snowy Egret circled around and returned nearby. A few digiscoped images later I moved on toward the Banana Unit. Electing to ignore Cell 5 I rode the dike along the east side of the Vermet Unit. Along the wooded portion I spotted a pair of House Wrens and four fledglings. A Carolina Wren sang farther back in the woods, and three immature Yellow Warblers appeared nearby. The rocky sandspit in Cell 4 was crowded with Ring-billed Gulls, Caspian Terns, Forsters Terns and a single Bonaparte's Gull. Otherwise, water levels appeared to be lowering as rocks and pile-ons have been exposed near shore.

Cell 3 was active in terms of human presence this morning. A large dredge and a tugboat were at the extreme SE end of Cell 4 and numerous cars were parked directly next to the shorebird habitat. The NE corner of Cell 3 was empty except for a single American Avocet feeding actively in the shallows. Grabbing the scope I made my way past the parked cars and headed down toward the shoreline where heavy machinery had been dumping/moving earth. The Avocet was aware of my presence, but continued to feed after a few moments. This allowed me plenty of time to take 100 pics and several videos

using the Zeiss 85 and P5000. After about 30 minutes I left the bird to continue on my way.

I decided to ride along the Lake Erie shoreline south toward Cell 2 and double back along the Lead Unit. Cell 2 is now overgrown with Cottonwoods and phragmites and just a mere memory of the great shorebird habitat it used to be. The Lead Unit held numerous Mallard and three sets of Common Moorhen w/ young (2, 1, and 3 chicks each).

Heading back down the Middle Causeway I stopped and scoped the Osprey tower in the middle of the Lead Unit. The platform held one adult and one young fledgling liked to take off and drag its talons through the water as it flew over the surface. The adult bird has a red band on its left leg as confirmed earlier in the week.

Continuing on toward the car, I stopped as a group of (8) Bobolink took off from a clump of sunflowers. I managed to digiscope one individual as it swayed atop a phragmite nearby.

Back at the parking lot I ran into Carl Overman and Rob Epstein. After passing along greetings and information I headed home. 10:30 am.