Be Stilt my Beating Heart! - 21 Jul 2008
I got as far as the Long Pond Unit (SW corner) and decided to ride no further. Shorebirds had indeed returned and the LPU was bustling with activity.
Lesser Yellowlegs,
Short-billed Dowitchers, Stilt Sandpipers, Solitary Sandpipers, Spotted Sandpipers, Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers, and Killdeer were feeding among the short grasses and open water just a few feet from the dike where I had assembled my scope. With the sun at my back I had the good fortune to find (3) Stilt Sandpipers feeding close enough to digiscope. With a half-dozen Short-billed Dowitchers among them I spent the next 40 minutes or so concentrating my efforts with trying to get some keeper images (and videos).
Seeing Stilt Sandpipers still in breeding plumage is a real treat. I love the barring on their chests, and the rufous cap and cheek patches. It always amazes me how far forward they lean when feeding that I wonder how they manage not to fall on their faces.
As I digiscoped them I heard the 'Bet-bet-bet' of the Black-necked Stilts about 100 yds. away. I put my binoculars on them and watched as they actively chased any shorebird that came into their vicinity. I could only assume that the young were nearby.
Taking this as an opportunity I made a rough count of the birds in the LPU:
65 Lesser Yellowlegs
35 Short-billed Dowitchers
2 Greater Yellowlegs
12 Stilt Sandpipers
1 Solitary Sandpiper
4 Semipalmated Sandpipers
20 Least Sandpipers
12 Killdeer
6 Spotted Sandpipers
35 Short-billed Dowitchers
2 Greater Yellowlegs
12 Stilt Sandpipers
1 Solitary Sandpiper
4 Semipalmated Sandpipers
20 Least Sandpipers
12 Killdeer
6 Spotted Sandpipers
Having unsuccessfully spotted any young Stilts I decided to try to move just a bit closer to where the Stilts were feeding. Parking the bike at the extreme SW corner I grabbed the scope and camera and proceeded to wade into the cattails that towered above me. As I quietly worked my way eastward into the emergent forest tried to keep the sun at my back so I'd have some idea which direction I was moving. Finally I reached the edge of the cattail patch and found fairly firm footing at the opening of the marsh. This still kept me approx. 60 yds. from the Stilts, but I was suddenly much closer to the nearby Short-Billed Dowitchers and Lesser Yellowlegs that paid me little attention and continued feeding. Quickly setting up the scope I managed to get several nice digiscoped images of the dowitchers and yellowlegs before they moved on.
A young Spotted Sandpiper feeding just 10 feet away provided a great digiscoping opportunity.
It was at this point that I realized I was being scrutinized by one of the parent Black-necked Stilts. It took off and flew at me from the far bank and made a couple loud passes before returning to its roost. I managed several quick flight shots as it passed within a few feet of me. What a thrill!
By the time I was finished the clouds were moving in, so I took a quick image of the rainbow off to the east and headed back into the cattails. When I re-emerged from the cattails (a good 50 yds. away from the bike) I headed for home.
Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
Jul 21, 2008 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Protocol: Traveling
5.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: This afternoon the skies cleared just enough to make it worth a trip to Pt. Mouillee to look for shorebirds. Brad Murphy and Adam Byrne had reported yesterday that 4 baby Stilts were seen, making this only the 2nd time since 2003 that Black-necked Stilts had successfully nested in Michigan. SW corner of Long Pond is where most shorebirds were found.
10 species
Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) 2 Hatchlings reported by Adam Byrne and Brad Murphy. Only saw the adults, though.
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 12
Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus) 35
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) 6
Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria) 1
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) 65
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) 2
Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus) 12 among the SBDO in SW corner of Long Pond Unit
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) 20
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) 4
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S4
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Jul 21, 2008 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Protocol: Traveling
5.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: This afternoon the skies cleared just enough to make it worth a trip to Pt. Mouillee to look for shorebirds. Brad Murphy and Adam Byrne had reported yesterday that 4 baby Stilts were seen, making this only the 2nd time since 2003 that Black-necked Stilts had successfully nested in Michigan. SW corner of Long Pond is where most shorebirds were found.
10 species
Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) 2 Hatchlings reported by Adam Byrne and Brad Murphy. Only saw the adults, though.
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 12
Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus) 35
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) 6
Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria) 1
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) 65
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) 2
Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus) 12 among the SBDO in SW corner of Long Pond Unit
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) 20
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) 4
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S4
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
