Red Knots and Pelicans - 31 May 2014
A pair of Snowy Egrets and a Whimbrel were nice finds in the west edge of the Humphries Unit just out from the Pump house. Otherwise the wind was whipping up the Red-winged Blackbirds along the Humphries and Long Pond Units. I could not relocate the Tricolored Heron along the south shore of the Vermet Unit.
A Dunlin flew in from the shoreline and landed a few feet away, giving me a few flight shots before it landed.
A female Yellow-headed Blackbird appeared nearby and foraged along the mudflat in front of me. I digiscoped it from about 30' away. Farther out were another 6 of a dozen Ruddy Turnstones that were still in the area.
I left the bike and walked down to the SW corner of Cell 3 where I found 3 White-rumped Sandpipers foraging among a dozen Semipalms.
A scope scan of the mudflat peninsula yielded 4 Red Knots! and another Whimbrel. I would also see three Sanderlings.
When I arrived at Cell 3 I was greeted by significantly fewer shorebirds than in the past few weeks. Semipalmated Sandpipers now outnumbered Dunlin, whose numbers were fast dwindling. A pair of American White Pelicans were quietly sitting at the edge of the mud flats that were occupied by several dozen Caspian and Forster's Terns, a pair of Black Terns (nice), and a few Bonaparte's Gulls.
As I headed back toward the bike the entire flock of terns, gulls and shorebirds lifted off the mud and swirled around for several minutes. I could not see why (no Peregrine in view). But I did count 6 Black Terns among the flock, so that was a nice bonus.
Just before reaching the Middle Causeway I enjoyed close looks at a Forster's Tern riding the wind next to the dike. Its kiting allowed me to grab several flight shots.
Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
May 31, 2014 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Protocol: Traveling
9.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Very Windy and cool.
17 species
Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis) 1
Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) 2
Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) 12
Red Knot (Calidris canutus) 4 SW corner of Cell 3; 4 plump shorebirds w/ stiff straight bills and red wash on chest
Sanderling (Calidris alba) 3
Dunlin (Calidris alpina) 6
White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) 3
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) 12
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) 4
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) 12
Black Tern (Chlidonias niger) 6
Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri) 6
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) 2
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) 2 West edge of the Humphries Unit. Small white egrets w/ black bills and yellow feet standing among larger Great Egrets.
Great Egret (Ardea alba) 6
Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) 1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 24
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
May 31, 2014 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Protocol: Traveling
9.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Very Windy and cool.
17 species
Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis) 1
Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) 2
Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) 12
Red Knot (Calidris canutus) 4 SW corner of Cell 3; 4 plump shorebirds w/ stiff straight bills and red wash on chest
Sanderling (Calidris alba) 3
Dunlin (Calidris alpina) 6
White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) 3
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) 12
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) 4
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) 12
Black Tern (Chlidonias niger) 6
Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri) 6
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) 2
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) 2 West edge of the Humphries Unit. Small white egrets w/ black bills and yellow feet standing among larger Great Egrets.
Great Egret (Ardea alba) 6
Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) 1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 24
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
