Shorebirds, At Last! - 13 Jul 2019

With many thanks to Tim Thompson I took a ride out to Pt. Mouillee to look for shorebirds this evening. It was hot and humid, and winds were blowing from the west at 20-30 mph, so I began questioning my decision the moment the bike turned due south and west.

Water levels continue to be high in all units of the SGA. I initially parked a Siegler Rd. and rode out the North Causeway to check out the Long Pond. Nothing. So, I looped around the Long Pond and headed back to the car. Next stop - Roberts Road parking lot at the south end of Pt. Mouillee.

As I approached the parking lot I spotted a large Common Snapping Turtle covered in road dust and making its way along the side of the road. I stopped an oncoming truck, jumped out of the car, and picked up the turtle and hustled it back down to water so it could wash off; it was too small to be looking for egg-laying locations. Once secured I parked and rode out the South Causeway to the dike separating Cells 1 and 2.

At the north end of Cell 1 is a small clearing that is now a pond with significant mud flats. And in those mudflats are shorebirds. Finally! Dozens of Lesser Yellowlegs, Short-billed Dowitchers, Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers were foraging among another dozen Killdeer, and several Spotted Sandpipers and Wilson's Snipe.

I set up the scope and spent the next 30 minutes or so digiscoping the birds in the early evening light. The birds were somewhat back-lit, so I suspect that morning hours will be better for lighting. Still, I managed to get my shorebird fix after being denied all Spring.

Lesser Yellowlegs

Least Sandpiper, adult

Lesser Yellowlegs, adult

"hendersonii" Short-billed Dowitcher

Least Sandpiper, adult

Lesser Yellowlegs, adult

Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers

As I was riding back to the car I made another turtle rescue; this time a Painted Turtle that did not appreciate a ½-mile bike ride to open water.

Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
Jul 13, 2019 5:00 PM - 7:50 PM
Protocol: Traveling
7.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Windy! High water. No shorebird habitat within the major units.
29 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  60
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  6
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)  4
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (Columba livia (Feral Pigeon))  2
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  12
Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus/scolopaceus)  30     A small pond has been dug out at the north end of Cell 1 and is accessible from the dike separating Cells 1 - 2. First reported by Tim Thompson the pond is currently the only shorebird habitat know. 30 Short-billed Dowitcher (L. hendersonii) are adults with orange extending across belly onto underbelly. Photos taken - digiscoped.
Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata)  4
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)  2
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)  16
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)  24
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)  16
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)  1
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)  4
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  6
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)  1
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  1
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)  1
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)  2
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)  1
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  2
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)  3
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  1     Singing "three-four-three-four-three" call from Roberts Road parking lot. Not a Tufted Titmouse.
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  6
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  1
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  6
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)  2
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  6
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  60
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  4
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  6

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S58167309

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

Earlier in the day Mary Tremblay found a pair of Blue Grosbeaks at the Antennae Farm off Haggerman Rd. so I headed there, next. As I drove by from Laboe Rd. I spotted the female Blue Grosbeak perched on the fence next to the maintenance entrance. Unfortunately, I could not park fast enough or get any pics before she flew off to the east. So, I turned my attention to the myriad of Dickcissels perched on the fences or singing from the fields on the other side of the fence.

I walked the fence line for a short while and digiscoped a cooperative Savannah Sparrow for a few minutes.

While listening for grosbeaks or more Dickcissels I turned my attention to several Black Saddlebags that were buzzing by. The Sony a9 does a nice job locking autofocus even on dragonflies!

Giving up hope on seeing the grosbeaks I headed home.

Antenna Farm, Monroe, Michigan, US
Jul 13, 2019 7:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
Comments:     Blue Grosbeak reported earlier by several.
6 species

Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)  4
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  2
Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)  1
Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)  1
Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea)  1     Female; sitting on fence next to maintenance entrance along west side of Antennae Farm; thick bill; reddish-brown coloration deepened by golden-hour sunlight; appeared much duller, darker than Dickcissel perched next to it. Flew off before I could stop car. Thick bill;
Dickcissel (Spiza americana)  7     Singing from all directions; several perched on fence line at a time; digiscoped images.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S58167500

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)