Last Trip for the Year! - 31 Aug 2019


With Pt. Mouillee SGA set to close beginning September 1 I took my last opportunity to visit the place this morning. I decided to start from Siegler Road and ride the North Causeway. Pied-billed Grebes and Common Gallinules were the only birds visible in the Long Pond Unit, so I continued on around the back side of Cell 5.


Wood Ducks and Bonaparte's Gulls were flying in the cell, but I continued riding. Lake Erie was kicking up waves and the winds were blowing. Riding south would be easy. The ride back to the car would be a chore.

I spent a few minutes checking out the long spit in Cell 4. I kicked up a few small flocks of Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers, and found 8 Bald Eagles at the tip. Barn Swallows were swirling around me, but yielded no useful pics.

I continued on around Cell 3 and rode along the Lake Erie shoreline down to Cell 1, where I found the shorebird pond all but dry. Only a single Least Sandpiper (juvenile) was present.

I rode back to the Middle Causeway and headed west toward the car. I stopped at the boat ramp where I spotted the Whimbrel being viewed by fellow-birder John. I kept my distance and took some digiscoped images of it before it flew off to the east.








A Northern Harrier was foraging over the Long Pond Unit as I headed back to the car.


Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
Aug 31, 2019 7:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
11.0 mile(s)
10 species

Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)  6
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)  3
Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata)  2
Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)  1     Middle Causeway at boat ramp separating Humphries from Vermet. Digiscoped images.
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)  7
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)  6
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)  6
Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius)  1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  8
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  40

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S160560226

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

From there I drove down to Port Sunlight Rd. where I finally spotted the juvenile Yellow-crowned Night Heron. It was tucked in the phragmites. Its broken wing obvious. Poor thing.


Detroit River IWR--Port Sunlight Rd. marshes, Monroe, Michigan, US
Aug 31, 2019 10:00 AM - 10:15 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.2 mile(s)
1 species

Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea)  1     Continuing. I drove down to Port Sunlight Rd. where I finally spotted the juvenile Yellow-crowned Night Heron. It was tucked in the phragmites. Its broken wing obvious. Poor thing.
 Photo

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S160560491

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

An American Kestrel was the only bird in sight along Haggerman Rd.


Till next year.

Antenna Farm, Monroe, Michigan, US
Aug 31, 2019 10:30 AM - 10:45 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
1 species

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S160560704

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