Pt. Mou Piping Plover - 23 Apr 2022
It was a cool 45F this morning as I hopped on the bike and headed out along the Middle Causeway at Pt. Mouillee SGA. Forecasts call for 70+F today, which was welcome after last nites torrential rain. The ground was soft and puddles were everywhere; I'd end the day covered in mud.
Swamp Sparrows were a welcome sound this morning. As was a first of the year Marsh Wren in the Walpatich Unit. Blue-winged Teal continue to scatter ahead as I rode into the rising Sun.
The mudflats in the Humphries Unit next to the Pumphouse continue to host good numbers of Dunlin and Greater Yellowlegs, but nothin new flew in last evening (I was hoping for some Willets or Godwits that were reported at Erie Marsh yesterday). I did spend a short time with a cooperative Greater Yellowlegs that was warming itself along the west shoreline of the Humphries Unit.
Winds, and a harsh sunrise were buffeting me as rode east toward the Banana Unit. I took solace knowing that I'd have both at my back on the return ride. A few Bonaparte's Gulls were roosting in the NE corner of the Humphries. No sign of the Little Blue Heron. No Short-eared Owls, either.
I looped around the north end of Cell 3 and rode the Lake Erie shoreline toward Cell 2. The beach on the opposite side of Cell 3 was empty, but still exposed as waves crashed in from Lake Erie. Once again I turned back at Cell 2 since the trail separating the two cells were flooded. A Blue-winged Teal swam quietly in the side ditch.
As I headed back along the shoreline I spotted a Red-winged Blackbird foraging on the beach. As I approached it flew off, but a small plover flew in and landed nearby. Piping Plover!
I quickly put the scope on it and verified its ID; pale w/ yellow legs and dark forehead patch. I'd spend the next 30 minutes photographing and digiscoping it from the dike as it foraged back and forth along the shoreline. It was quite accommodating as it approached me several times to check me out. I was able to get within 50' at some points.
From all appearances the bird did not appear to have any bands. It wasn't until I got home and started looking at picks did I notice bands on the upper legs:
right leg: Silver (USGS) band with the following number fragments:
top row: n1352
bottom row: G3345 with the letters ABRE ('OPEN' in Spanish) at the crimp point
left leg: Orange band with a green dot
https://www.greatlakespipingplover.org/great-lakes-pipl-color-bands has a nice breakdown of different band types for those monitoring birds.
https://www.greatlakespipingplover.org/piping-plover gives email addresses for different research groups monitoring specific band types:
I sent my information to Alice Van Zoeren at plover@UMN.edu and she responded very quickly. She suspected that the bird was missing several bands so identifying would be difficult. Oh, well. I was impressed with the camera equipment for being able to capture enough resolution to get what information I could get.
The ride back to the car was uneventful. The Piping Plover would remain overnite until being observed being chased away by a Killdeer. Good luck, little one. May your destination be reached without incident.
Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
Apr 23, 2022 8:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
11.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Cool, 45F
9 species
Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors) 10
Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) 1 On the beach opposite Cell 3. Small plover w/ dark collar, dark forehead band and light gray head, orange legs, Bands. right leg: Silver (USGS) band with the following number fragments:
top row: n1352
bottom row: G3345 with the letters ABRE ('OPEN' in Spanish) at the crimp point
left leg: Orange band with a green dot
https://www.greatlakespipingpl
https://www.greatlakespipingpl
I sent my information to Alice Van Zoeren at plover@UMN.edu and she responded very quickly. She suspected that the bird was missing several bands so identifying would be difficult.
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) 7
Dunlin (Calidris alpina) 50
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) 5
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) 24
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) 1
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) 3
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 1
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Great find and photos.
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