One Last Whimbrel? - 29 May 2023

With forecast for mid-80's this afternoon I took off for Pt. Mouillee at 7:15 am. This time I parked at the Mouillee Creek entrance with the plan to bike around the Walpatich and Laughtenschlager Units north to the North Causeway, around the Banana from Cell 5 to Cell 1, back to the Middle Causeway and home.

Willow Flycatchers were the bird of the day. No less than six were seen in the first 30 minutes of biking. They were calling their loud "FITZBEW" but playing hard to get for the camera.

The North Causeway was quiet. I had hoped to see a Whimbrel on the mudflats opposite the Vermet Unit, but they were bare. As I continued on, however, I spotted a single bird sitting in the middle of the causeway near the Banana Unit. It took off, flew west along the bank of the Vermet Unit, then landed on the causeway behind me. I was able to approach it and get a few photos w/ the 600mm lens before it lifted off and landed on the mudflats that were previously bare.

I took a few more images w/ the 600 before switching to digiscoping.

The bird was a bit wary but allowed me to quietly set up the scope and record a video as it began to preen.

After several minutes I spent some time digiscoping it w/ the Sony a1 and Digidapter™ DLM.

I had just put the camera away when a fisherman rode by on a bike and flushed the Whimbrel. Again it flew to the east, landed on the causeway, then flushed again and flew back west along the Vermet. This time I took a few flight images and watched it land back on the causeway behind me.

As I continued on biking around Cell 5 three American White Pelicans flew in off the lake. I took a few pics for record.

Cell 5 and Cell 4 were uneventful. Justin Labadie had reported a Red Knot in the Vermet Unit next to the pelican island, but scoping from the east side of the Vermet Unit failed to turn up anything. I would run into Justin who said that the bird disappeared shortly after he reported it.

The beach next to Cell 3 held 3 Ruddy Turnstones. I took a few pics before running into Justin coming the other way. We chatted, and I continued south along the Lake Erie shoreline to the path between Cells 1 and 2.

Shorebirds are thinning out in a big way. Only a few Dunlin and Semipalmated Sandpipers occupied the flooded ponds in Cell 1 and field in Cell 2. I did hear an Indigo Bunting singing from nearby and got a few pics of this molting adult male.

I continued south around Cell 1 and decided to ride out the South Causeway and Roberts Road back to the car at Mouillee Creek. Along the way I heard numerous Yellow Warblers, more Willow Flycatchers, Common Yellowthroats, and Eastern Kingbirds. I'd return to the car, listen to Warbling Vireos, and head home by 10:30 am.

Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
May 29, 2023 7:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
9.0 mile(s)
10 species

Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)  1
Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)  3
Dunlin (Calidris alpina)  3
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)  6
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)  3
Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii)  6
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)  4
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  2
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)  4
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S158454957

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