Blue-winged Teal - 15 Jul 2023
After heavy rains fell all day long I decided to run to Pt. Mouillee to check for shorebirds. Only a passing shower at 4:30 pm slowed me a bit before skies brightened.
Parking at Roberts Road the South Causeway was wet and soft. Cell 1 is overgrowing but contains a lot of water. Both were cause for no shorebirds being seen. Only a pair of Lesser Yellowlegs were seen in Cell 2 but visibility was poor due to heavy phragmites growth along the west side of the Cell.
I stopped at Cell 3 to examine the field for gulls and found a dozen Caspian Terns. No Black Terns were seen and no White-winged Tern was seen. The Humphries Unit was quiet. I did see a pair of Lesser Yellowlegs and a Short-billed Dowitcher fly across the field as I navigated my way over the mud.
As I reached the north end of Cell 3 heavy machinery was moving dredging from the barge to Cell 3 so the road was chewed up and muddy. I managed to get the bike through the mud without falling off the bike. A Canvasback was resting in the SW corner of Cell 4 and allowed photos. A second Canvasback was quietly swimming a short way out from shore.
Heading south along the east side of Cell 3 I found fresh mudflats just opposite the beach. I hiked into the Cell for a better look and found 9 Short-billed Dowitchers foraging. A half-dozen Semipalmated Sandpipers and two more Lesser Yellowlegs were among them. I could not relocate the Stilt Sandpipers reported earlier in the day by Justin Labadie.
The remaining ride south to Cell 1 was uneventful and wet. I was soaked from brushing against wet vegetation and puddles. However, as I passed the south end of Cell 1 I found a pair of Blue-winged Teal resting on a log. Unbelievable still, the drake did NOT fly off when I appeared. I was able to get a minute's worth of images before he and the female took off across the field.
I returned home by 7 pm and spent some time w/ the hose removing mud from me and the bike. More rain is expected tonight so I won't be heading out tomorrow.
Pte. Mouillee SGA, Monroe, Michigan, US
Jul 15, 2023 4:30 PM - 6:40 PM
Protocol: Traveling
4.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Heavy rain all day, clearing, hot, humid. No Black Terns or White-winged Tern seen in Cell 3 or Cell 4 or Humphries Unit.
33 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 120
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) 1
Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors) 8
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 12
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) 2
Canvasback (Aythya valisineria) 2
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) 2
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 4
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) 4
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) 10
Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus) 10
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) 6
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 12
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) 12
Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri) 2
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) 1
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) 1
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 1
Great Egret (Ardea alba) 1
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) 1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 1
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) 1
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 12
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia) 12
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 12
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 1
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 4
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) 2
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) 1
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) 2
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
