Massive Duck Flight - 20 Dec 2023

Pt. Mouillee SGA in Monroe Co. re-opened to birders again December 15. This morning I took the bike back there for the first time since late August. I was hoping to relocated a Purple Sandpiper that was reported by Justin Labadie a few days ago. I'd dip...

I took a drive down Haggerman Rd. past the Antennae Farm just before 8 am and saw 3 Short-eared Owls cruising the fields inside the fence just before settling down for the day. 

I'd continue down Port Sunlight Rd. but would not see the previously-reported Northern Shrike; a pair of Northern Harriers flying south would have to suffice.

Mouillee Creek parking lot was empty, and I'd have the SGA to myself this morning. Skies were clear and the sunrise was intense as I rode east along the Middle Causeway. Inland ponds were freezing over and a bit of Mouillee Creek was frozen, as well. 

A flock of Bonaparte's Gulls were foraging the small amount of open water of the creek near the pumphouse. Lighting was harsh, and the birds were a bit of a distance away, but more birds were flying in from the north.

As I continued on toward the Vermet Unit I noticed a MASSIVE duck flight over Lake Erie and the mouth of the Huron River. I initially estimated 20,000 (presumed) Canvasback and Redhead flying south but decided I should try to photo document the flight and get a better count afterward. So I shot a series of frames across the ½-mile long skein of ducks and generated a panorama so that I could get a better count. 

I counted the first 1000 by hand from the right side of the above image, then cluster-counted the rest and came up with 21,000 ducks, so I'll go w/ my original estimate. BTW, I'd find another ~10,000 Redhead/Canvasback in a massive raft just out from Pt. Mouillee HQ a bit later...

I then rode the west side of the Vermet Unit north to the North Causeway and found some 200 Tundra Swans scattered out front of the HQ. Three additional Tundra Swans flew directly overhead just moments later, and several more after that.

Out on the Huron River several dozen more Bonaparte's Gulls were swimming near rafts of Bufflehead and Common Goldeneye. Mallard flocks were scattering east and west while small flights of Common Mergansers could be seen in the distance.

I rode out to Cell 5 of the Banana Unit and scanned the rocky shoreline for a Purple Sandpiper but saw only glare from the Sun and icy waves crashing against the boulders. Winds picked up as I reached the east shoreline of Cell 5 and I'd be fighting a stiff SW wind the rest of the morning. 

I decided to walk the east dike along the north end of Cell 4 to continue looking for a Purple Sandpiper (nope) but also to check out a large raft of ducks near the opening to Lake Erie. They would turn out to be 1000+ Lesser Scaup with perhaps 50 or so Greater Scaup (note the white extending from secondaries to primaries in flying birds). I managed to get some pics of them in the water and just as they lifted off, circled around the south end of Cell 4 and returned.

I walked back to the bike and rode around to the east side of Vermet where I spotted another Northern Harrier cruising the dike ahead of me.

Near the Middle Causeway I counted 100+ Tundra Swans sleeping next to Pelican Island, and a Great Black-backed Gull out on the ice. Pushing against the wind I then headed down to the north end of Cell 3 and rode along the lakeshore; additionally bumpy with tractor treads along the trail vibrating the handlebars. The beach opposite Cell 3 was exposed, but void of any birds, so headed back to the Humphries Unit via the south dike of Cell 3. Another Northern Harrier flushed in front of me and I managed to stop in time to get a pic or two before it disappeared over the phragmites.

The ride back to the car via the Middle Causeway would be uneventful. My hopes for a Short-eared Owl along the way was unfulfilled. Still, it was nice to be back.

Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
Dec 20, 2023 8:13 AM - 11:04 AM
Protocol: Traveling
10.819 mile(s)
25 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  276
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  65
Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus)  430
Gadwall (Mareca strepera)  2
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  322
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes)  2
Canvasback (Aythya valisineria)  10000
Redhead (Aythya americana)  10000     Massive flock of mixed Redhead and Canvasback flew sputh. Estimated 50% of 10000 birds. Another large raft pf 10000 in river out from Pt Moo HQ.
Greater Scaup (Aythya marila)  50

Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)  654
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)  102
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)  223
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser)  42
American Coot (Fulica americana)  1
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)  181
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  220
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)  10
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus)  2
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)  1
Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius)  4
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  1
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  6
American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea)  5
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S156743001

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