In Search of Whimbrels - 22 May 2024

The first flocks of Whimbrel were reported yesterday in SE Michigan. 175 birds were reported at Pt. Mouillee this morning, so I decided to take a bike ride to look for them this evening.

I made a pass down Haggerman Rd. by the Antennae Farm and found the road freshly graded. There were still large potholes but overall easier to drive than this past winter. A Bobolink on the fence was a nice find; I took some pics from the car and continued on.

Antenna Farm, Monroe, Michigan, US
May 21, 2024 4:30 PM - 4:40 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
4 species

Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)  4
Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)  1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  12
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  4

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S176652869

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

Parking at Mouillee Creek skies were clear but a stiff breeze was blowing from the NE and temps were in the mid 80's. I took a left at the trail along the west side of the Walpatich Unit and decided to ride to the middle dike separating the unit. Yellow Warblers, Warbling Vireos and Willow Flycatchers were calling along the creek to my left, while Killdeer and Mallard scattered from the unit to my right. 

As I reached the middle dike separating north and south portions of the Walpatich Unit I noted how shallow the water levels were. Along the south shoreline I spotted a Trumpeter Swan. 

Swamp Sparrows were trilling in the unit to my right and I spotted a single bird perched atop a cattail in the late afternoon Sun.

Ahead of me were a small scattering of Semipalmated Plovers and Dunlin relatively close enough to digiscope.

Farther out in the unit a larger flock of shorebirds took flight; these were mainly Dunlin, Semipalmated Sandpipers and Semipalmated Plovers. When they finally landed I counted 44 Semipalmated Plovers; a personal high and one that would get flagged on eBird.

A loud "Ker-Wiii" alerted me to a Black-bellied Plover flying past. I managed to capture it as it flew by.

A pair of Sandhill Crane adults were keeping watch over a pair of young colts. As I scoped them I spotted a Greater Yellowlegs and several Great Egrets (6), Great Blue Herons (3) and a pair of Glossy Ibis! 

They were foraging in the SE corner of the unit, so I decided to backtrack and see if I could get closer shots. I stopped just long enough to photograph a pair of Blue-winged Teal 

and a pair of Wood Ducks.

As I rode back to the south shoreline of the Walpatich Unit I was joined by a Mr. Justin Labadie who had just arrived. We rode to the SE corner of the unit but could not relocate the ibis; they must've flown. So we spent some time scanning the shorebird flock that now included 3 Wilson Snipe that flushed upon our arrival. 

Justin decided to head back to the middle dike before continuing on toward Cell 3. While he was looking for the ibis from the middle dike  a flock of 6 Sandhill Cranes flew out from the Nelson Unit.

I rode around the east shore back to the middle dike where I found a small (2nd yr?) Common Snapping Turtle in the middle of the path. 

After taking a few pics I relocated it to water's edge, then spent some time trying to locate an American Bittern that was calling from the cattails just a few feet away.

I continued on around the Nelson Unit toward the North Causeway and stopped to rescue four more Painted Turtles. 

The Huron River was void of waterfowl save for 101 Mute Swans strung out near the Pt. Mouillee HQ and mouth of Lake Erie. Winds were picking up and construction had the north end of Cell 4 closed off, so I only rode to the east shoreline of the Vermet before heading south toward the Middle Causeway and Cell 3.

As I approached the Middle Causeway I could hear the first whistles of Whimbrel, and then counted 15 birds on the rocks next to the small lighthouse in Cell 4 opposite the Middle Causeway. A female Red-breasted Merganser was among them.

Continuing on to Cell 3 I found the mudflats covered in American White Pelicans (78) and hundreds of shorebirds (mainly Dunlin (250) and Semipalmated Sandpipers (30)). Unfortunately, everything was severely backlit, and with distance I didn't attempt to do much digiscoping.

Of interest was a presumptive hatch-year American White Pelican sitting between 3 adults. Was there a nest nearby?

I headed back to the car via the Middle Causeway and paused long enough to grab a couple pics of the Whimbrel still on the island in Cell 4.

As many as 300 Whimbrel would be reported on 23 May 2024 at Pt. Mouillee. I was hoping to see them but my front tire is flat on the bike. I'll be out of town (Cleveland) the Memorial Day Weekend.

Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US

May 21, 2024 5:12 PM - 8:36 PM
Protocol: Traveling
9.942 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     A
43 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  240     136 goslings. One pair had 22 goslings
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  108     101 in Huron River mouth. 7 in Vermet.
Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)  1     SW corner of Walpatich. Black bill and orange stained neck. Continuing.
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)  4
Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors)  2
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  16
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)  1
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)  2
Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata)  2
Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis)  4     2 colts and 2 adults in Walpatich
Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)  1
Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)  44     Large flock in walpatich unit. Exact count on mudflats
Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata)  3
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)  2
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)  1
Dunlin (Calidris alpina)  260     36 birds in Walpatich and remainder in Cell 3
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)  46
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)  2
Black Tern (Chlidonias niger)  3
Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri)  6
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)  2
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)  110     78 in Cell 3 includes one that is 50% smaller than others that is suggestivecof hatch year bird? Did have tiny bump on bill. 12 flew into Cell 3 from Vermet followed by 8 more. Counted 12 more on Pelican Island.
American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus)  1
Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)  4
Great Egret (Ardea alba)  6
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  2
Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)  2     Pair of Plegadis ibis in SE corner of Walpatich Unit. Presumed Glossy due to thin bluish-white skin patch around eyes that showed no pink-red. Photos.
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)  1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  2
Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii)  2
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)  2
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)  2
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)  5
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  14
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  2
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)  14
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  26
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  2
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  6
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)  4
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  46
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  12
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)  6

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S176268348

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