Be Stilt My Aching Heart - 01 Jul 2024

Yesterday's storms moved through the area and this morning skies were clear but temps were cool at 50F. Winds were blowing light-but-steady at about 10 mph from the SW so biking from the Mouillee Creek parking lot toward Lake Erie was easier than coming back.

From the parking lot I looped around to the north end of the Walpatich Unit where I attempted to call in a Swamp Sparrow but w/o luck. Winds were just enough to bounce the phragmites around and keep the sparrows from showing. 

Toward the NE corner, where the marsh opened up the Unit was teeming with activity. A number of Lesser Yellowlegs were foraging all over and I managed to digiscope this fella from about 50' in the morning Sun.

 

Behind me and in the field to the north a Swamp Sparrow finally appeared atop a phragmites stalk and offered a long-distance digiscope pic or two.

Returning my attention to the Walpatich Unit I spotted a group of three Short-billed Dowitchers foraging about 50' away in the stubble. Another 3-4 birds were farther out toward the SE corner.

I would manage a few digiscoped pics through the phragmites from the eastern shoreline of the Walpatich. Unfortunately the grasses were too tall and too sway-ey (is that a word?) to get a clear view of the dowitchers that were only about 20' away.

Toward the middle of the marsh eleven Sandhill Cranes were roosting together and offered a few long-distant digiscoped photos and pics through the Sony 600/4.

They flushed when this White-tailed Deer appeared nearby, and offered lovely views from the eastern shoreline.

As I followed it toward the south (middle) dike of the Unit I noticed the Black-necked Stilt that had been reported yesterday (see it in the lower left of the image below).

The Black-necked Stilt was quite a distance away but I managed to get a few digiscoped images before I headed down the middle dike to get closer.

Just before leaving, though, I couldn't resist photographing this Common Grackle that shimmered in the morning light.

I was able to approach to within about 30' of the stilt. The bird stood quietly near the shoreline and offered up some nice digiscoped images with the Sony a1 and the Swarovski STX85.

So as not to disturb it I continued back toward the Middle Causeway and headed east toward the Banana Unit. Winds were blowing steady enough to put a ripple on the waters in the Humphries and Vermet Units. I did not stop until I reached Cell 3.

Parking in the NE corner of the Unit I hopped across the dredge pipes that were laid out next to each other and headed toward the open portion along the north end of the mud flats. From there I hiked across the soft (but supportive) mud that was still wet from yesterday's rain. Out in the open water a small group of about 11 American White Pelicans were quietly roosting; I figured I better get a few digiscoped images before moving closer.

I headed toward the small stand of willows growing in the middle of the mud flat and took up position beside them so as not to look so out in the open. I scoped the shoreline from north to south counting several dozen Least Sandpipers and dozens of Killdeer along the north end of the Cell.

As I panned past the pelicans I spotted another group of six Short-billed Dowitchers and 1 Stilt Sandpiper that was reported yesterday. The non-breeding adult looked almost black next to the lighter dowitchers.

Several yards from the shoreline a nice mix of Forster's Terns, Caspian Terns, Common Terns and Black Terns were roosting. 

The Caspian Terns were a bit skittish and tended to flush several times while I scoped them from about 50' away. Birds were also foraging and courting (at least some adult birds were begging).

A few Caspian Terns circled close enough to photograph in the deep blue skies of the morning. Winds were blowing just enough to slow them a bit.

A Common Tern also came close enough to photograph.

Satisfied w/ my efforts I returned to the bike and headed back to the Middle Causeway. As I rode west toward the car I stopped long enough to photograph several Forster's Terns that were foraging in the Humphries Unit near shore.

Tree Swallows were fighting the winds just enough to be able to photograph them as they flew over.

I returned to the car and decided to make a pass down Haggerman Road and the Antenna Farm.

Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
Jul 1, 2024 7:15 AM - 8:51 AM
Protocol: Traveling
3.978 mile(s)
56 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  118
Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)  2     Heard in Lautenschlager Unit while standing at east edge of Walpatich. Saw one fly over before circling back to Laut. Unit.
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)  6
Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors)  4
Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata)  1
Gadwall (Mareca strepera)  6
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  36
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)  2
Redhead (Aythya americana)  4
Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)  4
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)  6
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)  6
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  4
Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata)  1
Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis)  11     Walpatich Unit. All together.
Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)  1     Walpatich Unit. Continuing
Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)  1
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  73
Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)  22
Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata)  1
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)  1
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)  18
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)  7     2 in Walpatich and 5 in Cell 3. Significantly larger than nearby LEYE. Bill length 1.5x width of head and slight upturn.
Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus)  1     Cell 3. Continuing. Zebra-striped chest and forward leaning foraging.
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)  34
Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)  1     Walpatich Unit, bib, yellow legs, 2-tone bill
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)  2
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)  2
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  6
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)  2
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)  14
Black Tern (Chlidonias niger)  3
Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri)  96
Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)  7
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)  2
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)  11
Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)  1
Green Heron (Butorides virescens)  1
Great Egret (Ardea alba)  26
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  2
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)  1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  1
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)  6
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  30
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  13
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)  4
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  36
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  6
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  4
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)  4
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  120
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  4
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  1
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)  1
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  2
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S184744202

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

The drive along Haggerman Road was relatively uneventful. I did see and hear several Dickcissels, Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlarks along w/ the usual Savannah Sparrows, Horned Larks and European Starlings. No Blue Grosbeaks, however.

Antenna Farm, Monroe, Michigan, US
Jul 1, 2024 9:56 AM - 10:04 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.941 mile(s)
14 species

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)  1
Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)  2
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  1
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  46
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  2
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)  2
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  1
Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)  1
Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)  2
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  6
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  2
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  1
Dickcissel (Spiza americana)  3

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S184747389

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