Walpatich Unit @ Pt. Mouillee - 22 Jul 2024
My trip to Pt. Mouillee SGA this morning would be limited to a walk around the Walpatich Unit. Leaving the bike at home I set out on foot from the Mouillee Creek parking lot shortly after 8:30 am. Skies were mostly cloudy but winds were calm on this humid, 76F morning.
A Song Sparrow was teed up on the sign at the west edge of the Walpatich Unit and permitted a few pics with the Sony 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens on the Sony a1.
Moments later a Swamp Sparrow was heard singing from nearby phragmites so I digiscoped it with the Sony a1 + 40mm f/2.5 lens and Digidapter™ DLM.
As I walked the west shoreline of the Walpatich I heard the usual Indigo Buntings, Warbling Vireo, Common Yellowthroats and Willow Flycatcher. Swamp Sparrows were singing from the phragmites in the NW corner of the Unit but none would show themselves. The first Marsh Wrens would appear as the phragmites gave way to cattails and open, shallow marsh along the north end.
Setting up the scope I spotted the first of several Pectoral Sandpipers on the open mudflats.
Closer still was a fairly cooperative Lesser Yellowlegs that inspired a short video clip. The sound of “Tu-Tu-Tu-Tu” would emanate from the marsh at all locations.
In the center of the marsh I saw several Lesser Yellowlegs hovering over the water, and when I put the scope on them I found an impressive concentration of ~50 shorebirds in a tight cluster. 30+ Lesser Yellowlegs, 3 Greater Yellowlegs, 8 Short-billed Dowitchers, 4 Pectoral Sandpipers and 5 Stilt Sandpipers.
With no other birds about I headed for the east dike that put me close enough to digiscope some Least Sandpipers,
while an adult Bald Eagle clucked from the top of the dead tree in the middle of the marsh. One of the two pics below were digiscoped.
I was happy to see a pair of Stilt Sandpipers foraging close enough for some digiscoped images (and video) and spent time following them.
A Solitary Sandpiper appeared and provided a nice distraction.
Some Short-billed Dowitchers foraged their way into view
along with a couple more Pectoral Sandpipers.
A pair of Mourning Doves flew in and perched below the eagle, apparently unconcerned with the large raptor above.
They were followed by a fly-by Caspian Tern
and several Tree Swallows foraging over the open water in front of me.
The Stilt Sandpipers were the stars of the show, however (at least in my mind, and scope). I'd take several more images and videos.
Here is a summary video clip of the shorebirds in the Walpatich Unit.
Satisfied with my efforts I continued around to the middle dike and back toward the car. I stopped to get a few images of the marsh
before a Green Heron flew in and posed for several images in the trees at the west edge of the marsh.
I’d pause just long enough to photograph some of the Chicory growing next to the causeway.
Jul 22, 2024 8:34 AM - 9:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.01 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Mouillee Creek parking lot and loop around Walpatich Unit only. On foot. Most cloudy, humid, 76F, wind 0-5.
34 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 23
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 32
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) 2
Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata) 9
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 28
Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus) 12
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) 2
Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria) 2
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) 36
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) 4
Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus) 6
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) 4
Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) 8
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) 1
Green Heron (Butorides virescens) 1
Great Egret (Ardea alba) 4
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 1
Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii) 3
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) 1
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus) 1
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia) 2
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 2
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 2
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) 1
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) 1
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) 1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 2
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) 8
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 23
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) 3
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) 2
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) 1
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) 1
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
