First Ride of the Spring - 13 Mar 2025


I had the chance to get out to Pt. Mouillee for the first time since January. Skies were clear, winds were breezy (from the northeast) and temperature was hovering near 30F. Inland ponds were open, and ducks were largely absent from Lake Erie and taking advantage of the open Vermet, Humphries and Long Pond Units. 

I drove down Haggerman Road on the way to Pt. Mouillee and found a pair of American Kestrels on the overhead wires. Red-winged Blackbirds were actively calling from inside the fence line of the Antenna Farm, and the first Eastern Meadowlarks were heard from the road. Otherwise a pair of Horned Larks were the only notable birds along the 1 mile stretch.

Antenna Farm, Monroe, Michigan, US
Mar 13, 2025 8:43 AM - 8:53 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Clear, calm, 28F
6 species

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  4
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)  2
Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)  2
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  1
Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)  2
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  5

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S218216556

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

Parking at Mouillee Creek I road the bike out the Middle Causeway and headed north past the Walpatich Unit's west shoreline. Red-winged Blackbirds were actively displaying all over the place including this one that posed and called from close by.




A pair of Trumpeter Swans were heard bugling their loud, nasally trumpet call and I spotted them flying in from the Lautenschlager Unit. One bird had a bit of a crooked neck.









Ducks were scattering from the marsh in all directions but identifying them was problematic given the bright Sun creating severe eye-strain and dark silhouettes. Still, most were Mallard with a scattering of Gadwall, American Wigeon, and the first pair of Northern Pintail of the year.





A few Bufflehead were around. This male did a fly-by.




As I reached the North Causeway and headed east I spotted a pair of Tundra Swans still hanging around the Huron River. 


Otherwise the Huron River and the mouth of Lake Erie were surprisingly quiet. No large rafts of Canvasback, Redhead and scaup were seen, which was ok since the ride was into the Sun and against a strong head wind.

As I reached the northeast corner of Cell 4 I spotted a few small rafts of Common Mergansers that scattered as I approached. Ice was still seen along the shoreline and a few Ring-billed Gulls were roosting on it. As I reached the northwest corner I spotted a single duck next to the ice and initially thought it was a dead bird floating on the water; it turned out to be a lovely drake Long-tailed Duck! I was surprised as it slowly swam toward me and posed for several nice portrait shots under perfect light.








The Vermet Unit had scattered ducks by the hundreds (not thousands as expected) but they were difficult to ID due to distance and glare. Turning down the Middle Causeway I was able to see the better-illuminated rafts of Canvasback, Lesser and Greater Scaup, American Wigeon, and Redhead. 


As birds flushed I was able to get pics of fly-by Ring-necked Ducks, 



and Gadwall.


American White Pelicans have returned. I counted 72 mostly in the Vermet Unit and overhead.






I was hoping to see a Short-eared Owl along the Middle Causeway but had to settle for a Northern Harrier.

I was happy to get out today as high winds and storms are predicted for the next couple of days. 

Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
Mar 13, 2025 8:49 AM - 10:31 AM
Protocol: Traveling
8.073 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Clear, calm, 30F. Inland ponds open; some ice in Cell 4
41 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  140
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  36
Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)  2     Pair in Walpatich Unit. Heard flat, nasally trumpeting then saw pair fly over. Black bills, rusty neck/head. One has crook in neck. Photos.
Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus)  2
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)  2
Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors)  2
Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata)  6
Gadwall (Mareca strepera)  26
American Wigeon (Mareca americana)  24
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  370
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes)  6
Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)  8
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)  6
Canvasback (Aythya valisineria)  124
Redhead (Aythya americana)  66
Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris)  34
Greater Scaup (Aythya marila)  16
Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)  250
Greater/Lesser Scaup (Aythya marila/affinis)  100
Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis)  1
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)  6
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)  5
Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)  4
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser)  14
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)  2
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  2
Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis)  6
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  8
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  16
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)  72     Vermet Unit
Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius)  1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  1
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  2
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)  1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  1
American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea)  8
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  2
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  220
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  19
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S218238569

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