A Rare Morning - 01 Jun 2025

Pt. Mouillee SGA has been hosting some nice migrants these past few days. Recent reports of White-faced and Glossy Ibis, Marbled Godwits, Red Knots, Hudsonian Godwits and Black-necked Stilts have made the long walks / bike rides worth the effort.

This morning Justin Labadie reported a Eurasian Wigeon south of the Pump House. I was confused by the following messages that it was near the Hudsonian Godwits (weren't they in Cell 3?) and the Glossy / White Ibises? I decided to grab the bike and see if I could finally see the ibises.

I parked at Mouillee Creek, rode out to the Pump House along the Middle Causeway, and turned south. Between ¼ and ⅓ of a mile I spotted the pair of Hudsonian Godwits foraging close to shore. A breeding-plumaged female and male!

Just around the corner from the grass clump three Plegadis sp. ibis were foraging close enough to see with the naked eye. Bobby Irwin was scoping them and verified two of the birds to be White-faced Ibis

and the third was a Glossy Ibis. 

Close by were a pair of Black-necked Stilts!

I was having some trouble locating the Eurasian Wigeon. It was on the far side of the marsh among Mallard, Gadwall, American Wigeon and Green-winged Teal. Luckily, Bobby had it in his scope and I was able to see it. It was tucked behind a Mallard and hidden nicely from my scope view a few feet away.

It was neat to photograph the wigeon and the ibises so close together. 

I returned to the bike and spent a few more minutes with the Hudsonian Godwits. Such gorgeous shorebirds with their brick-red barring and coloration. We don't see them often in spring.

A Marbled Godwit was reported back in Cell 3 so I headed east along the Middle Causeway to the Banana Unit. It was a bit chilly this morning with temps only at 45ºF and overcast skies (clear but hazy) so the hat and gloves came out.

At Cell 3 I spotted the Marbled Godwit far in the SW corner so I made the trek across the soft mudflats toward it. Along the way I spotted a White-rumped Sandpiper, then a couple more.

At first glance this front peep appeared to be a White-rump similar to the one in the rear,

but then it turned and I could see that it lacked the two-toned bill of its larger cousin. Semipalmated Sandpiper in breeding plumage!

The Caspian Terns roosting nearby took off and flushed the shorebirds. I managed a couple pics of the White-rumped Sandpipers in flight.

Unfortunately, the Marbled Godwit also flushed and headed south over the phragmites toward Cell 2. I could only get flight shots as it flew away and past the dozen or so American White Pelicans swimming in the cell.

I reported its flight and Vikki Jones reported a few minutes later that is was on the beach across from Cell 2. Since the Western Kingbird was reported again this morning I was headed that way, anyway. Hopefully I could get some pics of the godwit on the beach.

As I rode south along Cell 3 I spotted three Ruddy Turnstones

and a flock of 28 Sanderlings flying out over the waters of Lake Erie and headed back toward shore (and me). 

Unfortunately the Marbled Godwit had flown back to Cell 3 before I could catch up with it, so I continued south along Cell 2 looking for the Western Kingbird. No luck (it would be reported again later). A Red Knot would also make an appearance in Cell 3 a few minutes later.

I continued down along Cell 1 and down the South Causeway toward Roberts Road. I figured I'd ride Roberts Road w/ the Merlin App going to see if I could pick up any late warblers. I managed an American Redstart but otherwise Yellow Warblers were bird of the morning. I did pick up a Brown Thrasher singing from the trees along the road, but couldn't see it. 

Merlin picked up a Long-billed Dowitcher but I had to dismiss it given the habitat. I did hear several Willow Flycatchers, an Eastern Meadowlark, and a possible Alder Flycatcher, but it stopped singing so I couldn't verify.

Just as I was returning to the car to call it a morning a report came in that a Wilson's Phalarope was foraging with the Hudsonian Godwits by the Pump House. I decided to ride back out; I'd catch up with a crowd of people that included Brian Beauchene, Pat Rydzewski and Moxie Sylvan. The phalarope had flown off, but I was able to locate it among the ducks where the Eurasian Wigeon was currently hiding. 

Later in the day as many as 7 Plegadis sp. ibises were reported in the same location. 

Though I'd miss the Western Kingbird and Red Knot I had an epic morning of rarities at Pt. Mouillee. Dredge-pumping is supposed to start on Monday (tomorrow) in Cell 3 so it could affect shorebirding. I suspect that it will be awhile before it fills up enough to affect shorebirds and mudflat-walking.

Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
Jun 1, 2025 7:57 AM - 10:40 AM
Protocol: Traveling
10.375 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Overcast, cool, 45F
57 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  62
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  10
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)  1
Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors)  4
Gadwall (Mareca strepera)  10
Eurasian Wigeon (Mareca penelope)  1     South of pump house in Humphries. Orang head, white forehead. Pics show it among the Plegadis ibises reported earlier.
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  28
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)  2     Pair among Gadwall, AMWI, BWTE in Humphries s of Pump House
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  2
American Coot (Fulica americana)  1
Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)  3     Pair in Humphries s of Pumphouse and 3rd in Cell 3
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  2
Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)  4
Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica)  2     Pair in Humphries s of Pump House. Continuing between here and Cell 3. Pics
Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa)  1     Cell 3. Pics
Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)  3
Sanderling (Calidris alba)  28     Lake Erie shoreline. Exact count. Flock of 22 followed by 6 stragglers. All molt classes represented.
Dunlin (Calidris alpina)  125     Humphries s of Pump House among SESA
White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis)  4
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)  72
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)  1
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  1
American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus)  1
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)  26
Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri)  4
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)  1
Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)  1     One of 3 Plegadis ibis in Humphries S of Pump House. Dark eyes and light blu skin patch contrasted w reddish eyes and pink skin patch of WFIB
White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi)  2     Pair in Humphries s of Pump House. Continuing. Both birds show pink/red skin patches on large white patches on face. Eye color is a touch on the dark side from photos, but they were taken at a distance. Still, there is a possibility of hybridization with these two that might make them candidates for Plegadis ibis sp. The Glossy Ibis appears to be a clean individual.
Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)  1
Great Egret (Ardea alba)  11
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  4
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)  13
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)  1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  1
Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii)  8
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)  4
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)  5
Sedge Wren (Cistothorus stellaris)  1
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)  2
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  3
Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)  1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  2
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  4
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  4
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)  3
Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)  1
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)  2
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  36
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)  2
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  8
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  2
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)  1
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)  4
Wilson's Warbler (Cardellina pusilla)  1
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  2
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)  1
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  7

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S245480939

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