Nesting Stilts & Prelude to Fall Migration - 29 Jun 2025
I just got the bike back from Al Petri in Woodhaven, so I was anxious to get out and try it. I was having issues with gear-slippage and required a new chain and set of sprockets. With skies clear and humid this Sunday evening I took the opportunity for a late afternoon run to Pt. Mouillee.
Driving down Haggerman Road from South Huron River Drive toward the Antennae Farm I spotted 3 Sandhill Cranes flying over. A few moments later a group of three Turkey Vultures took off from the ditch up ahead and circled close enough for some pics from inside the car.
As I reached the Antennae Farm I heard the first of three Dickcissels calling from along the fence line. One bird was perched on the wire and permitted some pics from inside the car. But knowing that I would have heat distortion I stopped and got out long enough to get some pics from the road (and away from the car).
An Eastern Meadowlark was also a nice find; they tend to disappear after early spring sightings. A fly-over pair of American Kestrels were also welcomed.
Antenna Farm, Monroe, Michigan, US
Jun 29, 2025 5:18 PM - 5:29 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.424 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Clear, warm, humid, 82F, calm
12 species
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (Columba livia (Feral Pigeon)) 3
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 5
Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis) 3
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 5
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) 2
Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris) 2
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 6
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) 4
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) 2
Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) 1
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) 2
Dickcissel (Spiza americana) 3
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S2
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Jun 29, 2025 5:18 PM - 5:29 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.424 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Clear, warm, humid, 82F, calm
12 species
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (Columba livia (Feral Pigeon)) 3
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 5
Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis) 3
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 5
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) 2
Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris) 2
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 6
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) 4
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) 2
Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) 1
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) 2
Dickcissel (Spiza americana) 3
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S2
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
I then headed over to the Mouillee Creek parking lot and rode out along the Middle Causeway to test the bike. It rode very nice and smooth. Winds were picking up from the NE and riding toward the Banana Unit proved to be a bit of a challenge. Being late in the afternoon and still not early evening the birds were few and far between, but I did manage a flight sequence of an Indigo Bunting in the Vermet Unit.
Andrew Simon had reported the Black-necked Stilt pair in the NE corner of the Humphries Unit to have fresh hatchlings but I did not see parent nor offspring as I reached the Banana Unit. I did see a pair of Redhead ducks with six hatchlings swimming in the SW corner of Cell 4.
As I reached the construction area at the south end of Cell 4 I spotted a Forster's Tern foraging along the shoreline. I then heard the squeaky calls of a Black Tern nearby and saw it foraging, as well. It was a good time to get off the bike and work on flight photography.
The adult Black Tern put on a show as it circled back and forth in front of me while diving and feeding off the surface of the water. Trying to track it with the 600/4 lens was a challenge but 30 fps helped get a quite a few satisfying captures!
After the tern moved on I continued on to Cell 3 where I planned to walk over to the west side to try to scope the Cell with the Sun more at my back. I had a bit of a spill, though, when I tried turning off the dike into the ditch where it was worn smooth from all the previous traffic. I didn't have enough to get to the other side of the hill, fell backward off the bike and crashed hard onto my back. My scope took the brunt of the fall but I managed to scrape my elbow and bloody a couple of knuckles. But, I picked myself up and continued on with bruised hands and ego.
I could see a large roost of American Herring and Ring-billed Gulls in the north end of the dried mudflats and headed toward them to get a rough count (700) and to see if any oddities were about. Lighting was harsh so I didn't spend a lot of time looking for any unusual gulls.
Lady's Thumb plants have overtaken most of Cell 3 mudflats so I waded through them toward the west side of Cell 3. The ground was soft but dried and cracked so I walked softly toward open mudflats and scattering Killdeer (a dozen at least).
As I reached the west side and started approaching gaps in the phragmites I heard the loud "BET-BET-BET" of a pair of UPSET Black-necked Stilts approaching from the water's edge. They were not happy at my presence and spent several minutes flying overhead, circling and calling loudly before returning to (presumed) nesting sight or hatchlings that could not be seen.
I did not stay long. As I made my way back I grabbed some flight shots as they passed by to the north and east.
I looked along the shoreline to where the stilts were and saw three silhouetted shorebirds with long legs and dark bodies. Thinking that they might be young stilts I put the scope on them. They turned out to be a pair of Lesser Yellowlegs and a Greater Yellowlegs. First birds of the fall shorebird migration???
The Black-necked Stilts returned to the SW corner of Cell 3 where they kept an eye on me as I made my way back to the N and E across the mudflats.
I returned to the bike and headed back to the car with the winds at my back. Luckily the bike suffered no damage and I had a smooth ride.
Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
Jun 29, 2025 5:34 PM - 7:17 PM
Protocol: Traveling
3.463 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Clear, hot, humid, 82F. Winds 5-10 mph from NE.
41 species (+1 other taxa)
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 26
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) 8
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) 2
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 14
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) 2
Redhead (Aythya americana) 8 Pair w 6 babies in Cell 4 south
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 4
Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) 2 Cell 3 pair very upset at my presence along west side of Cell. Nest and/or chicks nearby.
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 12
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) 3
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) 2
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) 1
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 5
American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus) 5
Larus sp. (Larus sp.) 700 Mixed Herring and Ring-billed Gulls roosting in N end of Cell 3.
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) 7
Black Tern (Chlidonias niger) 4
Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri) 16
Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) 6
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) 8
Great Egret (Ardea alba) 8
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 2
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) 4
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 1
Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii) 1
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) 1
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia) 2
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 4
Purple Martin (Progne subis) 1
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 7
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) 1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 5
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 1
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) 1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 45
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) 1
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) 1
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) 2
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) 1
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) 4
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S2
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Jun 29, 2025 5:34 PM - 7:17 PM
Protocol: Traveling
3.463 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Clear, hot, humid, 82F. Winds 5-10 mph from NE.
41 species (+1 other taxa)
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 26
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) 8
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) 2
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 14
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) 2
Redhead (Aythya americana) 8 Pair w 6 babies in Cell 4 south
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 4
Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) 2 Cell 3 pair very upset at my presence along west side of Cell. Nest and/or chicks nearby.
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 12
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) 3
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) 2
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) 1
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 5
American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus) 5
Larus sp. (Larus sp.) 700 Mixed Herring and Ring-billed Gulls roosting in N end of Cell 3.
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) 7
Black Tern (Chlidonias niger) 4
Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri) 16
Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) 6
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) 8
Great Egret (Ardea alba) 8
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 2
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) 4
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 1
Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii) 1
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) 1
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia) 2
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 4
Purple Martin (Progne subis) 1
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 7
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) 1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 5
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 1
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) 1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 45
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) 1
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) 1
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) 2
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) 1
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) 4
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S2
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
