American Avocet - 02 Aug 2025
An American Avocet was reported in the Lautenschlager Unit this morning so I planned to take an afternoon ride to look for it. Arriving at the Mouillee Creek parking lot just before 1 pm I biked out around the west side of the Walpatich Unit to the north end of the Lautenschlager Unit. Skies were clear but hazy from wildfire smoke and it was a warm 80ºF.
I ran into Karen Kessler along the way and she reported that a Peregrine Falcon had just flushed all of the shorebirds from the mudflats but the avocet was the only bird to not fly away. I took that as a hopeful sign and continued to the east side of the Unit. As expected there were no shorebirds in sight; only a half-dozen Canada Geese.
I rode toward the south end of the mudflats and saw the American Avocet sleeping along the edge of the mudflats near open water. A Canada Goose crossed the shallow channel toward the bird but did not seem to be a threat.
It eventually woke and started foraging in the shallow channel between the two mudflats and eventually moved close enough for some pics with the 600/4 lens. I was sitting on the bank among the phragmites and using the scope/tripod as a platform to stabilize the lens as I shot from 100'+ away.
Afternoon photography is the pits. Heat shimmer and lack of shadows made for some blurry images, but I manged a few keepers. The camera wanted to focus on the body, so I had to keep changing targets to get it focus on the head and eye.
Four Semipalmated Sandpipers flew in and foraged near the avocet, but they didn't stay long.
So I turned my attention back to the American Avocet and tried to get some pics as it wandered closer to my location.
It then headed to the edge of the northern mudflat and went back to sleep. I took the opportunity to pack up and leave.
Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
Aug 2, 2025 1:00 PM - 1:12 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.095 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Sunny hazy 80F
20 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 45
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) 1
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 2
American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) 1 Continuing in Lautenschlager.
Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) 6
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) 6
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) 4
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) 1
Great Egret (Ardea alba) 4
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 1
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 1
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia) 6
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 2
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 2
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 2
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 1
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) 1
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) 1
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) 1
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) 1
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S2
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Aug 2, 2025 1:00 PM - 1:12 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.095 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Sunny hazy 80F
20 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 45
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) 1
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 2
American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) 1 Continuing in Lautenschlager.
Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) 6
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) 6
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) 4
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) 1
Great Egret (Ardea alba) 4
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 1
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 1
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia) 6
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 2
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 2
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 2
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 1
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) 1
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) 1
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) 1
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) 1
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S2
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
