Be Stilt My Sinking Feet - 06 Aug 2025

This morning skies were clear (but hazy) and humid at 70F. My plan was to ride to Cell 3 at Pt. Mouillee to check on shorebirds, then ride back to the Lautenschlager Unit to check on the mudflats.

Parking at Mouillee Creek I rode out the Middle Causeway to the Banana Unit and Cell 3. Pied-billed Grebes were the only significant birdlife in the Humphries Unit. 

I arrived at Cell 3 and was greeted by this juvenile Indigo Bunting chipping away at the edge of the Smartweed forest. After it flew I waded into the 6' tall plants and made my way out onto the mudflats where the view opened to a large roost of Ring-billed Gulls, Herring Gulls, and Caspian Terns.

This juvenile Herring Gull was cooperative so I took a few pics w/ the 600/4 lens.

As I was photographing it the gull flock (and it) suddenly erupted, as did all of the shorebirds on the mudflats. 

 

I scoured the bird mass and found the culprit; this young Peregrine Falcon!

I then set up the scope and scanned the pond from left to right. Semipalmated Sandpipers, Semipalmated Plovers, Killdeer, Least Sandpipers, and Short-billed Dowitchers were tucked in the SE corner. I then found a couple of Stilt Sandpipers along the middle shoreline. 

A tight roosting flock of 52 Stilt Sandpipers, all molting into basic plumage, were tightly packed together on a small sandbar near the SW corner! A few Lesser Yellowlegs were among them.

Just beyond them a roosting flock of Short-billed Dowitchers were roosting. I counted over 50 here. Among them was a single Black-necked Stilt.

And nearby the continuing American Avocet!

Scanning the dowitchers I came upon two, possible three Long-billed Dowitchers (not the one lower left of the Black-necked Stilt). Barring on the flanks and overall gray appearance is consistent with LBDO.

Adam Byrne had requested some details on the LBDO, and he replied to my previous post where I suggested that the molting gray birds were exclusively LBDO and noted white axillaries (or armpits):

"Thanks for your reply and photo.  I agree there are some Long-billed Dowitchers present, but some of the reasoning is not quite solid.  Both species start molting before reaching the winter grounds, so you can also see some Short-billeds with gray plumage beginning.  Also, Long-billeds really don’t have white axillaries – both species have barring on the axillaries, but Long-billeds tend to be less marked (probably not a simple assessment from any distance and quick views).  The whiter region that has been touted as more suggestive of Long-billed (but also perhaps not fool-proof) is the whiter leading edge to the underwing on Long-billeds. 

 

The feature that does make me feel you have some Long-billeds is the barring present on the breast-sides.  From that lone photo, it’s not clear how many different individuals are present.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Adam"

I then headed back to the bike and stopped momentarily to photograph one of the many Cabbage White Butterflies enjoying the Smartweed.

I rode back to the Lautenschlager Unit and found a few dozen shorebirds. Among them was this Pectoral Sandpiper.

And a White-rumped Sandpiper.

Another dozen Short-billed Dowitchers were foraging together.

I'd continue back to the car and home. The humidity this morning took a bit out of me as I was sweaty and fatigued by the time I got home.

Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
Aug 6, 2025 8:14 AM - 10:17 AM
Protocol: Traveling
4.051 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Overcast, humid, 73F, showers forecasted.
47 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  18
Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors)  16
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  9
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)  6
Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata)  4
American Coot (Fulica americana)  22
Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)  4     2ad and 2 juv in Cell 3 continue.
American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana)  1     Cell 3 continuing. Losing orange neck.
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  6
Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)  8
Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)  62     52 in Cell 3 and 10 in Lautenschlager. All hendersoni.
Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus)  3     Continuing Cell 3 among SBDO. Grayer, bulkier and show white armpits during wing stretch (SBDO have barred axillaries).
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)  2
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)  23
Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus)  56     52 roosting together on sandbar in Cell 3 after Peregrine flushed everything. All in basic plumage but still show zebra striping on bellies, flanks. Four more among SBDO flock.
White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis)  1
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)  4
Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)  1
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)  24
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  18
American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus)  12
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)  36
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)  4
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)  1
Green Heron (Butorides virescens)  2
Great Egret (Ardea alba)  4
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  26
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  2
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)  1
Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii)  1
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)  2
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)  1
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)  2
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  2
Purple Martin (Progne subis)  1
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  2
swallow sp. (Hirundinidae sp.)  50
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)  2
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  7
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  2
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)  1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  2
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)  1
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)  6
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  2
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  2
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)  1
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  3

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S265421124

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