Buff-breasted Sandpiper - 26 Aug 2025

After meeting Magdalena Z. (Ontario) yesterday morning she went out and found a Wilson's Phalarope in the Lautenschlager. More importantly (for me) she found a Buff-breasted Sandpiper in Cell 3 at Pt. Mouillee! I saw her eBird report and was up at 5 am with the intention of re-finding the bird.

At 7:30 am I was heading out along the Middle Causeway directly to the Banana Unit and Cell 3. Skies were clear, but temperatures were at 50ºF with a slight breeze so I was glad to have worn my jacket and stocking cap. Riding as fast as I could east into a blinding Sun was a bit of an adventure since I couldn't see anything ahead of me. Also, a bungee cord stuck to my bike helmet meant I had to ride without head safety, but luckily I had no incidents.

Arriving at Cell 3 I headed out onto the mudflats. A binocular scan of the mudflats showed no shorebirds. The Caspian Tern colony was present, but only they were present on the mudflats. The Long-billed Dowitchers and Short-billed Dowitchers were foraging along the far shore while flocks of Blue-winged Teal and Green-winged Teal were swimming in open water. But otherwise, there were only a couple of Semipalmated Sandpipers and Least Sandpipers seen along the west side of the Cell.

I continued to the middle of the mudflats and set up the scope and started scoping the dowitchers near the SW corner. Panning right I spotted the pair of Black-bellied Plovers near the west shoreline, then found a Pectoral Sandpiper near the edge of waterline along the west side. Continuing to pan to the NW I spotted the Buff-breasted Sandpiper WAY OUT on the mudflats north where it ends at the smartweed field! As I started walking that way a pair of Killdeer and the Buffy suddenly took flight so I did my best to at least get a record flight shot.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Killdeer, and Least Sandpiper

To my surprise the Buff-breasted Sandpiper circled a few times then landed on the mudflats about 50' away from me. It then started to forage in my direction and got as close as about 30' before flushing again.

With the bird now out of view I decided to scan the west shoreline for rails (I had seen several juvenile Sora yesterday). Sure enough, I spotted one, two then three juvenile Soras foraging at the edges of the phragmites lining the quiet waters along the west shoreline. I took some screen grabs with the iPhone 14 before taking long-distance photos with the 600/4. I'd also spot a Virginia Rail at a distance but it disappeared before I could get the phone hooked to the scope.

The Black-bellied Plovers appeared nearby so I turned the cameras on them.

As I photographed them I spotted the Buff-breasted Sandpiper just 30' away and foraging in my direction (again!). Lighting was perfect so I spent the next 30 minutes just photographing it with the camera propped on the spotting scope. The little guy seemed to be curious with my presence and just continued to work its way toward me. I'd like to think that we just enjoyed each other's company.

Thoroughly satisfied I headed back to the bike and back toward the Lautenschlager Unit. I would run into Vikay Kaz on the way out, and Geoff Malosh along the Middle Causeway. Just before running into Geoff I spotted 3 Northern Harriers sitting next to the Middle Causeway between Vermet and Humphries Units. They took off as I pulled up but I could not get the camera to focus on them as they circled over the causeway before flying off.

Arriving at the Lautenschlager Unit I saw a flock of American White Pelicans swimming along the west shoreline. Still more were swimming at the south end among a dozen Great Egrets and a half-dozen Great Blue Herons.

The only shorebirds present was a flock of Short-billed Dowitchers (juveniles) at the south tip of the mudflats.

Another half-dozen Lesser Yellowlegs were foraging a bit farther in deeper water.

One adult Short-billed Dowitcher with worn plumage was nearby, as well. The only adult bird I could see among all of the juvenile birds.

I would stop again to scope the drainage canal north of the Walpatich Unit and find several dozen Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers, Semipalmated Plovers, Lesser Yellowlegs, Killdeer and European Starlings. I never did see the phalarope. So I headed back to the car.

Thank you, Magda, for finding the Buff-breasted Sandpiper! With less than a week before the SGA closes for the season (September 1) I was really hoping that one would show up. So thank you, Canada for coming through once again. :)

Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
Aug 26, 2025 7:18 AM - 9:40 AM
Protocol: Traveling
4.954 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Clear, cool, 50F, breezy, 5-10 mph from N.
45 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  36
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)  4
Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors)  26
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  14
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)  56
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  2
Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola)  1
Sora (Porzana carolina)  4     1 ad and 3 juv in west side of Cell 3
Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata)  4
American Coot (Fulica americana)  6
Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)  2
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  16
Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)  12
Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)  42
Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus)  25     Continuing Cell 3
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)  1
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)  13
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)  2
Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Calidris subruficollis)  1
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)  23
Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)  6
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)  44
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)  1
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  13
American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus)  2
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)  46
Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)  7
Great Egret (Ardea alba)  22
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  8
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)  77     All in Lautenschlager Unit
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)  1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  2
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  3
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)  4
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)  8
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  6
Purple Martin (Progne subis)  8
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  6
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)  1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  16
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  8
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  126
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S269648993

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