First Long-billed Dowitchers - 03 Aug 2025

My plan for this morning was to ride out to Cell 3 of Pt. Mouillee, check for shorebirds, then ride back and check out the Lautenschlager Unit mudflats. Skies were again clear but hazy from Canadian Wildfires (a health advisory was in effect for those w/ respiratory issues).

Parking at the Mouillee Creek I rode the Middle Causeway directly out to the Banana Unit and Cell 3. They say that "numbers are hard to swallow" but today it was "swallows are hard to number" as hundreds of Bank Swallows, Tree Swallows, and Barn Swallows were swarming the causeway between Humphries and Vermet Units. I estimated 400 but Justin would later suggest several thousand. Either way, lighting was poor so I didn't try to get flight shots.

A Bald Eagle was perched majestically atop the sand piles at the north end of Cell 3. Again, lighting...

I arrived at the SE end of Cell 3 and waded through the massive Smartweed growth covering most of Cell 3. At one point I was holding the camera overhead to avoid soaking it as I waded through 6' tall growth. But, suddenly I was through the growth and standing on bare (walkable) mudflat and viewing the large colony of Ring-billed Gulls and Caspian Terns roosting near the water's edge. 

I walked as far as I felt safe and set up the scope. Scanning the water's edge I saw very PLUMP Lesser Yellowlegs that could easily be mistaken for Long-billed Dowitchers if not for their thin short bills.

A female Northern Pintail was a nice find. American Coot were out by the dozen with mostly young in tow. A group of six Stilt Sandpipers were foraging near the west end of the Cell near four Black-necked Stilts (2 ad + 2 young). Nestled in the phragmites were dozens of Short-billed Dowitchers quietly roosting near several young Black-crowned Night Herons.

A single American Avocet was quietly preening in the open, and is presumed to be the same one I photographed in the Lautenschlager yesterday (it was not seen this morning there).

Justin Labadie arrived and set up his scope nearby and we caught up on sightings. As we chatted a flock of American White Pelicans appeared over the west horizon; the first seen here in weeks.

The dowitchers flushed from the west side of the Cell and flew across the water and roosted in the SE corner. As we scanned them through scopes I noticed two, possibly a third bird appearing grayer than the orange/black Short-billed Dowitchers. Wing stretches later I could see white axillary (armpit) feathers that appear to confirm Long-billed Dowitcher. 

They would again flush but this time landed out in the open at water's edge and allow us to view them a bit better from our location. In the images below there are three (and as many as 6) birds what appear grayer with molting back feathers and pale, barred chests with a hint of red that are suggestive of Long-billed Dowitcher. The hendersoni Short-billed Dowitchers show the orange chests and dark/black back feathers. A Wilson's Phalarope could also be seen among them.

We then headed back to the bikes and parted ways. I headed back toward the Middle Causeway and headed toward the Lautenschlager Unit where I spotted 6 Short-billed Dowitchers, this near-shore Lesser Yellowlegs,

and a roosting flock of Semipalmated Sandpipers.

Out in the channel separating the two mudflats a single Stilt Sandpiper was foraging in open water.

Since there we no other shorebirds around I spent some time trying to pull a Western Sandpiper out of the flock of Semipalms but to no avail.

Adam Byrne and Geoff Malosh arrived in Adam's truck and were scanning the flats, as well, but saw nothing unusual, either.

As we left the flock of six Short-billed Dowitchers flushed from the mudflats and flew overhead (deeply backlit) followed by the flock of Semipalmated Sandpipers. No Peregrine Falcon was seen.

I'd head back to the car and home.

Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
Aug 3, 2025 8:16 AM - 10:23 AM
Protocol: Traveling
4.044 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Hazy from wildfire smoke, otherwise clear, warm, 70F.
53 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  75
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)  1
Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors)  6
Gadwall (Mareca strepera)  1
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  8
Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)  1     Cell 3 continuing. Among Short-billed Dowitchers in SE corner of pond. Tan, long-necked and pointed tail, bill bluish is consistent with female.
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)  12
American Coot (Fulica americana)  42
Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)  4     2 ad and 2 juv in Cell
American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana)  1     Cell 3
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  4
Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)  16
Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)  45
Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus)  3     Cell 3 among hendersoni SBDO. Gray w no orange on chest. White axillary when wing stretch.
Wilson's Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor)  1
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)  3
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)  15
Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus)  7
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)  6
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)  34
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  10
American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus)  4
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)  52
Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri)  1
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)  7
Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)  2
Great Egret (Ardea alba)  5
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  2
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)  22
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)  1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  1
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)  1
Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii)  1
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)  1
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)  1
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)  40
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  49
Purple Martin (Progne subis)  4
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  25
swallow sp. (Hirundinidae sp.)  300     Middle Causeway. Swarm of Tree, Bank, Barn and Martin
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)  3
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  5
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)  1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  1
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  2
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)  1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  2
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)  1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  24
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  14
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  3
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  4

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S264741967

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