Hudsonian Godwit - 21 Aug 2022
Shout-out to Linda Ar for finding and reporting a Hudsonian Godwit in the Lautenschlager Unit yesterday afternoon. With skies finally clearing I decided to run down to Pt. Mouillee to look for it.
Leaving shortly before 5 pm I arrived at Mouillee Creek and rode out to the NW corner of the Lautenschlager Unit. A gap in the phragmites gave me a nice (albeit distant) views of the east side of the unit. I set up the scope and had nice views of the near-shore Lesser Yellowlegs, Semipalmated Sandpipers, and a very distant view of the Hudsonian Godwit foraging along the east shore among dozens of Short-billed Dowitchers and Stilt Sandpipers.
I decided to leave the bike and hike along the west shoreline to get a better view. The birds were so far away that I thought I was seeing more than one godwit (they would be dowitchers). The hike along the shoreline was careful since the ground was soft, but walkable. I walked in about 100 yds or so and set the scope up. The evening sky was lovely so I took a quick pano with the iPhone 14.
The shorebirds flushed but I managed to get some flight shots that included the Hudsonian Godwit flying in a bit closer to my location. The dark inner wing lining was nice to see as it landed.
Lighting was great so I took some images of the (mostly) juvenile Short-billed Dowitchers and Stilt Sandpipers to show their fresh feathering.
The Hudsonian Godwit was quietly roosting for a bit, so it gave me an opportunity to get some pics and scan the rest of the flock.
Here is a phoneskoped video at 3X magnification on the phone and 60X magnification on the Swarovski STX85 spotting scope:
I kept the evening ride short to just the Lautenschlager Unit and back to the parking lot, so I was home by 6:30 pm. I'd be heading back here in the morning so no use overdoing the opportunity.
Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
Aug 21, 2025 5:16 PM - 6:11 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.727 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Mostly sunny, breezy, 73F, winds NE 10-12mph
18 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 6
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) 2
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 2
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 1
American Coot (Fulica americana) 2
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 4
Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) 7
Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica) 1 Lautenschlager Unit. Continues from this afternoon when reported by Linda Ar.
Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus) 26
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) 16
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) 2
Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus) 14
Baird's Sandpiper (Calidris bairdii) 1
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) 5
Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) 4
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) 19
Great Egret (Ardea alba) 4
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 2
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S2
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Aug 21, 2025 5:16 PM - 6:11 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.727 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Mostly sunny, breezy, 73F, winds NE 10-12mph
18 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 6
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) 2
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 2
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 1
American Coot (Fulica americana) 2
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 4
Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) 7
Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica) 1 Lautenschlager Unit. Continues from this afternoon when reported by Linda Ar.
Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus) 26
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) 16
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) 2
Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus) 14
Baird's Sandpiper (Calidris bairdii) 1
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) 5
Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) 4
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) 19
Great Egret (Ardea alba) 4
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 2
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S2
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
