Hudsonian Godwit continues - 22 Aug 2025

I headed back to Pt. Mouillee this morning to do a bit more extensive shorebird survey. Parking at Mouillee Creek I saw a text from Dave Riddle indicating that the Hudsonian Godwit (reported yesterday) was still showing in the NW corner of the Lautenschlager. So I was on my way to check it out. I stopped long enough to photograph the dew-covered oat grass growing in the middle of the trail next to the Walpatich Unit.

As reported the NW corner of the Lautenschlager Unit held a nice array of Short-billed Dowitchers, Stilt Sandpipers, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Semipalmated Sandpipers,

and the Hudsonian Godwit. It was disappointing that the bird was so severely backlit by the morning Sun but it was close and showing nicely through the gap in the phragmites.

After a few pics I rode around to the north side of the unit and found a cutout in the phragmites that gave me much better light for photographing the shorebirds. I turned the camera on the Hudsonian Godwit that was only about 30' away.

Several dozen Short-billed Dowitchers were present and always a pleasure to photograph. 

Lesser Yellowlegs.

Stilt Sandpiper.

I then rode around to the east side of the unit and ran into Dave Riddle. After chatting I scoped the Black-necked Stilts (5) that continue to be seen, as well as several more dowitchers, sandpipers, and Semipalmated Plovers. No phalaropes were seen.

I then biked to Cell 3 where I left the bike and hiked through the smartweed to the mudflats. Along the way this pretty Viceroy Butterfly was sunning itself.

I managed to walk out far onto the mudflats without sinking in the mud, and scoped the shoreline and water of Cell 3. A pair of Black-bellied Plovers continue in the SE corner among a dozen Semipalmated Plovers, Least Sandpipers and Semipalmated Sandpipers. A Mallard and young(?) Redhead were swimming next to shore while Common Gallinule, American Coot and Black-crowned Night Herons hid in the weeds at the back of the pond.

A young Bald Eagle scattered the roosting Caspian Terns and shorebirds several times, but helped to concentrate the birds once they landed.

I managed to find a pair of Baird's Sandpipers, a White-rumped Sandpiper, a half-dozen juvenile Stilt Sandpipers, and the flock of ~ 40 dowitchers that included 25 Long-billed Dowitchers and 15 Short-billed Dowitchers. 

Returning to the bike I headed back to the Lautenschlager Unit. The south end of the mudflats along the east shoreline hosted a half-dozen Pectoral Sandpipers, several Short-billed Dowitchers and Stilt Sandpipers. Still no phalaropes. I grabbed a photos of some nearby Lesser Yellowlegs,

and Semipalmated Sandpipers. 

Returning to the NW corner of the unit most of the shorebirds were gone, including the Hudsonian Godwit, so I continued back to the car and home by 10 am. 

Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
Aug 22, 2025 7:33 AM - 9:25 AM
Protocol: Traveling
3.651 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Ptly cloudy to cloudy, 61F, calm.
52 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  124
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)  12
Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors)  8
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  6
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)  8
Redhead (Aythya americana)  1
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  12
Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata)  8
American Coot (Fulica americana)  14
Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis)  5
Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)  5     3 ad and 2 juv in Lautenschlager Unit. Continuing.
Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)  2
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  5
Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)  23
Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica)  1     NW corner of Lautenschlager Unit. Continues. Pics
Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)  62
Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus)  25     Continue Cell 3
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)  1
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)  12
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)  2
Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus)  26
Baird's Sandpiper (Calidris bairdii)  2
White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis)  1
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)  16
Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)  8
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)  38
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)  2
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  4
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)  78
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)  2
Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)  6
Green Heron (Butorides virescens)  1
Great Egret (Ardea alba)  16
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  4
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  4
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)  4
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  6
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)  2
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  2
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  6
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  13
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)  2
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)  5
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  1
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)  1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  2
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)  1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  160
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  2
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  1
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S268753717

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