Last Bird, Best Bird - 18 Aug 2025
For the first time in weeks the morning was "cool". With no humidity in the air the 60ºF air actually felt cool. Partly cloudy skies greeted me as I arrived at the Mouillee Creek parking lot.
I hadn't even pulled the bike out of the back of the car when a pair of American Redstarts flew in and started flashing their trademark black and orange/yellow tails. Minutes later I was heading out along the west side of the Walpatich Unit. A flock of Barn Swallows glowing in the morning Sun was hard to resist as they perched in the phragmites lining the channel to my left.
As I arrived at the north end of the Lautenschlager Unit I spotted the first of dozens of Purple Martins flying overhead. By the time I could get off the e-bike and pull the camera from my vest they were mostly past me. But then the second wave came through and allowed a few pics.
By the time they had stopped flying over I had realized that they were all landing in the trees behind me.
The west side of the unit gave me a view of the mudflats that were now covered with a uniform carpet of short smartweed. Shorebird numbers have dwindled drastically here with a just a handful of Lesser Yellowlegs, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Least Sandpipers and Killdeer. Several Short-billed Dowitchers were foraging on the far side of the mudflat while small flocks of Semipalms and Least Sandpipers were flying back and forth to the far shoreline. But the Black-necked Stilts were still around, and I managed to see 7 of the 10(?) reported.
It is so nice to see the juvenile stilts apparently thriving!
This juvenile Lesser Yellowlegs was just a few feet away and showed nicely in the morning light.
As was this Killdeer.
Juvenile Least Sandpipers.
I rode out to Cell 3 and found Talus Rutgers scoping shoreline. I joined him and together we found few shorebirds. Short-billed Dowitchers and Long-billed Dowitchers continue to hang around but the avocets, godwit, willet, and Stilt Sandpipers had moved out. Talus finally found 3 Baird's Sandpipers and I was able to get some very distant photos with the 600/4.
We would also pick up six Stilt Sandpipers (all juveniles) and 3 White-rumped Sandpipers.
I made a count of Long-billed Dowitchers and easily counted 12. I would report 18 but may have had as many as 22 given their larger, bulkier appearance and gray profile compared to the still-orange Short-billed Dowitchers. But some of these birds could be worn adult SBDO so it wasn't a clear call.
I took some videos of the dowitchers and Baird's Sandpipers using the iPhone 14 and Swarovski STX85 at 60X magnification.
We would re-find a pair of Black-bellied Plovers before I headed out. My plan was to ride south along the Lake Erie shoreline toward Roberts Road then look for warblers along Roberts Road. I stopped long enough to get a few pics of a Bald Eagle at the parking lot area.
With the wind blowing it was difficult to hear birds singing but I did manage to hear the Yellow Warblers, Indigo Buntings and Eastern Kingbirds. Otherwise, it was quiet.
Mary Tremblay reported seeing a pair of Blue Grosbeak at Roberts and Reaume Roads yesterday, so I decided to ride down Reaume to see if I might find them. I've missed them all summer so I was thrilled to hear one singing about halfway to the entrance of the quarry. A bright male flew overhead and provided some nice images before flying back to the south and disappearing in the brush.
The Blue Grosbeak would be my best bird of the day. My last bird.
Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
Aug 18, 2025 7:46 AM - 10:11 AM
Protocol: Traveling
7.766 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Pt cloudy, no humidity, breezy, east wind 5-15 mph. 60F
62 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 65
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) 2
Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors) 10
Gadwall (Mareca strepera) 1
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 6
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) 12
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 19
Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata) 4
American Coot (Fulica americana) 22
Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis) 3
Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) 2
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 8
Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) 7
Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus) 13
Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus) 18 As many as 22 gray, bulky dowitchers foraging together in groups of 4-6 among SBDO. White on forewing when stretching wings.
Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata) 1
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) 2
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) 7
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) 1
Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus) 5
Baird's Sandpiper (Calidris bairdii) 3
White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) 3
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) 9
Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) 4
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) 23
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) 1
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 27
American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus) 2
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) 36
Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) 1
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) 3
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) 2
Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) 3
Great Egret (Ardea alba) 8
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 2
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 1
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) 3
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 4
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 1
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) 2
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) 3
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus) 1
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) 1
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia) 4
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 16
Purple Martin (Progne subis) 120
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 12
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) 1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 75
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 1
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 2
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) 1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 65
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) 1
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) 2 Male and female flew in to parking lot tree flashing black and yellow tails.
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) 1
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 1
Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea) 1 Male singing Reaume Rd halfway between Roberts Rd and quarry entrance. Pics. Continuing.
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) 4
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S2
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Aug 18, 2025 7:46 AM - 10:11 AM
Protocol: Traveling
7.766 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Pt cloudy, no humidity, breezy, east wind 5-15 mph. 60F
62 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 65
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) 2
Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors) 10
Gadwall (Mareca strepera) 1
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 6
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) 12
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 19
Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata) 4
American Coot (Fulica americana) 22
Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis) 3
Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) 2
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 8
Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) 7
Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus) 13
Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus) 18 As many as 22 gray, bulky dowitchers foraging together in groups of 4-6 among SBDO. White on forewing when stretching wings.
Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata) 1
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) 2
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) 7
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) 1
Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus) 5
Baird's Sandpiper (Calidris bairdii) 3
White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) 3
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) 9
Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) 4
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) 23
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) 1
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 27
American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus) 2
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) 36
Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) 1
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) 3
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) 2
Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) 3
Great Egret (Ardea alba) 8
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 2
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 1
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) 3
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 4
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 1
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) 2
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) 3
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus) 1
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) 1
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia) 4
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 16
Purple Martin (Progne subis) 120
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 12
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) 1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 75
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 1
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 2
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) 1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 65
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) 1
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) 2 Male and female flew in to parking lot tree flashing black and yellow tails.
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) 1
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 1
Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea) 1 Male singing Reaume Rd halfway between Roberts Rd and quarry entrance. Pics. Continuing.
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) 4
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S2
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
