Peregrinus interruptus - 25 Aug 2025

Overnight temperatures dropped to 50ºF as a cold front moved through the Great Lakes Region. This morning skies were clear but a brisk wind was blowing that prompted a heavy sweatshirt as I arrived at Mouillee Creek parking lot just before 8 am.

Amber Piotter had texted that a Bald Eagle had flushed all the shorebirds from the Lautenschlager Unit so I was prepared to be disappointed. As I arrived to the NW corner of the unit I did see several Lesser Yellowlegs, a Short-billed Dowitcher and 3 Stilt Sandpipers. A few more Pectoral Sandpipers and Short-billed Dowitchers flew in, but there was no sight of the Hudsonian Godwit re-reported yesterday. 

I continued around to the east side of the Lautenschlager Unit and found the mudflats to be void of shorebirds. A flock of Blue-winged Teal were swimming in the open water to the west and a fly-by flock of Short-billed Dowitchers passed by them as I was scoping them. 

Everything erupted suddenly as a Peregrine Falcon blasted through over the water heading south. At first I thought it might be the godwit but speed quickly corrected my ID. I managed to get the camera up on it as it made a couple quick passes while chasing shorebirds. 

As it circled back south the Peregrine Falcon singled out a Short-billed Dowitcher and gave chase. The dowitcher did its best to dart left and right trying to outrun the falcon, and managed to keep distance between them. 

Both birds disappeared to the south and I'm presuming that the dowitcher avoided capture. However, I suspected that when I arrive at Cell 3 I'd find no shorebirds due to a passing falcon in that area.

I was right. As I arrived at Cell 3 the mudflats were bare except for a pair of Black-bellied Plovers and a flock of Caspian Terns roosting on the mudflats. As I scoped them, however, everything lifted off again and scattered in all directions, include a nice flock of 50+ Green-winged Teal. I did not see the reason for their departure.

After several minutes a dozen Semipalmated and Least Sandpipers flew in.

I'd continue to scope the far shoreline. A half-dozen Black-crowned Night Herons were hiding in the phragmites while 22 Long-billed Dowitchers continue to forage among another couple dozen Short-billed Dowitchers. The highlight was 3 Sora popping into the open along the NW shoreline.

Amber showed up and we headed back to the Lautenschlager to see if any shorebirds had returned. Several Lesser Yellowlegs were at the south end of the mudflats but quickly departed when a pair of Bald Eagles flew overhead. 

We then headed back to the NW corner where we found a half-dozen Stilt Sandpipers, Pectoral Sandpipers, Short-billed Dowitchers, and Lesser Yellowlegs. This Bonaparte's Gull was swimming just a few feet in front of us and unconcerned with our presence. The godwit was nowhere to be seen.

We parted ways after a quick check of the trees in the Nelson Unit for warblers, but winds were keeping any warbler activity quiet. I'd see a nice mudflat with several Greater Yellowlegs, Killdeer, and Stilt Sandpipers north of the creek next to the Walpatich Unit.

I headed back to the parking lot and chatted with Magda (-lena) from Ontario, who was spending a few days birding the area. 

Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
Aug 25, 2025 7:51 AM - 10:02 AM
Protocol: Traveling
4.222 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Mostly clear, cool, windy, 55F
48 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  45     DS don’t j
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)  6
Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors)  24
Gadwall (Mareca strepera)  1
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  4
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)  20
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  4
Sora (Porzana carolina)  3
Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata)  4
American Coot (Fulica americana)  10
Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)  2
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  8
Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)  10
Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)  35
Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus)  22     Continue Cell 3
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)  1
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)  16
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)  4
Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus)  8
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)  12
Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)  8
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)  24
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)  1
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  6
American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus)  1
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)  36
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)  1
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)  1
Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)  7
Green Heron (Butorides virescens)  1
Great Egret (Ardea alba)  13
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  4
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)  76
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  4
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  5
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)  1
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)  3
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)  6
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  36
Purple Martin (Progne subis)  6
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  16
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  65
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  4
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  1
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)  1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  129
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S269460417

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