Red-necked Phalarope - 07 Aug 2025

Robin got a text yesterday from our old neighbors that they were thinking of selling one of their e-bikes, a Rad Expand 5 Folding E-bike. I'd been putting off for as long as I could getting one, but perhaps it was time. Robin and I drove out to their new house, rode the bike, and brought it home. I was anxious to try it out, so this morning I took it to Pt. Mouillee to give it the field test.

Arriving at Mouillee Creek parking lot at 8:30 am I took the bike out of the car and set it up. This unit has a display that shows battery life and it was showing full charge. However, I noticed that the battery itself has a level display and it was showing only 1 of 4 bars and it was red, so I was worried that it might not have a charge sufficient to get me to Cell 3 and back, so I opted to just ride around to the Lautenschlager Unit and back.

The bike rode wonderfully. I was riding the west side of Walpatich Unit in Level 1 and effortlessly pedaling. The fat tires moved over the gravel trails without problem, and in minutes I was on the east shore of the Lautenschlager Unit. 

Shorebirds were relatively light. A dozen Short-billed Dowitchers were scattered along the far side of the mudflat while several Semipalmated Plovers and Semipalmated Sandpipers foraged along the near shore.

Lesser Yellowlegs, a White-rumped Sandpiper, and a Stilt Sandpiper were foraging along the far shore of the mudflat, as well. But, what caught my eye was the bright white Red-necked Phalarope twirling nearby in shallow water! Its dark cap, dark eye patches, and orange V-stripe on the back made it easy to ID.

The bird would be seen by others for the next several hours but disappeared late afternoon. 

I scanned the far shore of the Unit to see if I could see any shorebirds, and found a scattering of yellowlegs, Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers, Killdeer, and Semipalmated Plovers. No snipe. It appears that the far shore will be good habitat to check, as well.

While riding the bike back to the car I put it in Level 2 and it really took off when pedaling. A bit too fast fast, so backed down to Level 1 and adjusted speed with the throttle, and found it to handle really well. 

I got home and put the battery on the charger and it was fully charged within an hour. I checked the manual, and apparently the level display on the handlebars is accurate, so I was ready to give it another workout tomorrow.

Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
Aug 7, 2025 8:25 AM - 9:19 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.462 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Pt cloudy, humid, 73F, breezy 5-10mph
30 species

Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors)  4
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  4
Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)  1
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  5
Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)  8
Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)  13
Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus)  1     Lautenschlager Unit. Dark cap, eye patches, orange V on back. Twirling feeding.
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)  2
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)  18
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)  2
Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus)  1
White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis)  1
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)  4
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)  26
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)  11
Great Egret (Ardea alba)  2
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  12
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)  1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  1
Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii)  1
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)  1
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)  2
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  2
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  2
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)  1
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  6
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  1
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S265612370

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