Nelson's Sparrow, Finally! - 16 Oct 2025

 

On 11 Oct 2025 Justin Labadie found a Nelson's Sparrow (Ammospiza nelsoni) in the Bad Creek Unit at Pt. Mouillee SGA. This area apparently hosted one or several last year(?). Since PMSGA has been closed to hunting since 01 Sep I did not consider chasing it. 

However, with thanks to Brian Beauchene, who posted this on discord a short time later:

"The new trail at the south end is open for public use without restrictions. The areas where the new signs are have seasonal closures for wildlife refuge or managed hunting operations. These seasonal closure units include the Nelson, Long Pond, Walpatich, Bloody Run, Lautenschlager and Banana Dike Units and all dikes that surround them.

The Bad Creek, Cripple Point, Point Sec, Humphries, and Mouillee Creek Units are all publicly accessible year round, but may have limitations to access because foot access is restricted in some spots. In general, the grass dike along Robert's Rd from the south end all the way to the pump house is open for public access, but stops at the pump house/Middle Causeway."
Hope this helps,
Adam Shook
Wildlife Biologist
Michigan Department of Natural Resources

I decided to give it a go! According to Justin's pin the location in the Bad Creek Unit was just north and east of the small parking lot off Robert's Road just south of Rheaume Rd. Yesterday afternoon I took a drive to look for it after Geoff Malosh reported finding the NESP in the same area as the pin.

Parking in the small lot I found the path that leads directly onto the grass dike, turned left, walked an ⅛ of a mile to where the dike turned due east and followed it to the "T" where I again turned north and followed it around the corner to Justin's pin. On my left was the Bad Creek with a small area of open sedge marsh that was visible through the phragmites. It was quiet. I suspected that the area of interest was the large marsh south of the dike so I searched for (and found) a path cut through the phragmites and down into the large sedge marsh where the Nelson's Sparrow had been found. 

The ground was soft and the sedges grew to waist height, and several paths led out into the open marsh. To my right (west) a large stand of cattails grew while phragmites formed a barrier the length of the dike. To the south the eagle nest and bare trees were visible along with the South Causeway of the SGA.



The area was quiet (not unexpected given the middle of the afternoon) so I followed the trails out into the marsh, stopped and listened for any signs of life. A couple of Swamp Sparrow flew out of the sedges in the distance, but otherwise the area seemed void of life. Overhead a Cooper's Hawk flew south and was followed on its tail by an American Kestrel. The clouds were dark so the birds were silhouettes that required some shadow-adjustments in Photoshop.



After about an hour of finding nothing (and hearing nothing) I made my way back to the car. Along the way I saw the sign for the Bad Creek Unit and "guessed" that hunting has been very frustrating here...


Deciding to give it another go I woke this morning to clear skies and a crisp 40ºF outside temperature. Driving back to Point Mouillee I caught up to Dave Riddle who was also looking for the Nelson's Sparrow. With our blaze orange caps on we headed back toward the sedge marsh, stopping to check on the sparrows moving along the path ahead of us. A pair of Ruby-crowned Kinglets, several Song Sparrows, and this White-crowned Sparrow all made appearances.



To our left and across the Bad Creek a Red-tailed Hawk was quietly perched in a dead tree and was scanning its surroundings.

We re-found the path into the sedge marsh and walked a bit south looking and listening for sparrows. A few Swamp Sparrows could be seen perched low in the sedges, and a few flew short distances across the marsh before dropping down out of sight. The rising Sun made looking to the east unbearable. This was not going to be easy...

After a fruitless half-hour we wandered back to the exact location of the pin, I played the Nelson's call a few times, and listened. Still nothing. Since we were next to the cattail stand we then decided to follow it south and out into the marsh.

Along the way we spotted a pair of Marsh Wrens that responded to some pishing and chip notes and were able to get some pics as they chattered a few feet away.








We followed the edge of the cattails around until we were at the edge of open water overlooking the dead trees and the eagle nest while an American Lotus patch was to our right (west). While checking them out a few more Swamp Sparrows appeared and offered a few photos from a distance.










We then started making our way back. Along the way I was making pishing and chip sounds when we heard a thinner "tsip" note that was not quite as strong as the "chip" notes that the Swamp Sparrows were making. A sparrow flew past us and landed just a few feet away and I assumed it was another Swamp Sparrow. But, putting the camera on it realized it was a Nelson's Sparrow!

The tiny bird posed at the base of the cattails for several moments and allowed some photos with the Sony 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens at 600mm focal length. The orange head, gray cheek patches, and short orange bib on a thinly streaked chest was diagnostic.





It flew off short distances but remained in view and allowed a few more pics from a distance





before flying and disappearing into the sedges to the south of our location. Though we stayed for several minutes longer we were unable to relocate it. So we congratulated each other and headed back to the dike. Along the way we encountered another pair of Marsh Wrens that showed briefly before moving on.




We'd return to the cars in time for me to get home by 11 am. I spent a few minutes picking up 2 bags of garbage from the parking area (cans, bottles, wrappers, bait containers, etc.) as a way to thank the birding gods for finding Lifer #1250 (#494 US, #323 MI, #269 Monroe Co.).

Here is the distribution map for Nelson's Sparrow (courtesy of Cornell's Birds of the World):

Now, off to hawk watch!

Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
Oct 16, 2025 8:28 AM - 10:15 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.461 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Clear, calm, cool, 41F. Birded with Dave Riddle to look for Nelson’s Sparrow reported days ago on Discord.
23 species

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  1
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  1
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  4
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)  4
Great Egret (Ardea alba)  2
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  1
Cooper's Hawk (Astur cooperii)  1
Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius)  1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  2
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  1
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)  1
Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)  1
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  24
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula)  2
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)  4     2 pair in cattails along edge of sedge marsh in Bad Creek Unit. Separated by ~100yds.
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  10
White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)  2
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)  2
Nelson's Sparrow (Ammospiza nelsoni)  1     Continuing S of Justin’s pin in Bad Creek Unit. Sedge marsh s of trail in open area facing Bald Eagle nest. Next to cattail stand. Brown sparrow w orange chest and cheeks. Pics.
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  3
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)  8
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  8
Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus)  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S279693828

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