Arctic Tern @ Pt. Mouillee, AM - 07 Jun 2026

Morning arrived with clear skies and a mild 70ºF temperature. My plan was to check out Pt. Mouillee today since I'm booked Mon-Wed this week. Plus, hot, humid, stormy weather is expected Tue-Wed. With warbler season all-but over I decided to try out the Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens (+ 1.4TC II) w/ the Sony a1 II for the first time since purchasing the camera.

I decided to drive by the Antenna Farm to see if any Dickcissels have arrived; its been quiet all spring. Sure enough, I heard the first of three, "Dik-Dik-Ceer-Ceer-Ceer" calls coming from the fenceline. Dickcissels have returned!

Antenna Farm, Monroe, Michigan, US
Jun 7, 2026 8:43 AM - 8:46 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.447 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Clear, 70F, calm
9 species

Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)  1
Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)  4
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  8
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  1
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)  2
Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)  1
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  1
Northern Yellow Warbler (Setophaga aestiva)  1
Dickcissel (Spiza americana)  3

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S353881907

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

I then made a pass down Rheaume Road to look/listen for a Blue Grosbeak. No such luck, but I did hear another Dickcissel singing from the fenceline of the landfill right at Rheaume and US Turnpike. 

Parking at Mouillee Creek I rode out along the west side of the Walpatich Unit and kicked up a pair of Great Egrets and Green Herons. This morning a pair of Black-necked Stilts were found in the north end of the Walpatich Unit.

The Lautenschlager Unit was still flooded (no shoreline/mudflats) and only held a pair of Canada Geese and a Great Blue Heron. Marsh Wrens and Swamp Sparrows were singing from the nearby shoreline.

As I rode north along the dike separating Nelson Unit from Bloody Run Unit I spotted 3 Osprey soaring over the Nelson Unit. One passed close enough to photograph.

The North Causeway was quiet so I rode east toward the Banana. At the boat crossing a Redhead scampered from shore and gave me some nice poses before swimming away from shore.

This White-tailed Deer stopped to ponder my presence as I reached the Banana in the NE corner of the Vermet Unit.

Riding south along the east side of the Vermet Unit I scanned Cell 4 for ducks but the place was quiet. A pair of Forster's Terns were foraging along the south end of Cell 4 so I snapped a few photos as they flew in range of the camera.

Arriving at the west side of Cell 3 I hopped the ditch and waded through the now-waist-deep vegetation and made my way to the west shoreline of Cell 3 pond. I ran into Bobby Irwin and asked if there were any goodies. He said that he had a good candidate Arctic Tern on the east mudflats and set up the scope to show me (I left mine in the car...).

Sure enough, a small, dark Sterna sp. tern was resting on the mudflats next to several Forster's Terns and several more Common Terns. It was darker overall with a small red bill (no black tip) and showed long wing projections. All good markers for Arctic Tern.

He was on his way out so I spent some time trying to get (hand-held) photos of the Arctic Tern with the 600/4 + 1.4 TC + APS-C mode ~ 1270 mm EFL. Though deeply backlit by the rising sun I managed some keeper photos showing the all-red bill and gray shading that extends up to the cheeks of the bird.

Here is a comparison shot of the Arctic Tern (right) w/ a longer-legged, lighter-shaded Forster's Tern (left) with its orange-red and black-tipped bill. 

Four Black-bellied Plovers were foraging in the background. Four Black-necked Stilts were foraging along the near shore to the south. Out in the middle of the cell were numerous American White Pelicans to go along with the dozens of Dunlin and Semipalmated Sandpipers backlit by the morning Sun.

Having exhausted my efforts at getting photos of the Arctic Tern I headed out. I would head back to the Middle Causeway and west to the car with the plan to come back this evening when the Sun is at my back.

Great find, Robert!

Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 31), Monroe, Michigan, US
Jun 7, 2026 8:50 AM - 10:50 AM
Protocol: Traveling
11.277 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Clear, warm, 78F, 0-5mph
54 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  23
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  45
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  20
Redhead (Aythya americana)  1
Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)  3
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  1
Sora (Porzana carolina)  1
Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata)  2
Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)  4
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  4
Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)  2
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)  2
Dunlin (Calidris alpina)  16
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)  16
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  2
American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus)  2
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)  3
Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri)  3
Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea)  1     Found by Bobby Irwin in Cell 3. I was able to get photos of the small, dark, Sterna sp. tern w/ small ed bill (no black tip), dark gray cheeks, short, stubby legs, and long wing projection. Comparison shot w/ Forster's Tern is shown. Photographed w/ 600/4 + 1.4TC+1.5 crop ~ 1270mm EFL.
Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)  2
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)  4
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)  6
Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)  1
Green Heron (Butorides virescens)  2
Great Egret (Ardea alba)  3
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  1
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)  29
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  1
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)  4
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  1
Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii)  2
Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)  1
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)  1
Eastern Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)  3
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)  1
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  4
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)  2
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  7
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)  2
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  37
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  2
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  4
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)  3
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  2
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)  4
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)  1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  34
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)  6
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  5
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  5
Northern Yellow Warbler (Setophaga aestiva)  4
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  2
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  1
Dickcissel (Spiza americana)  1     Landfill next to Rheaume and Turnpike. Singing "Dik-Dik-Ceer-Ceer-Ceer".

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S353991589

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