Just a Minute Sooner, PM

Just a Minute Sooner, PM - 07 Jun 2026

I returned the Pt. Mouillee this afternoon to look for the Arctic Tern reported earlier today. I just wished I hadn't checked out the Bad Creek Unit before heading to Cell 3...

Arriving at Mouillee Creek parking lot I pulled the bike and headed out along the Middle Causeway. It was early enough (I thought) that I had time to check out the Bad Creek Unit for shorebirds. Skies were clear and it was warm and humid. An older gentleman was riding his bike and towing an old Pit Bull Terrier in a wagon behind the bike; it was adorable!

I followed behind slowly so as to not spook him, especially as he/we crossed the low portion of the dike where cobble was large and biking was treacherous. As soon as I got on the other side I rode past with a quick greeting then headed to the mudflats where I found 4 Black-necked Stilts foraging in the open. Farther beyond a couple dozen Semipalmated Sandpipers and Dunlin were foraging in the open water.

I then returned to the Middle Causeway and headed to Cell 3. Dan Fedorowicz was the only other person there along the west shoreline so I quickly set up the scope to look for the Arctic Tern that was still present. Sure enough, I got it in the scope and could see the bright red bill w/ no black tip.

Wanting to get photos I pulled the scope from the tripod and quickly put the Sony a1 II + 600/4 + 1.4TC on the tripod. Too late! The tern was gone... It would not return for the rest of the evening.

With no other options I turned the scope and camera on the nearby Forster's Terns and Common Terns that were roosting on the mudflats along the east shoreline of Cell 3. Heat shimmer was still a problem at this distance and subjects faded in and out of focus with every frame shot at 30 fps.

I managed a few flight shots of a juvenile Forster's Tern.

I managed a single shot of a Common Tern swooping low over the water.

As Dan and I were talking three Glossy Ibis flew in and landed along the far shoreline behind the roosting American White Pelicans. The ibis were easily ID'd through the scope w/ their dark eyes and thin, cyan-blue facial skin patches, but less so through the camera. Again, heat shimmer was not a friend this evening.

As quickly as they arrived they flew off. They would return later in the evening.

Nearby a White-rumped Sandpiper was foraging on the mudflats in front of us and provided nice images from 50' away.

A pair of Red Knots were seen along the east shoreline and required some long-distance shooting w/ the tripod.

A Muskrat swam in front of us in the tiny canal at our feet. It must be deeper than it looks because Dan mentioned watching a Beaver swim by in the same canal (and they are HUGE).

I also had a Spotted Sandpiper fly in and run past us just a few feet away, but cannot find any of the photos I thought I had taken. Strange; makes me wonder if I accidentally deleted a folder before downloading...

With the Arctic Tern not appearing to return I packed up to head home. I would ride back to the car via the Middle Causeway without stopping.

Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 31), Monroe, Michigan, US
Jun 7, 2026 4:40 PM - 7:20 PM
Protocol: Traveling
3.473 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Clear, calm, 79F
55 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 12
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) 40
Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors) 1
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 14
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) 3
Redhead (Aythya americana) 1
Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata) 1
Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) 8 4 in Bad Creek Unit south of Pump House and 4 in Cell 3. With the pair in n. Walpatich Unit there are 10 present at the SGA.

Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) 4
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 2
Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) 2
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) 1
Red Knot (Calidris canutus) 2 Cell 3 along the east shoreline. Large shorebirds w/ peach/tangering chests and heads. Pics.
Dunlin (Calidris alpina) 18
White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) 1
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) 16
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) 5
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 10
American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus) 7
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) 12
Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri) 6
Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea) 1 Found this morning. Continuing in Cell 3. Longer-winged and shorter legs, red bill w no black tip. Flew off after relocating w scope. Did not return last hour.
Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) 5
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) 2
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) 2
Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) 3 Flew into east shoreline of Cell 3. Plegadis sp. ibis w/ cyan-blue thin facial skin and dark eyes. Pics. Flew off after a few minutes and returned over an hour later.
Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) 1
Great Egret (Ardea alba) 2
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 3
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) 8
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) 2
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 2
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 1
Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii) 1
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) 2
Eastern Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus) 2
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) 1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 1
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 2
Purple Martin (Progne subis) 2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis) 1
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 2
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) 1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 14
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 2
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 2
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) 1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 2
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) 1
Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) 1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 22
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) 2
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) 2
Northern Yellow Warbler (Setophaga aestiva) 4
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) 1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S354267505
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

With sunlight still present I decided to make a quick stop along Haggerman Road and the Antenna Farm to see if I could get pics of the Dickcissels. A pair of birds were singing along the fence line so I stopped and got a few pics before heading back to the car.