Curlew Sandpiper! - 20 Jul 2026

This morning Stuart Cibulka found and photographed a Curlew Sandpiper in the NE corner of the Vermet Unit. Initially thought to be a Red Knot his photo showed evidence of a decurved bill, and Stuart confirmed. We (on Discord) were all convinced that he had a Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) at Pt. Mouillee. We were on our way.

Parking at Mouillee Creek I headed out onto the Middle Causeway shortly before 1 pm. Skies were transitioning from hazy (wildfire smoke) sunny to hazy overcast and winds were picking up. Temps were pushing 80ºF and humidity was rising. 

I initially thought that the Curlew Sandpiper was in the SE corner of the Vermet so I rode to the Banana Unit and started slowly scanning the east shoreline lotus beds / mudflats looking the bird. As I made my way north toward the North Causeway I couldn't see anyone, but eventually found Stuart in the NE corner of the Vermet Unit scoping the bird with a huge smile on his face. There, in the mudflats next to the North Causeway was a dark red sandpiper foraging among several Killdeer, a Short-billed Dowitcher, and several Lesser Yellowlegs and Semipalmated Sandpipers.

I grabbed my scope and walked around to the North Causeway hoping to get close enough for some photos of the Curlew Sandpiper just before it flew back to the mudflats next to the Banana dike. 

Walking back to the Banana dike where a newly-arrived Jared Matthews directed me to its location. I managed to get the scope set up just as it flew back to the North Causeway dike. And back I went.

This time the Curlew Sandpiper stayed put long enough for me to slowly make my way down the slope of the dike, nestle myself among the rocks / phragmites / thistle (there's always thistle), and get an unobstructed view of the sandpiper about 30' away. 

The breeding adult Curlew Sandpiper showed a brick-red head, chest and flanks, and a white undertail region. Back feathers were dark with buff-tan to white fringes, and primaries were a uniform worn brown. The long bill was decurved and appears similar (but slightly thinner) to that of a Dunlin. White patches on the chest suggest pre-basic molt initiating.

After several minutes the Curlew Sandpiper flushed and flew back to the Banana dike shoreline. I managed to get photos of the white wing linings as it lifted off,

and got a nice sequence of flight shots as it flew past me to the north a short distance. 

By now others were arriving. Nolan Williams, Todd Palgut, Linda Ar, Vikki Jones, Moxie Sylvan, and Kendall Schoenherr. As they arrived the Curlew Sandpiper flew back and landed in front of us and continued to forage with the other shorebirds. This time I left the Sony a1 Mk II and 600 mm f/4 GM OSS + 1.4TC resting on my lap and knees, and used the flip viewfinder to focus and photograph the bird with a lower perspective.

I'd return to the dike and join the others celebrating a wonderful bird. Linda announced that this Curlew Sandpiper was her 400th bird for Michigan so I took a group photo to celebrate. Congratulations, Linda!

(LtoR: Nolan Williams, Todd Palgut, Linda Ar, Vikki Jones, Kendall Schoenherr)

One look at the Curlew Sandpiper distribution map (courtesy BirdLife International) and you can see that this bird is WAY out of its normal range. According to Cornell's Birds of the World webiste "the Curlew Sandpiper breeds in the high Arctic mainland of northern Siberia – from 71°40' E on the Yamal Peninsula east to 174°19' W on Dzhenretlen Cape of the Chukotka Peninsula – and on the New Siberian Islands, which lie between the Laptev Sea and East Siberian Sea". Its non-breeding range is much broader,  and this is where the North American records appear to be seen.

According to Cornell, Extralimital reports of Curlew Sandpiper: "is a regular vagrant to North America, especially along the Atlantic Seaboard, where it is one of the more regular Eurasian shorebirds, with 17 per year found there between 1985 and 1994 (81), but only ca. 4 per year during the late 2010s and early 2020s (eBird data, accessed 24 November 2022). The interior of North America and the Pacific Coast (away from Beringia) both averaged 1–2 birds per year from 1985 to 1994, a pattern which still holds (81, eBird data, accessed 24 November 2022).

The pattern of Curlew Sandpiper occurrence in North America is unusual in that records are heavily weighted towards adults found in spring along or near the Atlantic Coast even though the species breeds well west in Siberia; it may well be that these Atlantic Coast northbound birds overwintered in South America after having wandered there during southbound migration, perhaps having been caught in easterly trade winds between Africa and South America..."

Below is the eBird map for all sightings for All Years (1900 - present). 

Here is the NA map for the past 10 years:

And here are all of the eBird reports for 2026:

If accepted this will be the 14th State Record of Curlew Sandpiper for Michigan, 9 of which have come from Pt. Mouillee State Game Area. We are the lucky few who get to see this gorgeous bird.

When I was birding w/ Justin Labadie last week we talked about how Pt. Mouillee was due for a good rarity. One of us mentioned that we were due for a Curlew Sandpiper. Today one arrived...

Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 31), Monroe, Michigan, US
Jul 20, 2026 3:31 PM - 6:31 PM
Protocol: Traveling
12.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Overcast, hazy, windy, 80F
33 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  24
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)  1
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  36
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)  4
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  8
Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)  1     Cell 3
American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana)  1     Cell 3 continuing
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  26
Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)  20
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)  2
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)  28
Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea)  1     Found by Stuart Cibulka in the NE corner of Vermet Unit next to North Causeway.  Breeding plumage. Brick red chest, head and neck, white undertail. Decurved bill similar but thinner to Dunlin. Pics.
Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus)  18     Cell 3
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)  7
Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)  1
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)  12
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  22
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)  24
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)  6
Great Egret (Ardea alba)  4
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  7
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)  30
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)  1
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)  4
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  8
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  2
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  1
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)  2
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  16
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  2
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  1
Northern Yellow Warbler (Setophaga aestiva)  1
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S374499572

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