When Birding is Suddenly Not The Priority - 31 Jul 2026

Twenty-one Black-necked Stilts should have gotten the attention, but some situations take priority over birding, even when birding is the priority of the morning. 

I arrived at Mouillee Creek parking lot at 8:30 am and saw a woman, in pajamas and slippers, on her phone, but walking up the road, around the parking lot, and even onto the Middle Causeway a short distance before turning around. I asked if she was looking for something? She started breaking down and told me that her daughter was missing, and this was the last location she had on her phone. Oh, sh*t...

I asked her what her daughter looked like, and she showed me a photo. I then asked for her phone number and told her that I'd look for her daughter while out biking and would let her know if I saw anything. Eleven miles later I sent her a text that I did not see anyone during my ride. It didn't stop me from birding, but I did spend more time looking for someone, and any evidence of unusual conditions that might suggest foul play. I didn't see anything unusual. And birding was suddenly less of a priority. 

I rode the Walpatich Unit north toward the Nelson and Bloody Run Units. A few Killdeer were the only birds in the area. 

The North Causeway was quiet, as was the Huron River under bright sunshine and humid, calm, 75ºF conditions. 

The NE corner of the Vermet Unit was empty, and the ride along the east shoreline to the south only yielded a pair of Black-necked Stilts and a close-foraging Lesser Yellowlegs.

I'd see a half-dozen Semipalmated Sandpipers, Least Sandpipers, and Killdeer in the area but that was a total. Numbers should increase in the next few days as juveniles start arriving.

I made a stop at Cell 3 and counted only 21 Black-necked Stilts. I say "only" because Justin reported 33 birds last evening! A dozen Stilt Sandpipers and Short-billed Dowitchers were also present but distance and lighting precluded any photography. Besides, I didn't feel the desire to linger.

Normally, I'd continue my ride south to the path separating Cells 1 - 2 but this morning felt obligated to check out the South Causeway and the south end of Cell 1 in case anyone might be walking. That was a negative. 

The ride back north along the Lake Erie shoreline from Cell 1 south to Cell 3 north was also quiet except for a pair of Ring-billed Gulls on Lake Erie. Dredgings are being dumped along the east side of Cell 3 but in massive piles; a dump truck was carrying dredge material from the barge. I continued riding around to the north side of Cell 3 and had to maneuver between trucks and workers to get back to the west side of the Banana.

I headed back north and made a loop around Cell 5, then back south to the Middle Causeway before heading west back to the car. Unless there were any birds within shooting distance I didn't bother to stop riding.

I'd return to the car and send a text reporting "nothing seen" and wished her and her daughter the best. I'm praying that the young lady is safe and just incommunicado. Ugh...

Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 31), Monroe, Michigan, US
Jul 31, 2026 8:43 AM - 10:27 AM
Protocol: Traveling
11.069 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Clear, warm, humid, calm. 75F.
41 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  46
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  7
Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors)  2
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  26
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)  4
Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)  4
Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata)  2
Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)  21     17 in Cell 3. 2 in Vermet. 2 in Humphries near Pump House.
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  8
Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)  6
Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)  12
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)  16
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)  1
Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus)  9
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)  2
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)  14
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  18
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)  24
Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)  2
Green Heron (Butorides virescens)  1
Great Egret (Ardea alba)  36
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  6
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)  1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  1
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)  4
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  5
Purple Martin (Progne subis)  1
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  6
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)  1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  4
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  1
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  1
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)  1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  1
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)  1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  16
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  2
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  1
Northern Yellow Warbler (Setophaga aestiva)  1
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  1
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S378368390

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