One Week To Go - 25 Aug 2026

 

With this being the 25th of August there is only one week before the arrival of September and the end of the summer shorebird season. September 1 brings the close of Pt. Mouillee SGA and Erie Marsh Preserve in Monroe County, MI to hunting and brings a close to accessible shorebirds spots. 

I'm under the impression that shorebird numbers are really low this year, and it may be due to lack of good shorebird habitat, but even at Erie Marsh, where lots of good mudflats exist, the birds have not been there. I'll be curious to (hopefully) see the shorebird survey from Canada to see if population issues occurred.

In the meantime I decided to make a morning run to Pt. Mouillee to check on shorebirds in the Walpatich Unit, Vermet Unit, and Cell 3. Arriving just before 8 am I headed out along the Middle Causeway from the Mouillee Creek parking lot and took a quick turn north at the dike to the Walpatich Unit. Skies were mostly clear, winds were calm, humidity was low, and temperature hovered near 60ºF. A perfect morning!

The Walpatich Unit was slow this morning. Water level was up and only a scattering of Lesser Yellowlegs and Killdeer were being seen (and heard). This adult Bald Eagle was perched atop the lone tree in the unit.

I rode down the middle dike and didn't see any shorbs close enough to photograph, but did see this pair of Greater Yellowlegs and Lesser Yellowlegs together; its always nice to see a comparison of their size.

I then rode around the Lautenschlager Unit. Water level has been high all summer and there has been zero mud exposed so three Mute Swans and a Pied-billed Grebe were the only birds seen. Riding back south toward the Middle Causeway I had to get a photo of the large swath of Common Buckwheat being grown in the Nelson and Bloody Run Units. 

The Middle Causeway east to the Banana was uneventful save for the mowing of the marsh on either side of the dike. The east shoreline of the Vermet Unit was also quiet; only this Black-necked Stilt was close enough for a photo. 

I then looped around Cell 5 and came back west along the south end of Cell 4 to check the construction field in the SW corner. Killdeer (32 this morning) have been amassing here lately, and I feel like its the best place to find a Buff-breasted Sandpiper. Sadly, not this morning. I'd settle for distant shot of a Ruddy Duck in Cell 4. 

Continuing south along the west side of the Banana I decided to check out the Lake Erie shoreline along the east side of Cell 3 and found a juvenile Bald Eagle atop the giant dirt pile. Once again I was too slow to get a pic of it perched on the top of the mountain.

The Lake Erie shoreline was void of birds except for a pair of juvenile Ring-billed Gulls. Dredgings have been dumped along the east side of Cell 3 and is piled high for a mile south along its length. I looked but found no possible access to the pond in Cell 3.

I'd continue south to the junction of Cells 1 - 2, ride back to the west side of the Banana and head back to Cell 3 to check for shorebirds. Vegetation was high and the cut into the phragmites is closing fast. Only a third of the pond is visible now due to high vegetation but I still managed to find a Red-necked Phalarope, 8 Wilson's Phalaropes, a dozen Black-necked Stilts, a few Stilt Sandpipers, and 14 Long-billed Dowitchers among another dozen Short-billed Dowitchers. I left thinking this would be my last trip (due to lack of visibility) but I got home to find out the Dettling brothers (Mark and Andy) built a bridge across the beaver canal and now there is access to the open pond; now I have to go back...

The ride south to the South Causeway was without incident as only a couple Lesser Yellowlegs and a Black-bellied Plover were seen in the SW corner of the Humphries. I'd continue on to Roberts Road and ride back to the car listening for birds but all was quiet. 

Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 31), Monroe, Michigan, US
Aug 25, 2026 8:01 AM - 10:31 AM
Protocol: Traveling
11.16 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Clear, calm, 62 F
39 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  24
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  3
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)  4
Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors)  18
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  34
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)  12
Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)  4
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  2
Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata)  12
Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)  1
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  45
Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)  1
Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)  12
Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus)  14     Continuing in Cell 3. Pale gray dowitchers along SE shoreline.
Wilson's Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor)  8     Cell 3 continuing from 10 reported last week. Pale, thin necked w large body, dark cap, nape and thin pale eye stripe.
Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus)  1     Cell 3 continuing. Dark eye patch and darker back feathers than nearby WIPH.
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)  12
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)  4
Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus)  2
Baird's Sandpiper (Calidris bairdii)  1
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)  4
Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)  3
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)  6
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  3
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)  2
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)  120
Great Egret (Ardea alba)  14
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  4
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)  2
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  1
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)  2
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)  4
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  36
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  6
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  32
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  2
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  1
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  1
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S387216156

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

I'd return home and have lunch with Robin. With nothing planned for the afternoon (and the need to avoid a nap) I decided to make a drive to Erie Marsh then stop by and visit the Volkers in Monroe.

Arriving at about 1 pm I walked out to Pool 2 and scoped the mudflats. Seven Short-billed Dowitchers were the highlight and only birds seen. Continuing past Pool 3 I walked past Pool 4 and found a pair of Snowy Egrets among another pair of Great Egrets and a dozen or so Caspian Terns. Water level was up so there were no shorebirds.

I decided to stay on the main dike and walk out past the Sulfur Pond to Field E where I saw crew removing a Marsh Master that had just cut 2 large paths out to the water line at Field E. I would have checked out the paths but binocular views failed to show any shorebirds in the south end of Field E.

Near the north end a couple of small flocks of Semipalmated Sandpipers and Least Sandpipers were flushing and flying back and forth over the near shoreline. Heat distortion made flight photography useless; everything look distorted this afternoon. A Baird's Sandpiper was among them but I could not get a photo without horrible distortion.

Closer to the dike a small pool kicked up a pair of Lesser Yellowlegs and a Solitary Sandpiper.

I'd find almost a dozen Stilt Sandpipers together but they were too far out to photograph. I did managed a couple of photos of 4 Wilson's Phalarope swimming toward the middle of the pond. 

I'd then pack up and head back to the car. I saw one Trumpeter Swan along the far east shore of Field E but did not see the pair that had been hanging out near the Sulfur Pond. 

Erie Marsh Preserve/Gun Club (no access Sep 1-Jan 1), Monroe, Michigan, US
Aug 25, 2026 1:23 PM - 3:01 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.53 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Mixed Sun and clouds, calm, 82F
31 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  2
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  6
Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)  1
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  4
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  6
Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)  8
Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)  6
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)  1
Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria)  1
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)  6
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)  6
Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus)  8
Baird's Sandpiper (Calidris bairdii)  1
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)  24
Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)  4
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)  24
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  2
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)  14
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)  1
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)  2     Pool 4. Black bill and yellow at base. Yellow feet.
Green Heron (Butorides virescens)  2
Great Egret (Ardea alba)  9
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  10
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)  1
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)  1
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  2
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  40
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)  24
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  40

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S386874020

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