Red Knot and Blue Grosbeak - 07 Sep 2026

 

A pair of Blue Grosbeaks (male and female) were found along Rheaume Rd. at Pt. Mouillee yesterday and today. It is most likely the pair seen all summer (except by me) so I took a chance to go looking for them late afternoon. Skies were partly cloudy but a bit hazy as temps pushed 80ºF under high humidity conditions. 

I drove up and down Rheaume Rd. next to the mine entrance three times but failed to hear or see anything despite the birds being reported 15 minutes earlier. Winds were picking up so the phragmites were swaying. So I decided to drive down Roberts Road and check out the South Causeway for shorebirds despite reports of hunters running their dogs into the marsh from the nearby boat launch.

I parked at the barriers and walked into the parking lot and headed east up the side of the embankment to the Bad Creek dike. I then walked the dike south toward the foot of Roberts Road and took the small loop that would give me a view of the South Causeway from a more northerly direction. 

Several Greater Yellowlegs and a Lesser Yellowlegs were foraging in the mud flat next to the causeway, and I spotted a Red Knot among them! The bird appears to be a juvenile in near basic plumage as evidenced by the fine streaking on chest, smudgy chest, and clean, crisp white edging to back and wing feathers.

A Stilt Sandpiper was also nearby.

Despite the wind and distance I managed a few keeper pics of the Red Knot.

Lesser Yellowlegs.

I continued on back to the Roberts Road parking lot and took the road back to the car. Driving home I made one last stop along Rheaume Rd. to look for the Blue Grosbeaks, but dipped again. Finally, as I continued west toward the entrance to the quarry I spotted a female Blue Grosbeak on the fence ahead of me. It was severely backlit but unmistakeable given the large honkin' beak. 

She flew a short distance to some willows and posed against the backlit skies.

It only took me all summer but I finally spotted one of the pair.

Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 31), Monroe, Michigan, US
Sep 7, 2026 4:18 PM - 5:01 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.498 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Mostly clear, breezy, 78F
10 species

Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)  1
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)  2
Red Knot (Calidris canutus)  1     South Causeway. Pics. Juvenile as evidenced by pale gray plumage w/ crisp white edges to back and wing feathers. Smudgy chest w/ fine streaks.
Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus)  1
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)  1
Great Egret (Ardea alba)  51
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  6
Eastern Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)  1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  165
Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea)  1     Continuing along Rheaume Rd fenceline. Pics. Female. Brown w/ tan wingbars and large grayish beak.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S390868084

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