Shorebirds, Pointe Mouillee, Monroe Co.

[Karl Overman]

I went around Pointe Mouillee today and found cell 3 of the Banana  
loaded with a nice selection of shorebirds.  The Banana for those  
unfamiliar with this local birding landmark, is the manmade outer  
reaches of Pointe Mouillee that was built by the Corps of Engineers  
to have a location to dispose of polluted dredge material.  Cell 3  
happens to be where the dredge  material has most recently been  
deposited and that is where most of the shorebirds are. Enough prologue.

Cell 3 had the following shorebirds today:

Black-bellied Plover 11
Semipalmated Plover XX (25 in the Lead Unit--did not attempt count at  
cell 3)
Whimbrel 19
Ruddy Turnstone 1
Sanderling 3
Semipalmated Sandpiper 30
Least Sandpiper--none identified at cell 3; 3 at south end of Long  
Pond Unit
Dunlin 500
Short-billed Dowitcher (by call)--presumably most if not all of the  
30 dowitchers present
Red-necked Phalarope 1

I was surprised not to pick out any White-rumped Sandpipers nor  
yellowlegs. At the south end of the Long Pond unit there was a  
dowitcher sp. still in basic plumage.

Cheers,

Karl Overman
Farmington Hills, Mi.