The Pointe Mouillee State Game Area is very well known for its waterfowl hunting—as the name suggests. We went there to hunt waterfowl as well, but in a different way. Instead of hunting rifles, we used cameras to “shoot” our subjects. Instead of spotting scopes… well, we actually buy our spotting scopes at the exact same places the hunters do!

Last year, at the end of July, Patrick and I went there to look for Black-necked Stilts. A Black-necked Stilt is a quite uncommon sight for Michigan’s marshes, but over the past few years, a breeding population has established itself there..

Survival Tips for the Marsh

When we arrived early in the morning, the sun was already shining mercilessly upon us. There is not a whole lot of shade at “Pte. Mouillee,” so don’t forget to bring proper sun protection and plenty of water. Generally, I also recommend bringing a bicycle; the dikes and walkways stretch quite far into the lake.

The wildlife refuge area of Pointe Mouillee is never a quiet place. You will hear and see birds, butterflies, and other insects right from the start. From the parking lot, I already spotted several gulls, orioles, waterfowl, and this little Yellow Warbler:

Finding the target: black-necked stilt.

Further into the refuge, we found all kinds of shorebirds: Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Spotted, Solitary, and Least Sandpipers, and a Semipalmated Plover. But our target species was still out of sight.

Not knowing exactly what to look for to find the stilts, the stilts eventually found us. When feeling threatened, the breeding stilts cause a ruckus, circling you and “calling you out.” Unfortunately, we were both not quick enough to capture the stilt in flight, but at least we knew we were on the right track.

A few feet further, we could peak through an opening in the reeds, and there they were: several adult and juvenile birds. It felt very rewarding to watch the birds simply “doing bird stuff.” We snapped a few pictures and started our way back. Here are some of my favorite shots:

In total, I documented 42 different species. You can find my full eBird checklist here.

First Birds then Bites: JP’s Waterfront

For our earned reward, we went to JP’s Waterfront in Gibraltar. It is located just by the water and the perfect location for a hot summer day. Patrick had the Fish Tacos, which where not worth eating in full. Myself, I had a burger with bacon. Overall a good place for some grub. Having food by the water always feels special.

This was my second birding trip post. How do you like them so far? I appreciate any feedback! If you are interested in other birding reports, you can find our Snowy Owl hunt here.

This is my first birding trip report, so please cut me some slack!

Trying our luck at the boat launch

It is the 4th of January in the year 2026. It is quite cold out there, and there is snow. By quite cold, I mean around 20° F. Perfect day to go for the hunt for Snowy Owls. From my research, I found out that the Snowy Owls are going to be coming south any moment and on eBird, there are already a lot of sightings, but mostly north of us.

Nevertheless, we wanted to try our luck. “We” is my good friend Patrick and myself.

A good spot for spotting Snowy Owls in Southeast Michigan is the Harley Ensign Memorial near the Lake St. Clair Metropark. Last winter there were nearly daily sightings from early December to mid-January. This year? None at all.

To keep you from waiting for the big reveal: I tricked you! We went out there to see Snowy Owls, but were again disappointed. But there was some positive in this outing:

• We saw a couple of Bald Eagles hanging out just by the boat launch.
• All the waterfowl! From Mergansers and Buffleheads, to Ring-Necked Ducks and Canvasback Ducks.
• I snapped a really nice picture of a freighter with lots of ducks in the foreground.

You can find my ebird checklist here.

Maybe more luck in the Lake St. Clair Metropark?

When you decide to follow me, you will hear a lot about the Lake St. Clair Metropark (short: LSC). I went there a lot of times and I would say it is one of my favorite parks in the metro area. You can find many different species of birds and other animals here. The trails are well maintained and there are a lot of things offered for the non-birder like 3-par golf, a beach area, lots of picnic tables and much more.

Currently, there is a lot of construction in the nature area of the park and they finally are repairing one of the bridges (rebuilding is a better word). The winter months are a rough time for birding. We could still ID 21 different species. The one that got away was a Winter Wren. We learned that a Winter Wren has a nearly identical call as a Song Sparrow. Below are some of my favorite pictures from LSC:

You can find my checklist from LSC here. A more detailed guide for the LSC MP in the winter you can find here: Lake St. Clair Metropark in the Winter: a quick guide for birders.

Now What? Warming up with a hot drink at Crockers.

After such an outing in the cold, I recommend a hot drink. Therefore, we went to the Crocker Coffee House just 5 minutes from the Metropark.

I believe this is a quite new place. They are a combination of bookstore and coffee shop. They have a somewhat fancy interior and really good coffee. Exactly what we needed!

How is your hunt for Snowy Owls going? Leave a comment below!