Downriver Waterfowl Survey - 18 Jan 2026
With temperatures expected to plummet today and the following 3 days I took a run down to the foot of Southfield Road in Ecorse to check on Detroit River waterfowl. Skies were cloudy, temperature was -10ºC (14ºF), and light snow was falling. The river was mostly frozen along the shoreline with ice flows in the main channel. Canada Geese were the bird of the day here with over 800 counted in large roosts on the edge of the ice and along the Mud Island shoreline. A scattered number Great Blue Herons were tucked on the north side of Mud Island while a pair of Bald Eagles were perched in the branches overhead. While counting geese I heard a Peregrine Falcon screaming / squealing nearby and thought that it had just taken a duck as prey. But when I went looking for it I saw nothing. It turned out to be a recording that the city installed to keep the geese out of the park. Scared the sh*t out of me... John D. Dingell Park, Wayne, Michigan, US Jan 18, 2026 8:50 AM - 9:05 AM Protocol: T...
