Erie Marsh Preserve is a Wrap! - 31 Aug 2026
Today is the last day to bird Pt. Mouillee SGA and Erie Marsh Preserve in Monroe Co., MI. Tomorrow is the beginning of hunting season and the two largest Important Bird Areas in SE Michigan will be closed to general usage. I decided I'd hit both one last time before they open again in mid-December. I arrived at Erie Marsh Preserve shortly after 8 am. My plan was to walk out to Field E to look for a number of good shorebirds reported recently (Red Knot, Wilson's Phalarope, Red-necked Phalarope, Baird's Sandpiper). Skies were overcast and it was a humid 78ºF so scoping to the east should not be too bad. I parked and started walking the main dike past the cottages. A Green Heron flew low over the American Lotus carpet that has all-but filled Pond 1. I headed to the dike separating Ponds 1 and 2 to see if any shorebirds were hanging around the now grass-filled mudflats. A half-dozen Short-billed Dowitchers (juveniles) were the only birds around. A pair of Lesser Yellowlegs wo...
