Rusty Blackbirds and Dwindling Shorebirds - 02 Nov 2026
I drove down to Lake Erie Metropark and Cove Point to look for a lingering Stilt Sandpiper that was one of three hanging around for the past several days. Skies were cloudy and it was breezy, but mild. Unfortunately, when I arrived at 8:30 am the marsh just north of the Cove Point parking lot was hosting only 3 Lesser Yellowlegs (and 120 Green-winged Teal ). I decided I would then drive into the park and look for a pair of Hudsonian Godwits still lingering, as well. A drive to the Wave Pool and a walk to the service road failed to produce any such birds. A dozen Killdeer still occupy the mudflats where the HUGOs were last seen. I took solace in a flock of 120 Rusty Blackbirds in the dead trees to the west. Despite the dark skies I managed a few keepers. I then walked the road to Cove Point to the south and scoped the marsh to the west of the road. A dozen Lesser Yellowlegs and a pair of Greater Yellowlegs were foraging in the distance, but again, no STSP nor HUGO. Lake E...
