Harlequin Ducks @ Sterling SP - 07 Dec 2025

Snow started falling as I left the house this morning to drive south to Sterling State Park to look for the Harlequin Ducks. Skies were overcast, and snow was falling enough to coat grassy surfaces and cars. I would arrive shortly after 8 am to dark skies and a steady snowfall. I made sure to keep the bins under my coat and my camera under its Lens Coat Raincoat.

As I walked out onto the breakwall from the parking lot I saw a clean white snow-covered foot path that suggested that I was the first visitor today. However, as I continued on I saw Dave Riddle walking back toward me from the top of the break wall ramp. The Harlequin Ducks were still around and could be seen close to shore from where we were standing. A thanks later and I was on my way toward them.

The Harlequin Duck male and female were swimming together next to shore and seemed hardly concerned with my presence. Still, I waited until they dove before moving quickly toward them so I could get some pics under the dark skies and snowfall.

They continued toward shore with the male Harlequin Duck stepping onto a shallow rock and posing nicely for several moments before continuing to swim toward shore.

The female was quite confiding.

As was the male.

Below is the distribution map for Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus). A winter rarity here in the Great Lakes so definitely a bird worth chasing. Twice.

As I was photographing them a small dark sandpiper flew from the rocks along the shoreline and past me toward the Lake Erie beach. Its size and shape was consistent with Purple Sandpiper, and it even gave a high-pitched "Chirr-Chirr". But, it disappeared to the south, and all I could find were a pair of Killdeer foraging among the exposed rocks on the beach.

I would walk back to see the Harlequin Ducks one last time before walking to the edge of the break wall path. A fly-by American Pipit might have been the same bird I photographed yesterday. The lake was otherwise quiet with only scattered Hooded Mergansers, Bufflehead, and Mallard. 

The Harlequin Ducks were not visible during this walk to the edge of the break wall, but reappeared as I headed back toward the car. They swam out from the shoreline and drifted away as I watched snow fall on the water and form a slushy precursor to ice formation on the lake.

A pair of nearby Hooded Mergansers took off from shore and offered some low-light photos.

I decided to walk the beach south to the rocky pier to see if perhaps the Purple Sandpiper was foraging there. Skies were dark and the Sun made a futile attempt at trying to break through the clouds.

Rafts of several dozen Common Goldeneye were congregating near the rocky outcropping, but no other birds were seen. I headed back to the car and home.

Sterling SP, Monroe, Michigan, US
Dec 7, 2025 8:20 AM - 9:35 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.6 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Overcast, snowing (1-2"), cold, 30F. Lake Erie open but slush forming along shoreline from snowfall. Ice on rocks.
14 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  12
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  12
Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus)  2     Male and female continuing along breakwall at south end of park adjacent to Confined Disposal Unit. Swimming close to shore allowed nice photo documentation.
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)  8
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)  36
Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)  2
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  2
Calidris sp. (Calidris sp.)  1     Possible. Purple Sandpiper seen flying from rocks south along shoreline. Dark, bulky sandpiper flew past me and disappeared near where pair of Killdeer were later found. Did not see any orange on tail that would suggest Killdeer. Gave high-pitched "Chiir-chirr" call that is consistent with Purple Sandpiper. Unable to locate. Did not have body shape or bill of Dunlin.
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)  12
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  6
American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus)  6
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)  12
American Pipit (Anthus rubescens)  1     Flyover bird along breakwall near area where one was photographed yesterday. "Pipit" call.
American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea)  2
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)  6

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S287799108

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)