A Morning of Canvasbacks - 22 Jan 2026

With bitter weather forecasted for the next several days I thought it important to get out this morning. Oddly, snow squalls were being reported north and west of here while skies were clear. But, winds were blowing and the temperature was pushing single digits.

I drove to Elizabeth Park and found a large raft of Canvasback swimming just north of the Grosse Isle Bridge. I walked down to the river and got a few photos of ducks as they swam and flew by. 

A pair of Common Merganser.

And the Canvasback flock.

Elizabeth Park (Trenton), Wayne, Michigan, US
Jan 22, 2026 8:14 AM - 8:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.427 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Cloudy, -4C, River open, canals frozen.
8 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  46
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  4
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  230
Canvasback (Aythya valisineria)  185
Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)  1
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser)  4
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  14
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S295625375

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

I then drove south to the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge to check out the river. The winds whipping snow along the east side of the river was a testament to the bitter cold temps that were now hitting the area.

A few hundred ducks, geese, swans and gulls were swimming south of the fishing pier but were too far to photograph, so I didn't bother to drag the scope down to the water to a more formal count.

Detroit River IWR--Refuge Gateway (Humbug Marsh), Wayne, Michigan, US
Jan 22, 2026 8:37 AM - 8:48 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.509 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Clear, windy, drifting snow. Clouds/snow to north and south, -4C.
8 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  220
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  240
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  60
Canvasback (Aythya valisineria)  140
Aythya sp. (Aythya sp.)  40
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)  120
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser)  100
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  40
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S295628174

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

Continuing south I stopped at the foot of Lee Rd. and walked down to Cove Point. The river / lake was frozen as far as the eye could see so there were no birds except for a few Bald Eagles flying through the blowing snow.

Cove Point, Lake Erie Metropark, Wayne, Michigan, US
Jan 22, 2026 9:01 AM - 9:07 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.07 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Clear, 20mph winds from west, -4C (-14C windchill). Lake Erie completely frozen here. No birds
2 species

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  4
American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S295631367

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

A drive down Campau Road produced no birds. The Huron River was frozen as far as I could see.

A drive down Roberts Road to the South Causeway parking lot was also a bust. No hawks / eagles were flying over the quarry and no birds were seen along the road.

I then drove to Haggerman Road and decided NOT to drive it after seeing huge snow drifts across the snow-covered road and a car (hopefully not) stuck next to the Antenna Farm. I turned around and headed home.

A Northern Flicker visited the yard but flew as I approached the window with the camera, so I photographed this Red-bellied Woodpecker that was sheltering on the side of the Birch Tree away from the wind gusts.