Downriver Waterfowl Survey - 28 Jan 2026

Skies were clear this morning, and even though the temperature was in the teens the windchill was below zero. Still, it was a nice enough day to get out and look for ducks on the Detroit River. A White-winged Scoter and Horned Grebe were reported at Dingell Park in Ecorse/Wyandotte. And, a Long-tailed Duck was reported off Rotary Park next to Elizabeth Park in Trenton. 

Shortly after 1 pm I arrived at Dingell Park and worked my way from the Kayak Launch north toward Mud Island. Most of the Detroit River was frozen but small patches of open water were open along the near shore and on the north side of Mud Island. From my vantage at the Kayak Launch there were no ducks in sight. So I hiked through the 8" snow drifts along the riverwalk toward a huge roost of Canada Geese and Mallard.

I saw three Common Goldeneye close enough to photograph with the Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS Lens + 1.4TCII but not without a bit of thermal distortion.

A pair took off and provided a brief fly-by.

Closer to shore several pair of Hooded Mergansers swam in open water next to the now-retreating Canada Goose flock.

As the ducks swam away from shore among them was a single drake Ring-necked Duck. 

I walked just far enough to scope the hundreds of Canada Geese, Mute Swans, and Mallard hoping to find the White-winged Scoter but had to settle for just scope views of the Horned Grebe. Dozens of Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Canvasback, Redhead, and Common Mergansers were scattered about with larger rafts on the south side of the island. 

This fly-by pair of Hooded Mergansers were close enough to photograph before I turned the camera on a single drake Canvasback among the Mallard.

Some of the hundreds of Mute Swans and Canada Geese next to Mud Island.

After getting rough counts of each I hiked back to the car (stopping several times to catch my breath) to continue south along the Detroit River in Wyandotte.

John Dingell Kayak Launch, Wayne, Michigan, US
Jan 28, 2026 12:23 PM - 12:57 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.217 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Mostly cloudy, windy, 14F(-4 WC). River mostly frozen.
11 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  800
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  450
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  350
Canvasback (Aythya valisineria)  65
Redhead (Aythya americana)  50
Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris)  2
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)  1
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)  65
Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)  18
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser)  24
Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S296733827

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

I stopped briefly at the Wyandotte Boat Launch and Bishop Park but did not see any ducks in what-little open water was present. 

I continued south along Biddle Avenue to Meyer-Elias Park where I could see a large raft of Canvasback floating in open water. Grabbing the scope and camera I hiked through the snow down to the river's edge where I counted hundreds of Canvasback and Redhead, and dozens more Common Goldeneye and Common Mergansers. A pair of Bald Eagles took off from the trees as I approached. 

The wind was starting to gust and the Sun was disappearing behind clouds so scoping was not much fun. But a pair of Carolina Wrens were calling from nearby and I managed to spot them fly into some downed trees nearby. 

I did not see the Long-tailed Duck so I walked back to the car just in time to see a Cooper's Hawk fly across the field in front of me.

Meyer Ellias Park, Wayne, Michigan, US
Jan 28, 2026 1:18 PM
Protocol: Incidental
14 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  26
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  4
Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus)  2
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  45
Canvasback (Aythya valisineria)  800
Redhead (Aythya americana)  800
Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)  45
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)  40
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)  65
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser)  50
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  3
Cooper's Hawk (Astur cooperii)  1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  2
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S296739340

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

I made a brief stop at Rotary Park but only found a few scattered Ring-billed Gulls and Canvasback along the river.

A drive through Elizabeth Park only yielded a few Common Goldeneye so I didn't bother to stop, either.

I then drove to the Humbug Marsh Unit of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge where I saw huge numbers of Canada Geese, Mute Swans and Canvasback near the fishing pier. It was worth battling the cold to walk down to the pier to get some pics of the ducks swimming / diving under the pier itself.

Lesser Scaup.

Common Merganser.

Canvasback.

Hooded Mergansers.

These three sleepy Canvasback were at the far end of the pier so I walked toward them to get some pics. 

I then took some pics of the Mute Swans, Canada Geese and rafts of Canvasback / Redhead that were tightly clustered at the south end of the open water that transitioned to ice for several miles south.

I then walked back to the car but not before getting a few more pics of the ice shelf under the pier, 

and a fly-by Canvasback that appeared from under the pier.

Detroit River IWR--Refuge Gateway (Humbug Marsh), Wayne, Michigan, US
Jan 28, 2026 1:59 PM - 2:13 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.111 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Mostly cloudy, windy, subzero windchill. River open only around fishing pier.
11 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  400
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  450
Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus)  2
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  8
Canvasback (Aythya valisineria)  1100
Redhead (Aythya americana)  400
Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)  40
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)  30
Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)  12
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser)  40
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S296744829

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

A drive down Campau Road and the Point Mouillee HQ yielded a single Tundra Swan on the frozen Huron River and Lake Erie for as far as the eye could see. I decided to call it a day.