Shorebirds Have Returned - 06 Apr 2026

 

Shorebirds have been reported at Erie Marsh for the past several days so I was anxious to get to Erie Marsh Preserve to find some for myself. Luckily clouds cleared overnite and skies were clear albeit cool at 34ºF. My plan was to walk the ~5 mi circuit through the marsh and outer dike. 

Shortly before 8 am I arrived to find the gate to the preserve closed, so I had to climb around. The dike was dry enough to walk without mud caking the shoes but the water levels in the ponds were high. Still, Pond 1 was low enough to still show exposed mudflats, and it was here that I spotted a Long-billed Dowitcher that needed the scope at 60X to ID.

As I was setting up the scope a small flock of 6 Lesser Yellowlegs and 2 Greater Yellowlegs flew in to forage next to the dowitcher.

A couple dozen Gadwall were swimming in Pond 2 but scattered as I walked past. The rising Sun was blinding as I headed east along the main dike but still managed to see a Lesser Yellowlegs close enough to photograph.

And a bit farther I came upon a severely backlit Greater Yellowlegs. Its slightly upcurved bill measured ~1.5X the width of the head helped w/ the ID as well as its "Tu-Tu-Tu" call.

Farther out in the pond a large flock of American White Pelicans were roosting on a sandbar.

As I counted them (~125) a flock of Dunlin took flight next to them and came into view long enough to get some pics. 60+ birds!

It was not worth trying to get any more photos as I walked directly into the Sun as I could not see much of anything above my shoe height, so I waited until I got to the Sulfur Pond to photograph one of the 7 Bald Eagles roosting in the nearby trees.

A single Red-breasted Merganser swam in the golden waters of the canal just beyond the Sulfur Pond.

I headed north at the junction of the main dike with Fields (Ponds) D and E and turned to see another flock of ~125 American White Pelicans roosting way out in Pond 9 near the SE corner of the outer dike.

The Sun was too bright to see anything in Field/Pond E but I could make out rafts of American Coot in Field/Pond C. They were spooky and scattered as I approached.

So were the Bufflehead.

I think it was the first time I'd seen American Coot take flight and forgot that the tips of their secondaries are white and only visible in flight.

Some overhead American White Pelicans appeared as I left the marsh and reached the east portion of the outer dike.

Tree Swallow numbers are quickly increasing and a few flew along the water to my left.

It was nice to finally get out of the glare of the Sun and into the partial shade of the tree-lined outer dike. As I walked south the first of a dozen Fox Sparrows made an appearance. They were too flighty for pics and seemed to be pushed as I walked along the wooded trail. A pair of Golden-crowned Kinglets were also foraging nearby but also uncooperative in the photo dept. Ahead of me on the dike were several Dark-eyed Juncos and Song Sparrows that also flew down the trail ahead as I walked.

With the Sun now behind me I could finally scope Field/Pond E. Hundreds of ducks were swimming: Gadwall, Ring-necked Duck, Green-winged Teal, Blue-winged Teal, American Wigeon, American Coot, Lesser Scaup and Northern Pintail.

It would not be until I reached the SE corner of the outer dike that I could get some pics of the Fox Sparrows. As many as 8 birds at a time were scattering from the trees ahead of me but none would land in the open or stay long enough to let me get the camera on them.

So, I'd photograph whatever bird might stay long enough to get its picture took.

Finally, a poser Fox Sparrow. But only briefly...

I finally reached an opening in the treeline where I could see and get a photo of the pelicans in Pond 9.

Just before leaving the outer dike I was able to get a long-distant photo of another Fox Sparrow.

Erie Marsh Preserve/Gun Club (no access Sep 1-Jan 1), Monroe, Michigan, US
Apr 6, 2026 7:50 AM - 10:08 AM
Protocol: Traveling
4.873 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Clear, calm, 36F
55 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  14
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  14
Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)  1
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)  4
Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors)  12
Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata)  28
Gadwall (Mareca strepera)  46
American Wigeon (Mareca americana)  22
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  16
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes)  2
Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)  14
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)  4
Canvasback (Aythya valisineria)  12
Redhead (Aythya americana)  7
Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris)  62
Greater Scaup (Aythya marila)  14
Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)  44
Greater/Lesser Scaup (Aythya marila/affinis)  250
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)  14
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)  8
Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)  4
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser)  2
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)  6
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)  4
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  2
American Coot (Fulica americana)  350
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  4
Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus)  1     Pond 1. Dowitcher in basic plumage and starting to show fresh tail feathers. SBDO not expected this time of year.
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)  6
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)  2
Dunlin (Calidris alpina)  60
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  6
American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus)  2
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)  1
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)  46
Great Egret (Ardea alba)  1
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  1
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)  250     125 in pond 3 and another 125 in Field F
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  12
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  1
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)  4
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  4
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)  2
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  60
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa)  4
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  2
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  16
Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca)  14     Dozen along east outer dike and another half dozen along s dike. Pushed a half dozen birds ahead of me for 2.5 mi walk. Large red sparrows w speckled chests.
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)  4
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)  1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  6
Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)  1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  120
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)  4
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  14
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  6

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S317856257

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

I drove home northbound I-75 until I reached Dixie Hwy and then took US Turnpike home by Pt. Mouillee. A flooded field to my left near Siegler Rd. held a couple dozen Blue-winged Teal. As I photographed them Amber Piotter drove by and we chatted for a minute or two before traffic forced us to go our separate ways.