Shorebird Numbers Dropping at Erie Marsh - 26 Jul 2026

 

Skies were overcast this morning and humidity was rising. At 70ºF it felt warm. I arrived at Erie Marsh Preserve aroung 8:30 am and walked the dikes to look for shorebirds.

Pool 2 was unusually quiet. A pair of Black-necked Stilts were foraging on the mudflats, but the only other shorebirds were a pair of Semipalmated Plovers and Lesser Yellowlegs. 

Pool 3 and 4 were also quiet. I walked the main dike to the grassy dike along Pool 4 and walked the trail clockwise around Pool 4. Very few shorebirds. Have they moved out? I only had the Marsh Mallow flowers to photograph.

I arrived at the Sulfur Pond and found the family of Trumpeter Swans lounging lazily next to shore. The cygnet is growing, and I was happy to see it.

Great Egret numbers have doubled since my last visit. I counted about 200. No Snowy Egret, though.

Great Blue Heron numbers have exploded. There were close to 100 among the egrets and by themselves farther east near the shoreline. Field E.

I scoped the mudflats beyond the Purple Loosestrife and Marsh Mallow to look for dowitchers but found none, I did see numerous Killdeer and several pairs of Lesser Yellowlegs. This Wilson's Phalarope almost snuck past my gaze, but its lighter coloration and foraging speed stood out from the nearby yellowlegs.

As I walked back to the main dike I spotted a single Lesser Yellowlegs in the small canal in Field E.

The Trumpeter Swan family was resting on the grass next to the Sulfur Pond and close to the road. I purposely kept my head down and gaze to the south to avoid spooking them. I stopped once I got past them and grabbed a few portrait shots w/ the 600/4. 

Another Lesser Yellowlegs in Pool 4 was close enough for a pic.

A Great Egret acting as sentinel in the Erie Gun Club portion of the marsh.

A solitary Trumpeter Swan appeared in Pool 4 near Pool 3.

I'm hoping that the current wave of shorebirds have moved out and others are on their way. Mudflats and habitat are good right now for shorebirds, so fingers crossed that their numbers increase in the coming weeks.

Erie Marsh Preserve, Monroe, Michigan, US
Jul 26, 2026 8:12 AM - 10:24 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.591 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Overcast, hot, humid, 75F
37 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  36
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  4
Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)  4     2 ad and cygnet in Sulfur Pond. Lone ad in Pool 4.
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)  1
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  24
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)  4
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  8
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  32
Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)  6
Wilson's Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor)  1     Field E. Non-breeding adult.
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)  2
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)  24
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)  2
Dunlin (Calidris alpina)  1
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)  8
Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)  1
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)  16
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  2
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)  7
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)  1
Great Egret (Ardea alba)  200     Field E
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  96     Field E
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)  1
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  4
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  4
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)  2
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  14
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  1
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  2
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  2
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)  1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  20
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  2
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  2
Northern Yellow Warbler (Setophaga aestiva)  1
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S376641219

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