Snowy Egret @ Erie Marsh - 23 Jul 2026

Skies were clear this morning and it was actually a bit chilly! Temperatures would hit mid-70's this afternoon under gorgeous conditions so I decided to take a ride to Erie Marsh Preserve to look for a Snowy Egret and Long-billed Dowitcher that was reported by Linda Ar and Vikki Jones earlier this morning. 

I arrived at 1 pm and walked the main dike to Pond 2 and scoped the shorebirds. A pair of Black-necked Stilts were foraging and protecting another 2 hatchlings / juveniles that were nearby. A couple dozen Semipalmated Sandpipers and Least Sandpipers were scattered among another dozen Killdeer and singles of Pectoral Sandpiper and Short-billed Dowitcher.

Overhead an Osprey was circling prior to diving and fishing.

My scope setup from yesterday (Swarovski STX 85 and Mountain Backpack) was again in operation, but when I removed the scope from the backpack it had come loose (despite a compression washer). So I decided to go back to mounting the scope TO the backpack after tightening the screw on the Arca Swiss Plate. I was able to walk w/ legs fully extended without clipping the ground behind me so I was happy w/ the setup; I'd be able to stop and step out of the backpack for quick scoping.

Pond 3 was empty but Pond 4 showed promise with several Lesser Yellowlegs and Greater Yellowlegs. This Lesser Yellowlegs was foraging close enough for some pics.

I took the grassy dike around the north side of Pond 4 and stopped to scope shorebirds among the Caspian Tern and Canada Goose flocks. I spotted 3 Stilt Sandpipers close together, then found a cluster of another 22 Stilt Sandpipers tightly packed together next to the geese. They then flew off as a flock and headed south out of sight.

Nearby one of 2 Trumpeter Swans was quietly swimming next to shore and seemed cautious of me but not enough to fly away. I kept walking ahead w/o looking at it so as not to spook it.

The Sulfur Pond appears to have cleared after last week's cloudy conditions (grass clipping?). I continued walking out to Field E where Linda and Vikki reported the Snowy Egret and Long-billed Dowitcher. I was able to find the Snowy Egret among ~100 Great Egrets and got some long-distance photos with the 600/4 and 1.4 TC. In the image below it is the bird in the lower left corner.

I scoped all of Field E but could not find the Long-billed Dowitcher (a breeding adult from Linda's photo). I did find 7 Short-billed Dowitchers (all Limnodromus griseus hendersoni). 

I packed up and walked back to the car. I stopped long enough to get a few pics of an Eastern Kingbird, 

and an Indigo Bunting. 

A very pleasant afternoon and 3-mile walk!

Erie Marsh Preserve, Monroe, Michigan, US

Jul 23, 2026 1:04 PM - 3:18 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.937 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Clear, calm, 78F.
42 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  32
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  2
Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)  2
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  8
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  4
Sora (Porzana carolina)  1
Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis)  2
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  36
Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)  10
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)  2
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)  18
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)  6
Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus)  25     Flock roosting in Pond 4 among Canada Geese. Exact Count on ground and in flight. Zebra stripes on belly fading as they transition to basic plumage. Long black bill w slight droop at tip.
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)  24
Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)  6
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)  32
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)  2
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  2
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)  20
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)  6
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)  2
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)  1     Among Great Egrets in Field E. Small egret w yellow feet. Continuing.
Great Egret (Ardea alba)  100     +|- 10. All but 10 in Field E.
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  8
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)  1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  1
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)  2
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)  2
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  8
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  6
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)  1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  8
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  1
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  4
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  1
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)  1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  16
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)  2
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  5
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  4
Northern Yellow Warbler (Setophaga aestiva)  2
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S375530832

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