A striking cinnamon-brown, black, and white shorebird, the American Avocet stood out on the mudflat of the Lake Erie marsh near the Michigan/Ohio state border.
The slightly-upturned long thin black bill is distinctive as is the white body with white-striped black wings.
The American Avocet is a rare bird in Michigan and one I had never seen before.
Though I’ve tried several times to find it when I’ve traveled to southeast United States.
American Avocets breed in western North America from March through October.
In winter, they can be found in coastal California, southern Texas, Louisiana, as well as coastal Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
They’re not expected in Michigan.
But, it’s not unusual for our Great Lakes area to have sightings of birds, especially shorebirds, found outside their normal range.
They’re called vagrants, a bird we don’t expect in a particular geographic area.
Whether because they got blown off course or became disoriented during migration. Or they’re expanding their breeding ranges.
American Avocets have been reported along Lake Erie in past springs, but they rarely stay very long.
When I learned they had been sighted near the state border, less than an hour away, I made plans to go and find them.
The day after they were reported, I was up early to find the birds at one of my favorite birding locations.
When I arrived, I looked out across the marsh, and there they were! On the edge of the mudflat, along with several Great Egrets.
The American Avocets and Great Egrets were all foraging in the mud at the nearest corner of the marsh from where I stood.
Less than 40 feet away.
I was thrilled! When it comes to shorebirds, my experience has been they are far out on the mudflats or shallow marsh waters.
And you need a spotting scope to find them.
Not this time!
Paying It Forward
Another birder stopped along the marsh, about 50 feet away.
Looking through their binoculars in a different direction than where the avocets were.
I didn’t know who the birder was, but I walked up to them and asked if they were looking for the avocets.
They replied yes, and I quickly explained where the birds were and how close they were to us.
Thank you, the birder replied as they explained where I could find Pectoral Sandpipers on the mudflat.
Which I hadn’t found yet. I thanked them for the info.
That’s what I love about birding, how birders share what they’ve found and help others to find birds.
