We were into our second hour of birding this week at Erie Marsh Preserve before we found a Semipalmated Sandpiper.
Once my birding friend and I found one, we discovered another two dozen (and possibly more!) Semipalmated Sandpipers foraging in an adjacent mudflat at the marsh.
We were the only birders at the marsh that morning, which made it extra special for us as we hiked the marshland.
In late July and all through August, southeast Michigan birders in search of shorebirds often find their way to two birding locations known for shorebirds: Erie Marsh Preserve near Erie, Michigan or Pointe Mouillee State Game Area near Brownstown Township, Michigan.
Both are on the western shore of Lake Erie and offer acres of coastal wetland habitat for shorebirds migrating south.
I’m a fan of Erie Marsh, where I’ve gone searching for shorebirds for years. And since it’s closed to the public from September 1 through December 31, I do my best to visit it frequently in August.
Not only for the shorebirds, but the magnificent summer sunsets over the marsh.
