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.
Continue reading Photo of the Week: Semipalmated Sandpiper at Erie Marsh Preserve
A large brownish shorebird, almost 20 inches long, with a striped head, and dark eyeline, the Whimbrel found its way to the western shore of Lake Erie this week on its migration journey south. Which attracted a lot of birders who have never seen a Whimbrel before, including me! Whimbrels nest in the Arctic in… Continue reading Photo of the Week: Whimbrel
It’s that time of year when shorebirds migrate south from their breeding grounds. The first shorebirds began arriving in southeast Michigan over the past couple weeks.
While it’s exciting to see shorebirds return to our area after several months up north, their return is also the beginning of my grumbling, ranting season.
Shorebirds are hard enough to identify when they’re in breeding plumage, with bright colors that make it a bit easier to distinguish what they are.
Continue reading Photo of the Week: Shorebird Migration Begins