Chris Izworski's daily Michigan birding report examines Washtenaw County this morning, where the past two weeks have delivered 130 species across 130 observations, anchored by strong activity at Ford Lake and the marsh systems that define this region's mid-summer birding.
Blue Grosbeak and Recent Rarities at Sharon Mills
The headline today is the Blue Grosbeak at Sharon Mills County Park (north), reported this morning. That's noteworthy for Washtenaw County and worth the drive if you're mobile. The species flags as rare in the eBird system, and a July sighting in southern Michigan edges toward unexpected. Pair that with the Purple Martins still holding at the same location (ten birds as of yesterday) and Sharon Mills becomes your first target. The park also hosted a Pied-billed Grebe yesterday and continues to show promise as the breeding season winds down and wandering birds filter through.
The wider rare bird picture includes a Common Merganser at Nichols Arboretum on the 24th, a Merlin at Towne Pond on the 23rd, and a string of Red-breasted Mergansers at Ford Lake Park around the 21st. Mergansers in July are post-breeders or failed nesters; check Ford Lake today to see if they've remained.
Ford Lake and the Gull Congregation
Ring-billed Gulls dominate the recent counts with 30 individuals at North Bay Park and the Ford Lake Boardwalk as of yesterday. Mute Swans (12 birds) and Graylag Geese (10 birds) cluster at the same location, painting a picture of a water system functioning as both a summer staging area and, increasingly, a resting point for birds preparing for broader movements. Caspian Terns (5 individuals) add another layer to the Ford Lake ecosystem. With today's forecast calling for 84 degrees, mostly sunny skies, and light westerly winds, conditions favor sitting the boardwalk and working through the gull flock methodically. Late July on calm, clear days brings visibility to detail work that matters in gull identification.
Marsh Birds and Late-Summer Swallow Activity
Gotfredson Road marsh continues to deliver consistent numbers: American Robins (12), American Goldfinches (9), Wood Ducks (8), and Barn Swallows (7) all logged there in the past 24 hours. Barn Swallows gathering over open marsh habitat in late July signal the beginning of the flocking behavior that will intensify through August. Look for them on wires before and after rain, which the forecast shows arriving tomorrow afternoon. The Bobolinks (12 birds) holding at the Ann Arbor Landfill and Wheeler Service Center compound the picture of late-breeding passerines still active or beginning to consolidate.
Warbler Presence Fading
Eastern Warbling Vireos (5 individuals) showed at Barton Nature Area yesterday. The warbler presence remains subdued, as expected for late July in Washtenaw County. Post-breeding dispersal of warblers is underway statewide, but the real migration wave does not accelerate until August. Dawn chorus opportunities still exist; sunrise at 6:20 AM opens a window from approximately 5:50 to 7:50 AM for vocal activity, though intensity is reduced compared to spring. Tomorrow's chance of rain showers and thunderstorms may dampen early activity, making today the better morning if you can get out.
Where to Focus Today
For a Saturday outing with decent weather holding, North Bay Park and the Ford Lake Boardwalk merit priority. The congregation of waterbirds and terns is established and recent. If the Blue Grosbeak at Sharon Mills sounds compelling and you can confirm it is still present via local reports, that detour offers genuine rarity potential. Both sites rank among the county's top hotspots by all-time species count (North Bay at 212 species), and current conditions on the water should be clean for observation work.
Find the live map and full county data at https://birding.chrisizworski.com.