Current year seasonal sightings from the University of Michigan-Dearborn campus as well as other locations around Dearborn. Archives of previous years can be found here. For other news, sign up for our newsletter here.
- 2012 UM-Dearborn campus bird sightings
- 2012 Dearborn sightings
- All UM-Dearborn sightings*
- All Dearborn sightings*
Clicking on any of the species will bring up a map of sightings; clicking on any markers will provide dates and numbers.
*Inclusive data is based on 17 years of mostly spring and winter data. New records are being added which include the past 20 years, all seasons. As this is public data, it also includes sightings that have not been vetted by RRBO staff, but has been filtered by eBird volunteers that are not associated with and do not consult with RRBO. Researchers interested in data for analysis should contact RRBO directly.
May 2012:
17 May: Yet another White-eyed Vireo on campus today, this one on the north side of the EIC.
15 May: Common Nighthawks have arrived in Dearborn.
14 May: A White-eyed Vireo was singing in the campus brush dump near Evergreen Road this morning.
13 May: First-of-season species were: Bay-breasted Warblers in east Dearborn; Blackpoll Warbler near Oakwood Hospital; Mourning Warbler and Yellow-billed Cuckoo on campus.
12 May: The first Gray-cheeked Thrush of the season was on campus. An Orchard Oriole was in Porath Park.
9 May: An adult Bald Eagle was found in Jensen’s Meadow on campus this morning, and flew north over Fairlane Lake. A Red-headed Woodpecker visited the feeders behind the EIC around lunchtime.
8 May: A Hooded Warbler was along the Orchard Trail near the EIC. A Bald Eagle was seen over campus.
7 May: A Clay-colored Sparrow was at the wildflower fields at Hubbard and Southfield, along with at least two dozen Bobolinks.
6 May: Eastern Wood-Pewees have arrived on campus for the season. An Orchard Oriole was seen in the old field area.
5 May: The first Orange-crowned Warblers of the season were found on today’s survey. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds arrived in east Dearborn.
4 May: New birds today were Cape May Warbler, Swainson’s Thrush, Veery, and Canada Warbler (new early spring arrival date by a day). A Hooded Warbler was also seen today on campus.
3 May: Many first arrivals on campus today: Scarlet Tanager, Least Flycatcher, Indigo Bunting, Red-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, American Redstart, Magnolia Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, and Northern Parula. A White-eyed Vireo was near the brush dump, as was a Clay-colored Sparrow.
2 May: Eastern Kingbird and Great Crested Flycatcher were new spring arrivals on campus. A Clay-colored Sparrow was found near the parking structure in the afternoon. Finally, the first Chestnut-sided Warbler of spring was seen in east Dearborn.
1 May: New arrivals today included Wood Thrush, Lincoln’s Sparrow (singing), Common Yellowthroat, and Baltimore Oriole. A female Eastern Bluebird was in Jensen’s Meadow, and an Orchard Oriole was near the old Pony Barn.
April 2012:
30 Apr: Lots of new arrivals today: Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Blue-winged Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Ovenbird, Blackburnian Warbler, and White-crowned Sparrow.
29 Apr: The first Yellow Warbler was on campus. A Solitary Sandpiper was on the Rouge River near the south end of campus. On the Rouge River channel, first of the year arrivals were Purple Martin, Cliff Swallow, and Spotted Sandpiper.
26 Apr: A first-of-season Warbling Vireo was in east Dearborn. A Wilson’s Snipe was found in the field at Mercury and Ford Road.
24 Apr: The first Chimney Swifts of the year have arrived.
23 Apr: First Black-throated Green Warbler found today.
22 Apr: The first Northern Waterthrush was found singing along Fairlane Lake this morning. The Marsh Wren is still present in the swamp.
20 Apr: A Blue-headed Vireo was found in west Dearborn, first of the spring. An American Coot was on Fairlane Lake this morning, and two Osprey were seen migrating over campus.
19 Apr: The first House Wren, Field Sparrow, and Palm Warbler of spring were found on this morning’s survey.
18 Apr: A Marsh Wren was heard singing briefly in the cattails in the swamp (west of HFCC).
17 Apr: The first Green Heron of the season was found on Fairlane Lake this morning. Four Eastern Towhees were also counted on the survey.
16 Apr: A singing White-eyed Vireo was near the north end of Fairlane Lake this morning. An early Nashville Warbler was found today. Many more Yellow-rumped Warblers are around.
15 Apr: Six Broad-winged Hawks near Oakwood Hospital were the first migrants of the year. Savannah Sparrows are back at the Rouge River channel.
14 Apr: A Louisiana Waterthrush was in east Dearborn today.
12 Apr: An Eastern Bluebird was heard from the bike path at the south end of campus. A Pine Warbler has been singing on the north end of Fairlane Lake.
9 Apr: Spring’s first Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, and Hermit Thrush were recorded today.
8 Apr: Barn Swallows have returned to the Rouge River channel.
March 2012:
28 Mar: The first Brown Thrasher of the season was seen today. A couple of Yellow-rumped Warblers were also present. This species was not present over the winter this year.
26 Mar: A Chipping Sparrow at the feeders on campus is the first of the season and a new early arrival date for Dearborn. We are expecting temperatures below zero tonight after over a week of record-breaking warmth. A post at our blog Net Results explains what this might mean to migrant birds.
23 Mar: A Great Egret on the concrete channel of the Rouge River was the first of the season and a new early arrival date for Dearborn.
20 Mar: The first Eastern Towhee and Rusty Blackbird of the spring were found on the survey today.
19 Mar: Two Fox Sparrows were new arrivals today.
18 Mar: A Field Sparrow and Tree Swallow along the concrete channel of the Rouge River were both first arrivals and new early spring dates for Dearborn.
15 Mar: The first Eastern Phoebe and Golden-crowned Kinglets were found today.
11 Mar: The wetland at the TPC golf course adjacent to the Rouge River channel had some interesting waterfowl: 4 Ring-necked Ducks, 4 Hooded Mergansers, 2 Bufflehead, and 5 Northern Shovelers. There are only six previous records of shoveler for Dearborn, and these are the first since 1996. An adult Bald Eagle was also seen flying over the river.
February 2012:
22 Feb: The first Common Grackle of the season showed up at the EIC feeders today. We have had a large flock of Red-winged Blackbirds in Dearborn at Ford World Headquarters all winter that are beginning to move around, but it did not include any grackles, so this is probably a migrant.
5 Feb: A Common Redpoll briefly appeared at an east Dearborn feeder today.
January 2012:
29 Jan: A Pine Siskin briefly appeared at an east Dearborn feeder today.
27 Jan: A Gray Catbird was seen again today in the swamp. This bird was banded, confirming that two were indeed present this winter, as the last one seen on a survey was unbanded.
15 Jan: Two Common Redpolls were seen at a feeder in east Dearborn; there were several other reports in the region today, perhaps indicating a movement into the area. A Common Merganser was seen in the Rouge River channel.
14 Jan: A Winter Wren was found on the survey today.
9 Jan: The Gray Catbird was seen again, this time by the lake. The fruit crop is nearly depleted, so this bird will probably move on.
1 Jan: The results from the Dearborn portion of the Detroit River Christmas Bird Count, held 1 January, have been posted here. Highlights included a Gray Catbird on campus (first record for count day) as well as a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (second record on count day). A Peregrine Falcon was seen at Ford World Headquarters.