Buffalo Ornithological Society
Birding Western New York and the Niagara Peninsula of Ontario

Louisiana Waterthrush - © Sue Barth

5 Treadeasy Ave., Batavia, NY 14020

Sunday, April 20th with a rain date of Monday, April 21st.

Leaders: Julia Garver
(716) 474-1366
email: [email protected]
and Sarah Balduf
(585) 356-2432
email: [email protected]

Meet at the operations center at 830 AM (this is the building you will see in front of you as you drive in through the chain link fence/gate). The facility is located at the end of Industrial Blvd, which is off Pearl St. (Rte 33) at the western edge of the city of Batavia.

Julia and Sarah will lead our group through the famous wastewater treatment plant. This complex of man-made ponds and marshes is a verifiable birding hotspot and has attracted such gems as Northern Wheatear, Harlequin Duck, Piping Plover, Neotropic Cormorant and American Avocet.
While the fall months host most birders at this regional hotspot, the spring migration months are definitely under-birded here. The Purple Martin houses should be filling up with adults returning from wintering grounds in the Amazon. The various settling ponds will likely be playing host to a variety of waterfowl, possibly including Common Loon and Horned Grebe.
If you own a spotting scope, this would be a great location to put it to good use! This will be a 1/2 day trip. Bathrooms are available in the administration building.

Photo of a Virginia Rail on April 28, 2014 by Sue Barth at the Batavia WWTP.

Forest Lawn Cemetery, 1990 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14208

Meet at 9am at the small parking area behind the chapel (see map link above).

Join Schuyler and Steve on a walk through Forest Lawn Cemetery during the spring migration season. We will be looking for early-arrival warblers and other songbirds as they rest and refuel before continuing their journey north. Resident species will be busy singing and nest building. Additionally, we will also be looking for a variety of waterfowl, herons, and Belted kingfisher. Migrating raptors have been known to pass overhead as well so we will keep our eyes to the skies hoping for Broad-winged Hawks.
Bring snacks and water as we will likely be birding for a few hours. Restrooms are not available. Bring binoculars if you have them, we also have a few extra pairs to share.
While this walk is geared towards beginners, all are welcome!

Photo of a male Purple Finch by Ruth Goldman in May of 2023 at Forest Lawn.

Meet at the Visitor's Center, 3395 US-20, Seneca Falls, NY

April 26, 2025 (Saturday) 8:30 AM Field Trip - Montezuma NWR with David and Debbie Suggs. Meet at the Visitor's Center, 3395 US-20, Seneca Falls, NY. The refuge is a two hour drive from Buffalo. The water level in the main pool on the auto tour has been lowered. Providing the refuge maintains this low water level, there should be exciting viewing opportunities of the resulting muck flats .Plan for a full day to explore the main pool and the extensive Northern Montezuma areas. [email protected].

1600 Riverside Road, Jamestown, NY 14701

Leaders: Devin Banning (716) 260-8889
[email protected]
Katelyn Davis (716) 216-3881

Meet at 8:00am in the main parking lot for the Audubon Community Nature Center. See Google Maps link above.

Please join Devin, Katelyn and members of the Chautauqua-Warren Birding Association for spring migrants on a 1/2 day trip on the trails at the Audubon Community Nature Center, Jamestown, NY. We all are familiar with the magic of May when so many possibilities exist! The south shore of Lake Erie can pile up birds as they arrive from tropical wintering grounds, especially if inclement weather is involved. Last year’s trip turned up a Snowy Egret! Here is the checklist link from last year’s outing…
https://ebird.org/atlasny/checklist/S173604710

Snowy Egret photographed by Nathan Stimson at ACNC on May 11, 2024.

Brooks Pavilion (Main Pavilion), Point Gratiot Park

Leader: Devin Banning (716) 260-8889
[email protected]
Katelyn Davis (716) 216-3881

Meet at 8am at the Brooks Pavilion at Point Gratiot Park. See map link above for exact location. The Brooks Pavilion is the main pavilion inside the park.

Join Devin Banning and Katelyn Davis for a walk through Point Gratiot Park in Dunkirk. The Point serves as a migrant trap and funnels northbound birds into the DEC woodlot, the crown jewel of the park, which offers superb habitat for migratory songbirds. The sandy and rocky shoreline can host migrant shorebirds.
We should see the local Bald Eagles that frequent the lakeshore and we might catch a glimpse of the Peregrine Falcons that nest on the old NRG power plant. The resident Red-headed Woodpeckers are always a treat to see and the Purple Martin houses will be very active. Point Gratiot has hosted some fantastic rarities over the years including Harris’s Sparrow, Worm-eating and Kentucky Warblers, and Summer Tanager.
Birding destinations targeted after we wrap up at Pt. Gratiot will be determined based upon weather and migration patterns on the days leading up to our trip. A stop at the Dunkirk Airport should add a few grassland species to our day’s list including Eastern Meadowlark, Bobolink, American Kestrel and locally-nesting Grasshopper Sparrow.

Last year’s eBird trip list:
https://ebird.org/tripreport/234333

Harris’s Sparrow photographed by John Etter at Point Gratiot on May 19, 2021 (found by Gale VerHague).

6773 Trailside Road, Castile, NY 14427

Leader - Matt Nusstein ([email protected]; (716) 446-3376)

Location - Meet at 8am at the Humphrey Nature Center, 6773 Trailside Road, Castile, NY 14427 (see map link above).

This year’s trip overlaps with World Migratory Bird Day! Scenic Letchworth State Park, embracing the Genesee River, boasts incredible numbers of migratory birds in May and June. In addition, more than twenty species of warblers nest in the park annually making for an exciting birding destination. This list includes the local Louisiana Waterthrush as well as gems like Hooded, Blue-winged and Mourning Warblers. Acadian Flycatcher is another local species we hope to cross paths with during our outing. We will be birding along the gorge making various stops with short hikes as we go. The trip could last 5-6 hours and we will have lunch overlooking the river. Carpooling is suggested. Bring a lunch, snacks and beverages.

Black-billed Cuckoo photographed by Scott Diedrich on June 29, 2019 at Letchworth SP.

4143 Lower River Road, Youngstown, NY 14174

Sunday, May 11, 2025

Leader is Dave Spiering (716) 548-6846
email: [email protected]

This will be a 1/2 day trip starting at 8:00am. Meet at the central parking lot in the middle of the park - see google map link above.

Joseph Davis State Park includes the Joseph Davis Bird Conservation Area (BCA). The BCA is over 200-acres of successional shrubland, mature second growth forests, old fields, wetlands, and ponds managed for bird habitat, primarily birds that prefer open and early successional habitats. In the past, Parks and other partners (USFWS, Audubon) have managed the BCA to maintain open and early successional habitats and Parks will be doing similar work at Joseph Davis in the coming years. We will bird the eastern side of the park in the BCA looking for spring migrants and species that will stay to nest. Parks asks for your assistance to make an eBird list while birding at Joe Davis to help us monitor and manage the BCA for the best bird habitat possible. JDSP has recently seen improvements to the parking areas, access roads and trails.
Based on eBird checklist entries, this park is very much under-birded. Part of the motivation behind David leading this trip is to spark more interest in future bird outings to this state park! There are many gaps in the eBird data for this location so your participation in this event, besides enjoying a May morning of birding out with your friends, has legit scientific value!

Photo of an Eastern Kingbird from Joseph Davis SP on June 2, 2024 by Fototaker Tony.

Buffalo Museum of Science

"NYS Parks Habitat Restoration Projects on Grand Island: Past, Present and Future" presented by Dave Spiering, Niagara Region Environmental Stewardship Manager. Dave will be discussing the outcomes of past projects including East River Marsh and Grass Island, current projects at Beaver Island and West River, and upcoming projects on Grand Island. Meet at 7 pm in the Cummings Room.

Throughout the BOS Study Area

Sunday, May 18, 2025

All BOS members will hopefully participate in the 86th annual May Bird Count.

BOS members are encouraged to participate. Please help us add to the decades of records that the BOS has collected reflecting population dynamics of the area birdlife. You can be part of a field team or simply count birds at your backyard feeder. All observations are important! If you don't know what section you live in, please contact Bob DeLeon who will put you into contact with the correct section compiler. Please visit the May Count information page on the website at the address below. Thank you so much!

More about the May Count: more info »

Photo of a male Cerulean Warbler singing his heart out for the ladies at Swallow Hollow Trail, INWR on May 11, 2024 by Rob Sielaff.

311 Curtis Street Exd., Jamestown, NY 14701

Leaders for this trip are Katelyn Davis and Devin Banning (716)260-8889
[email protected]

Time: 8am-10am

Join birders from the CWBA for the first in the series of birding events at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute. The Peterson Preserve at the RTPI features 27 acres of diverse habitat, including a mature hemlock grove, pollinator meadows, vernal wetlands, creeks and ponds, early successional woodlands and an Eastern Bluebird trail.
Over 140 bird species have been identified on the property. Our group should be able to find several species of warblers and other neotropical migrants on the tail end of spring migration. Don't forget your binoculars!
***All attendees of this bird walk will be offered a special $5 admission to the RTPI the day of the field trip!