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

Rusty Blackbird - © Sue Barth

On Wednesday at 7pm, we will hold another Zoom meeting. After the business portion of the meeting, Dr. Geoffrey Hill of Auburn University will present "Who's In and Who's Out? How decisions about the species status of birds are made".

Zoom connection details are below:
Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/6819674773?pwd=cjk0VkxydVBaSzk4N3NpMWZQeUtDZz09

Meeting ID: 681 967 4773
Passcode: 7654321
One tap mobile
+16465588656,,6819674773#,,,,*7654321# US (New York)

Saturday, April 24th

Meet at 9:30 AM in the parking lot at Braddock Bay State Park, 199 E Manitou Road, 14468.

David Gordon (dgordonphoto@yahoo.com; (716) 390-1429) leads this trip.

Weather permitting, we will indulge in the spectacle of spring hawk migration from the hawkwatch platform. The bay should also have good numbers of waterfowl and the nearby woods may hold new arrival passerines. If owls are present, a short trip to Owl Woods will also enliven the day!

This is a full day trip so bring drinks, lunch, snacks, sunscreen and a chair (for hawk watching). Bathrooms are likely available at the park. Be aware that a lake breeze can develop this time of year which is a cool/cold breeze out of the north compliments of Lake Ontario. Dress appropriately.

Leader David Gordon (dgordonphoto@yahoo.com)

Leader is Christopher Bertola; chris.bertola10@gmail.com

This trip is new to the BOS field trip menu, and what a great addition it is! The Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge complex is a massive wetland that occupies 15 square miles at the north end of Cayuga Lake. Please join Christopher Bertola as we explore this unique hotspot and work on building your Seneca County life list.

This vast area is a critical stopover site for many migrants and at this time of year, we will be looking for various waterfowl, including rarities like Eurasian Wigeon and Ross's Goose, and early arriving shorebirds such as Pectoral Sandpipers and Dunlin.

Most of this trip will take place along the Wildlife Drive with frequent stops to scan flocks of ducks. Bring your scope if you have one! Marsh Wrens should be singing from the cattails as Black Terns bound across the open waterways in search of insects and minnows.

If any rarities have been found recently, we will try for those as well. With 267 species recorded along the drivable berm alone, something stand-out is bound to await us! This trip is anticipated to wrap up around 1pm. Plan to bring a lunch/snacks and beverages. Bathrooms are available at the visitor center.

Meet at 7:30am on the bridge just past the Visitor Center.

Leader: Seaghan Coleman (716-435-7753 or seaghanc@gmail.com)

This trip will focus on newly arrived neotropical migrants as well as lingering waterfowl and sparrows. Tifft holds the distinctive honor of having the highest number of species recorded on premises in our region - over 250! The list of highlights is long and includes Kentucky, Connecticut and Yellow-throated Warblers, Summer Tanager, Sedge Wren, Barn Owl, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron and so much more.

We will hike the trails in search of early-arriving warblers, thrushes and other long-distance migrants as well as look over the marsh for rails and bitterns. If we are lucky, we may see late migrant raptors.

This will be an easy walk over level ground and boardwalks, possibly muddy trails. The trip will span the morning hours so make sure to bring snacks and something to drink.

Meet at 8:00 am in the parking lot at the Bathhouse (the big brick building in front of the swimming beach).

Leader - Matthew Nusstein (Matthew.Nusstein@parks.ny.gov; 716-446-3376)

Join Matt, the park naturalist, for a 2-hour hike for newly arrived migrants. Sited along the Lake Erie Shore, Evangola State Park boasts an eBird checklist of 146 species of birds and has hosted such rarities as White Ibis, Wood Stork and Yellow-throated Warbler! Local breeding birds include Eastern Bluebird and Red-headed Woodpecker.

Leader: Alan Baczkiewicz (716) 633-9303, alanbooks@roadrunner.com

Meet at 8:30am in the parking lot near the intersection of Tillman and Shisler Roads (see map link above).

Join Alan for a half day walk through the Tillman Wildlife Management Area. This 239-acre preserve offers roadside access to marsh on both sides of Tillman Road, a 300 foot boardwalk, and approximately 2 1/2 miles of trails to walk.

We will focus on seeing the locally rare Upland Sandpiper and Grasshopper Sparrow. These species nest in the grassland portion of the preserve. Other species of interest include Bobolink, American Kestrel and Eastern Meadowlark.

We will also take a walk through the wooded portion of the preserve for neotropical migrants. The wetlands host Sora and Virginia Rail, both of which have nested here in previous years. Bring bug repellent for the mosquitoes! Our trip will commence from the parking lot as we explore the southern area of the preserve, including the marsh, and then the group will relocate to the northern end to finish our trip.

The content of our May meeting has yet to be determined. Stay tuned for details!

Leader: Christina Rockwell Rockwell.christina@gmail.com (302) 530-9480

Meet at 7:30am in the parking lot located on the south side of St. Mary’s Apartments. This will be a 1/2 day trip wrapping up around 11am.

Please join Chris as she guides us through one of the premier migration hotspots in WNY. This easily walkable park is a pleasure to stroll through and can be very birdy. Last spring, gems like Worm-eating Warbler and Sedge Wren were recorded here. The eBird checklist for this location currently stands at 199 species and wouldn’t it be fun to hit the 200 species milestone on Chris’s trip?!
The list of rarities found here over the years include Western and Summer Tanagers, Nelson’s Sparrow, Worm-eating and Connecticut Warblers...even Long-eared Owls nested here one year! Late spring flights of Broad-winged Hawks occur when the winds are out of the SW.
Plan on a half-day trip focused on Neotropical migrants during the peak of avian diversity movement through our region. Photo of a male Cape May Warbler from Amherst SP by A. John Ryan 5/18/20.

All BOS members should participate in the 83rd 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 »

Leader - Matt Nusstein (Matthew.Nusstein@parks.ny.gov; (716) 446-3376)

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

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 4-5 hours and we will have lunch overlooking the river. Carpooling is suggested. Bring a lunch, snacks and beverages.

Breeding Bird Atlas Boot Camp with Joel Strong

Leader - Joel Strong (joelstrong78@yahoo.com)

Meet at 730am at 6148-6152 East Lake Road (this is where the soccer fields are located and we will park here).

This trip will cover the basics of atlasing for the New York State Breeding Bird Atlas that is currently collecting data. Krull County Park covers two atlas blocks and Joel will cover how to stay within a block as well as how to code breeding bird activity. Our route will cover the area where Clay-colored Sparrows are known to nest, a spruce stand as well as an area by the lakeshore where Pine Warbler and Red-headed Woodpeckers nest. This trip will be limited to 10 participants. If you are interested in this trip, you need to contact Joel to let him know and to make sure there is a spot for you!