Lapland Longspur © Sue Barth
Scoping March
They say March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb, but around here, March exits with a roar as well! Hang in there, the Hamburg Hawkwatch is open for business officially on the 15th. Please stop by and say hello to the volunteer posted at the site for the day. This hawkwatch is covered by volunteers daily from March 15 thru May 15. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Jim Landau (Landaujr@gmail.com). In addition to migrant raptors, the first blackbird and robin flocks are on the move this month.
Waterfowl migration also begins in ernest during March. If you're looking for Snow Geese, head to the eastern side of Niagara County, as well as Orleans and Genesee Counties. This species is far less frequently encountered in Erie County. The ponds and marshes at Iroquois NWR and the Tonawanda WMA are thawing and attracting scores of dapper ducks. Just what the doctor ordered...Pintail, Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler and other puddle ducks are looking smitten in their high breeding plumage.
Red-throated Loons and Red-necked Grebes are also on the move in March and if looking for these birds, check the Lake Ontario overlooks at Ft Niagara SP, Golden Hill SP, Wilson-Tuscarora SP and Wilson Harbor. These birds can also be found in the upper Niagara and at Erie Basin Marina (if ice free). Do yourself a favor and spend some time watching Red-breasted Merganser drakes displaying to the ladies in the aforementioned waterways.
This is a great time of year to put in some time looking for Saw-whets. Spruce and pine groves along the Lake Ontario plain are great places to peek into after a night of light southerly winds. As always with any owls, if you do find one of these magical tiny birds, please keep a respectable distance.
At the end of the month, herons and egrets are returning to their rookeries. Bring your spotting scope to the foot of Sheridan Drive and scan Motor Island from the boat launch to see these newly arrived migrants displaying on their nests.
The Buffalo Ornithological Society, Inc. (BOS) was established in 1929 to promote the study of the birds of the Niagara Frontier Region. Annual grants are awarded by the BOS to fund member-sponsored avian research projects. We are proud of our extensive scientific research databases, our continuing involvement in environmental and conservation activities that impact birds, and our promotion of the enjoyment of ornithology.
The BOS coverage area includes Western New York and parts of nearby Ontario, Canada. This region is rich in bird life with over 380 species and 25 recognizable subspecies of birds recorded. Explore our site to learn more about where to report and find birds, both regional specialties and rare visitors.
The Buffalo Ornithological Society has something to offer to anyone passionate about birds: from the backyard feeder- watcher, the avid lister or the environmental activist, to the dedicated citizen scientist or the professional ornithologist. Society activities include regular programs, field trips, intensive long-term bird counts, checklist and date guide development, varied research activities, and involvement in local conservation efforts. We invite you to join in the activities of the society!
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Upcoming Field Trips and Events
For a full list of our upcoming field trips, meetings, and events, visit our calendar page. You don't have to be a member to join our field trips or meetings! (Note that meetings run from September through June.)
Apr 01, 2023 (Saturday)
Field Trip - Purple Martin Set-Up Social with Celeste Morien
Details: (click for more info)
Batavia Wastewater Treatment Plant, 17 Treadeasy Ave, Batavia, NY 14020 Leader - Celeste Morien Celeste.morien@gmail.com
WEATHER DATE - Sunday, April 2
Location - Batavia Wastewater Treatment Plant, 17 Treadeasy Ave, Batavia, NY 14020
Meet at 10:00am at the Batavia WWTP main building to sign in. This is a different type of field trip - one with a purpose other than listing! Come help Celeste Morien set up the Purple Martin gourd-style houses on the rack at the Batavia Wastewater Treatment Plant. Who knows - if time allows, we can organize a quick spin through the facility to check for migrant waterfowl. If you plan to attend please e-mail Celeste to let her know and so Celeste has a head count for coffee and donuts!
Purple Martins photographed by Shelley Seidman on 5/29/2022 at Batavia WWTP.
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Apr 02, 2023 (Sunday)
BOS April Bird Count
Details: (click for more info)
BOS Study Area Sunday, April 2nd, 2023
NOTE: this year's April Count date has been changed to the 2nd due to our normally scheduled date falling on Easter Sunday.
All BOS members should plan 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 Joel Strong (joelstrong78@yahoo.com ) who will put you into contact with the correct section compiler.
Please visit the April Count information page on the website at the address below. Thank you so much!
More About the April Count: Click here »
© Photo of an Eastern Phoebe at Woodlawn Beach SP, April 24, 2022 by Sue Barth.
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Apr 12, 2023 (Wednesday)
Meeting - Vaughn Lecture
Details: (click for more info)
Buffalo Museum of Science Meet at 7 pm in the Cummings Room.
The meeting topic is "Integrating Community Data on Migration Behaviors" given by Dr. Kyle Horton from the Colorado State University.
More information will be forthcoming.
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Apr 22, 2023 (Saturday)
Field Trip - Montezuma NWR with David and Debbie Suggs
Details: (click for more info)
3395 US-20, Seneca Falls, NY 13148 Leader is David Suggs; (716) 861- 8948 DFSuggs@gmail.com
Meet at 830am at the visitor’s center.
The Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge complex is a massive wetland that occupies 15 square miles at the north end of Cayuga Lake. Please join BOS president, David Suggs, 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.
American Bittern photographed by Shawn Billerman along Wildlife Drive 4/30/2022.
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