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

Magnolia Warbler - © Sue Barth

A close up of the Fort Niagara Whimbrel by Ann Powell on the 1st.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

Closeup of the 3 whimbrels found at Fort Niagara on the 4th!
Contributed by: Fred Piwko

Red-tailed Hawk flashing its nictitating membrane as it eats a small passerine.
Contributed by: Fred Piwko

At least one of the three Whimbrel continued on the lakeside lawn at Fort Niagara SP into the 9th. Here photographed in flight by Sandy Geschwender.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

An adult Red-headed Woodpecker brought it’s fledgling into a Parkside Neighborhood backyard (North Buffalo) on the 2nd. Photo by Melissa Moldovan.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

Kevin Szen photographed this pair of fledgling Turkey Vultures in a tree hollow in Cazenovia Park in South Buffalo on the 10th.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

ML Vaughan photographed this juvenile Red-headed Woodpecker at a backyard feeder in Brant, NY on the 11th.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

What a treat! Two American Avocets flew by me as I walked the shore at Woodlawn on the 11th.
Contributed by: Sue Barth

These two American Avocets only lingered on the beach for a few minutes at Woodlawn on the 11th.
Contributed by: Sue Barth

This sublime adult Black-crowned Night-Heron was photographed by Eugene Pierce at Tifft NP on the 15th.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

This gangly pair of Turkey Vulture fledglings ventured outside of their nest cavity at Cazenovia Park on the 16th, as documented by Kevin Szen.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

For a second year in a row, a Marbled Godwit has graced the Canadian side of the Niagara Strait, this time in Fort Erie. John Spirko took this fabulous photo of the bird grubbing in the mowed lawn just south of the Peace Bridge on the 16th. The bird was not found subsequently.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

Another photo by John Spirko of the Marbled Godwit he found feeding along the breakwall just south of the Peace Bridge in Fort Erie, Ontario on the 16th. Unfortunately, the bird was a one day wonder.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

Joshua Ketry documented this American Avocet out on the sandspit alongside Donnelly’s Pier as seen from Erie Basin Marina on the 17th. The bird continued for several hours for others to see.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

Ketry scored this American Avocet on the 17th on the small beach alongside Donnelly’s Pier offshore of Erie Basin Marina.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

This picturesque image of a Solitary Sandpiper was taken on the 20th at Reinstein Woods by Sandy Geschwender.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

Reinstein Woods’ lilypads provided a Monet-like background for this Green Heron while it was fishing. Photo taken by Sandy Geschwender on the 20th.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

Niko Harper caught this moment at Iroquois NWR on the 14th...as this Great Egret holds on to its next meal, a rat. Come to my yard, Egret!
Contributed by: Alec Humann

This adult Virginia Rail was attending to one of its chicks along the Heritage Boardwalk at Tifft Nature Preserve on the 22nd. Photo by Megan Miller.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

Megan Miller photographed another highly sought-after denizen of the Tifft NP marshes; a Least Bittern. This bird was photographed on the 22nd along the Heritage Boardwalk.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

Joshua Ketry photographed this bird along the Bird Island Pier on the 22nd. The beautiful creamy plumage with pale orange throat highlights this spectacular leucistic immature Barn Swallow. Leucism is a reduced pigment caused by a genetic mutation.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

I’m not sure what happened in the end, but this Greater Yellowlegs seemed to be interested on frog legs for dinner on the 20th at Tifft Nature Preserve. This interesting photo was snapped by Bethany Nelligan.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

Shelley Seidman and Josh Ketry found this Red-necked Phalarope at Batavia WWTP on the 23rd.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

A first summer Lesser Black-backed Gull was on the beach at Woodlawn on the 18th. A very handsome bird!
Contributed by: Sue Barth

Alyssa Nowicki captured this image of the Batavia WWTP Red-necked Phalarope (fresh juvenile plumage) found by Seidman and Ketry on the 23rd.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

First White-winged Scoter of the fall migration season seen at Westfield's Barcelona Harbor in Chautauqua County on August 25th.
Contributed by: Gale VerHague

This young Eastern Kingbird (notice the fleshy gape) was practicing some yoga stretches at Iroquois NWR on the 24th as documented by Josh Ketry.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

This male Greater Scaup has been seen along the Buffalo Outer Harbor from the Seaway Slip to Times Beach for about a month now...here photographed on the 24th by Sheryl Hadeka at Times Beach. This species is unusual during the summer months.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

Sturgeon Point supplied this marvelous Black-billed Cuckoo for Sue Barth on the 26th. It has been a good year for cuckoos locally with the Gypsy Moth outbreak.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

Baird's Sandpiper at the Barcelona Harbor in Westfield on August 27th. Photo by Gale VerHague.
Contributed by: Gale VerHague

Brown Pelican in the Dunkirk Harbor on August 27th. Bird was found and reported by Andrea Vaillancourt-Alder.
Contributed by: Gale VerHague

While looking for the Laughing Gull across the river in Fort Erie, Rick Thomas captured this image of a rare-in-August Black-legged Kittiwake resting on the Bird Island Pier. Photo taken on the 27th after a good wind blow from the SW.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

Another image of the Baird’s Sandpiper found by Gale VerHague at Barcelona Harbor on the morning of the 27th. Notice the fine-tipped bill, scaly edging on the scapulars and flat-backed, attenuated appearance.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

A fantastic find on the 26th by Andrea Vaillancourt at Dunkirk Harbor was this Brown Pelican.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

Another great bird that found its way to the Niagara Region was this juvenile Laughing Gull found by Wally Parker sitting on the breakwall just south of the Peace Bridge in Fort Erie on the 27th.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

Found by Wally Parker on the 27th in Ft Erie and refound on the 28th by Joe Fell at the West Side Rowing Club, this juvenile Laughing Gull entertained birders on both sides of the border. Photo by Sue Barth from WS Rowing Club on the 28th.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

TJ Mudd found this beautiful Whimbrel along the beach at Barcelona Harbor on the 28th while searching for VerHague’s Baird’s Sandpiper.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

Ketry obtained this image of the Laughing Gull when it put in an appearance at La Salle Park along the Buffalo waterfront on the 27th.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

Joshua Vandermeulen took this photo along the break wall just south of the Peace Bridge in Fort Erie on the 27th. Typical for Laughing Gulls, this individual jockeyed for position among Ring-billed Gulls to partake in human offerings.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

Nice in-flight shot by Vandermeulen of the Ft Erie Laughing Gull found by Wally Parker on the 27th.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

This Little Gull also put in an appearance at the source of the Niagara River on the 27th, joining a Laughing Gull, Black-legged Kittiwake and two Phalarope species. Photo by Gavin McKinnon.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

Gale VerHague took this photo of a Sanderling at Barcelona Harbor on the 27th.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

Joe Mitchell found this Buff-breasted Sandpiper in a field in Newstead, NY on the 25th.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

The Dunkirk Harbor Brown Pelican continued into the 29th, here photographed by Cindy Naughton.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

Possibly a species that is often missed/overlooked in our region, this Western Sandpiper, a juvenile, was found by Mourad Jabra at Jones Beach, Port Weller, Ontario on the 29th. Notice the distinctive line of rufous-edged scapulars running laterally above the wing as well as the deep base to the bill. Photo by Ryan Griffiths on the 29th.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

Mourad Jabra found and photographed this swanky little juvenile Western Sandpiper at Jones Beach, Port Weller, Ontario on the 29th. Notice the neat line of rufous fringed scapulars running along the bird’s back.
Contributed by: Alec Humann

Marcus Rosten used a kayak to get out to the Laughing Gull using the Bird Island Pier as a roosting location. This fantastic photo shows the LAGU keeping company with a young Ring-billed Gull (left). Marcus took this photo on the 31st.
Contributed by: Alec Humann