Snowy Owl © Sue Barth
Scoping January
The new year begins and so do all the year lists! Now is the time to get out and find any of those rarities that were uncovered during the Christmas Bird Counts. Those who use eBird can watch all their newly submitted checklists autofill their new year's county and state lists. If you do not have an eBird account, why not make that a resolution! It's easy and you are adding valuable data as a citizen scientist! The BOS statisticians frequently pull data out of eBird for the monthly noteworthy records column in The Prothonotary newsletter.
Great Horned Owls are vocalizing this month as the birds begin nesting. During your birding outings, check old Red-tailed Hawk and Crow nests, they may have been repurposed by a Great Horned Owl! It's always exciting to see those ear tufts sticking up above the edge of the old stick nests!
Goat Island is a great place to begin your list. Catch up with Iceland and Glaucous Gulls at the roosting areas just south of Three Sisters Islands; in 2008 a Ross's Gull showed up here. Even if the access to Three Sisters is closed due to icy walkways, you can easily scan these flocks from the shoreline opposite the parking area. The resident passerines forage in mixed species flocks along the water's edge and by the parking area where people put out seed. Check these flocks for uncommon wintering species such as Winter Wren, Yellow-rumped and Pine Warblers.
Waterfowl are still plentiful above and below The Falls. There is a nice little pull off along the Niagara Scenic Parkway between the north Grand Island Bridge and Niagara Falls SP, appropriately called Waterfowl Viewing Area. You may catch massive rafts of diving ducks here with scattered dabbling ducks mixed in. Uncommon species such as Black and Surf Scoter may be found amongst the hordes as well as the rarer King Eider; bring your scope.
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!
JOIN the BOS
Reflections on "What the BOS Means to . . . "
. . . Don Dixon
It means time spent with my family. Whether its on wild goose chases (numerous dips on a Pink-footed) to trekking through the Erie County Forest to see Hooded Warblers to trips with friends who are extended family. The BOS has afforded me time with the ones who really matter to me along with seeing some amazing birds. These birding days have brought me face to face with birds I may never see again, likes of the Northern Hawk Owl just north of Toronto, to a boat in the Atlantic for Black-Capped Petrels and a White-Face Storm-Petrel. Moments in my life that I will never forget.
Cheers & Happy Birding!
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.)
Jan 14, 2026 (Wednesday)
Meeting - Bev Seyler Recaps the Cape May 2024 Trip
Details: (click for more info)
Buffalo Museum of Science
Very Important…this meeting will ONLY be offered remotely via Zoom. Please look for the link to join this Zoom Meeting in a future email from Bev! There WILL NOT be an in-person meeting at the museum for this presentation.
BOS President, Bev Seyler, will give a presentation on the Cape May, NJ trip that Alec guided in October of 2024. We enjoyed great weather and great birds including point blank views of an American Bittern during out saltmarsh boat trip, relaxed and up-close comparisons between Nelson’s and Saltmarsh Sparrows, with a very cooperative Clapper Rail (photo), a banding demo with an in-hand Swainson’s Hawk and so much more.
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Jan 18, 2026 (Sunday)
NYSOA Waterfowl Count and Mid-Winter Bald Eagle Survey
Details: (click for more info)
Open waterways within the BOS study area.
The 2025 count period is from Saturday, January 17 through Sunday, January 25. The preferred target date is Sunday, January 18.
Debbie Suggs is the count coordinator. Some sections will need a compiler, and more counters are always welcome. Please contact Debbie via email at [email protected]
Or (716) 491-2020
Male King Eider and a Red-throated Loon at Niagara-on-the-Lake December 26, 2021 by Nathan Miller.
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Feb 11, 2026 (Wednesday)
Meeting - The Annual Rarity Roundup!
Details: (click for more info)
Buffalo Museum of Science
Meet at 7 pm in the Cummings Room at the Buffalo Museum of Science.
Take a trip down Memory Lane through the avian rarity highlights throughout the BOS Study Area for the year 2025! Bring a snack to share if you wish! This annual feature was originally brainstormed as an interactive program between members to share their moments of discovery when they happened upon a rare bird. For those finders, if you are able to come to the meeting and share your story, that would be wonderful. If you are not able to join the meeting, you can send Alec your story for him to include during the night’s narrative ([email protected]).
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See Our Full List of Events