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 ([email protected]). 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!
JOIN the BOS
Reflections on "What the BOS Means to . . . "
. . . Holly Sweeney
I started birding in Kentucky- almost always by myself. Moving back to Buffalo 10 years later I found the BOS online.
On a serendipitous day at Tifft I met up with Bill Watson- he asked me if I had seen the
Chat. Moments later it flew near me - I called out to this questioning man that it was "right here”. He asked me if I was sure and I said "I'm from KY and I know Chats".
This began our birding adventures and I was thrilled when he asked me to join him for the BOS counts. I was his scribe and his ears - he was my mentor. Section 4 is still one of my favorite places to bird - Krull Park and Golden Hill SP especially.
Bill made me figure it out for myself - "if I tell you what u r looking at u will never remember it.” He only told me if I was right or wrong. He was a 'trust but verify' guy as I found out when I was to count the Canada Geese and he the Ring-billed Gulls - but he actually counted the geese also - just to make sure! He did stop doing that after a year or two! And I actually got to the point where I could argue a sighting with him - although I never won. So, as others have answered the question - what the BOS means to me - it is the personal connection - count days with Bill were #1 - but I also met great women that I have traveled all over the world with - Bernie, Celeste, Karen Lee. My message to all new birders is buy a Field Guide book and have fun! And participate in the counts!
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.)
Mar 28, 2026 (Saturday)
Field Trip - Lake Ontario Plains with Willie D’anna and Betsy Potter.
Details: (click for more info)
Top's Market in Wrights Corners, north of Lockport, NY
Saturday, March 28th. Lake Ontario Plains Field Trip for early migrants.
Meet at 8 AM at Tops Market in Wright's Corners. This is on the east side of Route 78 at Route 104, north of Lockport.
Leader: Willie D’anna (716) 471-7595
[email protected]
This popular field trip seeks returning birds, like Killdeer, blackbirds, and Eastern Meadowlark, overwintering birds, like Rough-legged Hawk, Snow Bunting, and Lapland Longspur, and an abundance of waterbirds. We will look for loons, grebes, a variety of ducks and geese, and any goodies that might be around. Seven species of geese have been found on this trip in the past! We will also keep our eyes to the skies in search of migrating raptors, which are often prevalent in spring up by Lake Ontario. Previous trips have even recorded Golden Eagle. Come join us and start to get over your cabin fever!
Photo of White-fronted Geese among Canadas by Wendelin Long on March 29, 2025 near Barker, NY.
|
Apr 08, 2026 (Wednesday)
Schuyler Lawson: Visualizing Our Impact: Using Data Tools to Drive Local Bird Conservation
Details: (click for more info)
Buffalo Museum of Science
Meet at 7 pm in the Cummings Room at the Buffalo Museum of Science.
Schuyler Lawson: "How can decades of citizen science better inform local conservation? Join Schuyler Lawson as he demonstrates how Microsoft Power BI can transform raw Christmas Bird Count data (2000–2024) into dynamic, interactive visualizations. This session will showcase how modern data tools reveal hidden trends in our local avian populations and explore a new initiative to digitize and preserve the full historical record of BOS counts. Come discover how your contributions to the field can be leveraged to strengthen our conservation efforts and boost member engagement."
|
Apr 12, 2026 (Sunday)
BOS April Bird Count
Details: (click for more info)
Throughout the BOS Study Area
Sunday, April 12, 2026
All BOS members will hopefully 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 ([email protected] ) 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 a Bald Eagle being mobbed by a Bonaparte’s Gull taken by Brad Reinhardt at Morgan’s Point, Port Colborne on 4/30/2025.
|
Apr 19, 2026 (Sunday)
Field Trip - Batavia Wastewater Treatment Plant with Julia Garver and Sarah Balduf
Details: (click for more info)
5 Treadeasy Ave., Batavia, NY 14020
Sunday, April 19th
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 Tree Swallow on April 27, 2025 by Andrea Heine at the Batavia WWTP.
|
Apr 25, 2026 (Saturday)
Field Trip - Montezuma NWR with David and Debbie Suggs
Details: (click for more info)
3395 US-20, Seneca Falls, NY 13148
Leaders are David and Debbie Suggs; (716) 861- 8948 [email protected]. Meet at 8:30 am at the Visitor’s Center. Travel time via the thruway from Buffalo to the refuge is two hours.
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 members, David and Debbie 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. After completing the Wildlife Drive, there are a dozen more hotspots in the complex.
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! Bring a lunch/snacks and beverages for a full day of birding. Bathrooms are available at the visitor center.
Sandhill Crane photographed by David Kennedy along Wildlife Drive 4/24/2024.
|
See Our Full List of Events