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 Sue Barth ([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 . . . "
. . . Sue Barth
The BOS is filled with helpful, talented, and dedicated people who share their love for birds in so many ways. In my early days (and even now), there were many who kindly offered ID help (and didn't laugh) when I posted my newbie questions to Genesee Birds. Several even took me birding with them, mentoring me, and showing me a much bigger "bird world" than I could ever have imagined. Fast forward to today, I see much of what goes on in the background to collect and prepare all the data that this amazing organization compiles each month and for each count. All in all, I am in awe of the longevity (over 95 years) the society has been around and am awed and grateful to the dedicated people who work tirelessly in the background to make the BOS such a great organization that's knit together by a mutual love for birds!
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.)
Oct 07, 2026 (Wednesday)
Field Trip - Darien Lake SP with Matt Nusstein
Details: (click for more info)
Route 20 parking area for Darien Lakes SP
Meeting time is 10:00am in the Route 20 Parking Area (GPS coordinates: 42.900706, -78.422602).
Leader is Matthew Nusstein - (716) 446 3376; [email protected]
Matt will be leading our group in search of mid-autumn migrants at Darien Lake SP in Genesee County. In the fields and shrub edges at this location, we will be looking for species attracted to the many berry-producing shrubs along the paths. This trip will be a collaborative effort by Matt with NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and will last approximately 2 hours.
Philadelphia Vireo photographed by John Garrett at Darien Lakes SP on September 6, 2020.
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Oct 10, 2026 (Saturday)
BOS October Bird Count
Details: (click for more info)
Throughout the BOS Study Area
Saturday, October 10th, 2026
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 Marcie Jacklin who will put you into contact with the correct section compiler. Thank you so much!
Compiler: Marcie Jacklin ([email protected] or 905-871-2577)
More about the October Count: more info »
Photo of a Northern Shoveler from the Batavia WWTP on October 23, 2025 taken by Andrea Heine.
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Oct 14, 2026 (Wednesday)
Meeting - Birding the Adirondacks with Ryan Shostack
Details: (click for more info)
Buffalo Museum of Science
Meet at 7 pm in the Cummings Room at the Buffalo Museum of Science.
This meeting will be shared via Zoom. Ryan is a graduate of Canisius University and has worked at the Buffalo, Syracuse and Tulsa, OK Zoos. Waterfowl are Ryan’s favorite family of birds and we met at Forest Lawn Cemetery one spring taking in the newly arrived ducks! Ryan has also created a Facebook group called Birders for Inclusiveness to create awareness for members of the community with autism.
The Adirondack Park boasts an incredible variety of habitats from alpine meadow and krummholz, to lowland boreal bogs, Lake Champlain wetlands as well as some of New York’s remaining old growth deciduous forest. The Park hosts the only breeding populations of Boreal Chickadee, Black-backed Woodpecker and Canada Jay in New York State as well as one of the most diverse collections of breeding wood warbler species in the Lower 48! Tune if to hear Ryan discuss this unique park which is only a few hours’ drive from WNY.
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Oct 31, 2026 (Saturday)
Field Trip - Lake Ontario Plains with Willie D’anna
Details: (click for more info)
Top's Market in Wrights Corners, north of Lockport, NY
Saturday, October 31, 2026 - Lake Ontario Plain Field Trip for fall 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. Leaders are Willie D’Anna and Joel Strong.
Leaders:
Willie D'Anna
P: 716-471-7595 or E: [email protected]
Joel Strong
P: 727-519-4043 or E: [email protected]
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See Our Full List of Events