Black-crowned Night-Heron photographed along the Bird Island Pier.
Scoping April
The month of April starts big and ends big! The onslaught of migrants begins in earnest this month.
We start with waterfowl and raptors, move into temperate migrants and then the early arriving Neotropicals! On the second Sunday of the month is the BOS's annual April Bird Census. We always need volunteers to help cover the BOS's vast study area. If you'd like to help, please contact Celeste Morien, the compiler, at [email protected]
This is the best month to spend some time at the local hawk watch in Hamburg. This all-volunteer hawkwatch will have an official counter stationed here daily, unless it's pouring rain. April offers the best diversity for migrating raptors. In addition to highlights of Golden Eagle, Goshawk and Rough-legged Hawk, other species such as diurnal migrant Short-eared Owls, Sandhill Crane, Snow Goose and other rarities have occurred. Pileated Woodpeckers frequently fly through the woods here and this is one of the best spots to cross paths with a Vesper Sparrow during migration.
Iroquois NWR is booming with migrant waterfowl now. Drakes in their full alternate plumage are dazzling to see. Herons and egrets are newly returned and displaying in their rookeries. Osprey are back on their nesting platforms throughout the refuge system. American Bitterns and Virginia Rails will be calling in the marshes. Another gem to be found here is the Black Tern, the last nesting colony in WNY!
Our local migrant hot spots are receiving lots of attention as passerines begin filtering back into town; Hermit Thrush, Brown Thrasher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Warm fronts at the end of the month will usher in the first warblers and vireos of the season. Get your hummingbird feeders out as Ruby-throateds and Baltimore Orioles will be looking for fuel. Get your rest! May is up next!
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 . . . "
. . . Kevin Rybczynski
To me, the Buffalo Ornithological Society is the foremost way to connect Buffalo-Niagara’s past, present, and future in terms of birds. The BOS has been around for over ninety years and through bird counts, activism, and love of the birds themselves, you can see its positive impact on the birding community and the next generation of Buffalo birders.
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.)
Nov 21, 2026 (Saturday)
Field Trip - Dunkirk Harbor with Devin Banning and Katelyn Davis
Details: (click for more info)
Dunkirk City Pier
Leaders: Katelyn Davis and Devin Banning (716-260-8889) [email protected]
Date: Saturday, November 21, 2026
Meeting time: 9:00am
Place: Dunkirk Harbor Pier
Alternate meeting place (to be used if pier is closed): Dunkirk Memorial Park (just west of the pier on Route 5)
This trip will be targeting newly arrived waterfowl that use the Dunkirk Harbor and the surrounding area to winter. It is not unusual to see over a dozen species of waterfowl in a morning here!
We will also be looking for gulls and shorebirds along the way, as well as the harbor’s resident Bald Eagles and Peregrine Falcons. Previous year’s highlights have included Snowy Owl, Brant, Glaucous Gull and Red-throated Loon. Bring a scope if you have one, if not we can share!
Depending on recent bird reports from surrounding hotspots, we may choose to bird Point Gratiot, the Berry Road Marsh and/or Lake Erie SP after birding the harbor. Dress for the weather, there is often a breeze coming off the lake.
Link to the 2025 trip report…
Https://eBird.org/trip report/551590
Photo of a Long-tailed Duck taken by Bill Massaro on November 20, 2021.
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Nov 29, 2026 (Sunday)
Field Trip - Niagara River with Tom O’Donnell and the RBA
Details: (click for more info)
Ft Niagara SP, Youngstown, NY
Leader is Tom O’Donnell
[email protected]
(716) 622-5185
This is a joint field trip with the Rochester Birding Association
Meet at 9:00 a.m. Sunday, Nov 29 at the large parking lot overlooking Lake Ontario at Fort Niagara State Park in Youngstown. From here we will scope the lake for waterfowl, loons and gulls. This is a good location for White-winged Scoter and Long-tailed Ducks. This location has hosted rarer birds such as King Eider, Razorbill and Western Grebe in years past.
We will check the usual locations on the US side before crossing into Canada; Goat Island/Three Sisters and the Whirlpool. A stop at St Peter’s Church on Center Street in Lewiston should add wintering Turkey and Black Vultures to our day list.
This will be an all-day trip that will cross through customs into Canada. Participants MUST bring passport or Enhanced Driver’s License if you want to continue the trip into Canada. Here we will peer down upon the lower Niagara for white-winged gulls as well as possible Little Gulls.
Be prepared for potentially cold weather/wind. Would be easiest for participants to bring their own lunches/snacks and beverages…dig out your thermos! If you have a spotting scope, this would be a great trip to bring it along on!
Leader: Tom O’Donnell of the Buffalo Ornithological Society (BOS) 716-622-5185 or [email protected]
Photo of White-winged Scoters and a solo Black Scoter taken by Ryan Griffiths on November 23, 2025 from Fort Mississauga, Niagara.
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Dec 09, 2026 (Wednesday)
Meeting - Holiday Celebration
Details: (click for more info)
Buffalo Museum of Science
Annual Holiday Celebration at 7:00 PM in the Cummings Room of the Buffalo Museum of Science.
Please bring a treat to share and enjoy an evening of birding friendship.
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See Our Full List of Events