Where to Find Birds on the Niagara Frontier
Birds are, of course, to be found anywhere. For example, a woman leaving a church in downtown Buffalo was surprised to find a young peregrine falcon on the sidewalk. (She notified the DEC and the bird was returned to its nest high on a nearby building ledge.) There are, however, locations where more birds are to be seen, longer species lists recorded and rare species often occur. And, it is reasonable to add, more birder watchers and bird photographers are to be found there as well.
Here are some of the places birders visit to find birds, beginning with a few that experienced birders consider prime locations.
Major Regional Hotspots
Allegany State Park
Location: About 70 miles south of Buffalo on the New York-Pennsylvania border, access from the south end of Route 219 and scenic Drive.
What’s There: 100 square miles of largely forested land, including groves of old-growth trees, with two small park lakes bordered by the Allegany Reservoir and Allegany River. Park roads, 30 hiking trails and 5 miles of bike trails provide forest access.
Ebird species totals: 159
Best Time of Year: Summer for breeding birds.
Tips: The extent of this park can be overwhelming. Seek information from the staff at the Red House or Quaker Run park offices.
More Information: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegany_State_Park
Amherst State Park
Location: Extends from a quarter mile north of the center of the northeastern Buffalo suburb of Williamsville another mile further north. Enter from Mill Street through St. Mary’s Lane and park behind the large apartment building. The park can also be accessed by following the trails along the creek through Williamsville Glen Park on Glen Avenue and along an asphalt path from Riest Street.
What’s There: An open orchard, pine grove, meadow and wooded areas along Ellicott Creek. These attract impressive fallouts of spring migrants.
Ebird species totals: 189
Best Time of Year: March to June
Tips: West of the Ellicott Creek bridge a trail leads north providing good birding as does the trail east of the bridge leading south. Beware, however, as these trails are very rough.
More Information: www.amherststatepark.org
Beamer Conservation Area, Grimsby
Location: 28 Quarry Road, Grimsby
What’s there: Mature wood lot. Lookouts provide views from the top of the escarpment of Lake Ontario. Viewing tower for hawk migration.
Best Time of Year: March to June.
Tips: Hawk migration starts in February and March and peaks in April and May. Species of hawks migrate at different times of the year so several visits are preferable. Also good for early spring migrants.
Beaver Meadow Nature Center
Location: The center is located about 45 miles southeast of Buffalo a quarter mile east of Cattaraugus Road (NY 77) on Welch Road.
What’s There: An attractive center building with many associated bird feeders with two large ponds with associated woodlands nearby.
Ebird species totals: 193
Best Time of Year: Any time.
Tips: Excellent staff members offer scheduled hikes and information about species seen recently.
Biggar Lagoons, Grimsby
Location: Entrance is off Winston Road, Grimsby. Park at the lake end of Oakes Road at the Leash-free dog park and walk west along Winston Road for approximately 200 yards.
What’s there: Former sewage lagoon system rehabilitated into a constructed wetland.
Ebird species totals: 231
Best Time of Year: March to December.
Tips: Gravel trails and viewing stands available.
Bird Island Pier
Location: Unity Island is at the extreme west end of West Ferry Street across the lift bridge past Niagara Street. At the south end of Unity Island is the small Broderick Park and the Bird Island Pier extends from there.
What’s There: The pier is a narrow cement walkway between the westernmost end of the Erie Canal and the Niagara River leading out under the Peace Bridge toward the open water of Lake Erie.
eBird Species Total: 115
Best Time of Year: Fall for gulls, waterfowl and shorebirds
Tips: Winter trips can also be worthwhile but ice can make the pier dangerous at that time. Note: As of this writing much of the pier has been blocked, because a winter storm wreaked havoc among the fencing leaving downed posts and cables strewn across the pathway.
More Information: www.onlyinyourstate.com/new-york/buffalo/magical-river-walk/
Buckhorn Island State Park
Location: At the north end of Grand Island accessed from East River Road, west of the I-290 from an access road (often gated) and from the main trail at the east end of the park.
What’s There: An extensive marsh with associated woodlands divided by Burnt Ship Creek. The main trail follows closely the Niagara River through woodlands offering views of the mid-river grassy island.
Ebird species totals: 210
Best Time of Year: There is often a good mix of birds here during migration periods but this interesting area is worth checking at all times of the year.
Tips: For several years tens of thousands of purple martins together with lesser numbers of blackbirds gathered over the grassy island in fall, but they seem to have relocated to nearby Canadian sites as the rising water has made this site less attractive.
More Information: parks.ny.gov/parks/174/details.aspx
Forest Lawn Cemetery
Location: In the center of Buffalo, entrances at 1411 Delaware Avenue and the corner of Main Street and Delavan Avenue.
What’s There: Founded in 1849, this cemetery was one of the first to be established as an urban parkland. Today it continues to offer 1/3 square mile of lovely, well-maintained grounds that serve as a magnet for migrating birds passing through the urban areas around it.
Ebird species totals: 204
Best Time of Year: mid-April to mid-May.
Tips: The best birding spots are at Mirror Lake, along the ridge east of the lake and along Scajaquada Creek. During migration fall-outs, the willow at Mirror Lake often hosts a dozen warbler species.
More Information: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_Lawn_Cemetery_(Buffalo)
Golden Hill State Park
Location: In the northeast corner of Niagara County on the shore of Lake Ontario. Enter off Lower Lake Road
What’s There: Mixed mature and second growth woodlands opening onto bluffs along the lake.
eBird Species Total: 226
Best Time of Year: Worth a visit at any time: for migrants following the lakeshore in spring and fall, nesting birds in summer and boreal visitors in winter.
Tips: Although there are good birding opportunities along the roads from either entrance, trails from the end of the west entrance road (past the lighthouse and campgrounds) provide good birding all year. In winter the west entrance road is often blocked but you can enter around the building there. As the February film suggests, the open farmlands along County Line Road and other roads to the south of the park provide good winter birding.
More Information: parks.ny.gov/parks/143/details.aspx
Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge
Location: About 40 miles east of Buffalo. The Park Office on Casey Road between Routes 69 and 77 serves both federal and state staff.
What’s There: The refuge is central to the Alabama Swamp Complex, which includes the state Tonawanda and Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Areas. Together they constitute a total of almost 30 square miles of woodlands, marshes, ponds and meadows.
Ebird species totals: 227
Best Time of Year: Worth a visit at any time of year but some birders avoid the refuges during hunting seasons.
Tips: Overlook parking areas provide good views and walking the Kanyoo, Onondaga and Swallow Hollow Trails or the Feeder Road take you deep into the refuge.
More Information: www.fws.gov/refuge/iroquois, and www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/24442.html
Krull Park
Location: This Niagara County Park is located just east of the village of Olcott with entrances from East Lake Road (Route 18), just west of the north end of Transit Road.
What’s There: There are two distinct parts of this park: (1) to the west a loop road running through a pine grove, and (2) farther east and south of open soccer fields an area of mixed grassland and second growth of mostly deciduous trees through which mown trails run.
eBird Species Total: 180
Best Time of Year: Each season offers benefits: the lakeside location for spring and fall migrants, the section south of the soccer fields for summer residents and the pine woods for wintering species.
Tips: In winter, crossbills are often found in the pine woods. In summer, clay-colored sparrows are found in the meadow areas and orchard orioles are seen in the deciduous trees. Warning: check for ticks after following the often-overgrown trails in (2).
More Information: Map at newyork.hometownlocator.com/maps/countymap,cfips,063,c,niagara.cfm
Letchworth State Park
Location: About 60 miles southeast of Buffalo along the eastern (Genesee River) edge of the Niagara Frontier. The long Park Road is accessed from the north from Route 36 south of Leicester, from the south from Route 19A in Portageville, and from the west from several roads running off Middle Reservation Road south of Perry.
What’s There: 22 ½ square miles of largely forested land along the deep (550 feet) Genesee River Gorge — the so-called “Grand Canyon of the East” — that includes three waterfalls. Mostly accessed from the Park Road but there are hiking trails as well.
Ebird species totals: 146
Best Time of Year: Summer for breeding birds.
Tips: Seek out members of what is arguably the best park nature staff in New York State for specific birding locations.
More Information: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letchworth_State_Park
Morgan’s Point Conservation Area, Wainfleet
Location: 1420 Morgan’s Point Road, Wainfleet.
What’s there: Old growth forest and remnants of Oak Savannah Prairie. Lakeshore views.
Best Time of Year: March to June and August to October.
Tips: Trails and boardwalks available. Shoreline has been greatly reduced.
The Niagara Parkway
Location: A 34-mile scenic roadway along the Niagara River in Ontario, Canada, running from Fort Erie on Lake Erie in the south to Niagara-on-the-Lake on Lake Ontario in the north.
What’s There: Waterfowl and gulls.
Best Time of Year: November to February.
Tips: Best waterfowl views along the southern section, at the rapids above the falls and from Niagara-on-the Lake. Gulls are best seen (by telescope) from the Sir Adam Beck Power Station overlook.
More Information: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niagara_Parkway
Port Weller East pier
Location: The Ontario Lake end of Seaway Haulage Road. Drive to the gates and park on the roadside.
What’s there: Lakeshore, pier, scrub and trees.
Ebird species totals: 251.
Best Time of Year: March to June and August to December. This is a high quality migratory bird stop over location.
Tips: There is a dirt road out to the end of the pier and several paths which go along the canal and lake. The road is over 1 mile long and is great for lake watch birding. Many notable rarities have been found here.
Tifft Nature Preserve
Location: A quarter mile from the Lake Erie waterfront and only three miles from downtown Buffalo. Entrance at 1200 Fuhrmann Boulevard.
What’s There: Woodlands, ponds, marshlands and an open field provide settings for a wide range of species.
Ebird species totals: 258
Best Time of Year: March to June and August to October
Tips: Naturalists and volunteers at the Nature Center often lead groups and readily provide information about recent sightings. Low bushes at the southern end of the main path provide good views of land migrants and water birds are best seen from the Lisa Pond blind at the north end. Winter views of the Lake Erie breakwall for snowy owls from the parking lot a half mile north of the park entrance.
More Information: www.tifft.org
Times Beach Nature Preserve
Location: Although this Buffalo park is less than a half mile from downtown Buffalo, to reach it requires a drive of several miles. From Route 5 south of the Skyway exit and turn back toward the city along Fuhrmann Boulevard. The preserve entrances are at the end just before the Coast Guard station.
What’s There: Boardwalks lead through a woodland beyond which is an extensive marsh and open pond.
eBird Species Total: 223 (Robert Andrle earlier listed 236)
Best Time of Year: Spring Migration when this final woodland before downtown Buffalo serves as a migrant trap.
Tips: Many birders combine visits to Times Beach and Tifft Nature Preserve on the same day.
More Information: www.friendsoftimesbeachnp.org
Waverly Woods, Fort Erie
Location: In Fort Erie along the lakeshore just before the lake enters Niagara River. Parking is available at the lake end of Helena Street.
What’s there: Lakeshore, pond, old growth trees, swamp and thickets.
Ebird species totals: 223.
Best Time of Year: March to June and August to October. This is a high quality migratory bird stop over location.
Tips: Please note the woods are private property however there are trails and a bike path adjacent to the woods. The eastern and western ends of the woods are particularly good for migration. The lake can be viewed from Erie Beach park and notable rarities have been located when hurricanes push strays onto Lake Erie.
Other Suggested Birding Locations on the Niagara Frontier
Beaver Island State Park
Bond Lake Park
Chestnut Ridge Park
Donnelly’s Sandspit/Buffalo Harbor Breakwalls
Dr Victor Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve
Dunkirk Harbor and Point Gratiot
Earl W. Bridges Artpark State Park
Emery Park
Fort Niagara State Park
Four Mile Creek State Park
Genesee County Museum and Nature Center
Goat Island (in Niagara Falls State Park)
Hamlin Beach State Park
Joseph Davis State Park
Niagara Gorge/Robert Moses Hydroelectric Power Plant
Royalton Ravine State Park
Tillman Road Wildlife Management Area
Wilson-Tuscarora State Park
Woodlawn Beach State Park