April 7, 2007: Erie County Botanical Gardens, Western NY Birding (15 PHOTOS, 7 BIRD)

This morning, we took a trip to the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. It was nice to see the blooms and experience the warmth of the greenhouses. It made us (briefly) forget about the winter-like April we have been having so far! (Yesterday and today it was only in the 20's with on and off snow the whole time, and a few inches on the ground) Below are some photos from that visit. Below that are some birdwatching photos from today.

Afterwards, we birded some open water along Route 5 on the lakeshore in Buffalo and Lackawanna. (There were a few channels and inlets where the ice had melted from the warm spell in late March). There were many gulls of course, RING-BILLED but also BONAPARTE'S GULLS, some in summer plumage. Also lots of SCAUP, and RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS.

Bonaparte's Gulls (above and below)
Killdeer
Red-Breasted Mergansers
Lesser Scaup

Up in Niagara Falls, we found two HERMIT THRUSHES foraging in the open, along with the many AMERICAN ROBINS everywhere, all apparently stressed by the cold snap and snow. Lots of KILLDEER as well.

This Hermit Thrush was sorry he came north so early!

Back home, we had lots of feeder activity, PURPLE and HOUSE FINCH, AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES (turning yellow for spring!), RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, EUROPEAN STARLINGS, BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS, MOURNING DOVES, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES, AMERICAN CROWS, BLUE JAYS, BROWN CREEPER, WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, DOWNY, HAIRY, and RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS, DARK-EYED JUNCOES, TREE and CHIPPING SPARROWS, and a rare visitor, a FIELD SPARROW.Field Sparrow at the feeder