Beatty Point's many portions of grassy fields lure bird enthusiasts eager to spot unique ground nesting species.

Braddock Bay is a small bay of Lake Ontario, located northwest of Rochester, New York, United States. Braddock Bay is renowned for being an excellent bird-watching location, as raptors and other birds congregate when migrating north in Spring. A hawk-watching station is located within the 440-acre (1.8 km2) Braddock Bay State Park on the east side of the open bay, and is maintained by the Town of Greece.

The Braddock Bay Raptor Research center sponsors banding of both owls and hawk, whose numbers peak in late March and early April.

The Braddock Bay complex also includes:

  • Owl Woods (Pear Orchard) – banding station
  • The Spits (East & West)
  • The Bay
  • Cranberry, Long and Buck Ponds
  • Beatty Point: a portion of the Braddock's Bay that has extensive grassy fields, a haven for the numerous grassland bird species (nests can easily be crushed when wandering off-trail in Spring).
  • Hogan Point and Hincher Road
  • Northrup Creek
  • Salmon Creek
  • Island Cottage Woods
  • Rose Marsh

Birds to look for include:

  • Spring:Eastern Kingbird, Indigo Bunting, Bobolink, Savannah Sparrow and Northern Harrier, small groups of ducks, robins, swans and Nelsons Sharp-tailed Sparrow.
  • Summer: Black Terns, Caspian, Common and Forster's Terns during migration periods, Red-Winged Blackbirds, Swans, Great Blue Herons, Sedge Wren occasionally
  • Fall: Red-Winged Blackbirds, Sparrows, Swans, Great Blue Herons, Turkey Vultures
  • Winter: Chickadees

External links

Coordinates: 43°18′48″N 77°42′51″W / 43.31333°N 77.71417°W / 43.31333; -77.71417