Beaver Meadow Nature Center

Rating

Fall	Winter
Spring	Summer

Site history/background

Beaver Meadow is a 324 acre wildlife sanctuary that was named for the Beavers that were imported into the region after the fur market in the 1800's extirpated all the native Beaver in the region. The land was purchased and is maintained by the Buffalo Audubon Society. A Christmas Bird Count is held annually and is centered at Beaver Meadow.

A Nature Center (including gift shop) and Observatory are on the premises. The center is open Tues.-Sat. from 10-5, Sundays 1-5, closed Mondays, and regularly offers interpretive courses. Cross-country skiing is allowed during the winter season. A $2.00 individual donation ($5.00 family) is suggested to help support the groundskeeping and trail maintenance.

Regular Specialties

Nesting Wood Ducks and Hooded Mergansers, Pileated Woodpeckers, Ruffed Grouse, and Eastern Bluebirds, and some winter finches, including Purple Finches year-round. The Jenny Glen trail offers a handicap-access trail in and around a small, peaceful marsh. Beaver and a few albino Woodchucks are regularly seen. Summer may hold a nesting pair of Broad-winged Hawks or Red-Shouldered Hawks, although they may be difficult to find. Osprey are seen nearly every spring. Attending a evening owling course offered by the nature center can bring in the sounds, and maybe sights, of Great Horned, Screech and Barred Owl. Nearby fields can hold large numbers of Wild Turkeys in winter.

Rarities

Purple Gallinule (1953), Golden Eagle, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Orchard Oriole, Worm-eating Warbler, Hoary Redpoll and Caspian Tern (only records from the county are from here).

Warnings

The Saw-Whet Owls and Henslow's Sparrows are severely overemphasized in Susan Roney Drennan's book. One should not expect them here.

Areas of interest

Inquire at the nature center for a map, directions and the latest sightings. Donations are appreciated.

A link to the Buffalo Audubon Society (BAS).

Directions

Located on the Delorme NYS Atlas and Gazetteer on page 56, block C1.

Beaver Meadow is located on Welch Road, just east of NY Route 77. A map that accompanies the following directions is located here (21KB).

From Buffalo:: Take NYS Route 78 (Transit Road) out into the boondocks. In the tiny town of Java Center at the intersections of NYS Route 77 and 98, turn left onto NYS Route 77. The first right is Beaver Meadow Road. But oddly enough, the Audubon center is not on this road, but on the second right, Welch Road. Turn onto Welch Road. Jenny Glen is immediately visible on the left. The nature center is about 1/4 mile down on the right. Please remember the donation at the nature center.
From NYS Routes 20 or 20A:: Travel to NYS Route 77. Turn south onto NYS Route 77. Continue a few miles past the NYS Route 20A intersection. For landmarks, the road goes down a long rather steep hill. At the bottom is Perry Road. The road widens at a spot and a turn-off exists on the east side (left). Just past the turnoff is an intersection. Turn left onto Welch Road. Jenny Glen is immediately visible on the left. The nature center is about 1/4 mile down on the right. Please remember the donation at the nature center.
From the thruway (I-90):: Take exit 48A (Darien Lake, Pembroke, NYS Route 77). Head south on NYS Route 77. Landmarks passed include Darien Lakes Amusement Park, Darien (Route 20), Bennington Center, (NYS Route 354), and finally NYS Route 20A. Continue a few miles past the NYS Route 20A intersection. For landmarks, the road goes down a long rather steep hill. At the bottom is Perry Road. The road widens at a spot and a turn-off exists on the east side (left). Just past the turnoff is an intersection. Turn left onto Welch Road. Jenny Glen is immediately visible on the left. The nature center is about 1/4 mile down on the right. Please remember the donation at the nature center.

Nearby Birding

The Surrounding Areas around Beaver Meadow Nature Center are rural farming areas, with quite a few fallow fields. This area has typical grassland birds: Bobolinks, Meadowlarks, Savannah Sparrows, etc. in the summer. Snow Buntings, Horned Larks and Lapland Longspurs may be found in the fields near manure spreads. And, perhaps Northern Shrikes and Rough-legged Hawks may be found in the fields as well. Check the off-the-beaten-path in winter for Wild Turkeys.

Minkel Road intersects NYS Route 77 just North of Beaver Meadow Nature Center. Many interesting birds have been found near this intersection or on this road. Summer has been the home of Upland Sandpiper and winter may bring Short-Eared Owls and Northern Harriers and maybe even a Snowy Owl.

Facilities

There are restrooms in the Visitor's Center, if it is open.

Best Birding

Fair all-year round, but it offers a relaxed change of pace to the hectic city and the Buffalo waterfront and the Niagara River. Given a limited time in Western NY, there are often more productive birding places to visit, but few are as relaxing.

Winter may hold some "winter finches". Spring can host some interesting waterfowl and warblers, but not nearly as numerous as those near the Buffalo waterfront. Summer can hold some interesting breeders, including Magnolia, Hooded, Mourning and Yellow-rumped Warblers, plus Broad-winged and Red-shouldered Hawks and White-throated Sparrow. Fall? Well, ask at the nature center.

This page was last updated on 12 Mar 2003.