By Christine A. Smyczynski
This article, the 8th in a series of 17 that focus on the 518 mile long Seaway Trail, focuses on Braddock Bay and the Rochester region. Braddock Bay State Fish and Wildlife region, located just west of Rochester, is easily accessible from the Lake Ontario Parkway, a scenic route that follows the Lake Ontario Shoreline.
Braddock Bay is a popular spot to view the over 100,000 hawks, owls, and other birds of prey that migrate here in the spring. Spring hawk counts take place March through May. Raptor, as well as owl banding, takes place during this time and the public is allowed to visit one of the banding stations to see the process. It is the only hawk banding station in the country open to the public. See www.bbrr.org for more information on the raptors.
In addition, The Kaiser-Manitou Beach Banding Station in the park has much activity during the migration seasons in spring and fall. Volunteers from the Braddock Bay Observatory, a non-profit organization, do migration research in both Braddock Bay and in nearby Hamlin Beach State Park Common nesters in Braddock Bay include mallards, blue winged-teal, and wood ducks. For more info see www.bbbo.org.
A few miles east of Braddock Bay you’ll find Ontario Beach Park on Lake Ontario at the mouth of the Genesee River, which has a beautiful beach, a park with a vintage carousel, and a long pier, which is a popular spot to watch birds, sunsets, and boats coming in and out of the harbor.
Travel even further east, and you’ll come to Irondequoit Bay. Sharp-tailed sandpipers can be spotted in the mudflats on the south end of the bay. Gulls come here in winter and Bald Eagles have been known to nest here.