The Second Annual Mega Bowl of Birding in New Haven County

Held on Super Bowl Weekend!!!

Come join in on a fun and friendly event! Compete with other birders and win prizes and get your team’s name inscribed on the prestigious Mega Bowl Trophy!

When:  Saturday, February 3^rd, 2018 from 6 am to 5 pm.  (Dinner from 5:30 pm to 7 pm)

Where: New Haven County from Milford to Madison (and north to Waterbury and Meriden), CT

Why: to have fun birding and socialize with other birders

How it works:

Birders join together in groups of 3 or 4 people and go birding wherever they like within New Haven County on the day of the event.  They record the birds they observe and earn points for each species recorded.  Each species has a point value from 1 to 5 with 1 point for the most common species and 5 points for the rarest species.  The point values are determined by how common or rare the species is in New Haven County in early February.  If a team is the first team of the day to find a rare (5-point) bird, they will be awarded an additional 3 points for calling it in right away so that other teams will have the opportunity to observe it.

The teams will meet at the end of the event and have dinner and share stories. The meeting will be at the Kellogg Environmental Center at 500 Hawthorne Avenue, Derby.  A delicious dinner will be served.  The results will be tabulated and a winning team will be determined. The winning team will get its name inscribed on the Mega Bowl Trophy! Prizes will be awarded to every participant. Special prizes will be awarded to the teams with the highest point total, the highest species total, and other accomplishments to be determined.  Some prizes will be obtained through the generous support of The Fat Robin in Hamden and The Audubon Shop in Madison.

Teams will have to strategize where to go to get the most points. Some teams might start along the coast and then go inland, while others might do the opposite. Birders could choose to go to local birding spots that they know well, or to other areas to see specific species that are typically found there.  They can visit any public site (such as a state or town park), but they must obey standard birding etiquette rules and obey all property signs and rules of the road.

The Mega Bowl is inspired by the Superbowl of Birding held each January in Northeast New England by Mass Audubon. The organizers of that event have generously given their consent for us to hold our own, similar event.

Anyone interested in participating in the Mega Bowl will need to register in advance.  The deadline for registration is Sunday, January 28^th.  Participants may sign up as a team, or individuals can submit their names and they will be put in contact with other individuals looking to become members of a team.  The participants are encouraged to be creative in coming up with a name for their team.

In the event of inclement weather on the 3^rd, the event may be held on Saturday, February 10^th.

The official rules for the event and the Mega Bowl Checklist of bird species are posted below.

Chris Loscalzo                                                                                                                     11/3/17

Mega Bowl Coordinator

Contact information:

203 389-6508 or closcalz@optonline.net

MEGA BOWL RULES

1. Have Fun. The Mega Bowl is a celebration of birds, birding, and birders. Enjoy the birds that you see and the birders with whom you see them.
2. Be safe. The Mega Bowl is held in the middle of winter. It will be cold and roads and trails may be icy. Remember: SAFETY  FIRST.  Do not do anything that would imperil yourself or one of your fellow birders. Obey property boundaries, traffic rules, and laws. Dress warmly.
3. Sign up for the event. Sign up as a member of a team of 3-4 birders, or submit your name to the coordinator and be assigned to a team.  Create a name for your team. The team leader should submit his or her cell phone number to the Mega Bowl Coordinator so that he/she can be contacted if a rare (5-point) bird is observed by another team.
4. Plan ahead. Look over the checklist and plan an itinerary for your birding day.  Do some advance scouting, if possible. Be prepared to make some last minute changes to your plans based upon the weather conditions on the day of the event.
5. Go birding! On the day of the event, go birding anywhere in New Haven County. Record the birds that you observe on the Mega Bowl Checklist.  For a species to be counted, it must be observed by a majority of the team’s members.  Accuracy is important.  Be sure of the identification of every species, especially uncommon and rare ones. Call in the observation of a rare (5 or 7-point) species to the coordinator without delay and your team will be awarded an additional 3 points.  Do not use electronic devices to call in or attract birds.  This includes owl calls before dawn.
6. Attend the compilation dinner. Come to the Kellogg Environmental Center at the end of the day to submit your checklist, share stories with other birders, and enjoy a delicious dinner. Prizes will be awarded to every participant and special prizes will be awarded to the teams scoring the most points or observing the most species. Find out which team will get its name inscribed on the Mega Bowl Trophy. It might be yours!