The third annual Mega Bowl of Birding in New Haven County was held on February 2, 2019 and it was a rousing success! Thirty hardy birders organized themselves into nine teams and went out to all corners of the county in search of birds. A total of 100 species were observed on the day, with the highlights being: Greater White-fronted Goose, Snow Goose, Rough-legged Hawk, Black-bellied Plover, Iceland Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Brown Creeper, Brown Thrasher, Lapland Longspur, White-crowned Sparrow, Marsh Wren, and Eastern Meadowlark. Nearly every team contributed at least one rare bird to the effort, calling in their observations to the coordinator promptly so that they could be shared with the other teams. Six of the nine teams saw between 60 and 64 species and compiled between 104 and 120 points, demonstrating a consistency of effort. The team garnering the most points (150) and seeing the most species (74) was the CT Young Birders Club Darth Waders. This is the third year in a row that this group of fine young birders has attained the most points of any team. The Greylags came in second place, observing 70 species and amassing 139 points. The names of the other teams were: The Icy Birders, The Lost Birders, the OK Frigatebirds, the Screechers, the Snowy Owlkins, Winging It! and the Winter Wrenegades; creative and amusing names, all. At the end of the day, all of the participants gathered at the Kellogg Environmental Center in Derby. We shared stories and had a great feast, thanks to the culinary expertise and efforts of Marianne Vahey. Prizes were distributed to every participant, with Ayla Elkins earning the prize for being the youngest participant (at age 7) and Judy Moore receiving the award for being the eldest participant (at age 21+!). The event has gained in popularity with each passing year and minor tweaks to the rules have increased the fun and camaraderie of the event. Most of the participants are already planning their strategies for next year’s event and we are looking forward to even more people participating in Mega Bowl IV!
Chris Loscalzo,
Mega Bowl Coordinator