Edgewood Park Bird-Watching with the New Haven Bird Club

From Diane Scarponi - 2008-07-20

The link above provides a transcription of historic birding expeditions into Edgewood Park in the 1920s, back when the Western side of the city was still considered the boonies!

Edgar Stiles was the first president of the New Haven Bird Club. His wife Edna was also very involved in the club. Thanks to today's bird club for providing this fascinating look into the past!

From Diane Scarponi - 2008-04-29

The New Haven Bird Club field trip into Edgewood Park was a fun time. Fourteen adults and three children took a 2-hour hike through the park, starting and ending at Coogan Pavilion. We went along the paved road and the river, around the duck pond, through the athletic field and along the white trail to the wildlife viewing platform and the archery field. The weather was overcast with occasional showers, which are great conditions to see birds. On beautiful, sunny days, the birds usually migrate.

 Bird Club member Chris Loscalzo led the group and pointed out many species. The most uncommon birds the group saw were an elusive rusty blackbird, identifable by its yellow eyes, and a raven, which is seldom seen flying around this area.

Other thrills of the trip included a sighting of an osprey with a fish in its talons , a blue-headed vireo, and the tiny ruby-crowned kinglet, resting in the park on its way to Canada. The trip also had one comic moment: a female mallard was seen sitting in a tree like a wood duck. Other species seen on the trip (besides the common birds, such as starlings, robins and house sparrows) include:

• Blue-crowned night heron
• Red-winged blackbird
• Common grackle
• Song sparrow
• Downy woodpecker
• Wood duck
• Carolina wren
• Yellow warbler
• Goldfinch
• Blue-gray gnatcatcher
• White-throated sparrow
• Flicker
• Warbling vireo
• Tufted titmouse
• Tree swallow
• Purple finch
• Kingfisher
• Turkey vulture

See newhavenbirdclub.org for more information about the club's activities.