Hello Fellow Birders! Welcome to our Urban Birding Blog!

Hi, and welcome to Bart & Cheryl's Urban Birding Blog! Cheryl, naturally hatched the idea (See, Wooster Square Blossom Blog!), and voila! Here we are!

Who are we? In 2006, we met walking our dogs in the wonderful world of Wooster Square, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. In 2008 we got married. Cheryl is an active full time Realtor (previously an Engineer), and I am Chief Domestic Engineer, and loving dad to Chyna, Roxie and Zippy (our three dogs). 

Why an Urban Birding Blog? 

New Haven Connecticut USA

Well, for one, I am a photographer and I currently write a photoblogumentary, the World's First, on Historic Wooster Square, home of New Haven Style Pizza. And secondly Cheryl and I are always going places where there are birds. We just love birds! Ever since we saw a pair of Bald Eagles that were breeding only 4 miles from downtown, we became hooked. Of course, we each had birding books to show previous interest...now we have many more. And more importantly, we live in a city, an urban environment that is not only home to America's best pizza but also Yale University and a diverse bird population. New Haven is right on the migratory route of many birds heading north or south.

We think people will enjoy seeing and learning about birds that are all around them. And at the same time, show you the wonderful birds of our hometown, New Haven, and surrounding areas.

Cheryl and I are beginner birders, 

so we don't know everything. 

But that's what makes it fun for us!

We never know what we are going to see next!

Sign up for emails to see all the interesting 

birds that inhabit New Haven and beyond.

Bald Eagle in March.

Growing up in this country you are exposed to birds. We have the eagle instead of the turkey as a symbol of our land. And many great leaders over time gave precedence to our fine feathered friends.

Like: To Bird or not to bird, That is the question!

Or such as: Give me Birding or give me death!

or: Ask not what birds can do for this country, but what you can do for your country's birds!

and: I bird, therefore I am.

This blog will look for interesting tidbits, of course photography of our birding jaunts, and the occasional urban birding comedic interjection!

We hope you enjoy- sign up for emails for the latest post.

******     ******     ******  

Sights set for Snowy Owls

Recently, Cheryl, myself and our friend Cliff went on a snowy owl search. At the Audubon Center, at Milford Point, there had been daily sightings. You just have to be in the right place at the right time. 

Well, right place, wrong time.

Employees at the Center said that one was spotted on the beach just before we got there. But since every Tom, Dick and Harry wants to see the well documented birds, well... let's just say picture seekers more harass the pooped, hungry birds. Folks try to get close so they can use their cellphones to take pictures! So, that day the snowy owl that should be the our first picture posted, was chased down the beach.

But on the way home, we saw these gadwalls that have migrated here for the winter. They were pretty far away and I thought they were mallards. Until I cropped the photo. These were a first for all three of us. Nice.

Gadwalls

Learn more about Gadwalls from Cornell's all about birds

Then before we left, I snapped a photo of what I thought was one of our abundant double crested cormorants. Again, when I got home I noticed a difference. These Great Cormorants are plentiful the world over, but in the US, just on the east coast from New Jersey to Maine.

Great Cormorant

Although similar, the Double Crested Cormorant has a distinctive orange face. 

Double Crested Cormorant
(you rarely see the crest)

Learn more about the Great Cormorant here


So, all in all, it wasn't a complete bust. We did
cross off two new bird species on our list.
The Urban Birding Blog's mission is to keep
track of our Birding Excursions. We will have
 to bird another day to see the snowy owl.

We did see some antics from Ring Billed Seagulls
in the astronomically low tide.

Ring Billed Gulls

easy pickens

At Bart and Cheryl's Urban Birding Blog, and while it's cold we will feature one or two of our Birding jaunts of
the past year, and have photos of all the
birds that we have identified. If we can't, we have 
a guy for that, he can identify those stubborn
ones that they all look alike.

Coming Next!

Our personal introduction to birding from one
of New England's leading Birders!

Don't forget to sign up for email!

Red Tail Hawk
Hammonasset State Park
Madison Connecticut

Birds Rule!!