Tennessee warbler, downtown DC

[Haninah Levine]

I was passing through Lafayette Square on the way to work this morning when I heard a distinctively loud, sweet-sounding warbling call. The Merlin sound ID function recognized it immediately as a Tennessee warbler. I was able to get eyes on the bird, though all I could make out with my bare eyes was a tiny, short-tailed warbler with a drab underside. Cheers to the gentleman who walked past moments later and confirmed the ID.

[JAMES SPEICHER]

I'm finding Merlin very useful at pointing me towards IDs of any *number of hard to see singing birds. Verification as in your case is necessary, I believe...

*Indigos

Warblers:

Black polls

Yellow 

C Yellowthroat

Yellow-rumped

Yellow-throated

Vireos:

Warbling

REVIs

Flycatchers:

Acadian

E Wood Pewee 

Orioles - Both

Jim S

S FREDCO 

On Thu, May 18, 2023, 9:05 AM Haninah Levine <han...@gmail.com> wrote:

I was passing through Lafayette Square on the way to work this morning when I heard a distinctively loud, sweet-sounding warbling call. The Merlin sound ID function recognized it immediately as a Tennessee warbler. I was able to get eyes on the bird, though all I could make out with my bare eyes was a tiny, short-tailed warbler with a drab underside. Cheers to the gentleman who walked past moments later and confirmed the ID.

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[Haninah Levine]

Agreed. Despite many years as both a birder  and a singer, I’m embarrassingly bad at birding by ear. Sound ID gives me anID hypothesis that I can then try to confirm visually. Importantly, because of the differences in how species behave, the hypothesis tells me not only *what* to look for, but also *where* (in the canopy, on an exposed branch, along a trunk, etc.).

[Lyn Hardy]

Haha!  Case in point re verifying, I was walking outside Gaithersburg this morning and Merlin heard a Northern Pygmy Owl!   New state record?  No, just Merlín mishearing a fish crow.  Pretty funny though!   

On Thu, May 18, 2023 at 1:59 PM JAMES SPEICHER <jugor...@gmail.com> wrote:

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[Dean Mahlstedt]

If I recorded/documented every bird that the Merlin app “heard”, I’d get a Lifer just about every time out.   Dean

Sent from my iPhone

On May 18, 2023, at 10:28 PM, Lyn Hardy <lynj...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Marcia Watson]



One of the issues that can lead to bad song IDs on Merlin is if it doesn’t have a good GPS fix on your location. That can yield some very off-base IDs. 

Marcia 

------------

Marcia Watson

Bowie, MD

On May 18, 2023, at 10:48 PM, Dean Mahlstedt <birdi...@gmail.com> wrote:

If I recorded/documented every bird that the Merlin app “heard”, I’d get a Lifer just about every time out.   Dean

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mdbirding/DB0D0AC8-BC24-4952-823F-2F29492B6739%40gmail.com.

[Scott Young]

My advice is to examine the spectrogram of every bird ID of which you are unsure. You can do that in Merlin or by downloading to something like Raven Lite. Then, compare with the spectrograms shown at eBird for the bird Merlin called. 

Scott Young

Gaithersburg

[Carol Sottili]

I had a funny experience with Merlin Sound ID yesterday. I was 90 percent positive I was hearing a yellow-breasted chat. Turned on Merlin, and it first identified it as a Whimbrel (chat was making a Whimbrel-like call). A couple minutes later, Merlin figured out chat. I find the app useful for narrowing down species, but I don't rely on it exclusively. I like Scott's advice. 

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[Russ Ruffing]

Better yet, learn all the vocalizations the old fashioned way by listening to recordings, and then only use Merlin as a tool to supplement your own knowledge base.

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[John McKitterick]

Russ:

Merlin has better hearing than just about any person. It can pick songs out of noise, it can hear about 8000 Hz (I, along with many others, can't hear much about 5 kHz), and it can identify songs at a sound level too low to hear.

So using it to find out that there are birds singing that you can't hear can be very fruitful

--John

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[Russ Ruffing]

Agreed, just don’t rely on it for your IDs. That’s why I said use it as a tool.

[Dean Mahlstedt]

I agree with Russ.  

Sent from my iPhone

On May 19, 2023, at 8:49 AM, Russ Ruffing <russr...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Dean Mahlstedt]

But oftentimes, I’ll hear a bird like a cardinal, starling and some very common types that Merlin doesn’t pick up.  I’ve really lost confidence in this app.  Thank goodness I’m an experienced birder because I can see how an inexperienced birder using Merlin could really get misguided.  Dean

Sent from my iPhone

On May 19, 2023, at 9:54 AM, Dean Mahlstedt <birdi...@gmail.com> wrote:

I agree with Russ.  

[JAMES SPEICHER]

Yes, use it as a compliment to your own skills. M was hearing the Blackpoll warbler a couple of days B4 I could. It seems to have found a Cedar Waxwing last night (still TBD) based on the playback audio and a seeming match with the audiospectrogram/sonagram shown for the match. I was oblivious to it at the time. Nice if verified as I don't have one yet for 2023, having missed them in the winter months.

If you have A Field guide to Birds of N America by Robbins, et al you can compare with those sonagrams. My recorded Blackpoll warbler's was a perfect match to the one shown there on p. 266. 

Yes, new birders are going to misuse M, but let them as they will also be learning over time and don't we need new recruits among younger people?

Jim S 

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[Russ Ruffing]

I find it shocking how many birders are walking around with Merlin running constantly and they spend more time looking at the phone than they do actual birding. They have zero trust in their own ears. 

[Strobel, Warren]

I ran into a couple of birders that fit that category earlier this month. Maybe I am getting all old school, but it's an odd way to bird and doesn't contribute much to learning.

Each to his or her own, I guess.

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[Robert McLean]

I liked Carol’s post. In fact, my wife, Paula,  came back from Patterson Park today, and in all likelihood recorded a Swainson’s Thrush either singing a part song or an alternate song. Merlin reported a singing Malabar Whistling-Thrush (an Asian bird). Hopefully, Merlin can send us an updated version by next spring.

Good birding!

Taylor McLean

Towson, MD

Sent from my iPhone

On May 19, 2023, at 8:38 AM, John McKitterick <john.mck...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Cass]

I've found Merlin is a good way to learn calls and songs, by hearing them and seeing the ID, then next time hearing, remembering, and using the app to confirm until I can just hear it and know. It helps me learn much better than just trying to memorize recordings.

Obviously don't take what it says as gospel - it definitely hallucinates -  but it's helpful for getting a good idea quickly when you hear an unfamiliar song. Usually, if the birds keeps popping up consistently on Merlin, it's correct, though it's always good to double check.

If I don't end up seeing the bird and I'm not certain based on what I heard, I'll carefully go over the recordings later, as others have mentioned. Always err on the side of caution, of course.

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[Cass]

Merlin has done well with Swainson's Thrushes for me. Found one on Mount Rogers in southern Virginia last summer and one has been hanging out in a couple spruces in Shepherd Park, DC this week. I've learned to recognize their song by now, but Merlin has been IDing it correctly.

[Russ Ruffing]

I still use Stokes Guide to Bird Songs to brush up every spring prior to migration 

May be a bit old school now tho

On Fri, May 19, 2023 at 12:04 PM John Cord <cor...@gmail.com> wrote:

Does anyone have any good recommendations for us novice birders on apps or recordings to help with audio identification?  I'd love something simple that has names of birds and then examples of their vocalizations (like Jack Black's character had in "The Big Year").  Something I can listen to while at work without needing to click around for each individual bird.  

Thanks!

John

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[John Cord]

Does anyone have any good recommendations for us novice birders on apps or recordings to help with audio identification?  I'd love something simple that has names of birds and then examples of their vocalizations (like Jack Black's character had in "The Big Year").  Something I can listen to while at work without needing to click around for each individual bird.  

Thanks!

John

On Fri, May 19, 2023 at 11:52 AM Cass <enby...@gmail.com> wrote:

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[Jim Moore]

The Peterson "Birding by Ear" series of CDs are excellent!

Jim Moore
Rockville

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[Jim Moore]

Sorry that should have been "is excellent".

Jim Moore

[Marcia Watson]

I agree with Jim Moore’s recommendation of the Birding by Ear series as an excellent way to start learning bird songs. There are three recordings in the series: Eastern Birds, More Eastern Birds, and Western Birds.

The approach is unique - the narrator give you instructions on <what> to listen for as he introduces pairs of similar songs. Although the number of species covered is not large, the approach gives you the tools to use in learning songs of additional species.  Essentially it is ear-training for birders.  This set of recordings is something you want to engage with in an active fashion - pay attention! - not play in the background while doing some other task.

The Birding by Ear series originally came in tape form, then as CDs. They are now out of print but used copies may be found by searching the internet. 

If you just want something to play in the background while doing something else, you can get a straight-up collection of bird songs that only has the song itself, maybe some calls, plus a narrator saying the name of the species. There are two standard sets: Stokes and Peterson. The Stokes 3-CD set is very comprehensive. The original Peterson Field Guide to Bird Songs came in Eastern and Western editions and is still useful. I downloaded this set to the hard drive in my car and routinely play it while driving to tune up my ears each spring. However, I use it on short drives only, because it does tend to put me to sleep!  And a caveat - these types of recordings are not the best way to learn -it’s just passive listening as opposed to active learning.

Even more comprehensive and up-to-date is a set of downloadable recordings produced by Cornell. $20 gets you 901 species from the US and Canada with 4800 audio files. I do not own this set myself so cannot comment on it further. Buy it at https://www.macaulaylibrary.org/2020/12/07/the-brand-new-cornell-guide-to-bird-sounds-is-here/

Marcia 

------------

Marcia Watson

Bowie, MD

On May 19, 2023, at 12:17 PM, Jim Moore <epiphen...@gmail.com> wrote:

 Sorry that should have been "is excellent".

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[Jim Moore]

Thanks Marcia.  The initial "Birding by Ear" CD, covering the more common eastern birds, is still available new on on Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Birding-Ear-Eastern-Central-Peterson/dp/0618225900/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2XIIOY0AEA71X&keywords=birding+by+ear&qid=1684515184&sprefix=birding+by%2Caps%2C103&sr=8-1  But it appears "More Birding by Ear" and the western CD are only available used.

I also think you can use them as background, but the first time you listen it is better to be attentive.  I have often listened to them in the car while driving.

Jim Moore
Rockville

[j. d. newman]

I, too, am old-school.  I use Merlin for its audio ID abilities.  As a birder for 75 years, I learned originally by birding with experienced birders, as the only bird guide was the heavy Birds of America with plates by Fuertes.  When I was 12, my parents got me a copy of RT Peterson's Field to the Birds of Eastern U.S.  I tried to memorize all the birds by their field marks.  I also had the advantage of a time and place (Fairfield, CT in the 50's) when birds of many kinds were plentiful.  I learned songs and calls by listening while looking at the birds as well by being with experienced birders.  I learned how generous older birders can be with their time, especially if you are enthusiastic.

John  Newman

Kensington

https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mdbirding/f7d2b456-b53e-6e79-5685-f08a944707a9%40gmail.com

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