Merlin App Appreciation plus General Birding Chat

[DiggoryVenn]

A thread for all lovers of the Merlin app (app that allows you to identify birds by their sound). A place to share what you have spotted, ask questions and any other bird chat.

Caveat: I am pretty much a novice birdwatcher myself.

Mine for today: not sure about the Cetti's warbler but I could positively identify the rest.

Had a lovely moment yesterday when I was sitting reading in the garden and a young robin was hopping about very close by. It even landed on the back of my chair a few times.

I used the photo ID facility for the first time yesterday. Worked really well.

I had a baby robin question on another thread, but was also directed here for all things bird related. But now adding myself to the thread as I love the Merlin app. When I retire I want to become one of those dedicated birders. Maybe even a twitcher 😁 … the username gives it away.

Yes, welcome @DrBlackbird!

I just finished reading Birdgirl, and am completely blown away by how many bird species she has seen - the absolute dedication! It's definitely making me think about having a target bird if I go anyway a bit different.

I saw a kingfisher this evening! No need for the Merlin app to identify that one. It was kind enough to hang around for a bit, giving me plenty of time to admire it properly 😊

Oh wow @Festina , how lovely!

I have just got a new phone and am gutted that Merlin doesn't work on it. It shows that graph thing, tells me that it is hearing a bird but doesn't actually say what the birds are. I have troubleshot(?) it to death but just cannot work it out. And neither can my techie son.
Anyone got any ideas? As it is, I have to take both my old and new phones out with me as it still works on the old one. Aagh.

How odd. Presumably you’ve checked you’ve got the models for the correct region loaded on it already and location services on while using it?

Thanks. Yes, have done all that. Have even tried switching lists from 'Europe: Britain and Ireland' to the whole of Europe, and back again. A few times. Am baffled!

... and have uninstalled and re-installed the whole app, etc.

Is it to do with your microphone so it isn’t hearing them

i had to tell Merlin we have red kites-it never picked up the call but once I’d added it and given my location it can find them now. They were introduced here about 2004.

Oh does she have a book? I'm assuming this is Mya-Rose? I follow her on Insta and I knew she did podcasts. Shame it doesn't seem to be on Audible.

I'm currently listening to Nature Boy by Seán Ronayne on Audible which I can highly recommend and I have Bird Therapy by Joe Harkness lined up next. Both came to my attention via Springwatch or Chris Packham.

Oh I really hope they do Autumnwatch this year! 🤞

If we’re swapping book recommendations, I can recommend any of the following -

Curlew Moon by Mary Colwell
A Shadow Above, the Fall and Rise of the Raven, by Joe Shute
Seabirds Cry by Adam Nicolson
The Seafarers, Journey among Birds by Stephen Rutt

I read Bird Therapy last year and got the idea of patch birding from that (i.e. revisiting the same area on a regular basis and keeping a record of what you see & noticing the changes throughout the year). I have yet to put it into action, but it sounds like a really interesting thing to do.

Have checked that, thanks.
Having done more delving, it appears that it is a problem unique to my phone! Samsung Galaxy A56. I have seen various fixes suggested, one that works for some but not others (not working for me). Another fix is to buy a fancy external listening device and I won't be going through the faff and expense of doing that.
So will just carry on taking two phones out with me - the old one already known as my 'Merlin phone'.
It's a bugger, but not the end of the world.

The neighbour's Pune tree was busy this morning - 9 goldcrests zipping hither and yon.

It's such a high pitched call that I wonder how long I will still hear it. My Dad is in his 80s and can't hear a good half of the birds I do.

Obviously that should have read Pine!

@MoistVonL
Pune - a play on words ?
😏

😆😆😆

All the walks I’ve been on lately Merlin has picked up goldcrests, but I’ve not actually spotted one recently.

We have 8 in the garden now, it's brilliant. Look really high up for a tiny brown pinecone that is falling upwards, not down, and you might spot it!

In my Dad's garden this morning I was corvid-tastic! Magpie, jackdaw, carrion crow, rook and an actual raven!

The great tits and coal tits are starting to return to the garden feeders this last couple of days. They've been mostly absent through the summer.

Also had a family of sparrows swing by to use the bird bath that was filled up with rain water yesterday. They also discovered the nigella seed feeder in the beech sapling (that is almost leafless because it's been struggling through to lack of rain) and had a good gorge there!

Maybe the small birds are returning to the gardens because it's been so autumnal the last two days after a really warm spell!

@BasilParsley
I’ve had blue tits, coal tits and long tailed tits constantly at the feeders this summer, plus the pair of dunnocks, the magpie family and a pair of crows.

Interesting @MagpiePi. I live on the edge of a 100 acre area of parkland so I think a lot of the birds make use of that habitat when there's plenty of insect life around.

@BasilParsley
That sounds idyllic! I’m in a green and leafy suburb on the outskirts of a city but there are a few wild patches around.
The blue tits are a family that must live nearby as I have watched them from wobbly fledglings to being fully grown.
The magpies are a pair that have lived in a tree on next door’s front garden for years and they bring their offspring round every year.