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.

Merlin identified a Bell’s Vireo in my garden last week - they’re usually found in California and I’m in Yorkshire!

Has anyone else had any rogue identifications?

Oh hello all. Do you mind me joining? I've recently discovered the Bird Nerd app and am living the middle age dream identifying birds in my garden!! Thanks for point me in the direction of this thread RainonTins

So what else could it be? Have you tried another app?

I have a blackbird who’s made his home in my garden and he’s added a squeal to his repertoire - it’s so funny, makes me smile every time.

Ha, a rogue identification has happened to me a couple of times. One one occasion it picked up an owl I hadn’t heard of, with no picture, shortly followed by a chickadee, and then finally a roadrunner which I was fairly certain didn’t hang out in my local wood. 😆

😁😁

A roadrunner? Did you check your garden for coyotes?

Merlin picked up one of my burps once, and identified me as a mute swan 😂

That’s hilarious! 😁

Do you have the data for North America loaded as well as the Northern European set?(I’m assuming we’re in the U.K. unless someone says otherwise). That might allow for confusion though it shouldn’t if it’s got your location right.

The one in my garden at the moment has just recently added a house alarm noise to his repertoire. They are renowned for this and often mimic police sirens.
I've told this story before, but as a bird obsessed child, I made up tunes and whistled them into the tree where our blackbird 'lived' Over a number of weeks / months he learned them and would repeat the tunes back to me. It made me feel like Dr Doolittle!

That’s beautiful ❤️ I adore blackbirds (and all the other little birds too) they have such character. What an amazing memory of your childhood.

🤣 hilarious

So glad I've found this thread! I've put a lot of work into my garden over the past 5 years and the uptick in birds this year has been huge. We've had a pair of blue tits, and the robin and dunnocks had a to-do and now the robin stays at the front of the house and the dunnocks at the back 😅

I get quite a narrow selection of birds in my garden still, so love going to others and picking up new birds.

No, I checked that after but only UK data pack. Must have been a glitch, and no photos as usual but it was funny!

Was really handy to confirm a grasshopper warbler the other week. I wouldn't even have realised it was a bird unless the person I was with (a bird nerd!) had suggested it. Sadly not in my garden but we were happy to add to the reserves listings

Oh yes I’ve heard one of those on a marsh with the app! They really do sound like a grasshopper don’t they. I wouldn't have known either.

Ten minute sit in the garden and I got these eight

All seen bar the wren and heron. I did hear the heron sound on the other side of the back wall - but as i had no sight of it, I cant be sure it was actually a heron or a starling. 😃

I've had a huge increase in house sparrows this year. Very noticeably. Had to get some small bird feeders so they could access seed without the starlings and crows eating it all on them.

Love all the rogue identifications!

I've been too busy working this week but am planning to get out and listen this weekend.

i whistled at a blackbird this morning and it flew right at me! i dont think he liked it!

He probably thought you were a threat, they’re very territorial. When I walked into my new garden, the resident blackbird brushed right by my face twice! Also,, could be protecting a nest if nearby.

Ten minutes in my garden this afternoon. I’m pondering that pied flycatcher - it’s possible but is it likely?

There’s a woodland less than a mile away that’s home to flycatchers and I guess they must leave the woods occasionally? I’m still not sure, but would be so excited if one genuinely had visited my garden!

I went on a run yesterday and saw a sparrowhawk, a buzzard, a bullfinch, a flock of goldfinches, a kingfisher and a lapwing, which was walking about in a field about 2 yards away and helpfully called out just as I was passing.

…and a famous pop star, which wasn’t nearly as interesting as the birds.

Hello - I've just discovered Merlin and would like to join you! Here's my flock from this morning's walk down a wooded lane...

Love this! I now have visions of a Merlin type app for pop stars. Can you imagine stopping some random pop star in the street and asking them to sing so that your app could capture them. "Thank you so much Mr Bon Jovi. Apparently you are rather rare, but also pop star of the day!"

I see him quite a lot tbh. He lives somewhere nearby and walks his dogs in the local park and trails.

I’ve never actually acknowledged him other than to say ‘morning’ or whatever I’d normally say to people I’m passing.