March 2024 SOLC–Day 10
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What was that?
On my way to dumping out the compost, I stopped to listen. There it was again–some sort of bird call, but one that I didn’t recognize.
I am not very good at recognizing bird calls. Or music. Or sounds in general. I think it’s an auditory issue of some sort. I’m really, really bad at it, even when I try. I am not exaggerating. My husband loves to quiz me with songs and musicians.
“Who’s that singing?” he’ll ask.
When I inevitably give up, he’s aghast. “How can you not recognize Mick Jagger’s voice?”
At any rate, maybe a few years ago, someone told me about the Merlin app. If you like birds and don’t know this app, check it out right now. It’s free and amazing! I only dip into the sound recordings to help me identify birds by their calls, but there’s tons more to investigate. Just the sound-recording identification feature alone is game changing.
Yesterday, I went back inside to grab my phone, wanting to use Merlin to identify the unusual call. Of course, when I came back outside, all the birds had vanished, and there was nothing to hear. I looked around. Nothing moved. I waited a few minutes. Finally I heard a far-off call, though not the same one. Still, I turned on the app.
Bit by bit, as I stood there, the backyard came alive with bird song and flight. I listened and watched. As I heard each call, it appeared on my screen.
I do know many birds by sight and I can recognize chickadees, robins, titmice, the jays, gold finches, a variety of woodpeckers, the crows, the cardinals, and many more. I’m still fuzzy on house finch versus purple finch, and my hawk identification is pretty limited, but I’m getting better. Using the app really helps. I can use the sound identification and link it to the bird.
On this particular morning there were some surprise visitors, even though they remained unseen. I’ve learned to trust this app. If it says the bird is there, it usually is.
I was delighted to see brown creeper pop up on my screen. I love these small brown birds with their curved beaks. I don’t know their call, but I do know them when I see them. They are year round residents, and expert camouflagers. They move up the trunks of trees, scouting for bugs, and then always fly along to land low on another trunk and begin another upward climb. I scanned the tree trunks. I still didn’t see a creeper, but was excited to know they were around.
As I listened, I found myself looking through the trees, trying to find the bird that matched the call. Hoping this time the call and the bird would stick in my mind.
Having spent more and more time bird watching, I don’t always need the app. Some calls are quite easy to recognize. When I heard the geese, I immediately scanned the sky until I spotted them flying overhead. I have also finally learned to recognize the distinctive call of the white-throated sparrow. The confirmation on screen always makes me smile though. Got it!
Then a few surprises appeared.
A brown headed cowbird! A pine siskin! A yellow-rumped warbler! Merlin has icons that tell you if a species is rare (red dot) or uncommon (orange semi-circle) for your current location and date. All of these species were marked, yet I hadn’t heard (or recognized the call of) any of these. I had no idea they were around. Pine siskins are more apt to appear in midcoast Maine from fall to spring. Yellow-rumped warblers are some of the first spring songbird migrants, and cowbirds also return in the spring to breed. Their juxtaposition confirmed what I’ve noticed lately. There’s change in the air!
I stood on the back porch for 10-15 minutes, every so often glancing at the phone in my hand, listening to and watching the birds. It was such a delightful interlude.
It’s so easy to miss things when you don’t stop to pay attention.
Nix the comfort zone 
Oooh, I love this. My ears have been tuning into birds again in the last week or so myself. Nothing special yet, here downtown, but my old familiars coming back to say hi. It’s definitely a great sign of spring!
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I’ve been hearing so many more birds lately! I’m waiting to see the first osprey.
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Love this! Especially the admission of auditory struggles. I’m going to try the Merlin app. Love the reminder it offers to pause and pay attention.
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You’ll love the app! It’s amazing for learning more, but also for the pause.
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I love the Merlin app (thank you for that recommendation last year!) and I like your slice of how you use it. Like me, all the birds seem to disappear in the time it takes me to open to app. You write that patience and stillness are key parts of bird watching. Thank you for this lesson!
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I definitely had to wait around for a bit, but it was well worth it. I love that you use the app. We’ll make a bird watcher out of you yet! lol
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This is a good reminder to me to break out the Merlin app at home. We used it a lot in Costa Rica, and we found the same thing. It picked up tons of calls that we then struggled to locate. But it was a lot of fun. I’m going to use it today in our backyard and see who’s around. By the way, just curious, what does a bird do or sound like to acquire the name cow bird?
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Did you have to download a special “pack” to get the Costa Rican birds? (We have a big trip this summer and I’ve been meaning to investigate that.)Also, I don’t know how they got their name, but cow birds are not nice birds.
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Yes, we downloaded the pack. It takes up a gig of space, but it was fun to have. If we had been in the rainforest longer it would have been even more fun, but we were also happy to get out of the rain and into the dry heat of the coast.
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I need to get this app. I do know quite a few of the birds that call around here, but not all. I love how much you love birds, in sound and in photos.
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Get the app, Margaret! It’s free and so much fun! I bet your grandkids would love it, too.
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I have this app and use it just like you do. I’m trying to link the sound and the sight of the bird to the names. I am not the best at names, so it’s an uphill battle, but the app helps.
I appreciate the reminder to find it again on my phone. I also liked all the details you included in your post!
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I’m glad I’m not the only one fighting this battle. I can usually remember the names of the birds, but the sounds–ha! Sometimes I get a bit disgruntled that one small bird can make so many sounds. Of course, that’s what makes it all the more amazing.
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All those birds were in your backyard? Okay, I’m convinced, the Merlin app it is. I have been using iNaturalist which is great for identifying plants and animals (including birds) through photos. I haven’t tried to use sound! Thanks for the rec!
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Let me know how you like the app! I’m lucky enough to live up on a hill surrounded by woods, so there are loads of birds. I also have lots of different types of feeders and food out, so that helps.
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What a fun post! I use a bird call app, too, but our city home doesn’t seem to have quite such a variety of birds. Maybe this week I’ll get out for a hike & see if I can hear more birds. Thanks for the inspiration!
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I go through phases of using it. During spring migration, I have it out all the time. Such fun! Good luck listening on your next walk.
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Love this – I always am wondering what birds are singing to me. I try to imitate them and remember how they sound, but its a lost cause. I am getting the Merlin app now! Thank you!
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I’m so glad. It really is an amazing app! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
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This is fascinating. I do have the app but I couldn’t get it to work properly. I will try again. Thanks for all the information and advice.
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Well that’s frustrating. I hope you can get it to work. It’s definitely worth the effort.
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Hannah loves her Merlin app. Thanks for spreading the word. We see the same California Thrasher singing to us each morning just after dawn. Thank you, Merlin.
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I don’t know the California thrasher, but one spring I had a brown thrasher hanging out at the suet feeder. What a handsome fellow!
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