[cobirds] Limpkin in Colorado
All, The Limpkin seen at Ramah Res yesterday and today is the first time this species has been documented in Colorado. Congratulations to Karen Rau for finding this bird. I have now added this species to the dropdown list available when someone submits a record of this species to the CBRC (no need to list it as 'New to the State'), which would add to the 3 records already submitted. Cheers, Peter Gent. Chairman CBRC. -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CADEFvCdihzW344ZuR%2BxqeQdYTYfE_c8R%2BWaKLyF6v69fd-65nA%40mail.gmail.com.
Re: [cobirds] Blue jay fools Merlin/ GrayCatbird imitating Least Flycatcher
Hear! Hear! ... literally! Chip Clouse Lakewood On Sat, Jun 24, 2023, 5:45 PM Eric DeFonso wrote: > To piggyback on Chip's comment, I agree that Merlin cannot be exclusively > relied on for ID "confirmation", and in my opinion, at all. That's not to > say Merlin isn't a fascinating and useful tool to assist with learning bird > sounds. But I would always emphasize that turning Merlin on should not > equate to turning your brain off. Merlin at most can only make suggestions, > good suggestions sometimes, bad suggestions others. It never will tell you > or confirm what you are hearing (or not hearing), because that job is up to > you, the human birder. > > I cringe at the thought of new birders simply eBird listing whatever > Merlin tells them that they are hearing. I suspect that this is happening > in a number of cases, and to me this is not a good thing. I know that > Merlin can be correct a lot of the time, but how can its correctness be > determined? Only by us! Actively, in real time. > > One pertinent recent anecdote I can provide is from a visit I made to East > Teller Farms near Boulder about a month ago. A Baltimore Oriole was singing > when I arrived, that I identified initially by sound and then got visual > confirmation. I then turned on Merlin to record it, and got a minute or two > of its song from not terribly far away. Not once did Merlin have any idea > what I was recording. It didn't even suggest any oriole whatsoever. > Thankfully I didn't have to rely on Merlin to tell me what was present. > > This is why I always encourage people to keep trying at birding by ear. > Your phone does have a sensitive microphone, but that microphone is not > connected to anything as potentially powerful as a human cerebrum. > > --- > Eric DeFonso > currently in the San Luis Valley, CO > > > On Sat, Jun 24, 2023 at 4:27 PM Chip Clouse wrote: > >> Ajit, >> Thanks for this. I would also say the opposite is true. As a 30 year >> birder with good aural ID skills, I hear and ID a lot of things Merlin does >> not. I agree that Merlin can be very helpful and I often see common birds, >> like Mourning Dove, show up on the screen that triggers me to listen and >> "hear" them when they were there and calling the entire time. I would >> however, caution those against trusting Merlin every time. I been standing >> beneath a single singing vireo only to have 3 different vireo species pop >> up on screen while also hearing 5 other species that Merlin fails to detect >> at all. It is a tool, not the end all be all, and it will get better and >> better with time but nothing competes with hearing something, Merlin or no >> Merlin, and tracking it down to find out what is making that call with a >> visual confirmation. >> In the case of the "Steller's Jay," the screen lit up yellow on Steller's >> Jay every time the Hawk called. In this case, it was flat out wrong. I >> wonder why the algorithm failed to even suggest Red-tailed Hawk like it has >> done with the aformentioned vireos etc. on numerous occasions this spring >> while birding in TX and OH. As I said, it will get better. I was just >> bringing up a scenario as a cautionary tale for those submitting an eBird >> checklist followed by comments like "confirmed by Merlin." This is an eBird >> reviewer's nightmare. >> >> Cheers and good Birding, >> Chip Clouse >> Lakewood >> >> >> On Sat, Jun 24, 2023, 1:55 PM Ajit Antony wrote: >> >>> Hi Chip and everyone else. >>> >>> I would caution you and everyone else not to assume that Merlin is >>> necessarily wrong. In your instance it is theoretically possible that >>> Merlin and your smartphone together "heard" a Steller's Jay that you >>> couldn't hear perhaps because it was a distant bird. >>> >>> I notice this all the time and I'm sure most of you who use the Sound ID >>> feature of Merlin have noticed that Merlin picks up a few more species that >>> we can actually hear, and then when we listen carefully we can actually >>> hear and sometimes see them. >>> >>> Just because Merlin mentions a species, it's not necessarily what you >>> are hearing. All smartphones have better sound gathering capabilities than >>> our ears, like an astrophotograph that can show detailed features and even >>> colors of nebulae for example that we can't ever see looking through even a >>> large-objective astronomical telescope. >>> >>> So one feature Merlin has which I find excellent and useful is that when >>> a bird is calling, the name of the species lights up every time it calls. >>> If for example you heard the RTHA but the yellow light did not light up the >>> name of the species name in Merlin every time it called, then Merlin was >>> likely hearing something that's relatively subliminal to your hearing. >>> >>> Try it next time. >>> >>> >>> Ajit Antony >>> >>> Central Park, Colorado >>> >>> On Fri, Jun 23, 2023, 8:12 PM Chip Clouse wrote: >>> And I was recently birding in the foothills where I watched a Red-tailed haw
Re: [cobirds] Blue jay fools Merlin/ GrayCatbird imitating Least Flycatcher
To piggyback on Chip's comment, I agree that Merlin cannot be exclusively relied on for ID "confirmation", and in my opinion, at all. That's not to say Merlin isn't a fascinating and useful tool to assist with learning bird sounds. But I would always emphasize that turning Merlin on should not equate to turning your brain off. Merlin at most can only make suggestions, good suggestions sometimes, bad suggestions others. It never will tell you or confirm what you are hearing (or not hearing), because that job is up to you, the human birder. I cringe at the thought of new birders simply eBird listing whatever Merlin tells them that they are hearing. I suspect that this is happening in a number of cases, and to me this is not a good thing. I know that Merlin can be correct a lot of the time, but how can its correctness be determined? Only by us! Actively, in real time. One pertinent recent anecdote I can provide is from a visit I made to East Teller Farms near Boulder about a month ago. A Baltimore Oriole was singing when I arrived, that I identified initially by sound and then got visual confirmation. I then turned on Merlin to record it, and got a minute or two of its song from not terribly far away. Not once did Merlin have any idea what I was recording. It didn't even suggest any oriole whatsoever. Thankfully I didn't have to rely on Merlin to tell me what was present. This is why I always encourage people to keep trying at birding by ear. Your phone does have a sensitive microphone, but that microphone is not connected to anything as potentially powerful as a human cerebrum. --- Eric DeFonso currently in the San Luis Valley, CO On Sat, Jun 24, 2023 at 4:27 PM Chip Clouse wrote: > Ajit, > Thanks for this. I would also say the opposite is true. As a 30 year > birder with good aural ID skills, I hear and ID a lot of things Merlin does > not. I agree that Merlin can be very helpful and I often see common birds, > like Mourning Dove, show up on the screen that triggers me to listen and > "hear" them when they were there and calling the entire time. I would > however, caution those against trusting Merlin every time. I been standing > beneath a single singing vireo only to have 3 different vireo species pop > up on screen while also hearing 5 other species that Merlin fails to detect > at all. It is a tool, not the end all be all, and it will get better and > better with time but nothing competes with hearing something, Merlin or no > Merlin, and tracking it down to find out what is making that call with a > visual confirmation. > In the case of the "Steller's Jay," the screen lit up yellow on Steller's > Jay every time the Hawk called. In this case, it was flat out wrong. I > wonder why the algorithm failed to even suggest Red-tailed Hawk like it has > done with the aformentioned vireos etc. on numerous occasions this spring > while birding in TX and OH. As I said, it will get better. I was just > bringing up a scenario as a cautionary tale for those submitting an eBird > checklist followed by comments like "confirmed by Merlin." This is an eBird > reviewer's nightmare. > > Cheers and good Birding, > Chip Clouse > Lakewood > > > On Sat, Jun 24, 2023, 1:55 PM Ajit Antony wrote: > >> Hi Chip and everyone else. >> >> I would caution you and everyone else not to assume that Merlin is >> necessarily wrong. In your instance it is theoretically possible that >> Merlin and your smartphone together "heard" a Steller's Jay that you >> couldn't hear perhaps because it was a distant bird. >> >> I notice this all the time and I'm sure most of you who use the Sound ID >> feature of Merlin have noticed that Merlin picks up a few more species that >> we can actually hear, and then when we listen carefully we can actually >> hear and sometimes see them. >> >> Just because Merlin mentions a species, it's not necessarily what you are >> hearing. All smartphones have better sound gathering capabilities than our >> ears, like an astrophotograph that can show detailed features and even >> colors of nebulae for example that we can't ever see looking through even a >> large-objective astronomical telescope. >> >> So one feature Merlin has which I find excellent and useful is that when >> a bird is calling, the name of the species lights up every time it calls. >> If for example you heard the RTHA but the yellow light did not light up the >> name of the species name in Merlin every time it called, then Merlin was >> likely hearing something that's relatively subliminal to your hearing. >> >> Try it next time. >> >> >> Ajit Antony >> >> Central Park, Colorado >> >> On Fri, Jun 23, 2023, 8:12 PM Chip Clouse wrote: >> >>> And I was recently birding in the foothills where I watched a Red-tailed >>> hawk flyover calling repeatedly. Merlin ID'd it as a Steller's Jay! Is that >>> the opposite of mimicry? >>> >>> Cheers, >>> Chip Clouse >>> Lakewood >>> >>> >>> On Fri, Jun 23, 2023, 7:46 PM Ajit Antony wrote: >>> Hi Elena
Re: [cobirds] Blue jay fools Merlin/ GrayCatbird imitating Least Flycatcher
One of the things I personally find Merlin sound ID useful for is when there are a lot of different birds calling/singing sometimes my attention misses one that is lost in the cacophony, and Merlin sometimes will pick it up and then I'll listen, and go, "Oh yeah, I hear that now." Diana Beatty El Paso County On Sat, Jun 24, 2023 at 4:27 PM Chip Clouse wrote: > Ajit, > Thanks for this. I would also say the opposite is true. As a 30 year > birder with good aural ID skills, I hear and ID a lot of things Merlin does > not. I agree that Merlin can be very helpful and I often see common birds, > like Mourning Dove, show up on the screen that triggers me to listen and > "hear" them when they were there and calling the entire time. I would > however, caution those against trusting Merlin every time. I been standing > beneath a single singing vireo only to have 3 different vireo species pop > up on screen while also hearing 5 other species that Merlin fails to detect > at all. It is a tool, not the end all be all, and it will get better and > better with time but nothing competes with hearing something, Merlin or no > Merlin, and tracking it down to find out what is making that call with a > visual confirmation. > In the case of the "Steller's Jay," the screen lit up yellow on Steller's > Jay every time the Hawk called. In this case, it was flat out wrong. I > wonder why the algorithm failed to even suggest Red-tailed Hawk like it has > done with the aformentioned vireos etc. on numerous occasions this spring > while birding in TX and OH. As I said, it will get better. I was just > bringing up a scenario as a cautionary tale for those submitting an eBird > checklist followed by comments like "confirmed by Merlin." This is an eBird > reviewer's nightmare. > > Cheers and good Birding, > Chip Clouse > Lakewood > > > On Sat, Jun 24, 2023, 1:55 PM Ajit Antony wrote: > >> Hi Chip and everyone else. >> >> I would caution you and everyone else not to assume that Merlin is >> necessarily wrong. In your instance it is theoretically possible that >> Merlin and your smartphone together "heard" a Steller's Jay that you >> couldn't hear perhaps because it was a distant bird. >> >> I notice this all the time and I'm sure most of you who use the Sound ID >> feature of Merlin have noticed that Merlin picks up a few more species that >> we can actually hear, and then when we listen carefully we can actually >> hear and sometimes see them. >> >> Just because Merlin mentions a species, it's not necessarily what you are >> hearing. All smartphones have better sound gathering capabilities than our >> ears, like an astrophotograph that can show detailed features and even >> colors of nebulae for example that we can't ever see looking through even a >> large-objective astronomical telescope. >> >> So one feature Merlin has which I find excellent and useful is that when >> a bird is calling, the name of the species lights up every time it calls. >> If for example you heard the RTHA but the yellow light did not light up the >> name of the species name in Merlin every time it called, then Merlin was >> likely hearing something that's relatively subliminal to your hearing. >> >> Try it next time. >> >> >> Ajit Antony >> >> Central Park, Colorado >> >> On Fri, Jun 23, 2023, 8:12 PM Chip Clouse wrote: >> >>> And I was recently birding in the foothills where I watched a Red-tailed >>> hawk flyover calling repeatedly. Merlin ID'd it as a Steller's Jay! Is that >>> the opposite of mimicry? >>> >>> Cheers, >>> Chip Clouse >>> Lakewood >>> >>> >>> On Fri, Jun 23, 2023, 7:46 PM Ajit Antony wrote: >>> Hi Elena and everyone else. Last year when I lived in New York and was involved in the 3rd (every 20 year) NY State Breeding Bird Atlas, I was in an area where I had already heard 2 Least Flycatcher calling and had seen each of them. Further along the trail I heard a 3rd and in trying to see it realized and saw that it was a earby Gray Catbird perfectly imitating 'che-beck' call of a Least Flycatcher ! tinyurl.com/4dn2x5yy Out of curiosity I put on the Sound ID section of Merlin, and not unexpectedly it identified it as the call of a Least Flycatcher. I did not then think of it as a deficiency of Merlin, but marveled at the perfect ability of a mimid. Ajit Antony Central Park, Colorado On Fri, Jun 23, 2023, 5:41 PM elena wrote: > Merlin is a wonderful tool, but it’s certainly not as good as > experienced ears. I watched Merlin (and, I confess, myself at first) be > fooled by a blue jay doing a dang good imitation of a Coopers Hawk. I > thought the jays were doing a very good job but wanted to test Merlin, > and, > no surprise, the blue jay won. > > Sent from my iPhone > Elena Holly Klaver > Federally Certified Court Interpreter > Conference Interpreter > English <> Spanish > 303 475 518
Re: [cobirds] Blue jay fools Merlin/ GrayCatbird imitating Least Flycatcher
Ajit, Thanks for this. I would also say the opposite is true. As a 30 year birder with good aural ID skills, I hear and ID a lot of things Merlin does not. I agree that Merlin can be very helpful and I often see common birds, like Mourning Dove, show up on the screen that triggers me to listen and "hear" them when they were there and calling the entire time. I would however, caution those against trusting Merlin every time. I been standing beneath a single singing vireo only to have 3 different vireo species pop up on screen while also hearing 5 other species that Merlin fails to detect at all. It is a tool, not the end all be all, and it will get better and better with time but nothing competes with hearing something, Merlin or no Merlin, and tracking it down to find out what is making that call with a visual confirmation. In the case of the "Steller's Jay," the screen lit up yellow on Steller's Jay every time the Hawk called. In this case, it was flat out wrong. I wonder why the algorithm failed to even suggest Red-tailed Hawk like it has done with the aformentioned vireos etc. on numerous occasions this spring while birding in TX and OH. As I said, it will get better. I was just bringing up a scenario as a cautionary tale for those submitting an eBird checklist followed by comments like "confirmed by Merlin." This is an eBird reviewer's nightmare. Cheers and good Birding, Chip Clouse Lakewood On Sat, Jun 24, 2023, 1:55 PM Ajit Antony wrote: > Hi Chip and everyone else. > > I would caution you and everyone else not to assume that Merlin is > necessarily wrong. In your instance it is theoretically possible that > Merlin and your smartphone together "heard" a Steller's Jay that you > couldn't hear perhaps because it was a distant bird. > > I notice this all the time and I'm sure most of you who use the Sound ID > feature of Merlin have noticed that Merlin picks up a few more species that > we can actually hear, and then when we listen carefully we can actually > hear and sometimes see them. > > Just because Merlin mentions a species, it's not necessarily what you are > hearing. All smartphones have better sound gathering capabilities than our > ears, like an astrophotograph that can show detailed features and even > colors of nebulae for example that we can't ever see looking through even a > large-objective astronomical telescope. > > So one feature Merlin has which I find excellent and useful is that when a > bird is calling, the name of the species lights up every time it calls. If > for example you heard the RTHA but the yellow light did not light up the > name of the species name in Merlin every time it called, then Merlin was > likely hearing something that's relatively subliminal to your hearing. > > Try it next time. > > > Ajit Antony > > Central Park, Colorado > > On Fri, Jun 23, 2023, 8:12 PM Chip Clouse wrote: > >> And I was recently birding in the foothills where I watched a Red-tailed >> hawk flyover calling repeatedly. Merlin ID'd it as a Steller's Jay! Is that >> the opposite of mimicry? >> >> Cheers, >> Chip Clouse >> Lakewood >> >> >> On Fri, Jun 23, 2023, 7:46 PM Ajit Antony wrote: >> >>> Hi Elena and everyone else. >>> Last year when I lived in New York and was involved in the 3rd (every 20 >>> year) NY State Breeding Bird Atlas, I was in an area where I had already >>> heard 2 Least Flycatcher calling and had seen each of them. Further along >>> the trail I heard a 3rd and in trying to see it realized and saw that it >>> was a earby Gray Catbird perfectly imitating 'che-beck' call of a Least >>> Flycatcher ! >>> >>> tinyurl.com/4dn2x5yy >>> >>> Out of curiosity I put on the Sound ID section of Merlin, and not >>> unexpectedly it identified it as the call of a Least Flycatcher. >>> >>> I did not then think of it as a deficiency of Merlin, but marveled at >>> the perfect ability of a mimid. >>> >>> Ajit Antony >>> Central Park, Colorado >>> >>> >>> On Fri, Jun 23, 2023, 5:41 PM elena wrote: >>> Merlin is a wonderful tool, but it’s certainly not as good as experienced ears. I watched Merlin (and, I confess, myself at first) be fooled by a blue jay doing a dang good imitation of a Coopers Hawk. I thought the jays were doing a very good job but wanted to test Merlin, and, no surprise, the blue jay won. Sent from my iPhone Elena Holly Klaver Federally Certified Court Interpreter Conference Interpreter English <> Spanish 303 475 5189 Member: American Translators Association Colorado Translators Association Pronouns: she, her, hers I acknowledge that I live in the territory of Hinóno’éí (Arapaho), Cheyenne and Ute Nations, according to the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie, and that Colorado’s Front Range is home to many Native peoples. Reconozco que vivo en el territorio de las naciones Hinóno’éí (Arapaho), Cheyenne y Ute, según el Tratado de Fort Laramie en 1851, y que el estado de
Re: [cobirds] Blue jay fools Merlin
I agree on Merlin - great tool but sometimes fooled. I was at Daniels Park last month and Merlin heard a coyote and mis-identified it as a Common Loon. Merlin is usually good but judicious experience should be employed. On Fri, Jun 23, 2023 at 5:41 PM elena wrote: > Merlin is a wonderful tool, but it’s certainly not as good as experienced > ears. I watched Merlin (and, I confess, myself at first) be fooled by a > blue jay doing a dang good imitation of a Coopers Hawk. I thought the jays > were doing a very good job but wanted to test Merlin, and, no surprise, the > blue jay won. > > Sent from my iPhone > Elena Holly Klaver > Federally Certified Court Interpreter > Conference Interpreter > English <> Spanish > 303 475 5189 > > Member: American Translators Association > Colorado Translators Association > Pronouns: she, her, hers > > I acknowledge that I live in the territory of Hinóno’éí (Arapaho), > Cheyenne and Ute Nations, according to the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie, and > that Colorado’s Front Range is home to many Native peoples. Reconozco que > vivo en el territorio de las naciones Hinóno’éí (Arapaho), Cheyenne y Ute, > según el Tratado de Fort Laramie en 1851, y que el estado de Colorado al > esté de las Montañas Rocosas es territorio de muchos pueblos indígenas. > > -- > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "Colorado Birds" group. > To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en > * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include > bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate > * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Colorado Birds" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/B1460656-FFC1-4539-B4D5-EEC53E10B816%40indra.com > . > -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAM8jgNjx2ocohddbjYPTpf4ykSp8SQPdyPz-PaES3YCVpVc5Qg%40mail.gmail.com.
Re: [cobirds] Nick Komar
Ditto!And Bravo Nick!He’s for the birds!🦅🦉🦆Lori Sent from my iPadOn Jun 23, 2023, at 5:10 PM, Robert Righter wrote:During Nick Komar role as president of the CFO, the club has expanded its trajectory from just being a birding club towards something far more meaningful in importance. I can’t think of any other state birding organization that’s raised thousands of dollars for important bird conservation.Thank you NickBob RighterDenver CO -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/1C3D074A-9258-49A4-86BB-8D44AF52C4BA%40earthlink.net. -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/679BCC99-907A-4B58-A8FB-09AC83307C8B%40gmail.com.
[cobirds] Re: Limpkin present 6:40am
Lots of folks looking at limpkin between noon and 1 PM. Same general location but pretty far back from edge of flooded area. Bill Kosar Colorado Springs On Saturday, June 24, 2023 at 1:13:40 PM UTC-6 Gregg Goodrich wrote: > Still there at 9:00 AM this morning. I got a short video on my list and a > lat/lon for where we saw it. Great find and great bird! > https://ebird.org/checklist/S142548872 > > Gregg Goodrich > Highlands Ranch, CO > > On Saturday, June 24, 2023 at 6:45:06 AM UTC-6 Brandon wrote: > >> East side of road before road flooded sign. >> >> Brandon K. Percival >> Pueblo West, CO >> > -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/168be1e6-59ba-45c8-a838-cb26a8f81c88n%40googlegroups.com.
Re: [cobirds] Blue jay fools Merlin/ GrayCatbird imitating Least Flycatcher
Hi Chip and everyone else. I would caution you and everyone else not to assume that Merlin is necessarily wrong. In your instance it is theoretically possible that Merlin and your smartphone together "heard" a Steller's Jay that you couldn't hear perhaps because it was a distant bird. I notice this all the time and I'm sure most of you who use the Sound ID feature of Merlin have noticed that Merlin picks up a few more species that we can actually hear, and then when we listen carefully we can actually hear and sometimes see them. Just because Merlin mentions a species, it's not necessarily what you are hearing. All smartphones have better sound gathering capabilities than our ears, like an astrophotograph that can show detailed features and even colors of nebulae for example that we can't ever see looking through even a large-objective astronomical telescope. So one feature Merlin has which I find excellent and useful is that when a bird is calling, the name of the species lights up every time it calls. If for example you heard the RTHA but the yellow light did not light up the name of the species name in Merlin every time it called, then Merlin was likely hearing something that's relatively subliminal to your hearing. Try it next time. Ajit Antony Central Park, Colorado On Fri, Jun 23, 2023, 8:12 PM Chip Clouse wrote: > And I was recently birding in the foothills where I watched a Red-tailed > hawk flyover calling repeatedly. Merlin ID'd it as a Steller's Jay! Is that > the opposite of mimicry? > > Cheers, > Chip Clouse > Lakewood > > > On Fri, Jun 23, 2023, 7:46 PM Ajit Antony wrote: > >> Hi Elena and everyone else. >> Last year when I lived in New York and was involved in the 3rd (every 20 >> year) NY State Breeding Bird Atlas, I was in an area where I had already >> heard 2 Least Flycatcher calling and had seen each of them. Further along >> the trail I heard a 3rd and in trying to see it realized and saw that it >> was a earby Gray Catbird perfectly imitating 'che-beck' call of a Least >> Flycatcher ! >> >> tinyurl.com/4dn2x5yy >> >> Out of curiosity I put on the Sound ID section of Merlin, and not >> unexpectedly it identified it as the call of a Least Flycatcher. >> >> I did not then think of it as a deficiency of Merlin, but marveled at the >> perfect ability of a mimid. >> >> Ajit Antony >> Central Park, Colorado >> >> >> On Fri, Jun 23, 2023, 5:41 PM elena wrote: >> >>> Merlin is a wonderful tool, but it’s certainly not as good as >>> experienced ears. I watched Merlin (and, I confess, myself at first) be >>> fooled by a blue jay doing a dang good imitation of a Coopers Hawk. I >>> thought the jays were doing a very good job but wanted to test Merlin, and, >>> no surprise, the blue jay won. >>> >>> Sent from my iPhone >>> Elena Holly Klaver >>> Federally Certified Court Interpreter >>> Conference Interpreter >>> English <> Spanish >>> 303 475 5189 >>> >>> Member: American Translators Association >>> Colorado Translators Association >>> Pronouns: she, her, hers >>> >>> I acknowledge that I live in the territory of Hinóno’éí (Arapaho), >>> Cheyenne and Ute Nations, according to the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie, and >>> that Colorado’s Front Range is home to many Native peoples. Reconozco que >>> vivo en el territorio de las naciones Hinóno’éí (Arapaho), Cheyenne y Ute, >>> según el Tratado de Fort Laramie en 1851, y que el estado de Colorado al >>> esté de las Montañas Rocosas es territorio de muchos pueblos indígenas. >>> >>> -- >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "Colorado Birds" group. >>> To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com >>> For more options, visit this group at >>> http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en >>> * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. >>> Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate >>> * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ >>> --- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "Colorado Birds" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>> an email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>> To view this discussion on the web visit >>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/B1460656-FFC1-4539-B4D5-EEC53E10B816%40indra.com >>> . >>> >> -- >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> Groups "Colorado Birds" group. >> To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en >> * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. >> Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate >> * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Colorado
[cobirds] Re: Limpkin present 6:40am
Still there at 9:00 AM this morning. I got a short video on my list and a lat/lon for where we saw it. Great find and great bird! https://ebird.org/checklist/S142548872 Gregg Goodrich Highlands Ranch, CO On Saturday, June 24, 2023 at 6:45:06 AM UTC-6 Brandon wrote: > East side of road before road flooded sign. > > Brandon K. Percival > Pueblo West, CO > -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/25420ea5-9058-4796-a09d-5c9132229430n%40googlegroups.com.
[cobirds] Limpkin present 6:40am
East side of road before road flooded sign. Brandon K. Percival Pueblo West, CO -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CA%2BXeEuX4X4MQN98Y6p%3DpEx7piBu_MBPs%3D_J30aAyVwHK%3D2MDfg%40mail.gmail.com.
