Having never used Merlin before, but seen the positive comments here I gave it a try.
I just tried it by playing recordings from ebird to see if it could identify them. It got Yellow warbler (with Gray Catbird as an alternate possibility) but had no match for Townsend’s warbler, Wilson’s warbler, Pacific Wren and even Canyon Wren, Hermit Thrush or Swainson’s Thrush, all of which have pretty distinctive songs. It also missed on Pacific Slope and Cordilleran Flycatchers expecting it might not differentiate between the two but it had not even a guess on them. I tried multiple recordings of each bird-still no matches. So I tried 9 birds and it got one partly right.
This was using the Rocky Mountain sound pack. It correctly recorded all of the sonograms but did a poor job of identifying them.
I’ll try in in the field and see if It does any better but so far pretty unimpressive.
It seems to be working without a reinstall. it has the record feature and when I press it it starts recording, I did it indoors and did not finish since there were no bird sounds, then it shows the my sound recordings, I have not finished any yet so there are none, and then Supported birds which is just a list on my app. Am I supposed to be able to tap on the birds in the list and hear that bird?
On Jun 30, 2021, at 9:58 AM, Denise Hughes <deniseh449@…> wrote:
I had to uninstall and then reinstall Merlin on my iPhone.
Denise Hughes
Caldwell, Idaho
On Jun 30, 2021, at 8:54 AM, Elizabeth Medes <liz.medes@…> wrote:
I don’t know if this has anything to do with me using an Android device, but I wound up having to reinstall all of Merlin before I could get the sound portion to work.
I can not hear most fly catchers etc. that are high 8,000 hz and higher. Neither the birds nor the sound played by various apps.
Will this allow me to see a graphic representation of the sound? Then maybe it can help me ID those birds that I am told can best be differentiated by sound ie. Cordilleran and Pacific-slope etc..
On Jun 29, 2021, at 8:07 PM, Darren Clark <darrenclarkbird@…> wrote:
Yeah. I think it’s a game changer for sure. I think it’s one of the biggest advances in birding since digital photography. I’ve been very impressed.
Darren Clark
Rexburg, ID
On Jun 29, 2021, at 6:48 PM, Elizabeth Medes <liz.medes@…> wrote:
Hello Idaho birders,
I am curious what everyone’s response is for those who have upgraded to Merlin’s sound ID. So far, I’ve been impressed; particularly when we are birding with multiple competing layers of sound, i.e. creek side, wind, water rushing by, always stiff competition
for me. I’ve used Sound Sleuth and Birdnet but they are challenged to pull out song from certain conditions. With the warblers way up in the pine tops, or various thrushes hopping along the roaring creek, that makes it tough.
We birded upper Gem County early this a.m., and to watch the app locate and post birds one after another – well, that was unexpected. Once tipped off by the app, I found nesting American Dippers, which I couldn’t discern in all the racquet, also a Townsends
Solitaire, and an unexpected wren, to my aged ear. When out of range of service, it will provide some odd ball guesses, but when I get home and listen again, I can see where it’s going. Very intuitive as an app, but also a major piece of science. Kudos
to Cornell O Lab.
Who else has experience good/bad with it?
Liz Medes
Emmett ID
Ken Miracle chukar28@…
208-570-2780
“Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” 2COR 3:5
Ken Miracle chukar28@… 208-570-2780 “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” 2COR 3:5
Ken Miracle chukar28@… 208-570-2780 “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” 2COR 3:5
I do find that it skipped over lower register calls – it picked up the flycatchers, but ignored the clucking of a ruffed grouse hen and chicks practically at my feet. Today it did the same thing, passed over the quail in the sage four feet from me, but caught everything else.
Wow! Thanks for the tip about the new update (I’m terrible about updating my apps). I’ve been using Song Sleuth for a couple of years and it is helpful, but often gives me really oddball suggestions. I do point counts as part of my Forest Service job. This will be my new best friend!
Could be … all worked right out of the box on my iPhone
On Jun 30, 2021, at 8:54 AM, Elizabeth Medes <liz.medes@…> wrote:
I don’t know if this has anything to do with me using an Android device, but I wound up having to reinstall all of Merlin before I could get the sound portion to work.
I can not hear most fly catchers etc. that are high 8,000 hz and higher. Neither the birds nor the sound played by various apps.
Will this allow me to see a graphic representation of the sound? Then maybe it can help me ID those birds that I am told can best be differentiated by sound ie. Cordilleran and Pacific-slope etc..
On Jun 29, 2021, at 8:07 PM, Darren Clark <darrenclarkbird@…> wrote:
Yeah. I think it’s a game changer for sure. I think it’s one of the biggest advances in birding since digital photography. I’ve been very impressed.
Darren Clark
Rexburg, ID
On Jun 29, 2021, at 6:48 PM, Elizabeth Medes <liz.medes@…> wrote:
Hello Idaho birders,
I am curious what everyone’s response is for those who have upgraded to Merlin’s sound ID. So far, I’ve been impressed; particularly when we are birding with multiple competing layers of sound, i.e. creek side, wind, water rushing by, always stiff competition
for me. I’ve used Sound Sleuth and Birdnet but they are challenged to pull out song from certain conditions. With the warblers way up in the pine tops, or various thrushes hopping along the roaring creek, that makes it tough.
We birded upper Gem County early this a.m., and to watch the app locate and post birds one after another – well, that was unexpected. Once tipped off by the app, I found nesting American Dippers, which I couldn’t discern in all the racquet, also a Townsends
Solitaire, and an unexpected wren, to my aged ear. When out of range of service, it will provide some odd ball guesses, but when I get home and listen again, I can see where it’s going. Very intuitive as an app, but also a major piece of science. Kudos
to Cornell O Lab.
Who else has experience good/bad with it?
Liz Medes
Emmett ID
Ken Miracle chukar28@…
208-570-2780
“Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” 2COR 3:5
Ken Miracle chukar28@… 208-570-2780 “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” 2COR 3:5
Ken Miracle chukar28@… 208-570-2780 “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” 2COR 3:5
I don’t know if this has anything to do with me using an Android device, but I wound up having to reinstall all of Merlin before I could get the sound portion to work.
I can not hear most fly catchers etc. that are high 8,000 hz and higher. Neither the birds nor the sound played by various apps.
Will this allow me to see a graphic representation of the sound? Then maybe it can help me ID those birds that I am told can best be differentiated by sound ie. Cordilleran and Pacific-slope etc..
On Jun 29, 2021, at 8:07 PM, Darren Clark <darrenclarkbird@…> wrote:
Yeah. I think it’s a game changer for sure. I think it’s one of the biggest advances in birding since digital photography. I’ve been very impressed.
Darren Clark
Rexburg, ID
On Jun 29, 2021, at 6:48 PM, Elizabeth Medes <liz.medes@…> wrote:
Hello Idaho birders,
I am curious what everyone’s response is for those who have upgraded to Merlin’s sound ID. So far, I’ve been impressed; particularly when we are birding with multiple competing layers of sound, i.e. creek side, wind, water rushing by, always stiff competition
for me. I’ve used Sound Sleuth and Birdnet but they are challenged to pull out song from certain conditions. With the warblers way up in the pine tops, or various thrushes hopping along the roaring creek, that makes it tough.
We birded upper Gem County early this a.m., and to watch the app locate and post birds one after another – well, that was unexpected. Once tipped off by the app, I found nesting American Dippers, which I couldn’t discern in all the racquet, also a Townsends
Solitaire, and an unexpected wren, to my aged ear. When out of range of service, it will provide some odd ball guesses, but when I get home and listen again, I can see where it’s going. Very intuitive as an app, but also a major piece of science. Kudos
to Cornell O Lab.
Who else has experience good/bad with it?
Liz Medes
Emmett ID
Ken Miracle chukar28@…
208-570-2780
“Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” 2COR 3:5
Ken Miracle chukar28@… 208-570-2780 “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” 2COR 3:5
Yes it does give a visual of that bird while it’s listening and they stack on top of one another. When I was in high bird song it was incredible to watch.
I found this link, while researching it, and now I see there are more up and running, but this shows an illustration of it, however primitive. Cornell may have went up and running by now on YouTube.
