Today (4/23), Merlin told me there was an American Pipit present as a Tree Swallow was chattering away overhead. It thought one little snippet of the swallow song was a pipit.
Jeff Rees
Auburn, MA
From: <massbird-approval...> <massbird-approval...> On Behalf Of Liz Pease
Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2025 4:53 PM
To: Josh <opihi...>
Cc: Massbird <Massbird...>
Subject: Re: [MASSBIRD] Backyard Bird List (Merlin) Newbury
Thanks for the reminder about the hummingbird feeders, Josh! Gotta dust them off!
Merlin (and I) are constantly tricked by the local Blue Jay that imitates a Red-Bellied Woodpecker quite adroitly! I also have a device called a Terra (https://www.terralistens.com/) that is basically a receiver that streams my backyard back to me constantly. I bought it as part of a Kickstarter years ago, and just got it about 6 months ago (finally!). I find its ID to be quite ... sus(picious), as my kids would say, but it is interesting.
On Wed, Apr 23, 2025 at 4:49 PM Josh <opihi...> <mailto:<opihi...> > wrote:
Hi MassBirders,
I would not be too entirely trusting of Merlin’s reports if you have not backed it up with your own observations of the birds it lists, or at least listening to Merlin’s recording that it claims are the species in question. I often run Merlin while I’m out in our yard, and while it is right 99% of the time, and often detects the presence of less conspicuous birds before I do, I also catch it in mistakes often enough to keep me skeptical. In particular, it does get fooled by mimicry (almost as often as I do myself). On multiple occasions I’ve noticed it identifying a European Starling’s imitation of Eastern Meadowlark for the real-deal EAME. I’ve also caught it falling for a Blue Jay’s rendition of a Red-shouldered Hawk. So, maybe the crossbill and swallow that surprised you were actually lurking in your neighborhood, but maybe not….
On another topic, a couple of birders in Granby (Hampshire County) reported hummingbirds at their feeders today; time to start brewing the sugar water!
> On Apr 23, 2025, at 8:40 AM, Robert Ross <plumisl...> <mailto:<plumisl...> > wrote:
>
> Here is as list of the birds recorded in my backyard this AM. I live
> in the Byfield section of Newbury. I left Merlin on from 6:30-8:30
> this morning. A few nice surprises.
>
> American Robin
> Red-winged Blackbird
> White-breated Nuthatch
> Yellow-rumped Warbler
> Savannah Sparrow
> Palm Warbler
> American Goldfinch
> Carolina Wren
> Northern Cardinal
> White-throated Sparrow
> House Finch
> Song Sparrow
> Tufted Titmouse
> Black-capped Chickadee
> Red-bellied Woodpecker
> Blue Jay
> Dark-eyed Junco
> Chipping Sparrow
> Eastern Bluebird
> Morning Dove
> American Crow
> Brown-headed Cowbird
> Eastern Phoebe
> Canada Goose
> Red Crossbill (!)
> Northern Rough-winged Swallow (!)
> Red-breasted Nuthatch
> Fish Crow
>
> Faithfully submitted,
>
> Robert Ross
> <plumisl...> <mailto:<plumisl...> > Byfield, MA
