[Tweeters] How can I up my game ...

[Heather Gervais via Tweeters]

Here are two of my takeaways from the birding by ear class that I just took and one of my own ideas that might be helpful tricks for you as well while listening to birds:

- Think about how you would describe the song to a friend, or to Google if you didn't have Bird ID. The more and more varied ways you think about the song, the more you will commit it to memory. 

- For similar-sounding species (like Dark Eyed Juncos and Spotted Towhees), count the length of the song. In the example in parenthesis, the former usually has a slightly longer song, which can help you know who's who between the two. (I rhymed. 😁) 

- A tip of my own, for the same reason as I gave in the first tip for memorization: develop mnemonic devices if possible. My own personal ones almost always use letters that occur in the prompt (species) and object I want to commit to memory (an aspect of their sound/song), or rhyming. An example would be that Spotted Towhees trill ('T'), Swainson's Thrush is ethereal ('Th'), or Robins are bobbin' (to me, the song of a Robin has a 'bobbing along' quality to it). 

I hope this helps. Let us know of any fun mnemonics you come up with! 

Peace, 
  Heather

Heather Gervais
Certified Personal Trainer
Fitness Instructor 
Spanish Interpreter
Good person 

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
- Mahatma Gandhi 

Message sent from my iPhone. Please excuse its brevity and occasional typos.  



> On Jul 2, 2024, at 9:13 AM, via Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu> wrote:

> 

> 

> Hi all,

> 

>   So the single piece of advice I've received - so far - is to increase my 'birding

> by ear' skills. 

> 

>   ===> Thanks for that.

> 

>   My intent is to start using Sound ID (Merlin app) to help id more birds while in

> the field.  At this time I do not intend to take any of the online/live courses - I

> have tried those in the past and found, for the most part, I have not learned

> much.  What actually happened is that I loved the course - but very little of it

> "stuck".  *Sigh*.

>   What I'm hoping for is that the use of Sound ID - coupled with then also

> finding the bird visually (when possible) will increase my ability to ID by sound.

> I don't expect this to be a "quick process" ... *G*.

> 

>                           - again - thanks for all your help ... Jim

> 

> P.S. Whenever I "reply" to a tweeters it always gives me two addressees - do I

>         need/want to use both of them or is just one (either?) going to do the job?

> 

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