<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Thanks for the itemized list, Kevin. The offshoot of this is that people are sending in list after list to eBird with sound identifications based on Merlin, which we know are by no means always correct.<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">When Merlin tells you you have heard a very unlikely bird, please be skeptical and if you list it on eBird, make sure you add that the ID was based on AI, not AK (actual knowledge).</div><div class=""><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Dennis Paulson</div><div class="">Seattle<br class=""><div><br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">On Apr 3, 2024, at 10:12 AM, Kevin Lucas via Tweeters <<a href="mailto:tweeters@u.washington.edu" class="">tweeters@u.washington.edu</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large">Over the winter Merlin has repeatedly mistaken vocalizations by starlings as being from Western Wood-Pewees. There are several places where a starling does a GREAT imitation, e.g. Eschbach Nature Area, the Eagle Path at the southern end of the Yakima Greenway Path in Union Gap, and at two places where we lived. At the Eagle Path and Eschbach, when I've read out-of-season Western Wood-Pewee heard-only reports, I've thought it likely to be one of the talented Starlings I'd heard there.<br class=""><br class="">In our back yard last week Merlin was fooled that a starling was a robin. I was watching and listening to the starling atop the utility pole calling like a robin. It sounded good enough I decided to give Merlin a go. Merlin failed, said American Robin. Most times with Starlings Merlin correctly indicates Starling.<br class=""><br class="">During a winter raptor survey this year in the White Swan area I heard an unusual vocalization. I was next to running water, so I could not hear all of the quality of the song. I tried Merlin. It said Wood Thrush. I didn't know what Wood Thrushes sounded like. Once home, I listened to Wood Thrush vocalizations. It had not been a Wood Thrush. I worked on the Merlin recorded audio using Audacity -- noise reduction, frequency notch filters, and amplification. I then played back the cleaned-up audio on my computer, and used Merlin on my phone to try again. This time Merlin nailed it -- Song Sparrow.<br class=""><br class="">Yesterday I went to one of my favorite spots to look for Greater White-fronted Geese. About 10 minutes after I arrived I heard a flock of them heading my way. As they got closer I took some photos. Some landed with the Cackling and Canada Geese, others flew over. I wondered whether Merlin was good at distinguishing between Cackling and Canada Geese, but wouldn't be able to test since they were mixed together there. When I heard some more Greater White-fronted Geese calling as they flew toward me, I pulled out my phone and gave the magic man a go. They flew low, calling, right over me. Merlin fowled it up, identifying them as Cackling Geese.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"><br class="">Perhaps Merlin can distinguish between Cackling and Canada Geese, but I'd trust him even less after his latest foul up with fowl up.<br class=""><br class="">I'm looking forward to hearing my first Western Wood-Pewee of the year while I'm watching it. I'm not annoyed by Merlin. I'm amazed, and sometimes I find him incredible.<br class=""><br class="">Good Birding,<br class=""><a href="https://www.aba.org/aba-code-of-birding-ethics/" class="">https://www.aba.org/aba-code-of-birding-ethics/</a><br class="">Kevin Lucas<br class="">Yakima County, WA<br clear="all" class=""></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"><br class=""></div><div class=""><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr" class=""><div class=""><b class=""><font size="6" class=""><span style="color:rgb(95,99,104);font-family:Roboto,arial,sans-serif" class="">Qui tacet consentire</span><span style="color:rgb(77,81,86);font-family:Roboto,arial,sans-serif" class=""> videtur</span></font></b></div></div></div></div></div>
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