<html class="apple-mail-supports-explicit-dark-mode"><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Merlin has been doing that for some of the specific area downloads for quite some time. Like the Hawaii download doesn’t record an Iwiwi call when the bird is sitting and singing right in front of you. In fact it doesn’t record most anything in HI except some migrating shorebirds and the northern cardinals. I’ve written Cornell about it but no change in 10 years. Well, the grandkids are away and in colleges elsewhere now so now we go visit them at their campuses instead.</span><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Stef Neis</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Whidbey Island.</div><div dir="ltr">Sent from my iPad</div><div dir="ltr"><br><blockquote type="cite">On Feb 2, 2026, at 8:42 AM, Kevin Lucas via Tweeters <tweeters@u.washington.edu> wrote:<br><br></blockquote></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large">Robert et al,</div><div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large">Perhaps that's why Merlin did not identify the Black Phoebe I was watching and photographing and videoing while Merlin sound recording a few weeks ago. I could see the Black Phoebe's vocalization in/on the sonogram in real-time, and hear the vocalization well when I later played back my Merlin sound recordings. I was baffled.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large">Recently, while browsing Merlin in the field, I often see "Not in Yakima today" with Merlin's account for a bird that I'm watching and listening to. It seems a poorly chosen phrase, especially when Merlin has just correctly identified the vocalization from that species.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large">I find Merlin great for bringing my attention to birds whose calls aren't registering in my noggin. I find some of its mistakes frustrating -- often not recognizing a loudly calling Pacific Wren that I'm watching, others, like it identifying a squirrel as a Steller's Jay funny, and some mistakes, like those of Starling vocalizations being misidentified as Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, Western Wood-Pewee,..., quite understandable.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large">Sometimes, when Merlin ID's a species that I'm pretty sure is not present, I enter a zero for quantity for that species on my checklist, and enter in the comments that Merlin identified it and I think it was not present. Maybe adding some sort of special 'Merlin only' checkbox to eBird app's checklist entries is in order?</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large">Good Birding,</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"><a href="https://www.aba.org/aba-code-of-birding-ethics/">https://www.aba.org/aba-code-of-birding-ethics/</a></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large">Kevin Lucas</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large">Yakima County, Washington</div><br clear="all"></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><b><font size="6"><span style="color:rgb(95,99,104);font-family:Roboto,arial,sans-serif">Qui tacet consentire</span><span style="color:rgb(77,81,86);font-family:Roboto,arial,sans-serif"> videtur</span></font></b></div></div></div></div></div><br></div><br><div class="gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Mon, Feb 2, 2026 at 1:04 AM Robert O'Brien via Tweeters <<a href="mailto:tweeters@u.washington.edu">tweeters@u.washington.edu</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr">For quite a while, there have been complaints that some bird calls/songs are reported as birds that 'cannot possibly be present'.by Merlin. Merlin is often held up to scorn.<br>But what if the bird IS ACTUALLY present, as a vagrant. For instance rare eastern warblers breeding/singing in coastal SW Oregon n (Think Tim Rodenkirk)<br><table cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;margin-top:0px;width:auto;font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,RobotoDraft,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;display:block"><tbody style="display:block"><tr style="height:auto;display:flex"><td style="padding:0px;vertical-align:top;width:585.703px;line-height:20px;display:block;max-height:20px"><br></td></tr></tbody></table><div><div>I just made the terrible mistake of updating Merlin to the current version. <b><i>So very sad.</i></b></div><div>With this version, if Merlin (in its infinite wisdom). decides that<i> 'it can't be present'</i> then Merlin simply ignores it.</div><div>That could be good for inexperienced birders who would be confused by a bad id. But, would IGNORING IT really help?</div><div>But for experienced birders, that means vagrants are out of bounds for Merlin. Either location or seasonal wise.</div><div><br></div><div>For instance, the wonderful ID of a White-eyed Vireo along the Tillamook coast. As I recall a very creative birder heard that call while driving; didn't recognize it, backed up;,recorded it, reported to OBOL and OBRC, and it became an accepted record. White-eyed Vireo. Had she done that with the new version. Identifying it from Merlin would not have been possible. The call would simply pass by in the sonogram with no reaction. And very likely never reported. So (currently) sad.</div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""><b><i><a href="https://oregonbirding.org/wp-content/uploads/OBRCphotos/WEVI-2022-02web.wav" style="color:blue" target="_blank">WEVI-2022-02</a>
(A2) Nehalem Bay State Park parking
lot, Tillamook Co., 26 June 2022. Report and audio files BH. Second state record</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""><b><i><br></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""><i>This OBRC report does not do it justice for how outstanding and creative this 2nd Oregon Record was. </i></span></div><div><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""><br></span></div><div>There are other resources for ID when Merlin cops out, but all of them are difficult to use.</div><div><br></div><div>So, my advice (to everyone) DO NOT DOWNLOAD THE CURRENT VERSION. If you get a surprising ID, figure it out. Real or not., </div><div>Just sayin' But, as always, it's your choice.</div><div><br></div><div>Bob OBrien Carver OR</div><div><br></div><div>P.S. It took me hours to figure this all out. And I checked it just now by playing an On-line White eyed vireo song and recording it (both on my phone, at my home location Merlin reported 'No Suggestions'. So very sad. Merlin is a fantastic resource, so powerful, and hopefully it will one day be. But for now, it seems to be floundering around in the UI (user interface) and the concepts.</div></div></div>
_______________________________________________<br>
Tweeters mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:Tweeters@u.washington.edu" target="_blank">Tweeters@u.washington.edu</a><br>
<a href="http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters</a><br>
</blockquote></div>
<span>_______________________________________________</span><br><span>Tweeters mailing list</span><br><span>Tweeters@u.washington.edu</span><br><span>http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters</span><br></div></blockquote></body></html>