The fact that even birds have accent and they can sing wrongly too, never occurred to me. I have just started birdwatching as a hobby and your vidoe is excellent! And to watch a man of expertise criticizing and shaming some birds for singing wrongly is hilarious 😂
Consider this the first installment. I wanted to make it easier to learn HOW to remember songs. Coming up...WHAT songs to remember, probably starting with loads of warblers....just as soon as all the little tykes get back.
You have a real talent. I’ve lost most of my hearing so I have a real challenge. I find Merlin is a great tool to “hear” the birds for me. I guess using Merlin is cheating, but birding is not a competitive sport. Thanks.
I think Merlin is great! It even helped me ID a bird last year that I had never heard before. I've seen countless sharp-shinned hawks. But up until I stumbled on its nest last summer, I had never heard one. Now I know!
I agree. Two years ago I lost hearing in my right ear so no more directional hearing and my other ear struggles with wind noise so Merlin is great. I can record a bird and put the phone at full volume to confirm what Merlin's identification.
I recently found your channel, I love your videos! I am currently living in Portland OR but I'm originally from Argentina. And YES, I took the challenge of learning some of the bird songs and calls from this area. Thanks for your tips!
I was there in September. One more visit, and maybe it gets its own video. (And Blackwater NWR...and Bombay Hook...and Brigantine... Love all the refuges in the area.
Excellent tips! I just finished teaching a birding workshop and found that my students were easily overwhelmed. Your tips and tricks will go a long way toward helping them (and me!) learn to bird by ear.
You are way to practical. By the way, the first week ever that I heard the drumming of a Ruffed Grouse I thought it was a tractor that wouldn't start. When I asked my dad about it he knew right away what it was. 😆
Absolutely wonderful video! I learned and laughed at the same time..lol. I live in western Pennsylvania and we have a lot of the same birds. I love birds so much and my ex and I maintained bluebird boxes along a parkway. We volunteered at a banding stationed and I learned so much. It’s so amazing to hold those delicate little birds. My favorite songbird is the wood thrush…I’m mesmerized by their song. Thank you for a great video!
Fantastic video. I admire your expertise. I’m working on it, but I’m often reliant on my Merlin phone app. Your suggestion about mnemonics is very helpful; forming a mental association with a given call helps it take hold.
Merlin is great. I don't have to use it much, and I know when it is incorrect, but it is heads above anything else out there. As for mnemonics, it's such a strong bond, you don't even have to think about some songs. It makes me chuckle.
Great video! I’ll have to focus more on your points here. I’ve added a handful of birds to memory in the last few years and boy, it sure is fun getting those recent ones right!
@@magzys123 Yeah, I live it! I add one or two every year, often by "Go With What You Know." I accidentally learned that a Yellow-throated Warbler sounds like a bad singing Yellow Warbler. And a Hooded Warbler sounds much like a Magnolia Warbler. It can be hard to get started, but birding-by-ear gets easier and easier with every new bird learned.
Great video. I always struggle with the migratory birds passing through. I am in Maryland. By the time I learn the song, they are gone and next year I have forgotten the song. I am trying to reduce reliance on Merlin as it only 70%-80% accurate. Last week it kept confusing between Chipping Sparrow and Dark-Eyed Juncos. All the Juncos are gone from Maryland and we have tons of Chipping Sparrows but Merlin keeps on showing those trills as Juncos.
I'm going to have some fun with that. I have both juncos and chipping sparrows in or near my yard, singing away. I'll try it out. One thing that I found makes a difference in accuracy: making sure Merlin knows your location. I believe that helps Merlin assess range when making a suggestion.
Great video! Very helpful (and encouraging!) I recently bought your Maine Birding Trail book - can't wait to start exploring some of your recommended trails. Do you ever lead bird walks?
I do. I lead walks for the Penobscot Valley Chapter of Maine Audubon. And I guide for all three coastal birding festivals. Plus a few other things here and there.
@@Bob_Duchesne Awesome! I was just looking at some of the Penobscot Valley Audubon bird walks coming up in the next few weeks - I'm going to try and make it up your way for some of them. Thank you!
As always, wonderful video. There is definitely some good tips in there! It would be great if you could do a video on the birding apps that use sound to ID birds. The Cornell Lab has a good one on their app, Merlin. I know most of the passerines in Ohio but sometimes you just get fooled! It’s ID ability is not with out errors though! Sometimes you get something wild and totally out of place. I’m curious what your opinion is on the matter. Thanks Bob!
Ha! I think Merlin is great. However, I enjoy torturing it by testing it on challenging IDs. On one of my earliest uses, it told me the palm warbler I was watching was an orange-crowned warbler. It's made a few other mistakes, but most of the time it survives my tests and does remarkably well. But, yes, in the back of my mind, I have plans to someday do a video on my torture tests. Since everything is about to start singing, no time like the present.
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This is the birding channel TH-cam has been needing. 10/10 stuff!
I blush.
The fact that even birds have accent and they can sing wrongly too, never occurred to me. I have just started birdwatching as a hobby and your vidoe is excellent! And to watch a man of expertise criticizing and shaming some birds for singing wrongly is hilarious 😂
Thanks. Birds have made me laugh many, many times over the years. Some of them can't sing a lick. And I can empathize.
Heads up Bob! We're going to play this at least 5 more times. Learning a few new bird sounds to help us out!! Fantastic video!
Consider this the first installment. I wanted to make it easier to learn HOW to remember songs. Coming up...WHAT songs to remember, probably starting with loads of warblers....just as soon as all the little tykes get back.
You have a real talent. I’ve lost most of my hearing so I have a real challenge. I find Merlin is a great tool to “hear” the birds for me. I guess using Merlin is cheating, but birding is not a competitive sport. Thanks.
I think Merlin is great! It even helped me ID a bird last year that I had never heard before. I've seen countless sharp-shinned hawks. But up until I stumbled on its nest last summer, I had never heard one. Now I know!
I agree. Two years ago I lost hearing in my right ear so no more directional hearing and my other ear struggles with wind noise so Merlin is great. I can record a bird and put the phone at full volume to confirm what Merlin's identification.
I'm heading to Arizona, where I plan to have loads of Merlin fun.
Cheer~~~a shrill squeaky cry made by a bird, typically a young one.😊
I recently found your channel, I love your videos! I am currently living in Portland OR but I'm originally from Argentina. And YES, I took the challenge of learning some of the bird songs and calls from this area. Thanks for your tips!
Excellent, very helpful. Good birding.
3:15: Thank you, Bob. TIL: It's pronounced "Peer." (Yeah. I memorized all of the capitals, too.) This is a great video. You're a wonderful teacher.
So glad I found your channel!! I love these videos!!
I am laughing so hard at rule #1 right now. Excellent work! That's how we learned bird songs at UMBS most common first so we could listen beyond them.
I know, right? The first trick to learning bird songs is to not get overwhelmed. I preach constantly: start easy.
Ol' three beers is my #1 most wanted this year.. I'll be listening carefully!
I'm sure glad that the mnemonic I learned for WCSP is "See me, See me. Pretty, pretty me."
Really enjoyed this video. Helpful tips. Thanks!
One of the best videos and lessons ever! Thank you!!
I blush.
Another great video!!!
We are down on Assateague Island in Maryland. Seeing all kinds of shorebirds, hills, terns, warblers,ducks and lots of others.
I was there in September. One more visit, and maybe it gets its own video. (And Blackwater NWR...and Bombay Hook...and Brigantine... Love all the refuges in the area.
Excellent tips! I just finished teaching a birding workshop and found that my students were easily overwhelmed. Your tips and tricks will go a long way toward helping them (and me!) learn to bird by ear.
Super helpful!
I Have Peterson's comoact discs Birding By Ear. GREAT TIPS ON BIRDING BY EAR. LOVE YOUR HUMOR BOB. 😂 YOU GOT MY SUBSCRIPTION 😉👍
totally enjoyed and very much appreciated!
You are way to practical. By the way, the first week ever that I heard the drumming of a Ruffed Grouse I thought it was a tractor that wouldn't start. When I asked my dad about it he knew right away what it was. 😆
Great video
Absolutely wonderful video! I learned and laughed at the same time..lol. I live in western Pennsylvania and we have a lot of the same birds. I love birds so much and my ex and I maintained bluebird boxes along a parkway. We volunteered at a banding stationed and I learned so much. It’s so amazing to hold those delicate little birds. My favorite songbird is the wood thrush…I’m mesmerized by their song. Thank you for a great video!
Fantastic video. I admire your expertise. I’m working on it, but I’m often reliant on my Merlin phone app. Your suggestion about mnemonics is very helpful; forming a mental association with a given call helps it take hold.
Merlin is great. I don't have to use it much, and I know when it is incorrect, but it is heads above anything else out there. As for mnemonics, it's such a strong bond, you don't even have to think about some songs. It makes me chuckle.
Great video! I’ll have to focus more on your points here. I’ve added a handful of birds to memory in the last few years and boy, it sure is fun getting those recent ones right!
@@magzys123 Yeah, I live it! I add one or two every year, often by "Go With What You Know." I accidentally learned that a Yellow-throated Warbler sounds like a bad singing Yellow Warbler. And a Hooded Warbler sounds much like a Magnolia Warbler. It can be hard to get started, but birding-by-ear gets easier and easier with every new bird learned.
Bob, this was great! I will certainly be sharing this with some other birders. Thanks for such a great channel.
Great video. Thanks, Bob!
Great video. I always struggle with the migratory birds passing through. I am in Maryland. By the time I learn the song, they are gone and next year I have forgotten the song. I am trying to reduce reliance on Merlin as it only 70%-80% accurate. Last week it kept confusing between Chipping Sparrow and Dark-Eyed Juncos. All the Juncos are gone from Maryland and we have tons of Chipping Sparrows but Merlin keeps on showing those trills as Juncos.
I'm going to have some fun with that. I have both juncos and chipping sparrows in or near my yard, singing away. I'll try it out. One thing that I found makes a difference in accuracy: making sure Merlin knows your location. I believe that helps Merlin assess range when making a suggestion.
@@Bob_Duchesne Merlin does pickup location automatically via GPS. We do see Juncos sometime in the May count but that is very rare.
Great video! Very helpful (and encouraging!) I recently bought your Maine Birding Trail book - can't wait to start exploring some of your recommended trails. Do you ever lead bird walks?
I do. I lead walks for the Penobscot Valley Chapter of Maine Audubon. And I guide for all three coastal birding festivals. Plus a few other things here and there.
@@Bob_Duchesne Awesome! I was just looking at some of the Penobscot Valley Audubon bird walks coming up in the next few weeks - I'm going to try and make it up your way for some of them. Thank you!
That was fowl what yuh did to me.
As always, wonderful video. There is definitely some good tips in there! It would be great if you could do a video on the birding apps that use sound to ID birds. The Cornell Lab has a good one on their app, Merlin. I know most of the passerines in Ohio but sometimes you just get fooled! It’s ID ability is not with out errors though! Sometimes you get something wild and totally out of place. I’m curious what your opinion is on the matter. Thanks Bob!
Ha! I think Merlin is great. However, I enjoy torturing it by testing it on challenging IDs. On one of my earliest uses, it told me the palm warbler I was watching was an orange-crowned warbler. It's made a few other mistakes, but most of the time it survives my tests and does remarkably well. But, yes, in the back of my mind, I have plans to someday do a video on my torture tests. Since everything is about to start singing, no time like the present.