The Merlin App: Pitfalls of Summer
The Merlin App is a wonderful tool that has revolutionized birding for many people. It has helped new birders quickly narrow down possible birds in the field and caught those of us who were rusty on our birding by ear back up to speed. Jason Pietrzak reflects on these advancements and lingering challenges in the Summer 2023 issue of New Hampshire Bird Records. You may be surprised to learn that, despite Merlin’s accuracy, misidentifications still happen. Learn the best ways to use this tool and avoid common pitfalls. You wouldn’t want to celebrate “hearing” a Cerulean Warbler only to realize that there had been a misidentification, and you really heard a Black-throated Blue Warbler! A good reminder for beginners and seasoned birders alike, see this free article in the Summer 2023 issue of New Hampshire Bird Records.
As a bonus, you can also read about how the avian flu caused changes in the eye color of Northern Gannets!
REMINDER
New Hampshire Bird Records is now available in digital format free to all NH Audubon members. All members receive an email with a link to the current issue. Printed copies are available to members for an additional fee that covers the cost of printing and postage. Details are on the New Hampshire Bird Records website: https://nhbirdrecords.org/join-or-donate/.
Join us and see all the articles in every issue! The Summer 2023 issue was sponsored in memory of Bob Crowley, a great birder whose passion and personality inspired many in the birding community. There are many great articles in this issue including one highlighting Canada Jay research in the White Mountains, another sharing the journey of an Eastern Screech-Owl nest from courtship to fledging, and many more.
Summer 2023 Contents
- Remembering Bob Crowley by Joe Scott
- Birds of Hinsdale Setbacks and Bluffs – Addendum
- A New Photo Quiz by Greg Tillman
- 2023 Goodhue-Elkins Award – George Gavutis, Jr
- Summer Season: June 1 through July 31, 2023 by Jason Pietrzak
- Coos County Regional Report, Summer 2023 by Robert A. Quinn
- One Good Royal Tern Deserves Another by Cameron Johnson
- A Lost Bird on Pleasant Lake by Stephen R. Mirick
- Common Nighthawk 2023 Nesting Season by Rebecca Suomala
- Purple Martins in 2023 – a New Colony by Pamela Hunt
- Volunteers and Research – Canada Jay Study by Jennifer Long
- Field Notes Summer 2023 Anita Fernandez, Editor
- Merlins Making Noise at Deer Mountain Campground by Kathryn Frieden
- Whip-poor-will Whips up a Courtship Dance by Anita Fernandez
- Seven Little Nuthatches Lined Up in a Row
- Migrating Virginia Rail by Rebecca Suomala
- Kingbird Attack! by Anita Fernandez
- Tagged Lesser Black-backed Gull by Anita Fernandez
- Barn Swallow Feeding on the Wall
- Yellow-throated Vireo Feeding a Cowbird
- A New Take on Cliff Swallow Nest Shape by Pamela Hunt
- The Barn Swallow Six by Robert A. Quinn
- Double-crested Cormorant “Hangs Ten”by Robert A. Quinn
- A Northern Mockingbird Defends in Center Harbor by Jane Rice
- Field Trip Reports
- Birds and Butterflies of Pondicherry by Stephen R. Mirick
- Pickering Ponds Nest Walk Holly Bauer
- A Female Orchard Oriole Starts with a Single Blade of Grass by Melissa Moore
- Nesting Eastern Screech-Owl in Concord by Rebecca Suomala
- Backyard Birder – The Nesting Habits of Wacky Wrens by George Gavutis, Jr.
- The Merlin App: Pitfalls of Summer by Jason Pietrzak
- Gannet Iris Color impacted by Bird Flu by Iain MacLeod
- New Hampshire Lakes Region Osprey Monitoring by Iain MacLeod
- Birding Prescott Farm, Laconia by Rob Woodward
- What to Watch for in Summer
- Answer to the Photo Quiz by Greg Tillman