Today in Pictures

[Blaithin]

I love that app. Somehow it can tell different woodpeckers apart based on how they peck.

Told me I had a Baltimore Oriole in the yard once. Couldn't see it, but could hear it. It's interesting with the sparrows that all just look like little brown birds flitting around the yard. Turns out there's actually lots of different kinds.

[seldomseen]

Yes it’s very accurate with just the sounds. Although a close neighbor has rosters are crowing early each morning and it doesn’t pick that up.

[Blaithin]

Yeah it's never picked up my chickens. I haven't tried it on the ducks, I might give that a go tomorrow.

Once it picked up swans on the dam that's about 1.5 miles away. That was impressive. Then other days it can't pick up the one bird that isn't a house sparrow in the yard because the house sparrows drown it out Hah

[Landdownunder]

Humour abounds on this thread even the odd photo keep it up guys

[Blaithin]

From this morning. I kind of wish you could tell it to ignore House Sparrows…

[shtferbrains]

Few days ago a strang flock of cranes looked like they were going to land on the river here.
App called them Whooping Cranes.
Called my sometimes resident expert as it seemed doubtful, they said it was probably right.

[Blaithin]

Could you tell what colour they were? Whooping Cranes aren’t usually in flocks like that.

Sandhill Cranes are.

[shtferbrains]

No couldn't see colour's.

But whoopers have a distinctive Whoop?

[Blaithin]

Never heard them in person.

Not a big difference in the calls on Merlin. To my ear anyway.

Would be neat if it was confirmed to be Whooping. Google (hahaha) says the biggest flocks of “family units” don’t exceed 50. Your photo is double that.

[shtferbrains]

Saw a pic on Twitter of a large flock lifting off near Coronation that looked like hundreds.

Woopers must be having some good breeding seasons .

My sometimes resident expert worked on whooper restoration for 4 or 5 yrs in Nebraska and Saskatchewan.

When she is here we don't need the bird app.????