I’m testing free bird ID resources for an article about what’s available for improver/intermediate birders. If you’d like to take part, the activities should take no more than 40 minutes in total. Please send your feedback to me amanda.tuke@greenisp.co.uk by Sunday 9th April so I can take your views into account.
Activity 1 – Birdle Game – 2-3 mins – Reinforcing your visual recognition of birds.
As many days as you are able, please open Birdle and identify the bird shown. Like Wordle, there’s a new challenge every 24 hours.
Activity 2 – Merlin phone app – 10-15 mins – Reinforcing your aural recognition of birds.
Please install the free Merlin app onto your phone – it’s a reputable app from Cornell University. Spend 10-15 minutes where there are bird songs/calls. At the start of the 10/15 mins:
- Open the app. (If you allow the app to access your location it will be more accurate)
- Select “Sound ID”
- Click on the green microphone button to begin recording/identification.
- Listen to the birds you can hear and identify as many as you can from memory. In each case, then check your ID against the one which Merlin gives you.
- The sound recording is retained for your future reference.
Activity 3 – BTO identification videos – 5-6 mins – Helping you learn to distinguish between similar species.
Please watch one (or more) of the following videos. Notice how much you can remember of the key id points when the video has ended.
How did you get on?
Please could you email me by Sunday 9th April letting me know briefly for the activities you did:
- General impressions… whether you enjoyed them.
- What you found helpful/interesting.
- What you found not helpful/challenging.
- Which activities you might do again.
Freelance Nature Writer 
Last minute again! Suddenly remembered this invitation.
In honesty, I think I discounted this when I first read it. I didn’t think it applied to me, a self proclaimed ornithophobic (not sure you knew this – embarrassing really, but there it is). However, when I thought about it, I reasoned that despite being utterly terrified of all things made of feathers (dead, alive, clothed or bald or simply made of), I wish them no harm as only today did I replenish my bird feeders and replaced them, tucked behind a large shrub away from prying eyes (next door’s cat as much as any, whose nefarious intentions ARE a danger) right down the bottom of my garden.
I also love their songs and general chitter chatter. Indeed, I have numerous recordings of tuneful – and not so tuneful – birds in the hope of trying to establish ownership, so maybe it would be for me. Anyway, I’d be quite happy to give it a shot.
Regards – and happy Easter
Helen
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