Any bird watchers here?

[PoopandBoogers]

Downloaded!

I've gotten 4 neighbors and both my parents to dl it recently. The neighbors and I had an hour long conversation about all the birds in the neighborhood over drinks last weekend.

One word of warning is that if you have mockingbirds, brown thrashers or other minic birds, they can fool the app, so tread lightly when claiming one on your list. I've learned to try and visually ID them before adding them now. But for the most part, the app is pretty amazing. It heard a bald eagle and a few other small warblers without me even hearing them, only to spot them minutes later. The photo ID is a good tool as well.

If you go down the rabbit hole like I did, then you can dl the ebird app, which is a companion app for making your lists. What I do now is have the ebird app open so I can add birds quickly, and have Merlin running in the background for a quick ID if needed.

Reddit has an active birding page that is a good reference point with tons of info on ebird/merlin and other guides/tips if you venture down the hole like I did.

 

[yescyam]

I think that is how you spell it We saw them when we were leaving the farm slough area and going to the official Marsh site. They were just up the hill from the farm slough. We were double lucky-we saw them on the way out to the lake and then again crossing that road when we were coming back.
The call they made was amazing-I thought there was something wrong with our car or I had run over something. It was as if they were throwing their call into our vehicle.

Looks like I'm gonna need to head down that way in the near future. See any trumpeter swans?

 

[DooBi]

Download the Merlin App. It's a bird identifier app from the Cornell Ornithology Dept that will listen to birds and list them as they make noises. I started it out on a whim after reading it was one of the top dl'd apps recently and next thing you know I'm registered with Ebird and at 102 species on my life list in just over a month lol. It's like real life Pokémon go.

That is ****ing cool as hell! Thanks for sharing!

 

[franklinman]

I’ve also had some red breasted grosbeaks at my jelly feeders. I knew orioles loved jelly but was surprised that the purple finches(possibly house finches) and grosbeaks eat it too.

Wasn't sure if the rose breasted grosbeaks were in Iowa, they are a beautiful bird and love to sing.

 

[SansAgain]

Anyone know what this bird is? I heard there were a lot of migrating birds coming through iowa this week. I've seen some cool ones.

Yeah, it’s a Flicker. I had one trying to dive on me and flick on my head when I was ten. I shot that bitch out of the air with my Daisy 870 with one pellet. Flickers are the devil.

 

[DooBi]

Yeah, it’s a Flicker. I had one trying to dive on me and flick on my head when I was ten. I shot that bitch out of the air with my Daisy 870 with one pellet. Flickers are the devil.

Really? I know those red winged blackbirds are prices that like to dive bomb ya.

 

[SansAgain]

Download the Merlin App. It's a bird identifier app from the Cornell Ornithology Dept that will listen to birds and list them as they make noises. I started it out on a whim after reading it was one of the top dl'd apps recently and next thing you know I'm registered with Ebird and at 102 species on my life list in just over a month lol. It's like real life Pokémon go.

Good stuff.

 

[ConvenientParking]

Download the Merlin App. It's a bird identifier app from the Cornell Ornithology Dept that will listen to birds and list them as they make noises. I started it out on a whim after reading it was one of the top dl'd apps recently and next thing you know I'm registered with Ebird and at 102 species on my life list in just over a month lol. It's like real life Pokémon go.

@millah_22 is like "but Pokemon Go is real life Pokemon Go"

 

[fredjr82]

I heard a conspiracy theory that all dinosaurs turned into birds. Watching their mannerisms, I can see how some people think that. Their faces are very similar

 

[InsaneHawkJJP]

Wasn't sure if the rose breasted grosbeaks were in Iowa, they are a beautiful bird and love to sing.

Yep, they stay for the summer.

 

[SansAgain]

Really? I know those red winged blackbirds are prices that like to dive bomb ya.

No, I drew too quick and hit a fluke shot. I flung it in the river to hide the evidence from my father. I lived on a bird sanctuary and only sparrows and starlings were fair game. Blue Jays did bully me until I got that Red Rider for Christmas.

 

[DooBi]

No, I drew too quick and hit a fluke shot. I flung it in the river to hide the evidence from my father. I lived on a bird sanctuary and only sparrows and starlings were fair game. Blue Jays did bully me until I got that Red Rider for Christmas.

Better watch out. If you shoot a bird out of season you'll catch all sorts of hell about it here. Lol

 

[sultanofsuede]

I’ve been wanting to build a Martin house (the gourd style) for a while but I guess that’s something to do when I retire.

 

[BelemNole]

I've gotten 4 neighbors and both my parents to dl it recently. The neighbors and I had an hour long conversation about all the birds in the neighborhood over drinks last weekend.

One word of warning is that if you have mockingbirds, brown thrashers or other minic birds, they can fool the app, so tread lightly when claiming one on your list. I've learned to try and visually ID them before adding them now. But for the most part, the app is pretty amazing. It heard a bald eagle and a few other small warblers without me even hearing them, only to spot them minutes later. The photo ID is a good tool as well.

If you go down the rabbit hole like I did, then you can dl the ebird app, which is a companion app for making your lists. What I do now is have the ebird app open so I can add birds quickly, and have Merlin running in the background for a quick ID if needed.

Reddit has an active birding page that is a good reference point with tons of info on ebird/merlin and other guides/tips if you venture down the hole like I did.

Just sitting out front tonite I got a lesser goldfinch, house finch and bushtits. I knew there were all around but it was fun.

 

[lucas80]

Daughter bought me this feeder for Christmas. Has a wifi camera with motion detection. Pretty cool.

This is going on my wish list for Christmas.

 

[lucas80]

Love bird watching! We have 5 acres that I’m slowly trying to turn into a bird paradise. Lots of feeders up but also lots of trees and native plants. We’ve had goldfinches all year long the last couple of years, which I didn’t know they did. Had an oriole nest in a tree last year and I’ve seen one collecting milkweed strands to build another one this year. Also lots of migrating birds coming through this spring.

We have a mature lot with timber behind us, so lots of stuff comes through. I’ve been cognizant of adding a variety of new habitat items. Different plants of varying heights, and leaving one stretch of our yard untouched.
My neighbor had a pine tree that had died, and rather than remove the entire tree he topped it leaving almost 20 feet. It draws woodpeckers and other birds like crazy looking for bugs on that dead tree.

 

[Nole-4-Life]

Download the Merlin App. It's a bird identifier app from the Cornell Ornithology Dept that will listen to birds and list them as they make noises. I started it out on a whim after reading it was one of the top dl'd apps recently and next thing you know I'm registered with Ebird and at 102 species on my life list in just over a month lol. It's like real life Pokémon go.

Seconded. Great app.

 

[Nole-4-Life]

I’ve been wanting to build a Martin house (the gourd style) for a while but I guess that’s something to do when I retire.

I had six martin gourds at a place I used to live. Need a lot of open space but they're fun to watch. I have too much woods surrounding me now to have them.

 

[InsaneHawkJJP]

We have a mature lot with timber behind us, so lots of stuff comes through. I’ve been cognizant of adding a variety of new habitat items. Different plants of varying heights, and leaving one stretch of our yard untouched.
My neighbor had a pine tree that had died, and rather than remove the entire tree he topped it leaving almost 20 feet. It draws woodpeckers and other birds like crazy looking for bugs on that dead tree.

Love it! That sounds like perfect bird habitat. Are you sticking to native plants?

 

[Urohawk]

Daughter bought me this feeder for Christmas. Has a wifi camera with motion detection. Pretty cool.

Got something similar. It works great.

 

[lucas80]

Love it! That sounds like perfect bird habitat. Are you sticking to native plants?

If you mean weeds, yes. At least in the untouched portion. It just has a lot of nooks and crannies to hide out in.
Nothing special beyond that. We talked to a landscaper about how to attract various kinds of birds with some varying types of trees and bushes, and some grasses around the house.

 

[InsaneHawkJJP]

No, I don’t mean just weeds. To attract the best variety of birds, you need to plant native grasses, flowers and shrubs. It’s also important for the insects which attract birds.

 

[PoopandBoogers]

Got a new lifer today, the Lesser Scaup. Nice calm day and the baitfish were in force with all sorts of wading and prey birds crashing into them. 4 different types herons, egrets, anhingas, terns, pelicans, Osprey, dolphins, you name it, they were getting their fill. A few lazy manatees and 4 Apache helicopters decided to witness the frenzy as well. Saw close to 30 species in around 30 mins.

 

[InsaneHawkJJP]

Got a new lifer today, the Lesser Scaup. Nice calm day and the baitfish were in force with all sorts of wading and prey birds crashing into them. 4 different types herons, egrets, anhingas, terns, pelicans, Osprey, dolphins, you name it, they were getting their fill. A few lazy manatees and 4 Apache helicopters decided to witness the frenzy as well. Saw close to 30 species in around 30 mins.

It was fun bird watching when we visited Florida a couple years ago.

 

[millah_22]

@millah_22 is like "but Pokemon Go is real life Pokemon Go"

So i downloaded Merlin and tbh it’s not like Pokémon go at all. Cool app though.

 

[millah_22]

So i downloaded Merlin and tbh it’s not like Pokémon go at all. Cool app though.

Feels more like Shazam + untappd for birds

 

[ConvenientParking]

Feels more like Shazam + untappd for birds

App idea: Merlin, but you can "collect" the birds you come across and pit them in virtual cockfights against digital birds other users have "captured." Also give the birds supernatural powers other than just flight.

 

[millah_22]

App idea: Merlin, but you can "collect" the birds you come across and pit them in virtual cockfights against digital birds other users have "captured." Also give the birds supernatural powers other than just flight.

See now we’re taking Pokémon go. That’s pretty much flying cup, the worst battle meta, where you can only use flying type Pokémon.

 

[PoopandBoogers]

So i downloaded Merlin and tbh it’s not like Pokémon go at all. Cool app though.

I haven't played Pokémon, but the way people described it's similarity is there is a group of birds in your area most likely found (the total for my area is 156), as you identify them, they are removed from your "not found" list (I have 64 birds left unfound). This changes weekly as birds migrate, etc, so there's a constant flux of new ones coming and going.

If you link your app to the companion app ebird, they will show you a map of spots where the birds you haven't seen yet have been spotted, and if so inclined, you can visit those locations and try to find your bird and knock off a species on your life list (or year list, month list, etc). There are people in my county that have already found every possible bird available this year. They are most likely retired or professionals and like many heavily into birding, are probably weirdly competive and comically gatekeepish.

I most certainly don't treat it as a game or too seriously, I just have a casual interest in the wildlife and land around me and use it as a real-time, functional educational tool, with and added bonus of creating a life list and having the ability to see what birds are close by (even rare ones) and where they've been spotted.

 

[millah_22]

I haven't played Pokémon, but the way people described it's similarity is there is a group of birds in your area most likely found (the total for my area is 156), as you identify them, they are removed from your "not found" list (I have 64 birds left unfound). This changes weekly as birds migrate, etc, so there's a constant flux of new ones coming and going.

If you link your app to the companion app ebird, they will show you a map of spots where the birds you haven't seen yet have been spotted, and if so inclined, you can visit those locations and try to find your bird and knock off a species on your life list (or year list, month list, etc). There are people in my county that have already found every possible bird available this year. They are most likely retired or professionals and like many heavily into birding, are probably weirdly competive and comically gatekeepish.

I most certainly don't treat it as a game or too seriously, I just have a casual interest in the wildlife and land around me and use it as a real-time, functional educational tool, with and added bonus of creating a life list and having the ability to see what birds are close by (even rare ones) and where they've been spotted.

Ya pretty much relates to the Pokédex part of pogo.

 

[BubsFinn]

I thought it was called birding and its practitioners were called birders.