Bird calls picked up in just 5 minutes in the garden this evening

by niconpat

23 comments

  4. My bird calls around this time as well, coincidence.

  5. Where are you based? I get 4-5 birds max in mine (north dublin)

  8. Do we actually have all those birds in Ireland? Cool anyway I’ve downloaded the app thank you. I’ve loads of birds and some really tame regulars.
    My blackbird pair have a chick or two every year and they are happy to hop around when I’m working around the garden to get something nice.
    I heard a load of commotion today and the danger calls birds make and it was my blackbird family getting attacked by a pair of magpies. The young blackbird flew close to me and the magpies left after a minute but I fear they will be back. They looked like they were actively hunting the young bird.
    Nature is cruel.

  9. Skylark, that’s so cool. Must try that app. Cheers OP.

  12. I have been using Merlin myself now for a couple years since a lecturer mentioned it. Just a few weeks back I got a peregrine on it which was amazing.

  13. Just a quick question for the people with bird knowledge. Do we have ravens in Ireland? I saw them recently in the Tower of London and they are a MASSIVE bird. I don’t think I have ever seen one in Ireland. Much, much bigger than crows.

  14. Cool app. I live next to a nature reserve, I’ll have to see what I find. Just the fucking nightingales tonight 

  15. Appreciate the tip, we have some really tiny birds here, like thumb sized. They are gorgeous little things, hopefully this app can help figure out what they are..

    Cheers.

  18. Unless you’ve actually seen the bird, you can’t rely on Merlin for a positive ID from its call/song – it is notorious for misidentification. I can see three obvious misidentifications – you’re not going to find a Reed Bunting in your back garden at this time of year; while they may come into gardens in the winter, in the spring, they’re found in reed beds (clue’s in the name) and Skylark; Skylarks are birds of open country, they’re found soaring over fields, salt marshes and sand dunes – you definitely won’t find one in your back garden.

    Finally, you’re extremely unlikely to find a Carrion Crow in Ireland, the Hooded Crow is by far the commoner species (up until quite recently, it was considered a subspecies of Carrion Crow, but it’s now been upgraded to a full species). They’re so closely related, however, that they can interbreed. They sound identical, so I think Merlin simply couldn’t decide which species it was.

    I’m not meaning to be disparaging, just warning you that Merlin isn’t infallible.

  19. never seen or heard of a reed bunting. This is an app on your phone? do you have a bird table ? live in the countryside?

  20. Where are you based? I got 10 this evening in 5 mins. 17 is the most I’ve got in our garden. We are in rural south east Wicklow.

  22. Merlin is a great app! As some others have said it’s not always 100% reliable but it’s not something to completely write off. I’m a weirdo bird nerd and have made a list of loads of different birds in Dublin 15 that I have seen. It’s genuinely surprising how many birds you’ll hear and see if you pay attention. Most of those birds you have listed I’ve seen in my garden and then some. I’d imagine you’ll be the same if you try it a few days a week.

    I feel a lot of people don’t realise just how much nature still coexists with us, even in the cities. I’ve seen a number of foxes in Dublin city centre and numerous different birds of prey. I’m hoping that birds such as the red kite make as much of a comeback as it did in parts of the UK. When I visit my family in Leeds I see them everywhere. They’re huge and truly impressive looking creatures. 15 years ago you wouldn’t have seen a single one.

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