Just announced today … Merlin Sound ID from the Cornell School of Ornithology (eBird). I already use their Merlin Photo ID which works very well, particularly with birds where the plumage changes in different seasons. Even being a Dartmouth grad and having competed many times against that school, I have to give major credit to them for a job extremely well done. I have provide a few annotated screenshots below. I installed the new version of Merlin (including Sound ID) immediately and tested it with a robin which was singing just outside my home. Get this app. The price is right (free). Consider a donation to Cornell.

• Merlin App – Apple or Android

Here are my screenshots … from startup to first screen to sound ID and save.

Welcome to a new feature of my blog … “Ask the Outdoorsman!”

Last fall I held a virtual seminar, which I may still repeat, but I have decided to try something different. Quite simply, ask me a question using the form given at the end of this post. Next week I will answer all questions. You will only be identified by your first name and the initial of your last name.

Remember, as my favorite college professor often stated: “The only dumb question is the unasked question!”

There are few ground rules for this experiement:

1. Don’t ask for locations of sensitive birds
2. The region I know best is NE Minnesota and NW Wisconsin
3. Questions need not only be about birding. Check my “About Rich” section of this blog to learn more about my background, but my life experiences range from taking self-supported bicycle tours totalling over 10,000 miles riden around the world, to chasing the Northern Lights in Minnesota and the Norwegian Arctic.
4. I do not pretend to be an expert, but I am knowledgeable.

I will close questions in a few days and note same by editing this blog post. The resulting post with the Q and A will then appear in the near future depending upon the number of questions / work required on my part.

Use the form given immediately below the photograph of me. Obviously a web site is NOT required, but if you have one it is fun for me to learn about all of you … my readers.