Your rarest bird on your Merlin app.

[jb1]

A new one for me in Scotland last week was a Ring Ouzel, ive never heard of it before.

 

[VSS]

Water rail.
Not particularly rare, but seldom seen. Was glad to positively identify its call on the app.

Eurasian crane was another good one that I picked up.

 

[TringSaint]

Green woody, dunnock and a very vocal barn owl last night

 

[The Grouse]

Curlew, sadly not heard it again since.

 

[Klenchblaize]

Dartford Warbler

K

 

[Marchman]

Water rail.
Not particularly rare, but seldom seen. Was glad to positively identify its call on the app.

Eurasian crane was another good one that I picked up.

I got the Water rail through the app while out with my dog. Until that day I'd never heard of a Water rail.

 

[jall55]

A new one for me in Scotland last week was a Ring Ouzel, ive never heard of it before.

Had Merlin confuse this with a blackbird several times too - although we actually did get one also this spring - it actually came on bird survey day !

 

[jb1]

Had Merlin confuse this with a blackbird several times too - although we actually did get one also this spring - it actually came on bird survey day !

I thought that, but it was the hard to describe rattle that made me discount blackbird. Then seeing a very quick siting though the scope it confirmed it.

 

[lotuseater]

Great app to run while sat in the high seat.

 

[Mungo]

If you have garden warblers or black caps, set it running and watch it get confused… it more or less randomly assigns the song of one to the other.

You can be sat watching the bird sing, and see Merlin telling you there are two different birds present

 

[Bo Diddley]

Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs are as good as it gets in the garden.
I've never played it when out about across the land.
There seem to be fewer and fewer garden birds. Once upon a time, the lawn would be covered in young blackbirds and song thrushes.

 

[Cootmeurer]

When I was over last fall stalking we stumbled upon a white tailed eagle on a sheep carcass. Perhaps fairly common but definitely a top tier raptor that I wouldn’t see here in the US

Also had a bunch of your waders/shorebirds to add to my list

 

[Feugh]

Probably a Marsh tit and a common crossbill both of which are rare around here.

FN

It’s funny what’s rare to some is common to others. Crossbills are ten a penny in my area of Aberdeenshire and crested tits are seen frequently close to where I frequent outside Aviemore (as are BlackGrouse and capercaillie).
Marsh tits, orielles, Cetti warbler, dartford warbler are, on the other hand, rare or unseen around here.

 

[Mountain Bug]

I'd like to see what Merlin would make of a mockingbird.


Scott

 

[Swedish]

I'd like to see what Merlin would make of a mockingbird.


Scott

Same as it would of a starling I expect! The one that most impressed me had an amzing range of calls but the one that I was most amused by was 'buzzard', followed by 'buzzard at a distance'

 

[Mountain Bug]

Same as it would of a starling I expect! The one that most impressed me had an amzing range of calls but the one that I was most amused by was 'buzzard', followed by 'buzzard at a distance'

After having a short think on it, Merlin would be the ticket to counting a mockingbird's calls. They're hard to count as they repeat their basics but often mix a few different ones into each cadence.


Scott