Pitch perfect
Who knew that listening to birdsong could be so beneficial?
Photo by Mark Olsen on Unsplash
Hello and welcome!
Isn’t this little fellow, a Yellow Warbler, beautiful? I have always been fascinated with birds and enjoy the way they keep us company wherever we go.
On beach walks, where Seagulls, Cormorants, Gannets and wading birds digging for worms might accompany us or, in a suburban setting, where, even in the busiest of cities, House Sparrows, Starlings, Blackbirds and many more species are all there, if you just take the time to look. Or, better still, listen.
The Merlin Bird App
I was recently introduced to the app, Merlin Bird ID, and it is utterly brilliant. It is completely free, with no in-app purchases or subscriptions.
Merlin Bird ID app
Supported birds:
United States and Canada (612 species)
Western Palearctic (301 species)
When my husband and I pitched up at the golf course, I admit that I was slightly distracted. I wasn’t playing particularly well, so I thought I would try out my new birding app. A golf course has the perfect combination of habitat to attract a wide variety of birds from noisy, lumbering Pheasants to tiny Wrens strutting and flitting around in the various woodlands or hedgerows. Birds love this type of habitat - trees, bushes, hedgerows, woodlands, lakes, undergrowth and lush green fairways - golf courses have it all.
A beautiful cacophony of birds surrounded us as my husband was about to tee off. I held up my phone, and seven birds appeared on the screen:
When the bird is singing, the app highlights it in yellow, so you can identify the bird by its song. If more than one bird is singing at the same time, they all light up, making identification simple - and exciting!
I could identify some of the bird songs, especially the Chiffchaff with its distinctive, repetitive call, and the Blackbird, which has a distinctive, melodious song, but was delighted to hear a Spotted Flycatcher and later on, a Coal Tit. That’s not to say that I saw all of these gorgeous little creatures, but I knew they were there from their beautiful chirping, perched in a tree or bush not far away, keeping me company as I made my way around the course.
It’s surprising how quickly you learn to identify birds, once you hear their distinctive calls. As the app shows a beautiful photograph of the bird, if you catch a glimpse, you can tie the audio and visual together. There is much more to the app than just identifying birds. You can also create a Life List, which is all the birds you have seen or heard, explore or learn about other species of birds, and you can even take part in surveys, and much more, depending on how much of an enthusiast you are.
I had every intention of using the app to try and identify as many birds in the dawn chorus as I could, but unfortunately, (or luckily for me), I slept right through. As I start my morning at 06:30 every day, I don’t feel too bad because tomorrow is another day, and the dawn chorus will be as bright and loud as ever.
The following day
I was up early, heading off to play golf with my friend. I hope I will not be too distracted by the Merlin Bird ID app, but I can’t promise! What I did manage to do was identify the birds serenading me at the crack of dawn from the comfort of my bed. Now that I have been using the app for a few days, it has reassured me that my knowledge of bird songs isn’t that bad. Consequently, I was able to identify the lovely feathered friends in the front garden outside my bedroom window without the use of the app. I heard:
The benefits of listening to birdsong
Here is what AI on Google says:
Birdsong offers numerous mental health benefits, including stress reduction, improved mood, and enhanced focus. Studies have shown that listening to birdsong can restore attention, alleviate mental fatigue, and even reduce anxiety. It can also contribute to a sense of calm and tranquility.
I felt a lot calmer when focusing on the birdsong while out on the golf course, and I often play birdsong in the mornings once the dawn chorus has settled down, or during the winter months. In the summer, I am fortunate that I can throw open my windows and there they are, in full song. Out in my back garden, I heard these birds:
Here is a more in-depth article about how listening to birdsong can transform our mental health. As a natural bird spotter, I love identifying birds by their song. However, I didn’t realise that actively tuning into birdsong was so beneficial. The fact that I can tune into my feathered friends while out on the golf course is a dream combination!
As I have only just started using the Merlin Bird ID app, I am looking forward to hearing some birds that I can’t recognise or haven’t had the pleasure of encountering yet, and expanding my limited knowledge of birds much further.
What else have I been up to this week?
I am busy writing another children’s book and hope to update you in the next few weeks on the progress of all of my books. My collections of short stories and poetry are still available to buy now on Amazon and are ridiculously cheap, so go grab a bargain!
My cosy crime novel, The Mysterious Disappearance of Marsha Boden, will be available to buy soon and I will keep you updated.
In the meantime, have a brilliant week wherever you are in the world. Do let me know if you are a keen birdsong listener, bird watcher or, like me, an all-round bird enthusiast. I would love to hear from you.
Take care,
Yes, I have it too! It’s amazing how many birds are in my neighbourhood that I didn’t realise were there. Love listening and identifying.