Re: [Maine-birds] Re: Trumpeter swans on China Lake

Replying to Mark specifically, but others as well.  We can all do without the snarkiness.  This should be educational and informative and not "I'm the only expert and your all idiots".   I have been birding my whole life.  I don't have the luxury to travel all over and find every bird that ever existed and draw them out in my journals.  I have almost zero experience with swans having only seen a tundra swan once previously.  I have an undergraduate degree in biology and am also a Maine Master Naturalist.  I am well schooled in scientific research.  I have the Merlin app on my phone, but don't use it as I prefer my Sibley book which has a broken binding and loose pages.  I saw these swans from a distance and only had my phone with me - no camera and no bins.  I also had just had ankle surgery 5 days prior to this so I couldn't even get out of the car to try to get better photos or a better view.  I was restricted to the car and the road.  I was excited to see them there and wanted to get the info out there for others.  I based my evaluation on what I had and I was still unsure of the ID.  To me the beaks did not appear orange and don't appear so in my photos.  Yes, in one bird it looks "pale" but not orange.  So I ruled out Mute swans.  Because I was unsure of the ID and wanted to post it I thought I would try Merlin.  I have heard it is unreliable, but have not used it enough to make any opinion.  I was expecting it to come up with all 3 species of swan and was surprised it went with Tundra although I was still leaning towards trumpeter so that is what I put in my post.  Forgive me for my grave error.  But rather than sparky comments and attacking my skills perhaps you could have posted some of your photos that I saw later on the Maine Birds Facebook page that were much better than mine and clearly identified them.  I am sorry that I ever made the post and will not do so again in the future because I don't need this attitude in my life.

On Mon, Jun 27, 2022, 9:49 PM Mark Szantyr <birddog55@charter.net> wrote:

A review of the photos seems to show less than adult swans ( note the off white dorsal coloration ) with the head and bill shape of Mute Swans.  The exposure is such that any color at all is difficult to discern but one bill appears to be not black but pale. I do not believe these swans are identifiable from these photos with any certainty but mute swan can not be eliminated. I do not accept that the bills "are clearly not orange".

Now to Merlin. If birders spent more time writing accurate descriptions and less feeding info into a flawed program, we all might have information that can be used. Merlin allows lazy birding and forces identifications that are
Inaccurate and not a product of careful study and observation. Writing notes and making field sketches are worth so much more than a droid reinforcing sloppy id skills. 

Mark Szantyr

Storrs, CT

On Jun 27, 2022, at 9:13 PM, Jay Pendleton <jkpen57@gmail.com> wrote:



Mark Szantyr, 

Instead of snarking that "Merlin is incredibly inaccurate" without offering any corroborating evidence, why don't you address the original poster's comment that 

"clearly, the bills are not orange," as they should be for mute swan? 

And for the record, I have no skin in this game beyond a concern for accuracy and fairness.

Jay Pendleton, Camden

On Sun, Jun 26, 2022 at 10:06 PM Mark Szantyr <birddog55@charter.net> wrote:

Merlin is incredibly inaccurate. Just sayin. 

Mark Szantyr

Storrs, CT

On Jun 26, 2022, at 9:06 PM, JMSmith <jeanette.m.smith@gmail.com> wrote:


Based on this photo Merlin says Tundra swans.  Clearly, the bills are not orange

On Sunday, June 26, 2022 at 7:40:16 PM UTC-4 Birddog55 wrote:

I might seriously consider mute swans for this group. 

Mark Szantyr

Storrs, CT

On Jun 26, 2022, at 5:45 PM, andrew...@gmail.com <andrew...@gmail.com> wrote:

Sure they're not Mute Swans?  Hard to tell without blowing up the photo, but the posture, heads and bill color look good for that species.

Andrew

On Sunday, June 26, 2022 at 2:47:04 PM UTC-4 JMSmith wrote:

4 what i believe, are trumpeter swans are located at the north end of China Lake.  I tried identifying my photo on Merlin and it did not come up with an answer.  

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