Maine birds And MOAC mountainbiking

Wednesday, 29 October 2025

[Maine-birds] This Week's Highlights, 10/23-10/29.

Hi all,

My observations of note over the past seven days can be found here:

https://mebirdingfieldnotes.blog/2025/10/29/this-weeks-highlights-10-23-10-29-2025/

-Derek

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Derek and Jeannette Lovitch

Freeport Wild Bird Supply

541 Route One, Suite 10

Freeport, ME 04032

207-865-6000

www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com

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Monday, 27 October 2025

Re: [Maine-birds] Interesting article on Merlin

My observations have been that when it was first rolled out, the accuracy was good although it would sometimes include non-US occurring and very unlikely species as possible ID's. Then it got better and for a while (sorry, I have no dates) it was working extremely well, with high accuracy. I don't know if somewhere along the line the data set took in a bunch of false ID's from eBird submissions by birders misidentifying relatively common, therefore non-flagged species (so these ID's just weren't scrutinized) but a couple of years ago its results started to get shaky at times. This hypothesis could be completely wrong as I don't know Merlin's inner workings. However, I can say that since it implemented location-based ID's it's often, but not always been spotty and unreliable. Just last week it failed to recognize a loud and obvious Carolina Wren, and this is one of many missed and sometimes completely off-base ID's that have been happening over the past year or more. I would also say that being a bit too strict about individual locations (counties, etc.) has overall undermined rather than strengthened its capabilities. To give an example, if something rare but not impossible (say, a Lark Sparrow) showed up in my neck of the woods, I highly doubt that it would be recognized even with a good recording. Others may of course have completely different takes and results. I'm still using it because its ID capability currently seems fair to pretty good to me.

Sean Smith

On Mon, Oct 27, 2025 at 10:23 AM Jay Pitocchelli <jpitocch@gmail.com> wrote:

Recent article comparing Merlin to human observers - good read.

https://academic.oup.com/condor/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ornithapp/duaf049/8222742?login=false

Should be open access

Dr. Jay Pitocchelli, Professor Emeritus
Biology Department
Saint Anselm College
Manchester, NH 03102

Blog: http://mourningwarbler.blogspot.com/
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Re: [Maine-birds] Interesting article on Merlin

The results don't surprise me. I've had Merlin lie to me on a number of occasions, and fail to pick up a bird close by that I can hear clearly. This seems to be especially true of Brown Thrasher. The same thing happened to me with a Bullocks Oriole last Spring in New Mexico.

Nevertheless, it's still a useful tool.

Wally S.

[Maine-birds] Interesting article on Merlin

Recent article comparing Merlin to human observers - good read.

https://academic.oup.com/condor/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ornithapp/duaf049/8222742?login=false

Should be open access

Dr. Jay Pitocchelli, Professor Emeritus
Biology Department
Saint Anselm College
Manchester, NH 03102

Blog: http://mourningwarbler.blogspot.com/

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Sunday, 26 October 2025

[Maine-birds] Bonaparte's Gulls, Basin Cove, Harpswell, ME 10/25/25

5 Bonaparte's Gulls, Basin Cove, Harpswell, ME 10/25/25

Dr. Jay Pitocchelli, Professor Emeritus
Biology Department
Saint Anselm College
Manchester, NH 03102

Blog: http://mourningwarbler.blogspot.com/

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Friday, 24 October 2025

[Maine-birds] Access to eBird

If anyone can advise me on why I'm unable to access eBird from my computer for the last 4-5 days. Getting the dreaded pinwheel and have to force quit to make it stop.
I've submitted all unsubmitted lists on my phone and still no access.

Appreciate any help on this!

Richard

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Wednesday, 22 October 2025

[Maine-birds] Northern Pintail, Basin Cove, Harpswell, ME 10/22/25

Northern Pintail male, Basin Cove, Harpswell, ME 10/22/25

Dr. Jay Pitocchelli, Professor Emeritus
Biology Department
Saint Anselm College
Manchester, NH 03102

Blog: http://mourningwarbler.blogspot.com/

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