To the editor:
I would like to add a hearty second to Alan Campbell’s suggestion in last week’s Enterprise to download the Merlin bird song identification app to your phone and rediscover the birdscape around us.
As a lifelong bird watcher, I thought I pretty much knew the birds that visit our yard and feeders. Becoming a bird listener as well is a game changer. How much fun it is to find out how much I didn’t know. Being able to identify the birds that are deep in the tree cover feels like attaining x-ray vision. I found that there are many songs I have been attributing to the wrong birds. Who knew that Cardinals had so many different songs? I’ve never seen an American Redstart or a Red Eyed Vireo,but they are out there singing. I’ve always enjoyed being awakened by Birdsong, now I grab my phone to find out exactly who is singing to me.
The Merlin app is developed and supported by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It is free, but supported in part by donations. The data used is contributed by experienced birders everywhere. Download it, learn, and marvel at our beautiful world.
Susan Och Lake Leelanau
