Fun with Merlin in Thurston County

George Walter

Jill Severn | For The JOLT News

This week I have continued to experiment with the Merlin app and the dawn chorus, turning the app on and placing my smart phone in the window sometime around 5 a.m. and letting it record for two-plus hours. Each day the species count has been 30 or more. 

Merlin is our trusted bird identification app, but as I have continued this dawn chorus experiment, I have come to question whether it may, from time to time, make mistakes. Red-eyed vireos and house wrens are uncommon breeding birds in Thurston County, yet Merlin has “heard” them from time to time during my recent dawn data collections. I’ve never seen either of these two species nearby over the many years I’ve lived here. 

Other species recorded by Merlin are not breeding birds on my property, but do have breeding territories in the neighborhood, for example barn swallows, red-winged blackbirds, European starlings and white-crowned sparrows.  

The count also has included unexpected but believable species, including the great-blue heron, double-crested cormorant and belted kingfisher. I consider these the “flyover species” of my yard list, ones that happened to vocalize while flying overhead.  

But one morning Merlin reported hearing a sora rail, an uncommon summer species of wetland edges. There’s no significant wetland habitat near me so this was either a rare flyover or a Merlin misidentification. I suspect that, wonderful as it is, Merlin may from time to time make a mistake and that we probably should be skeptical when it reports a rare or very unexpected bird vocalization. I have not added sora to my yard list. 

All this birdsong got me thinking about another question. Why, even after the nesting season is over, do all these birds continue to sing each day at dawn? Not surprisingly, has piqued the interest of ornithologists as well.  

Various studies have determined that dawn singing, even when actual nesting is finished, supports territorial claims to important feeding territories. These vocal claims are especially important to species that depend on insect capture, even though they are made at early morning hours before insects are active.  

Post-nesting singing greatly diminishes as increasing light makes actual foraging, rather territory claiming, the dominant activity. By three hours past dawn only the few species that are still defending nesting sites continue to sing.  

Concerning dawn vs. dusk singing, there is less clear research and, really, only one of our local species, the Swainson’s thrush, sings actively at dusk. However, as I have learned from my Merlin adventures, this species sings equally at dawn, it’s just that us listeners are more likely to hear them in the evening. 

 Pelican alert, part two

They’re still around! The two species of pelicans I mentioned last week are still being seen. This past weekend, numbers of white pelicans were seen on the outer mud flats as the Billy Frank Jr. National Wildlife Refuge. You could see them easily from the end of the McAllister Boardwalk or from Luhr Beach. Others observed flocks flying overhead. I have not heard reports of them from any of our many county lakes, but I would not be surprised. 

Two brown pelicans are hanging out in Budd Inlet, primarily along the West Bay side and they might stay around all summer, perhaps joined by others. One person reported seeing them sitting on pilings just behind Anthony’s Hearthfire Grill at the Port of Olympia.

This point, incidentally, is a delightful place to take a late evening stroll along the port’s outer waterfront. There’s plenty of parking and usually a cooling breeze. If your timing is right, you might also enjoy a beautiful sunset. Be sure to take you binoculars.

In addition to the pelicans, there are ospreys, purple martins and the chance for migrating shorebirds along the beach. The osprey’s stick nest is located at the top of a pole along the north edge of the port.  

 Bird baths

Readers often ask, “What can I do for the birds?” The answer, this month and next, is to provide water. They sometimes get moisture from their food or from an early dawn harvest of dew, but visiting a water source is important, too.

The ‘how’ is not particularly important. These are creatures that take in water from the edge of mud puddles. I know one person whose paved driveway has two low spots. Most mornings she fills these with water and the birds love it.  

The classic method, of course, is a bird bath. They are often tapered and when full have water between 1 and 2 inches. Some birds will take a quick drink from the edge while others will wade in with enthusiasm. A shady spot will mean cooler water on hot summer days.

And because birdbaths are small and shallow, they need frequent replenishment and might benefit from occasional cleaning. About the only thing to avoid for your makeshift bird bath is a shiny ceramic finish which can be slippery and thus discourage bird visitors.  

 One request

If your yard is the hunting territory for cats, please do not put out a bird bath. Cats are the No. 1 cause of death for birds in urban and suburban locations. And juvenile birds who are just learning how to survive in the world are especially vulnerable now. 

When you have a moment let me know about your bird encounters. Even though the weather is hot, our avian neighbors remain active — you just might have to get up early to hear them singing.  

George Walter is environmental program manager at the Nisqually Indian Tribe’s natural resources department: he also has a 45+ year interest in bird watching. He may be reached at george@theJOLTnews.com. 

Photos for this column are provided by Liam Hutcheson, an 18-year-old Olympia area birder and avid photographer.