"Birds of a feather squawk together."
That's one of my conclusions as I monitor the early morning chorus of birds from my backyard patio.
Some experts call this the dawn chorus. Others call it loud and irritating. I call it fascinating. Because I've been spying on our feathered friends with a handy little app on my phone.
There are other apps but the one I use is called Merlin, provided by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
The app has more than one tool to identify birds with photos or descriptions, but I enjoy the sound system. Just poke the record button and let your phone listen to the chatter. The app separates and records the sounds and then shows a photo of the bird and its identity.
Ever-present are sparrows and robins. What's astonishing are the other beaked barkers in my backyard. I recorded more than 25 different birds including chickadees, warblers, wrens, finches, mockingbirds plus three kinds of woodpeckers and four different kinds of sparrows and much more.
I'm starting to recognize the different songs, especially the chatterbox sparrows and robins. Listening and learning is interesting and fun — and kind of amazing. And all that chirping blends well with my first cup of coffee on my patio.
You know, it kind of makes me want to whistle. And join nature's choir that greets the day.
I’m Lonny Cain … and that’s my Perspective.
