Merlin, the Lab of O’s smartphone app, recently got an Elf Owl’s sincerest form of endorsement.
Edward Bulwer-Lytton might have called that July night in Big Bend as black as the back of a Common Blackhawk (and verifiably, too, since a pair were nesting in the particular campground). Driving away at the end of my night of owling, at least two Elfs set up a commotion in the brush close by as a shape resembling a Great Horned Owl’s sailed through my headlights. Replaying Merlin’s Elf Owl to confirm the ID, I got an immediate answer from a rustling in the bushes scarcely an arm’s length away! Score one for Merlin as implemented on the iPhone. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ John L. Cisne, Professor Emeritus Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 Office Hours: Catch-as-Catch-Can or by arrangement http://www.eas.cornell.edu/eas/people/profile.cfm?netid=jlc34 Phone: [Please contact by e-mail instead] +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
