Jun. 30—Is that the tweet of a titmouse? Or the chirp of a chickadee? After you download the app Merlin Bird ID, you can use your smartphone to identify sounds and match them to the birds in trees ...

I first discovered Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab of Ornithology earlier this summer, when I was trying to figure out the identity of a particular bird of prey in my neighborhood. After looking at a ...

One thing they don’t tell you about quaint villages, including the quaint village where I live, is that they are noisy, very noisy. Right now, as I sit in Geneseo, I can hear the lawn being mowed next ...

As we age, we all slow down to some degree, and if you are moving slower, you are likely taking more time to notice what is going on around you. For many of us, that means you take a larger interest ...

If the party involves technology, I usually arrive late. But I'm there now and having a wonderful time. With my new friend, Merlin. You know those smartphone apps that tell you what song is playing?

Countryside living. Getting on a bit. It was only a matter of time before I gave into certain impulses: I’m curious about birdlife. It’s a curiosity that’s at risk of developing into outright ...

I’m not a bird watcher, but I’ve become a bird listener ever since downloading a bionic ear app to my phone. It lets me enter a different world, one where I’m surrounded not just by chirping but by ...

Are you one of those birdwatchers that enjoys guessing what kind of feathered friend belongs to each birdsong you hear outside? Do you pride yourself on being able to identify New England birds like ...

Spring is here, and the air is full of birdsong. The Merlin Bird ID app tells you what type of birds you’re hearing … plus it’s quick, easy and free. With this software from the Cornell Lab of ...

Merlin, developed by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology in 2017, works in conjunction with its other app, eBird, which gathers and stores bird sightings from hoi polloi birders worldwide. Like its ...

I heard a tune playing over a grocery store’s sound system but could not recall the name of song or singer. I opened the Shazam app on my phone and nodded to myself — “You Never Can Tell” by Chuck ...