last year (October 5 2025 1am El Cerrito) and couldn't figure out what it
was, and Merlin didn't ID it. I eventually learned female Great Horned
Owl, and now Merlin has a section in the calls list for female, and makes
the proper ID live. (I didn't submit this, not trying to take credit!
Just saying the apps get better with more reference audio to compare to.)
The GHO pair still hang out, I'm listening to them now.
Best,
Bill
On Wed, Oct 21, 2026, 6:00 PM William Isaacs via groups.io <waisaacs=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> Thanks Jenn. I got another direct message seconding the Curlew idea. And
> your comment about variations in the flight vocalizations would explain my
> questions about not really matching the spectrograms, and why the apps
> didn't find a match: this particular call isn't in the databases. If I
> remember how to think like a scientist I can also come up with arguments
> about phone microphone sensitivity etc for getting a different looking
> sound fingerprint. I guess we'll see if anyone else jumps in and has other
> ideas.
>
> Thanks everyone, happy to be plugged in here.
>
> Bill
>
>
> On Wed, Oct 21, 2026, 5:32 PM jennyfuzzy <jennyfuzzy...> wrote:
>
>> Lol, you're right! I didn't see the 2nd half, on phone.
>>
>> Curlew very likely. They definitely relocate around here, at dusk,
>> [evening] for the night.
>>
>> They also have a lot of variety to their flight trill.
>>
>>
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Jennifer Fury
>>
>> Saltwater is the cure for everything, sweat, tears, or the sea 🌊
>>
>>
>> -------- Original message --------
>> From: William Isaacs <waisaacs...>
>> Date: 10/21/26 4:36 PM (GMT-08:00)
>> To: jennyfuzzy <jennyfuzzy...>
>> Cc: <chriswaterman555...>, <ebb-sightings...>
>> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] ID help from audio
>>
>> Hi Chris, Jenn,
>>
>> (And Ann, I got a direct response that looks like it wasn't copied to the
>> group)
>>
>> Jenn, all those details are in my note but I hid them under my sign off,
>> sorry.
>>
>> Chris, the curlew would fit the size for sure - our first thought was
>> migrating waterbirds. My ear for matching calls to reference recordings is
>> not great. Practice I guess. But I mentioned signal processing software,
>> and I love spectrograms, which I see as vocalization fingerprints. I can't
>> get a great zoomed image but I uploaded a screenshot
>>
>>
>> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PoY3q0eNNpNdMczlBGWKfRfmH1ZHI1oV/view?usp=drivesdk >>
>> Lots of background noise but the call is repeated several times and
>> always looks like it does in this clip.
>>
>> I didn't find a great match to this visually when I looked at the Curlew
>> or anything else I could think of. I'm not trying to argue that it's
>> definitely not a local, just that this particular call doesn't seem to be
>> in the databases. (Or maybe I need to clean up the audio first and try the
>> BirdNet Live match again?)
>>
>> I appreciate getting feedback so quickly, glad I found this group through
>> the GG Bird Alliance.
>>
>> Best,
>> Bill
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Oct 21, 2026, 4:25 PM jennyfuzzy <jennyfuzzy...> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi Bill,
>>>
>>> Welcome. Jenn here, also from El Cerrito.
>>> Could you please describe more detail about where , when, the recording
>>> was done? That would be of interest
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>>
>>> Jennifer Fury
>>>
>>> Saltwater is the cure for everything, sweat, tears, or the sea 🌊
>>>
>>>
>>> -------- Original message --------
>>> From: "Chris Waterman via groups.io" <chriswaterman555=
>>> <gmail.com...>
>>> Date: 10/21/26 3:38 PM (GMT-08:00)
>>> To: <waisaacs...>
>>> Cc: <ebb-sightings...>
>>> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] ID help from audio
>>>
>>> Hi Bill! Nice to meet you! I’m not super familiar with Long-billed
>>> Curlew vocals but something was telling me to check their calls. It does
>>> sound like a good match for the 5th recording on the Merlin app for the
>>> species. I’m interested to see what other birders think.
>>>
>>> Thanks for the posting!
>>>
>>> Chris Waterman
>>> Alameda, CA
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Oct 21, 2026, at 12:18 PM, William Isaacs via groups.io <waisaacs=
>>> <gmail.com...> wrote:
>>>
>>> 
>>>
>>> Hi East Bay Bird fans,
>>>
>>> Just joined this group, I am hoping for help from someone to make an ID
>>> from some audio and notes.
>>>
>>> I understand I should not attach anything here, so here's a link to the
>>> unprocessed audio file
>>>
>>>
>>> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1urQElJZrQmF2A8pWEXwOAqf-ynJKkqRw/view?usp=drivesdk >>>
>>> Apologies if I've misunderstood any of the group protocols, please let
>>> me know if so.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Bill Isaacs
>>> El Cerrito
>>>
>>>
>>> Sat Oct 17 2026 8:45pm
>>>
>>> Warm evening with the windows open, sitting in the house. My wife
>>> alerted me to a sound outside and we went to our deck facing south. The
>>> house is adjacent to the Hillside Natural space behind Ganges Ave in El
>>> Cerrito. I opened Merlin and started recording. She saw the silhouette
>>> outline of two large birds heading in the direction of San Francisco so
>>> SSW. They were gliding not much higher than roof height, so below the
>>> adjacent hillside tree levels. It was dark already so no features visible,
>>> but size at least in the vulture or large owl or large waterbird category.
>>> We suspected some migratory flyover, but we also think they must have
>>> perched nearby, because we heard them for a solid minute on the deck plus
>>> the time it took to get out there. (Don't know but it feels like a plain
>>> fly by would have gone faster.) Merlin did not make any identification
>>> suggestions.
>>>
>>> I got the latest BirdNet Live app, which will run the ID algorithms on
>>> audio files as well as listening live. It also didn't make a suggestion
>>> with the default settings. I completely removed the location filter, and it
>>> made one suggestion: a 59% match to a Black Kite. I went through the audio
>>> clips within Merlin for that species and it wasn't obvious to me that any
>>> was a good comparison to what we heard (plus they were all from Africa, but
>>> I recognize this may be a stray which explains why I didn't get an ID from
>>> Merlin). I reduced the probability filter to the minimum, but BirdNet Live
>>> didn't make any other suggestions. It's my first time using this app, so I
>>> don't know if I missed turning any knobs that would have helped.
>>>
>>> I'm a retired computer physicist, and have programmed my share of signal
>>> processing software, so I know very well how the audio ID works, its
>>> limitations, etc. Whenever I get a surprise match I try to find comparison
>>> audio to learn from. But here is a great case for human expertise, so I'm
>>> happy to consult a real person for this!
>>>
>>> I didn't know how to usefully navigate eBird to see if anyone reported
>>> something that aligns with the above. I did ask one of the AIs if there
>>> were any rare bird reports on eBird or Facebook near our area from that
>>> timeframe, and it couldn't find any.
>>>
>>> We're excited to learn what we heard, even if it somehow turns out to be
>>> something common. I haven't tried cleaning up the audio and running it
>>> again. Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>> Bill
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>
>
>
Date: 10/21/26 6:00 pm From: William Isaacs via groups.io <waisaacs...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] ID help from audio
Thanks Jenn. I got another direct message seconding the Curlew idea. And
your comment about variations in the flight vocalizations would explain my
questions about not really matching the spectrograms, and why the apps
didn't find a match: this particular call isn't in the databases. If I
remember how to think like a scientist I can also come up with arguments
about phone microphone sensitivity etc for getting a different looking
sound fingerprint. I guess we'll see if anyone else jumps in and has other
ideas.
Thanks everyone, happy to be plugged in here.
Bill
On Wed, Oct 21, 2026, 5:32 PM jennyfuzzy <jennyfuzzy...> wrote:
> Lol, you're right! I didn't see the 2nd half, on phone.
>
> Curlew very likely. They definitely relocate around here, at dusk,
> [evening] for the night.
>
> They also have a lot of variety to their flight trill.
>
>
>
> Cheers,
>
> Jennifer Fury
>
> Saltwater is the cure for everything, sweat, tears, or the sea 🌊
>
>
> -------- Original message --------
> From: William Isaacs <waisaacs...>
> Date: 10/21/26 4:36 PM (GMT-08:00)
> To: jennyfuzzy <jennyfuzzy...>
> Cc: <chriswaterman555...>, <ebb-sightings...>
> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] ID help from audio
>
> Hi Chris, Jenn,
>
> (And Ann, I got a direct response that looks like it wasn't copied to the
> group)
>
> Jenn, all those details are in my note but I hid them under my sign off,
> sorry.
>
> Chris, the curlew would fit the size for sure - our first thought was
> migrating waterbirds. My ear for matching calls to reference recordings is
> not great. Practice I guess. But I mentioned signal processing software,
> and I love spectrograms, which I see as vocalization fingerprints. I can't
> get a great zoomed image but I uploaded a screenshot
>
>
> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PoY3q0eNNpNdMczlBGWKfRfmH1ZHI1oV/view?usp=drivesdk >
> Lots of background noise but the call is repeated several times and always
> looks like it does in this clip.
>
> I didn't find a great match to this visually when I looked at the Curlew
> or anything else I could think of. I'm not trying to argue that it's
> definitely not a local, just that this particular call doesn't seem to be
> in the databases. (Or maybe I need to clean up the audio first and try the
> BirdNet Live match again?)
>
> I appreciate getting feedback so quickly, glad I found this group through
> the GG Bird Alliance.
>
> Best,
> Bill
>
>
> On Wed, Oct 21, 2026, 4:25 PM jennyfuzzy <jennyfuzzy...> wrote:
>
>> Hi Bill,
>>
>> Welcome. Jenn here, also from El Cerrito.
>> Could you please describe more detail about where , when, the recording
>> was done? That would be of interest
>>
>>
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Jennifer Fury
>>
>> Saltwater is the cure for everything, sweat, tears, or the sea 🌊
>>
>>
>> -------- Original message --------
>> From: "Chris Waterman via groups.io" <chriswaterman555=
>> <gmail.com...>
>> Date: 10/21/26 3:38 PM (GMT-08:00)
>> To: <waisaacs...>
>> Cc: <ebb-sightings...>
>> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] ID help from audio
>>
>> Hi Bill! Nice to meet you! I’m not super familiar with Long-billed
>> Curlew vocals but something was telling me to check their calls. It does
>> sound like a good match for the 5th recording on the Merlin app for the
>> species. I’m interested to see what other birders think.
>>
>> Thanks for the posting!
>>
>> Chris Waterman
>> Alameda, CA
>>
>>
>>
>> On Oct 21, 2026, at 12:18 PM, William Isaacs via groups.io <waisaacs=
>> <gmail.com...> wrote:
>>
>> 
>>
>> Hi East Bay Bird fans,
>>
>> Just joined this group, I am hoping for help from someone to make an ID
>> from some audio and notes.
>>
>> I understand I should not attach anything here, so here's a link to the
>> unprocessed audio file
>>
>>
>> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1urQElJZrQmF2A8pWEXwOAqf-ynJKkqRw/view?usp=drivesdk >>
>> Apologies if I've misunderstood any of the group protocols, please let me
>> know if so.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Bill Isaacs
>> El Cerrito
>>
>>
>> Sat Oct 17 2026 8:45pm
>>
>> Warm evening with the windows open, sitting in the house. My wife alerted
>> me to a sound outside and we went to our deck facing south. The house is
>> adjacent to the Hillside Natural space behind Ganges Ave in El Cerrito. I
>> opened Merlin and started recording. She saw the silhouette outline of two
>> large birds heading in the direction of San Francisco so SSW. They were
>> gliding not much higher than roof height, so below the adjacent hillside
>> tree levels. It was dark already so no features visible, but size at least
>> in the vulture or large owl or large waterbird category. We suspected some
>> migratory flyover, but we also think they must have perched nearby, because
>> we heard them for a solid minute on the deck plus the time it took to get
>> out there. (Don't know but it feels like a plain fly by would have gone
>> faster.) Merlin did not make any identification suggestions.
>>
>> I got the latest BirdNet Live app, which will run the ID algorithms on
>> audio files as well as listening live. It also didn't make a suggestion
>> with the default settings. I completely removed the location filter, and it
>> made one suggestion: a 59% match to a Black Kite. I went through the audio
>> clips within Merlin for that species and it wasn't obvious to me that any
>> was a good comparison to what we heard (plus they were all from Africa, but
>> I recognize this may be a stray which explains why I didn't get an ID from
>> Merlin). I reduced the probability filter to the minimum, but BirdNet Live
>> didn't make any other suggestions. It's my first time using this app, so I
>> don't know if I missed turning any knobs that would have helped.
>>
>> I'm a retired computer physicist, and have programmed my share of signal
>> processing software, so I know very well how the audio ID works, its
>> limitations, etc. Whenever I get a surprise match I try to find comparison
>> audio to learn from. But here is a great case for human expertise, so I'm
>> happy to consult a real person for this!
>>
>> I didn't know how to usefully navigate eBird to see if anyone reported
>> something that aligns with the above. I did ask one of the AIs if there
>> were any rare bird reports on eBird or Facebook near our area from that
>> timeframe, and it couldn't find any.
>>
>> We're excited to learn what we heard, even if it somehow turns out to be
>> something common. I haven't tried cleaning up the audio and running it
>> again. Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Bill
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
Date: 10/21/26 5:32 pm From: JENNIFER FURY via groups.io <jennyfuzzy...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] ID help from audio
Lol, you're right! I didn't see the 2nd half, on phone.Curlew very likely. They definitely relocate around here, at dusk, [evening] for the night.They also have a lot of variety to their flight trill. Cheers,Jennifer Fury Saltwater is the cure for everything, sweat, tears, or the sea 🌊 -------- Original message --------From: William Isaacs <waisaacs...> Date: 10/21/26 4:36 PM (GMT-08:00) To: jennyfuzzy <jennyfuzzy...> Cc: <chriswaterman555...>, <ebb-sightings...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] ID help from audio Hi Chris, Jenn,(And Ann, I got a direct response that looks like it wasn't copied to the group)Jenn, all those details are in my note but I hid them under my sign off, sorry.Chris, the curlew would fit the size for sure - our first thought was migrating waterbirds. My ear for matching calls to reference recordings is not great. Practice I guess. But I mentioned signal processing software, and I love spectrograms, which I see as vocalization fingerprints. I can't get a great zoomed image but I uploaded a screenshot https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PoY3q0eNNpNdMczlBGWKfRfmH1ZHI1oV/view?usp=drivesdkLots of background noise but the call is repeated several times and always looks like it does in this clip.I didn't find a great match to this visually when I looked at the Curlew or anything else I could think of. I'm not trying to argue that it's definitely not a local, just that this particular call doesn't seem to be in the databases. (Or maybe I need to clean up the audio first and try the BirdNet Live match again?)I appreciate getting feedback so quickly, glad I found this group through the GG Bird Alliance.Best,BillOn Wed, Oct 21, 2026, 4:25 PM jennyfuzzy <jennyfuzzy...> wrote:Hi Bill,Welcome. Jenn here, also from El Cerrito. Could you please describe more detail about where , when, the recording was done? That would be of interest Cheers,Jennifer Fury Saltwater is the cure for everything, sweat, tears, or the sea 🌊 -------- Original message --------From: "Chris Waterman via groups.io" <chriswaterman555...> Date: 10/21/26 3:38 PM (GMT-08:00) To: <waisaacs...> Cc: <ebb-sightings...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] ID help from audio Hi Bill! Nice to meet you! I’m not super familiar with Long-billed Curlew vocals but something was telling me to check their calls. It does sound like a good match for the 5th recording on the Merlin app for the species. I’m interested to see what other birders think. Thanks for the posting!Chris WatermanAlameda, CAOn Oct 21, 2026, at 12:18 PM, William Isaacs via groups.io <waisaacs...> wrote:Hi East Bay Bird fans,Just joined this group, I am hoping for help from someone to make an ID from some audio and notes. I understand I should not attach anything here, so here's a link to the unprocessed audio file https://drive.google.com/file/d/1urQElJZrQmF2A8pWEXwOAqf-ynJKkqRw/view?usp=drivesdkApologies if I've misunderstood any of the group protocols, please let me know if so.Thanks,Bill IsaacsEl CerritoSat Oct 17 2026 8:45pmWarm evening with the windows open, sitting in the house. My wife alerted me to a sound outside and we went to our deck facing south. The house is adjacent to the Hillside Natural space behind Ganges Ave in El Cerrito. I opened Merlin and started recording. She saw the silhouette outline of two large birds heading in the direction of San Francisco so SSW. They were gliding not much higher than roof height, so below the adjacent hillside tree levels. It was dark already so no features visible, but size at least in the vulture or large owl or large waterbird category. We suspected some migratory flyover, but we also think they must have perched nearby, because we heard them for a solid minute on the deck plus the time it took to get out there. (Don't know but it feels like a plain fly by would have gone faster.) Merlin did not make any identification suggestions. I got the latest BirdNet Live app, which will run the ID algorithms on audio files as well as listening live. It also didn't make a suggestion with the default settings. I completely removed the location filter, and it made one suggestion: a 59% match to a Black Kite. I went through the audio clips within Merlin for that species and it wasn't obvious to me that any was a good comparison to what we heard (plus they were all from Africa, but I recognize this may be a stray which explains why I didn't get an ID from Merlin). I reduced the probability filter to the minimum, but BirdNet Live didn't make any other suggestions. It's my first time using this app, so I don't know if I missed turning any knobs that would have helped.I'm a retired computer physicist, and have programmed my share of signal processing software, so I know very well how the audio ID works, its limitations, etc. Whenever I get a surprise match I try to find comparison audio to learn from. But here is a great case for human expertise, so I'm happy to consult a real person for this!I didn't know how to usefully navigate eBird to see if anyone reported something that aligns with the above. I did ask one of the AIs if there were any rare bird reports on eBird or Facebook near our area from that timeframe, and it couldn't find any.We're excited to learn what we heard, even if it somehow turns out to be something common. I haven't tried cleaning up the audio and running it again. Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.Thanks,BillÂ
Date: 10/21/26 4:37 pm From: William Isaacs via groups.io <waisaacs...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] ID help from audio
Hi Chris, Jenn,
(And Ann, I got a direct response that looks like it wasn't copied to the
group)
Jenn, all those details are in my note but I hid them under my sign off,
sorry.
Chris, the curlew would fit the size for sure - our first thought was
migrating waterbirds. My ear for matching calls to reference recordings is
not great. Practice I guess. But I mentioned signal processing software,
and I love spectrograms, which I see as vocalization fingerprints. I can't
get a great zoomed image but I uploaded a screenshot
Lots of background noise but the call is repeated several times and always
looks like it does in this clip.
I didn't find a great match to this visually when I looked at the Curlew or
anything else I could think of. I'm not trying to argue that it's
definitely not a local, just that this particular call doesn't seem to be
in the databases. (Or maybe I need to clean up the audio first and try the
BirdNet Live match again?)
I appreciate getting feedback so quickly, glad I found this group through
the GG Bird Alliance.
Best,
Bill
On Wed, Oct 21, 2026, 4:25 PM jennyfuzzy <jennyfuzzy...> wrote:
> Hi Bill,
>
> Welcome. Jenn here, also from El Cerrito.
> Could you please describe more detail about where , when, the recording
> was done? That would be of interest
>
>
>
> Cheers,
>
> Jennifer Fury
>
> Saltwater is the cure for everything, sweat, tears, or the sea 🌊
>
>
> -------- Original message --------
> From: "Chris Waterman via groups.io" <chriswaterman555...>
>
> Date: 10/21/26 3:38 PM (GMT-08:00)
> To: <waisaacs...>
> Cc: <ebb-sightings...>
> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] ID help from audio
>
> Hi Bill! Nice to meet you! I’m not super familiar with Long-billed
> Curlew vocals but something was telling me to check their calls. It does
> sound like a good match for the 5th recording on the Merlin app for the
> species. I’m interested to see what other birders think.
>
> Thanks for the posting!
>
> Chris Waterman
> Alameda, CA
>
>
>
> On Oct 21, 2026, at 12:18 PM, William Isaacs via groups.io <waisaacs=
> <gmail.com...> wrote:
>
> 
>
> Hi East Bay Bird fans,
>
> Just joined this group, I am hoping for help from someone to make an ID
> from some audio and notes.
>
> I understand I should not attach anything here, so here's a link to the
> unprocessed audio file
>
>
> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1urQElJZrQmF2A8pWEXwOAqf-ynJKkqRw/view?usp=drivesdk >
> Apologies if I've misunderstood any of the group protocols, please let me
> know if so.
>
> Thanks,
> Bill Isaacs
> El Cerrito
>
>
> Sat Oct 17 2026 8:45pm
>
> Warm evening with the windows open, sitting in the house. My wife alerted
> me to a sound outside and we went to our deck facing south. The house is
> adjacent to the Hillside Natural space behind Ganges Ave in El Cerrito. I
> opened Merlin and started recording. She saw the silhouette outline of two
> large birds heading in the direction of San Francisco so SSW. They were
> gliding not much higher than roof height, so below the adjacent hillside
> tree levels. It was dark already so no features visible, but size at least
> in the vulture or large owl or large waterbird category. We suspected some
> migratory flyover, but we also think they must have perched nearby, because
> we heard them for a solid minute on the deck plus the time it took to get
> out there. (Don't know but it feels like a plain fly by would have gone
> faster.) Merlin did not make any identification suggestions.
>
> I got the latest BirdNet Live app, which will run the ID algorithms on
> audio files as well as listening live. It also didn't make a suggestion
> with the default settings. I completely removed the location filter, and it
> made one suggestion: a 59% match to a Black Kite. I went through the audio
> clips within Merlin for that species and it wasn't obvious to me that any
> was a good comparison to what we heard (plus they were all from Africa, but
> I recognize this may be a stray which explains why I didn't get an ID from
> Merlin). I reduced the probability filter to the minimum, but BirdNet Live
> didn't make any other suggestions. It's my first time using this app, so I
> don't know if I missed turning any knobs that would have helped.
>
> I'm a retired computer physicist, and have programmed my share of signal
> processing software, so I know very well how the audio ID works, its
> limitations, etc. Whenever I get a surprise match I try to find comparison
> audio to learn from. But here is a great case for human expertise, so I'm
> happy to consult a real person for this!
>
> I didn't know how to usefully navigate eBird to see if anyone reported
> something that aligns with the above. I did ask one of the AIs if there
> were any rare bird reports on eBird or Facebook near our area from that
> timeframe, and it couldn't find any.
>
> We're excited to learn what we heard, even if it somehow turns out to be
> something common. I haven't tried cleaning up the audio and running it
> again. Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Bill
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Date: 10/21/26 4:25 pm From: JENNIFER FURY via groups.io <jennyfuzzy...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] ID help from audio
Hi Bill,Welcome. Jenn here, also from El Cerrito. Could you please describe more detail about where , when, the recording was done? That would be of interest Cheers,Jennifer Fury Saltwater is the cure for everything, sweat, tears, or the sea 🌊 -------- Original message --------From: "Chris Waterman via groups.io" <chriswaterman555...> Date: 10/21/26 3:38 PM (GMT-08:00) To: <waisaacs...> Cc: <ebb-sightings...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] ID help from audio Hi Bill!  Nice to meet you!  I’m not super familiar with Long-billed Curlew vocals but something was telling me to check their calls.  It does sound like a good match for the 5th recording on the Merlin app for the species. I’m interested to see what other birders think. Thanks for the posting!Chris WatermanAlameda, CAOn Oct 21, 2026, at 12:18 PM, William Isaacs via groups.io <waisaacs...> wrote:Hi East Bay Bird fans,Just joined this group, I am hoping for help from someone to make an ID from some audio and notes. I understand I should not attach anything here, so here's a link to the unprocessed audio file https://drive.google.com/file/d/1urQElJZrQmF2A8pWEXwOAqf-ynJKkqRw/view?usp=drivesdkApologies if I've misunderstood any of the group protocols, please let me know if so.Thanks,Bill IsaacsEl CerritoSat Oct 17 2026 8:45pmWarm evening with the windows open, sitting in the house. My wife alerted me to a sound outside and we went to our deck facing south. The house is adjacent to the Hillside Natural space behind Ganges Ave in El Cerrito. I opened Merlin and started recording. She saw the silhouette outline of two large birds heading in the direction of San Francisco so SSW. They were gliding not much higher than roof height, so below the adjacent hillside tree levels. It was dark already so no features visible, but size at least in the vulture or large owl or large waterbird category. We suspected some migratory flyover, but we also think they must have perched nearby, because we heard them for a solid minute on the deck plus the time it took to get out there. (Don't know but it feels like a plain fly by would have gone faster.) Merlin did not make any identification suggestions. I got the latest BirdNet Live app, which will run the ID algorithms on audio files as well as listening live. It also didn't make a suggestion with the default settings. I completely removed the location filter, and it made one suggestion: a 59% match to a Black Kite. I went through the audio clips within Merlin for that species and it wasn't obvious to me that any was a good comparison to what we heard (plus they were all from Africa, but I recognize this may be a stray which explains why I didn't get an ID from Merlin). I reduced the probability filter to the minimum, but BirdNet Live didn't make any other suggestions. It's my first time using this app, so I don't know if I missed turning any knobs that would have helped.I'm a retired computer physicist, and have programmed my share of signal processing software, so I know very well how the audio ID works, its limitations, etc. Whenever I get a surprise match I try to find comparison audio to learn from. But here is a great case for human expertise, so I'm happy to consult a real person for this!I didn't know how to usefully navigate eBird to see if anyone reported something that aligns with the above. I did ask one of the AIs if there were any rare bird reports on eBird or Facebook near our area from that timeframe, and it couldn't find any.We're excited to learn what we heard, even if it somehow turns out to be something common. I haven't tried cleaning up the audio and running it again. Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.Thanks,BillÂ
Date: 10/21/26 3:38 pm From: Chris Waterman via groups.io <chriswaterman555...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] ID help from audio
Hi Bill! Nice to meet you! I’m not super familiar with Long-billed Curlew vocals but something was telling me to check their calls. It does sound like a good match for the 5th recording on the Merlin app for the species. I’m interested to see what other birders think.
Thanks for the posting!
Chris Waterman
Alameda, CA
> On Oct 21, 2026, at 12:18 PM, William Isaacs via groups.io <waisaacs...> wrote:
>
> 
>
> Hi East Bay Bird fans,
>
> Just joined this group, I am hoping for help from someone to make an ID from some audio and notes.
>
> I understand I should not attach anything here, so here's a link to the unprocessed audio file
>
> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1urQElJZrQmF2A8pWEXwOAqf-ynJKkqRw/view?usp=drivesdk >
> Apologies if I've misunderstood any of the group protocols, please let me know if so.
>
> Thanks,
> Bill Isaacs
> El Cerrito
>
>
> Sat Oct 17 2026 8:45pm
>
> Warm evening with the windows open, sitting in the house. My wife alerted me to a sound outside and we went to our deck facing south. The house is adjacent to the Hillside Natural space behind Ganges Ave in El Cerrito. I opened Merlin and started recording. She saw the silhouette outline of two large birds heading in the direction of San Francisco so SSW. They were gliding not much higher than roof height, so below the adjacent hillside tree levels. It was dark already so no features visible, but size at least in the vulture or large owl or large waterbird category. We suspected some migratory flyover, but we also think they must have perched nearby, because we heard them for a solid minute on the deck plus the time it took to get out there. (Don't know but it feels like a plain fly by would have gone faster.) Merlin did not make any identification suggestions.
>
> I got the latest BirdNet Live app, which will run the ID algorithms on audio files as well as listening live. It also didn't make a suggestion with the default settings. I completely removed the location filter, and it made one suggestion: a 59% match to a Black Kite. I went through the audio clips within Merlin for that species and it wasn't obvious to me that any was a good comparison to what we heard (plus they were all from Africa, but I recognize this may be a stray which explains why I didn't get an ID from Merlin). I reduced the probability filter to the minimum, but BirdNet Live didn't make any other suggestions. It's my first time using this app, so I don't know if I missed turning any knobs that would have helped.
>
> I'm a retired computer physicist, and have programmed my share of signal processing software, so I know very well how the audio ID works, its limitations, etc. Whenever I get a surprise match I try to find comparison audio to learn from. But here is a great case for human expertise, so I'm happy to consult a real person for this!
>
> I didn't know how to usefully navigate eBird to see if anyone reported something that aligns with the above. I did ask one of the AIs if there were any rare bird reports on eBird or Facebook near our area from that timeframe, and it couldn't find any.
>
> We're excited to learn what we heard, even if it somehow turns out to be something common. I haven't tried cleaning up the audio and running it again. Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Bill
>
>
>
>
>
>
Apologies if I've misunderstood any of the group protocols, please let me know if so.
Thanks, Bill Isaacs El Cerrito
Sat Oct 17 2026 8:45pm
Warm evening with the windows open, sitting in the house. My wife alerted me to a sound outside and we went to our deck facing south. The house is adjacent to the Hillside Natural space behind Ganges Ave in El Cerrito. I opened Merlin and started recording. She saw the silhouette outline of two large birds heading in the direction of San Francisco so SSW. They were gliding not much higher than roof height, so below the adjacent hillside tree levels. It was dark already so no features visible, but size at least in the vulture or large owl or large waterbird category. We suspected some migratory flyover, but we also think they must have perched nearby, because we heard them for a solid minute on the deck plus the time it took to get out there. (Don't know but it feels like a plain fly by would have gone faster.) Merlin did not make any identification suggestions.
I got the latest BirdNet Live app, which will run the ID algorithms on audio files as well as listening live. It also didn't make a suggestion with the default settings. I completely removed the location filter, and it made one suggestion: a 59% match to a Black Kite. I went through the audio clips within Merlin for that species and it wasn't obvious to me that any was a good comparison to what we heard (plus they were all from Africa, but I recognize this may be a stray which explains why I didn't get an ID from Merlin). I reduced the probability filter to the minimum, but BirdNet Live didn't make any other suggestions. It's my first time using this app, so I don't know if I missed turning any knobs that would have helped.
I'm a retired computer physicist, and have programmed my share of signal processing software, so I know very well how the audio ID works, its limitations, etc. Whenever I get a surprise match I try to find comparison audio to learn from. But here is a great case for human expertise, so I'm happy to consult a real person for this!
I didn't know how to usefully navigate eBird to see if anyone reported something that aligns with the above. I did ask one of the AIs if there were any rare bird reports on eBird or Facebook near our area from that timeframe, and it couldn't find any.
We're excited to learn what we heard, even if it somehow turns out to be something common. I haven't tried cleaning up the audio and running it again. Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.
It has been a second since any reports of these in Contra Costa County, but someone reported another (?) nutcracker on Mt. Diablo yesterday, on iNat: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/408375634
Date: 10/14/26 1:40 pm From: JENNIFER FURY via groups.io <jennyfuzzy...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] 10/14, RE: Still there. Red Cross-bills at the Tilden Botanical Garden
Good sized flock , 15 or so, still there this morning, inside the BG fence boundary. South end.Also a good pile O' Townsends and Kinglets at the very north end... With a coyote to boot.Cheers,Jennifer Fury Saltwater is the cure for everything, sweat, tears, or the sea 🌊 -------- Original message --------From: "Claude Lyneis via groups.io" <cmlyneis...> Date: 10/13/26 5:39 PM (GMT-08:00) To: EBB Sightings <EBB-Sightings...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Red Cross-bills at the Tilden Botanical Garden I walked from the Lake Anza Swimming Area to the Botanical Garden hoping to see an Evening Grosbeak, as recently reported.  But when I got to the Botanical Garden, several birders were watching for a small flock of Red Crossbills.After about 1/2 hour at least 20 flew into the trees.  It was the first time I have seen them in the Bay Area and as has been reported they may be part of a montane irruption.The lighting was challenging but the photos leave now doubt they were Red Crossbills.Red-Crossbill Botanical Gardenflic.kr Claude <Lyneiscmlyneis...>://www.youtube.com/bhsvideodadFlickr Photos at https://flic.kr/ps/36it5P
Date: 10/13/26 5:39 pm From: Claude Lyneis via groups.io <cmlyneis...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Red Cross-bills at the Tilden Botanical Garden
I walked from the Lake Anza Swimming Area to the Botanical Garden hoping to see an Evening Grosbeak, as recently reported. But when I got to the Botanical Garden, several birders were watching for a small flock of Red Crossbills.
After about 1/2 hour at least 20 flew into the trees. It was the first time I have seen them in the Bay Area and as has been reported they may be part of a montane irruption.
The lighting was challenging but the photos leave now doubt they were Red Crossbills.
Date: 10/12/26 2:36 pm From: lswaim via groups.io <lswaim...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Common Murre, Arrowhead Marsh
Greetings,
This morning I observed a Common Murre land in the marsh channel near the observation platform/boardwalk at Arrowhead Marsh. It swam slowly out toward the bay. It was a first sighting for me at this location.
I spent yet another fruitless morning looking for Pinyon Jays, this time along Morgan Territory Road. The only sign of the montane irruption was a Cassin’s Finch at the Diablo Bowmen archery range, otherwise all normal. I then spent the afternoon in the delta. At Clifton the winds were 30+ mph, but two Sabines Gulls were acrobatically foraging in them. Afterwards, Holland Tract was completely windless. I turned up 3 Gray-headed Orange-crowns and 3 Cranes, and watched a drone (that makes peregrine falcon sounds) chase a flock of a few thousand blackbirds around the rice fields. Most were Red-winged but I estimated that about 300 were Yellow-headed.
Yesterday, a quick afternoon trip to Landfill Loop produced a Loggerhead Shrike on the landfill’s northern edge. This species is quite rare in Richmond and this was my first sighting. This is presumably the same bird found by Susana de Trapaga here in early September.
Date: 9/27/26 7:52 pm From: Zac Denning via groups.io <zdenning1...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Community meeting: Plans for Golden Gate Fields Race Track site in Albany/Berkeley
This was only announced Friday apparently, but there’s a community meeting
5pm tomorrow / Monday 9/28, at the Albany Community Center (library
building), to discuss plans and get input on what is East Bay Regional Parks
District should do with the old Golden Gate Fields racetrack site:
