A bit of a different take on twitching to say the least!

The Cornell University Merlin App when you open it suggests a Bird of the day you are likely to see. I believe based on location season and Ebird reports in that area.

I don't know the algorithm behind it works........as it says a new bird each day through the year...well I ain't going to get 365 different species in Cheshire this year. Mr. A Hugh Pulsford and Jane Turner might be having words with me if I claimed that many birds in Cheshire!

So we will see how the Merlin App decides what is MY "Bird of the Day" (BOTD) (it does seem to take your location from when your first open the App on a day) it might be worth waiting to open the Merlin App actually at the place you are birding?

Some days I also forgot to look so they are "Miss" days (4/13% in table).

But at least six or seven days I managed to look before I left the house and thought "Ah, not Marbury today, need to go to Spike Island", "First visit of the year to Woolston #3 bed", "Nah scratch that.....go to Rixton for Skylark".

And the No....well just had life, work, kids etc so sometimes it was not to be.

So here is my January.

55% I found my bird of the day (BOTD). 13% I missed my bird of the day as I forgot to check on Merlin what it was.