Introducing Merlin

Since Mayday is thought of as the beginning of summer, the continuing spell of unusually warm weather is very definitely summery rather than half way between the start of spring and the start of summer. Just as nine o'clock comes around we often get a robot scam call likewise at lunchtime. Each time a different fake caller number is displayed. I reached the phone to pick up and leave to one side idle, keeping the line open until the robot scammer times out. Speak, and an automatic message is delivered called for a response. The longer the line is idle the fewer numbers robo-scammer can auto-dial. If the voicemail message kicks in, a notification is left reporting the fake number as a missed call. You're then stuck with a phone which bleeps you about missed calls, and obliges you to return the call, you cannot just delete it, unless there is some arcane way of doing this I haven't yet discovered. Such a nuisance.

Again it's 22C today. Ann's experience with the Merlin app yesterday convinced me to give it a try, so I installed it on my phone, and tested it again one of yesterday's recordings in the park, which I knew was a blackbird. The app confirmed this. Then I tried a four minute file of birdsong in the Taffside woodlands. I was astonished that the app recognised snatches of ten birds, including a peregrine falcon which nests in Llandaff Cathedral tower. It distinguished between song and missle thrushes, identified a blackcap which I've only ever caught a glimpse of, a nuthatch, a robin, and so on. All of these I know and most of them I have caught sight of at one time or another. It's amazingly good, designed and run by Cornell University. It's a research tool that can be used wherever you are in the world, and the data helps build a live data map which ornithology students can refer to. I love this idea and its outworking. No ads!

By the time I'd properly labelled all my edited bird song files and deleted the raw audio files, it was time to cook lunch, to convert fish pie mix from the Market into a slow cooking paella, going carefully, using risotto rice, as we can't get hold of paella rice at the moment. An enjoyable experience with bright sunlight to lighten the mood even further. Clare returned from the shop just when it was ready to serve.

There were more heavy grocery items to go shopping for after lunch, then a walk in the park. Again I feel physically tired today, yet I've not been exercising any more than usual lately. The Fitbit app keeps telling me I'm 'overdoing training' and need to rest more. I don't train, but follow the same routine of being in the fresh air for at least two hours every day. Could it be that I'm starting to wear out? I decided to reduce my daily step and distance target by ten percent, to see if it makes any difference. It's true I'm walking more slowly, taking longer to cover my target distance. Clare's painful hip is compelling her to walk at nearly half her usual pace. It means re-calculating the estimated time taken to walk to routine destinations, like church, Beanfreaks, the surgery, nearest bus stops etc. More trials of senescence.

After supper I looked at photos taken in the park of people enjoying the sunshine, as I did yesterday. Youngsters horse riding, playing rugby a barbecue picnic, swimming at Blackweir. Thinking about how to exhibit these in an interesting way in a photobook or a gallery display. Every picture tells a story, but how to get them to tell a story together that makes sense? It's something I'm not familiar with.

The the premiere of a Friday night 'Walter Presents' series called 'Panda', a French comedy flic story with a whodunit mystery tackled by an inexperienced investigator and an ex-cop with Sherlock Homes type powers of observation, who/s dropped out of the force and turned into hippie dropout beach bum yogi who gets in her way. It's quite funny, and the French is easy to follow. Then bed.