Birding and Tech, a project

[buckland]

Raspberry Pi is the" erector-set" of today... the tiny circuit board is a powerful computer for 1000 projects. It is a wonderful project based learning with a million applications. A hobbyist's dream. Wicked powerful it can be programed ( with free downloadable software) to do a lot of stuff.

With a tiny cheap 'computer' ...a Raspberry pi with a quality sound card and microphone ($20) and some downloadable free software, putting the microphone through to outside, it will take 30 second recordings all day and ID’s the birds it hears then sends you an email once a day with the time, species and number. It also sends the info to the Cornell University bird info dept. (they run the Merlin App I use to ID with iPhone mic). I have a raspberry Pi and this will be a fun project. The Raspberry pi can be used on 110 volt or with a $10 plug on 12 V. So good for home or on the road in the camper.

https://www.makeuseof.com/identify-bird-sounds-birdnet-raspberry-pi/

https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-i-used-a-raspberry-pi-to-automate-birdwatching/

And this is real cool...
https://app.birdweather.com

This would be a wonderful tool to ID when to set up a chair and camera.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Now that is a great use of technology!

 

[Dipodomys]

Very cool. I use the Merlin app all the time and might have to build one of these.

 

[buckland]

Here is a pdf of info

 

[CPT Davenport]

Very cool. We have really enjoyed the accuracy of the Merlin app. As an educator myself this little thing looks like a fun project with many uses. I may get one as something to tinker with this winter. If it’s anything like last winter I will have plenty of indoor project time on my hands.

 

[buckland]

The exact reason I put together the R-PI 4 ... winters with jigsaw puzzles, making stew on the wood stove any and all projects to distract from the dark at 4 PM . I bought a real cheap bluetooth keyboard (it can be hardwired too) and use the TV screen as a monitor. There are tons of projects for it but I thought this birding setup would compliment the trail cameras in our woods. Love knowing what's going on out there out of sight. This R-PI program was started to empower kids to do 'thinking' stuff like we did as kids with Erector sets or a bag of pulleys and rope. I got my start with the Canakit https://www.canakit.com and bought just the parts I wanted. Feel free to PM if you have questions. At my age it is good to keep the "top knot" challenged with problem solving.

 

[DavidGraves]

Hi Buckland

So, can you show me how to use my TV remote ?

David Graves

 

[Stray Dog]

Very interesting! a couple of questions...

can it be made portable? would be teriffic at any given campsite, especially overnight or longer...

can it run on 12 V?

what are it's power requirements? an inverter could be used I guess but I wonder what the draw might be...

thanks for posting such an intriguing idea!

 

[buckland]

It certainly is portable. The power supply is either 110V or 12V. ($10 plug) If you have internet you go to the portal and see the uploaded data with links to more info. If you'd like another project one can take an old tablet screen and make a monitor out of it for the camper... light weight and put anywhere. The Raspberry PI is no lightweight ...it runs Linux and looks like a PC desktop screen. My small bluetooth keyboard has a trackpad as well. I just attached a 450Gig SSD drive that is 2"x 2"x.25". Remarkable

 

[buckland]

Hello all
Over the last year I had a project which utilizes a Raspberry -Pi computer, sound card and microphone. It monitors by audio recording Al bird songs and analyzing them through the Cornell University database ( which is also used for the Merlin App).
It was a tech project most folks aren’t interested in but the outcome of it most certainly is.
The individual who started this world wide project and who runs the Birdweather site started a Kickstarter fund raising on a unit which is a next generation of my homemade version, called Puc. It is a very small unit you can have at home or toss in the backpack and take along wherever you go. It does it all with a one button setup!
This birding ID unit looks like it will take off! I thought I should send this info out for folks to decide if they want to get a deal while it lasts.
Attached below is an information site.

Happy birding.

Rob

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/scribelabs/birdweather-puc


https://app.birdweather.com/stations/1597


Sent from my iPad