How to plan birdsong practice sessions around watch time in 2026

A plain guide for birdwatchers to plan birdsong practice sessions around watch time, with steps, tool options and common mistakes to avoid.

By XP Daily · 2026-11-03

XP Daily is published by the makers of DaysAid, QuickDictate and YTSort, which are compared here alongside other tools.

To plan birdsong practice around watch time, list your free time, the species on your next walks, and the recordings for each one, then fit those recordings into time slots by length. Keep the plan in one place and review it after a few sessions.

Option	How it fits the plan
Notebook list	You write each recording's length and choose the order by hand
Spreadsheet	You sort a length column that you fill in
YTSort	Reorders a YouTube playlist you own by video length, shortest or longest first ^[1]

What you need before you start

Planning birdsong practice around watch time takes only a few things. Start with the free time you have on a typical day, since that decides how long each session can run. Next, list the species you expect to meet on your upcoming walks, so the practice points at calls you will actually hear.

Gather the recordings or videos you plan to study and note the length shown on each thumbnail. Keep the plan in one place, such as a notebook or a spreadsheet, so the order does not get lost. Set the plan up before the season starts, not on the morning of a walk, so you have time to adjust it.

Step by step

These steps work with any method, from a notebook to a tool.

Write down the free time you have on a typical day, in minutes.
List the species you want to learn for your next outings.
Gather recordings for each species and note each one's length from its thumbnail.
Group recordings that belong together, such as one species or one habitat.
Fit each group into your free time slots, and keep one short slot for quick review.
Give longer recordings a slot where you can pay full attention.
Order the list so the calls you find hardest come after the ones you already know.
Run a session and note which calls you missed.
Repeat the missed calls in the next session.
Review the plan each week and move anything that is not working.

Tools that can do it

You do not need software for this. A notebook list and a spreadsheet both work, and you control every step. Check each option's own page for its details, since none are described here.

YTSort is a free browser tool that reorders a YouTube playlist you own by video length, shortest or longest first. ^[1] It can also sort only videos within a length range and move the rest to the end. ^[1] Before anything changes, it shows the before and after order so you can check it. ^[1] Once the order is applied, it checks the result and fixes any moves that did not stick. ^[1]

You can get it through a bookmark, a browser script, or a Chrome Web Store extension. ^[1] The extension needs Chrome or Edge, and the script version works in any browser, including Firefox, with Tampermonkey, Violentmonkey or Greasemonkey installed. ^[1]

Common mistakes to avoid

Planning around length alone. A short recording can be dense and a long one can be slow. Look at what each recording covers before you slot it in.

Mixing species in one slot. Switching between many calls at once makes each one harder to pick out. Group recordings by species or habitat.

Skipping the check. Read the plan once before you start, so you notice slots that are too short for the recordings they hold.

Ignoring who owns the playlist. Reordering works on a playlist you own. ^[1] If the recordings belong to someone else, copy them into your own playlist first or keep a written list.

Never reviewing the plan. If a session keeps missing the same calls, change the plan instead of repeating it.

Frequently asked questions

How do birdwatchers plan birdsong practice around watch time?

List the free time you have on a typical day, then the species you expect to meet on your next walks, then the recordings for each species. Fit those recordings into time slots by their length, so each session matches the time you have. Read the plan once before you start, and after a few sessions change it if the same calls keep slipping. Keeping the plan in one notebook or spreadsheet makes it easy to adjust without starting over.

How does YTSort sort a YouTube playlist by video length?

YTSort reorders a YouTube playlist you own by video length, shortest or longest first. ^[1] It reorders the videos for you, so you do not have to drag or scroll them yourself. ^[1] It sorts the full playlist, not only the videos loaded on screen. ^[1] Its stats show the total, average, shortest and longest video duration for the playlist. ^[1]

Can YTSort show the new playlist order before it is applied?

Yes. It shows the before and after order so you can check it first. ^[1] After sorting, it reads the playlist back from YouTube and re-applies any moves that did not stick, so the order you see is the order that was saved. ^[1] Read the new list once from top to bottom before you start watching, especially if your course builds one lesson on the last.

Which browsers work with YTSort?

The extension needs Chrome or Edge. The script version works in any browser, including Firefox, once Tampermonkey, Violentmonkey or Greasemonkey is installed. These are small add-ons that run scripts for you. ^[1] You can also get YTSort as a bookmark that runs it, a browser script, or a Chrome Web Store extension, so pick the form that suits your browser. ^[1]

Is YTSort free to use?

YTSort is free, and all install options include the same features. ^[1] The software is open-source under the GPL-2.0-only licence. ^[1] Check the licence text itself for what you may do with the software. It can also sort only videos within a length range and move the rest to the end. ^[1]

YTSort is free; all install options include the same features. ^[1]

Try YTSort

Sources

YTSort's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)