If you booted up Biekka Games' cozy desktop companion today only to find an empty balcony and your hard-earned Crow Coins gone, you are not alone. The Birdwatching Notebook mac save missing error has been a major point of frustration for players following the game's recent patch. Fortunately, your progress isn't deleted—it is simply trapped in a hidden default folder on your Mac.
In this deep-dive guide, we will walk you through the exact steps to rescue your avian friends, explain the Unity engine quirk that caused the issue, and show you how to safeguard your custom Blueprint designs moving forward. Unlike shallow forum threads that merely suggest verifying your game cache—a step that will not work for this specific directory error—this guide breaks down the file-system migration required to restore your game.
Why Is the Birdwatching Notebook Mac Save Missing Error Happening?
To understand how to fix the issue, you first need to understand why it happened. Birdwatching Notebook launched on May 26, 2026, to "Overwhelmingly Positive" reviews. Players immediately fell in love with the ability to turn their screen corners into vibrant coastal piers, cliffs, rainforests, and deserts. However, behind the scenes, the MacOS version of the game was shipped with a minor configuration oversight in its engine.
The game was developed using the Unity engine. By default, Unity routes a game's save data to a specific variable called Application.persistentDataPath. If a developer does not manually update their company name in the engine's Player Settings before compiling the MacOS build, Unity defaults to creating a folder named com.DefaultCompany.[ProjectName].
When players first installed the game on May 26, their Mac created a folder called com.DefaultCompany.DeskBird—revealing that "DeskBird" was the game's internal prototype codename. Every photograph you snapped, every unique behavior you documented, and every lifer you spotted was saved into this "DeskBird" folder.
On May 28, 2026, Biekka Games pushed a hotfix to MacOS Depot 4111372. This patch corrected the directory path so that the game would properly save to a dedicated Birdwatching Notebook folder. However, the patch lacked an automated migration script to move your existing files over. As a result, when you launch the updated game, it looks inside the new, completely empty folder. Your 20 hours of gameplay are still perfectly safe on your hard drive; the game simply forgot where to look for them.
Step-by-Step Fix for the Birdwatching Notebook Mac Save Missing Bug
Recovering your save data requires manually moving the files from the old "DeskBird" folder into the new, officially patched directory. Do not launch the game while performing these steps.
Step 1: Force the Steam Update
Before moving any files, ensure your game is fully updated to the latest build. Open Steam, navigate to your library, right-click Birdwatching Notebook, select Properties, and go to the Updates tab. Set it to "Always keep this game updated." If an update is pending, let it finish downloading.
Step 2: Access the Hidden MacOS Library
MacOS hides the Library folder by default to prevent users from accidentally deleting crucial application data. To access it:
- Click anywhere on your Mac desktop to bring up the Finder menu at the top of your screen.
- Click on Go in the top menu bar.
- Select Go to Folder... from the dropdown list.
- In the search box, type the exact string:
~/Library/Application Support/and hit Return.
Step 3: Locate and Back Up the Ghost "DeskBird" Data
Scroll through your Application Support folder until you find the directory named com.DefaultCompany.DeskBird.
Open this folder. Inside, you will see your actual save files. Crucial step: Before doing anything else, copy all the files inside this folder and paste them onto your Desktop or into a backup folder. This ensures that if you make a mistake during the transfer, your original data is safe.
Step 4: Transfer to the Correct Directory
Now, navigate back to the main Application Support folder and look for a folder named Birdwatching Notebook. Open it, and you will likely find a subfolder also named Birdwatching Notebook (the path is Application Support/Birdwatching Notebook/Birdwatching Notebook).
Take the files you copied from the DeskBird folder and paste them directly into this new Birdwatching Notebook subfolder. If your Mac asks if you want to replace existing files, click Replace All.
In-Game Checks: Did Your Save Transfer Correctly?
Once the file transfer is complete, boot up the game via Steam. You should immediately notice your familiar balcony or rainforest setup instead of the default starting screen. To guarantee that all data matrices transferred correctly, perform the following in-game checks:
- The Blueprint System: Open your layout manager. Are your saved custom builds still there? The Blueprint System relies on specific coordinate data in the save file; if you can quickly switch between your saved designs, the core file is intact.
- Boss Crow's Inventory: Boss Crow is notoriously picky about his shiny objects. Check your inventory to ensure your shimmering feathers, bottle caps, and Crow Coins are all accounted for.
- The Handbook & Statues: Enlarge the main illustration in your handbook. Check if your documented unique bird behaviors and "lifer" records (first-time sightings) are still logged. If your earned statues are sitting proudly on your virtual shelf, your progression data is safe.
- Weather and Time Toggles: Change the time of day to night. If your nocturnal birds arrive on schedule, the game's internal clock is syncing properly with your restored save.
How to Prevent the Birdwatching Notebook Mac Save Missing Issue in the Future
While Biekka Games has resolved the root directory issue, indie games running on Steam's cloud save infrastructure can occasionally experience synchronization hiccups—especially when switching between a Mac desktop and a MacBook.
To prevent future data loss, get into the habit of manual backups. Every week, navigate to ~/Library/Application Support/Birdwatching Notebook/Birdwatching Notebook, right-click the folder, and select Compress. Move this .zip file to an external hard drive or a dedicated iCloud folder.
If Steam Cloud ever overwrites your local save with an older version, you can simply delete the corrupted files and extract your manual backup into the directory. Because Birdwatching Notebook is a time-management and idle game, losing a week of passive progression can be devastating; a 10-second manual backup completely eliminates that risk.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Birdwatching Notebook Mac Save Missing Bug
Will reinstalling the game via Steam fix the missing save?
No. Uninstalling the game through Steam only removes the core application files located in your steamapps folder. It does not touch the ~/Library/Application Support directory where your saves are stored. Reinstalling will simply generate a new, empty save file in the new directory.
Can I recover my save if I already started a new game after the patch?
Yes, provided you haven't manually deleted the old com.DefaultCompany.DeskBird folder. The new game you started was saved in the Birdwatching Notebook directory. By transferring your old files from the DeskBird folder and overwriting the new ones, you will restore your original progress.
Does this pathing error affect Windows or Linux players?
No. This specific Unity engine quirk was isolated entirely to the MacOS build (Depot 4111372). Windows users have their saves routed correctly to their AppData/LocalLow directory from day one.
Are my Steam achievements tied to the local save file? Your unlocked Steam achievements are permanently tied to your Steam account and cannot be lost. However, partial progress toward incomplete achievements (such as collecting a specific number of Crow Coins) is tracked locally and will reset if you do not recover your original save file.
Closing Thoughts
Data management bugs are an unfortunate reality of indie game development, especially for small teams managing simultaneous cross-platform launches. While the sudden disappearance of your avian visitors might induce a moment of panic, MacOS's file system is remarkably forgiving if you know where to look. By migrating your files from the legacy Unity default folder to the patched directory, you can get back to what really matters: snapping photos, earning statues, and relaxing with your desktop companions.
Sources
- Biekka Games Official Steam Community Announcements (May 2026)
- SteamDB Depot 4111372 Patch History
- Unity Engine Documentation:
Application.persistentDataPathMacOS Routing