chiffchaff

[hwange]

hi all ,
the other day up in the lammermuirs my wife and i heard a chiffchaff doing its distinctive call/song . Would this be a juvenile practising or still breeding birds holding territory ?

[Adam Cheeseman]

Chiffchaff are unusual in that they will still do their full song whilst on migration whereas most other migratory bird are either 'silent' or do a much more muted subsong at best. So it's not unusual to hear them still. So probably a migrating adult. This years birds normally do the distinctive one note contact call 'hweet'.

Cheers,

Adam

[Gill Catton]

I heard a bit of willow warbler song the other day too, and some distant blackcap. Missing their full song already

[SheffieldLass]

I've got lots of chiffchaff in my garden at the moment. Noisy little birds! Non-stop 'hweet' and the occasional 'chiff-chaff'. Tiny birds, hadn't realised just how small they are, and very tame, this lot come within a few feet of me, and right up to the windows, so I see them right close up. I don't think these are migrating yet, but fattening up on all the insects in the garden (and there are lots of insects). I think they have merely moved out of their nearby breeding areas in the forest just across the road from me. And mixed with them is the occasional willow warbler - the occasional snatch of song from them still. And the blackcaps are still around, pretty much have stopped singing now, but still alarming, and still seem to have some dependent young with them.

[hwange]

thanks everyone , chiffchaff's are certainly interesting birds . On a different note ( no pun intended ) i heard a robin the other day , brought very real feelings of autumn , and a distinct little chill down my spine ! , even though its still high summer !