What warbler?

Pigeon feather · #1 (**permalink**) 08-09-2010, 12:25 PM

I'm trying to id a bird I saw in my hawthorn tree today that I am pretty sure is a warbler of some sort, the first thing that attracted my attention was it's call, a rather loud high pitched whistle that was repeated over and over again and that I can only describe as the first half of a wolf whistle similar in tone and length, it was difficult to see the bird but when I did I noticed it was very small, like a sparrow possibly even smaller but slender with a thin beak it had yellowish under parts light brown on top with lighter cream wing bars, it has been around for a couple of hours now disappearing and then returning, thank you in advance!

Gatekeeper · #2 (**permalink**) 08-09-2010, 12:34 PM

Sounds like it's a chiffchaff; quite a few moving around at the moment, I've had 2 or 3 in the garden this week.

Pigeon feather · #3 (**permalink**) 08-09-2010, 12:51 PM

Many thanks

the call just threw me a bit as I'm used to hearing their chiff chaff call which immediately ids them

RKB · #4 (**permalink**) 08-09-2010, 02:17 PM

It's the song which goes 'chiff chaff', their call is a whistling 'hweet', and your description of the first half of a wolf whistle is pretty good.

They don't have wingbars though, and they're much smaller than a sparrow.

Dogghound · #5 (**permalink**) 08-09-2010, 07:30 PM

If it definately had wing bars it could be one of the more interesting phyllosc's. However without a photo (or indeed seeing the actual bird) it would be quite difficult to say for sure.

Are you coastal?

Pigeon feather · #6 (**permalink**) 09-09-2010, 11:05 AM

Hi Dogghound, I'm in Ashford Kent so not far from the coast although wouldn't call it a coastal area as such, the bird is out there as we speak hweeting away, and I'm now pretty sure it is a Chiffchaff

have heard recordings of their call online compared to a willow warbler and this call is def more of a hweet than a hooweet

as for the wingbars I may have been mistaken, I did see it a couple of times but it was either flying or partially hidden by branches or leaves I never managed to get a clear look, thanks for all the help!

Picidae · #7 (**permalink**) 09-09-2010, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dogghound

If it definately had wing bars it could be one of the more interesting phyllosc's. However without a photo (or indeed seeing the actual bird) it would be quite difficult to say for sure.

Are you coastal?

Call and wingbar description sound pretty good for one of the eastern Chiffchaffs - which given the time of year and location is a possibility near Kent coast however, very difficult to assign ssp in the field and the yellowish underparts would probably rule out a pure Siberian but could be one from the clinal range.