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Willow Warbler of Chiffchaff in my garden? - BirdForum
Hello all,
A few minutes ago i spotted a little brown, pretty nondescript bird in my garden, it was flittering around the top of the branches on my plum tree probing for insects, it appeared to be a little bit bigger than a blue tit but not as big as a chaffinch, it had medium brown upperparts and whitish/yellow underparts, it also had a distinctive pale eye stripe, i couldn't make out what colour it's legs were.
It appeard to come in with a mixed flock of Long-tailed tits and coal tits and flew out with them aswell, would a willow warbler or chiff chaff mix in with a group of long tailed tits?
Which of the two are most common and likely to appear in my garden?
I live in a sub-urban medium size garden, quite close to some wild parts of scrub but not right next to it.
I presume it is one of those two birds
Any ideas?
Thanks.
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It's just been in again it appeared to be acting a bit like a flycatcher, sitting on the fence that catching something mid-air and returning to it's perch.
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Sounds like a Chiffchaff or Willow Warbler but very hard to say without a photo or even recording of any call (although the calls are quite similar to the untrained ear, too).
Prominent eyestripe is more obvious on Willow Warbler.
In your area I suspect Willow Warbler is slightly more numerous but neither is much to go on, TBH.
See if you can nail that leg colour, get a photo, or a recording.
Graham
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Oh, and watch to see if it dips its tail, which is much more likely Chiffchaff.
Both will flycatch happliy though and in behaviour are very similar.
Graham
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Ok i have just seen it close up, that eye stripe is really distinctive, is it more prominant in willow warbler than chiff chaff?
Didn't seem to be dipping it's tail but only saw it for around 20 seconds, there is also more than 1 there is 2 or 3 of them, this is a real treat never seen them before in my garden!
The long tailed tits are hanging around aswell, probably sheltering as it is pouring down here!
It's legs are a pinkish brown colour if that helps.
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Sounds like Willow Warbler on legs and eye stripe.
Although I saw a Chiffchaff yesterday with a stonking supercilium.
Butleg colour tends to be the best guide - dark brown on Chiffchaff, pale brownish/ornage on Willow.
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Quote: : there is 2 or 3 of them, this is a real treat never seen them before in my garden!
Hi Richie
You'll notice them all the time now that you have made the effort to learn what it is that you have seen.
They're summer visitors, so enjoy them while you can - and watch out for them returning next spring.
Mike
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Hi Richie
I had a willow warbler for first time this week check out my gallery as I managed 3 shots of a successful hunt.
Might give you a chance of comparison.
That makes 3 of us now another user Shirl also posted yesterday about a warbler in her garden asking advice on ID.
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Hi there Richie :-D
Sounds like you might be getting the same visitor that I first spotted yesterday in my garden.
I am now thinking mine could be a willow warbler but I need to get close-up shots too.
I tried to catch it on video today.
It did return but as I set the camera to record a number of branches on my pine tree (where it was looking for insects yesterday) the screen grab pic is useless.
I will try again tomorrow.
Best wishes, Shirl
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Hi again Richie,
Sorry I missed Tom's reply.
His photo helped me
Shirl
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