[dreamcatcher]

I saw this bird in my garden and can't work out what it is. I thought it was some kind of warbler - it was pretty small smaller than a robin.

Looking in my bird guides it resembles a chiff chaff but it didn't bob it's tail?

What are people thoughts?? Oh and apologies for the poor quality pics !!

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...d/DSC00667.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...d/DSC00665.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...d/DSC00668.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...d/DSC00670.jpg

[KenM]

Chiff Chaff

cheers

[tittletattler]

Originally Posted by dreamcatcher

I saw this bird in my garden and can't work out what it is. I thought it was some kind of warbler - it was pretty small smaller than a robin.

Looking in my bird guides it resembles a chiff chaff but it didn't bob it's tail?

What are people thoughts?? Oh and apologies for the poor quality pics !!

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...d/DSC00667.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...d/DSC00665.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...d/DSC00668.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...d/DSC00670.jpg

Hi dreamcatcher and welcome to Birdforum.

Chiffchaff it is.

Ckeck out this link (if you haven't already):

http://www.kentos.org.uk/

Cheers,

Andy.

[dreamcatcher]

thank you !!

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by dreamcatcher

Looking in my bird guides it resembles a chiff chaff but it didn't bob it's tail?

This is a often a good feature to use to help separate Chiffchaffs from similar species, you just have to remember that it only helps if the bird is doing it!

If a warbler looks like this and is frequently 'bobbing it's tail', you can be pretty sure that it is a Chiffchaff (similar species, like Willow Warbler) don't do this. It doesn't work the other way round though - if it's not bobbing it's tail it doesn't mean that it isn't a Chiffchaff!

[Brian J Small]

Not very good pics and I wondered if this bird went 'tak'...

Brian S

[Jan-Paul Charteris]

Originally Posted by Brian J Small

Not very good pics and I wondered if this bird went 'tak'...

Brian S

Can't actually see anything to put my mind at rest and rule out Dusky that's for sure. Obviously Chiffies are variable but ceratinly worth the OP seeing if the bird is still present and whether it calls

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by Brian J Small

Not very good pics and I wondered if this bird went 'tak'...

Brian S

Well, the pictures would fit with some Chiffchaffs - but they don't confirm the ID...

[Frenchy]

The legs appear to be dark, which would make it a chiffchaff, but the angle and light are not great.

Oh, and just to clarify, Willow Warblers will often bob their tails too, so be careful of using it as a diagnostic feature.

[Brian J Small]

Originally Posted by Frenchy

The legs appear to be dark, which would make it a chiffchaff, but the angle and light are not great. .

Hi Paul

A bit like this then? http://orientalbirdimages.org/birdim...162&pagesize=1

I don't know if I am really suggesting this, but it just seemed so drab....can't see length of p1

Brian S

[tittletattler]

It did cross my mind that this could be a Dusky but the photos are very washed out.

Dreamcatcher - have you seen the bird again? Where abouts are you in Kent?

Cheers,

Andy.

[Frenchy]

Hi Brian

Fair point! Like tail bobbing, leg colour should be used with care. I would like the supercillium to be better defined at the rear for a Dusky, and i'm seeing hints of olive above with slightly greyer collar, but i wouldn't put money either way.

[Jane Turner]

Its got the look of a classic pollen encrusted forehead - which would suggest a passage via southern Europe/North Africa - itself more likely for a Chiffchaff

[Troglodyte]

Chiffchaff.

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by Frenchy

Fair point! Like tail bobbing, leg colour should be used with care.

Yes - I should have been more careful with the wording of my post about the tail bobbing as well.

A Phylloscopus warbler in the UK that is constantly bobbing it's tail is likely to turn out to be a Chiffchaff, as is one with dark legs - but they don't confirm the ID!

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by Jane Turner

Its got the look of a classic pollen encrusted forehead - which would suggest a passage via southern Europe/North Africa - itself more likely for a Chiffchaff

...but a Dusky Warbler that reached western Europe in the autumn could spend the winter in North Africa, and then move north!