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Spotted flycatcher, UK (1 Viewer)

birderUK007

birderUK007

Well-known member
Yesterday I returned to a spot by a river in Gloucestershire, UK, where I had previously seen Spotted Flycatchers last year. I found 4 birds darting out a good few feet from the bushes/trees, catching insects over the river then looping back to the trees again. At a distance the behaviour screamed Spotted Flycatcher. When I got a little closer however I was surprised by how brown the birds looked and thought they looked more like Chiffchaffs. No calls were heard and sadly my views never improved and I left well and truly confused.

I know Chiffchaffs flitter about and catch insects midair but I thought the behaviour I witnessed was unique to Flycatchers. Has anyone else seen Chiffchaffs behave this way or do you think I was looking at perhaps juvenile Spotted Flycatchers hence the darker brown tones? I should add no white wing marks present so Pied Flycatchers ruled out.
 
Not at all unique to flycatchers - Chiffchaffs do it a lot when there are lots of ariel insects available especially and will fly back to same perch or nearby if there are lots..
 
Simon Wates said:
Not at all unique to flycatchers - Chiffchaffs do it a lot when there are lots of ariel insects available especially and will fly back to same perch or nearby if there are lots..
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Thanks all. I've learnt something today. I was obviously aware that a lot of bird species change their diet to insects in the summer months but I thought the way in which a flycatcher caught them was unqiue (chase, loop around, return to the same perch etc). Clearly not!

Another question then - are Spotted Flycatchers site faithful? They are becoming more localised in the UK and I wonder whether the ones I saw in that spot last year are likely to have returned to there again this year?
 
AlinoVegano said:
Falcons catch insects in flights but rarely come back to perch at the same point between each of them... :)
Click to expand...

I've seen a Hobby do so - though there was only one decent perch available :-O

birderUK007 said:
Another question then - are Spotted Flycatchers site faithful? They are becoming more localised in the UK and I wonder whether the ones I saw in that spot last year are likely to have returned to there again this year?
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Yes; them, or their offspring if either or both didn't survive to return.
 
Nutcracker said:
Yes; them, or their offspring if either or both didn't survive to return.
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Thank you! I shall return to that site again then and try and see them before they head off. This time I won't spend 30 minutes staring at Chiffchaffs thinking they're flycatchers though ;)
 
vanellus said:
Did you see them sitting in the tree? Spotties sit very upright, warblers tend to be more horizontal.
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Yes I did and as well as their dark brown appearance it was indeed their stance that made me question whether they were Spotted Flycatchers as they were quite horizontal. They also did not land on any prominent perches, but instead fly back into the depths of the bushes
 
Stonechat can also be very flycatcher-like. In certain plumages I've been fooled for a moment at a distance. A flash of white on the wing soon gives the game away though.

Edit: In July/August when winged ants appear, which are poor flyers, even "amateur" species have a go!
 
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