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Wood Warbler? or Chiffchaff? (1 Viewer)

tarves57

Well-known member
Not sure what this might be. There seem to be so many similar warbler type birds. The photo was taken in a gorse filled area on the side of a hill, woody, not far from a stream.

Thanks
Susan
 

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I find that looking at the photos of Chiffchaff type warblers in a pose like yours can be difficult to pin down. My impression is that this is a Chiffchaff.

If my memory serves me right I think that Willow Warblers have a slightly flatter crown and the Wood Warblers primary projection would be longer than shown in this image, plus the habitat doesn't sound right for a Wood Warbler.

No doubt I will be corrected by someone with far mor Warbler expertise than me.
 
I think it's probably a Chiffchaff too - the toes are quite dark and the face relatively dull looking (not much of a supercillium). Willow Warblers are usually brighter than this with more yellow and a sharper looking face pattern and paler legs. Wood Warblers are super bright - absolutely stunning birds. They probably haven't started arriving in Scotland yet (maybe another two weeks) and are rather more localised than the other two species. Worth looking out for though!
 
This certainly looks like a Chiffchaff. The original question asked about Wood Warbler, which this is most certainly not. Wood Warbler is a much more localised species than either Chiffchaff or Willow Warbler, and in many areas is restricted to oak woodland; it is rarely found on spring passage unless singing, sometimes in untypical habitat, and in autumn is regularly falsely claimed by people who overlook the yellow-breasted juveniles of Willow Warbler. Or am I being too sceptical yet again?

Steve
 
It's just that this bird was a lot more yellow than the chiffchaff I saw recently (admittedly my first!), and in a different area. I think I had another two photos, but will have to post it when I get home.

Susan
 
Agreed with Chiffchaff


Fifebirder said:
Wood Warblers are super bright - absolutely stunning birds. They probably haven't started arriving in Scotland yet (maybe another two weeks) and are rather more localised than the other two species. Worth looking out for though!
Hi Andrew,
You should be getting your first Wood Warblers within a week at the most. Last year I got my first on 22 April, and that can't be more than a day's flight (probably less) south of you. Passage birds often sing here (and even hold territory for a few days while waiting for better weather to move on), something I gather they don't do much in southern England.

Michael
 
tarves57 said:
Not sure what this might be. There seem to be so many similar warbler type birds. The photo was taken in a gorse filled area on the side of a hill, woody, not far from a stream.

Thanks
Susan
The "V" tail + colouring / size says chiff-chaff or willow warbler to me.
 
We want more on these phylloscs, somebody out there must have a semi-decent shot of a more southerly warbler? Or more northerly. Or easterly.....
 
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