Brabant Netherlands - Warbler or...? (1 Viewer)

[Bertus]

Today in very wet area, climbed up in the reed without flying, quite clear singing... distance 40-50 m. Common Reed Warbler more likely I would say, but apparently also Marsh Warbler sometimes occurs here. I added 2673 to show proportions. Tnx for help

 

[Southern Viking]

It's certainly a Reed or Marsh Warbler. I personally can't see enough in the photos to tell which though.

 

[Bertus]

Tnx Viking, I noticed that too, only sound and/or better pics could reveal the difference. It still was a new species pictured for me. Tnx again

 

[Southern Viking]

I'd lean towards Marsh if anything, given that it doesn't look rufous enough for Reed to me

 

[TheBlackGrouse]

They look the same but their songs are totally different. Especially the Reed Warbler has a song that is very easy to identify. Nothing sounds like that, not even his big (very rare) brother, the Great Reed Warbler.

The song of the Marsh Warbler is more complicated but not important in this case, it's one of the two species. The Marsh Warbler just babbles (brabbelt maar wat) with smacking sounds and has a lot of imitations. Even in our small country there are regional differences in their songs. Keep that in mind when listening to recordings on the internet.

 

[Butty]

quite clear singing

It's easy to record with a phone - and you can then compare it at your leisure with known recordings (eg Xeno-canto) and with the written descriptions in your field guide. Reed warbler is distinctive in being one of the only west European birds that regularly repeats short phrases, such that a phrase is given 2-3 times in succession (song thrush is the other, but its tone is entirely different). If you're still unsure, post the recording to this forum.

 

[Bertus]

Ok, this morning I went back and though I needed quite some patience to get decent pics, I succeeded. I also recorded the sound and compared it with xeno-canto.org. But I still could not really distinguish. I think there is a sequence of repetitive sounds, not really imitations of other birds, so then it still should be a Reed Warbler. But Butty or any of you could tell me better maybe? Tnx again

 

[Bertus]

However the stripe above the eye is not very clear, like with a Marsh Warbler...

 

[Butty]

Lots of repetition, fairly even tone. Reed warbler 👍🏼

 

[TheBlackGrouse]

Ok, this morning I went back and though I needed quite some patience to get decent pics, I succeeded. I also recorded the sound and compared it with xeno-canto.org. But I still could not really distinguish. I think there is a sequence of repetitive sounds, not really imitations of other birds, so then it still should be a Reed Warbler. But Butty or any of you could tell me better maybe? Tnx again

Definitely the song of a Reed Warbler. With binos you can't tell them apart. In the Netherlands Reed Warblers are found in reed beds without bushes and trees. Marsh Warblers need some bushes, nettles and brushwood. There is some overlap though.

In the south of Holland (where you live) Marsh Warblers may sound like a Bluethroat and it can take minutes to identify the bird. North of the large rivers they are much easier for a birder, there it's more babbling and smacking. In the past, every time I went to the South I had problems with the Marsh Warblers. Others too apparently because there were no reported sightings on places where I found them. Once I heard a Bluethroat and it took me 15 minutes (!) to find out that it was a Marsh Warbler. It had the same long tones, the same rhythm. In the North the ID only takes a few seconds.

 

[Bertus]

Definitely the song of a Reed Warbler. With binos you can't tell them apart. In the Netherlands Reed Warblers are found in reed beds without bushes and trees. Marsh Warblers need some bushes, nettles and brushwood. There is some overlap though.

In the south of Holland Marsh (where you live) Warblers may sound like a Bluethroat and it can take minutes to identify the bird. North of the large rivers they are much easier for a birder, there it's more babbling and smacking. In the past, every time I went to the South I had problems with the Marsh Warblers. Others too apparently because there were no reported sightings on places where I found them. Once I heard a Bluethroat and it took me 15 minutes (!) to find out that it was a Marsh Warbler. It had the same long tones, the same rhythm. In the North the ID only takes a few seconds.

Tnx again gentlemen, and yes Gerben, still bit difficult to distinguish by sound...at least for me...
And as I noticed too, the habitat of the Marsh W could be a bit different. Here typically only reed was there, and although I heard the bird only 1 or 2 meter away it did not show for the first five minutes. This was in Bokt/Dommelvallei, very near Nederwetten, bordering the Son en Breugel community.
In the weekend on a walk guided by IVN Bergeijk, we found two Orioles, but flying, no chance of pictures....