New member (1 Viewer)

[Mart54]

Hi I have just joined this site as finding more time to do birdwatching ... my daughter thinks I am old before my time due to this!! I live in a small village in Oxfordshire and although I have a small garden we get a lot of birdlife

I saw this lovely small bird twice in the last 2 days but not sure what it is .... had a lovely song and did not sound like a chiffchaff ...

 

[KC Foggin]

Hi there Matt and a warm welcome to you from those of us on staff here at BirdForum
We're glad you found us and thanks for taking a moment to say hello. Please join in wherever you like

Coming from across the pond I don't know but what I will do is move your thread to the Bird I D section and you'll be notified when someone post a reply

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Welcome from me, too Matt.
Is it possible to see the original picture (or better more of them?). i was surprised: seeing a Phylloscopus-like bird in the thumbnail with a lovely sound that doesnt sound like a Chiffchaff (from Britain), I expected to see a Willow Warbler in the full picture.
But the bird looks like a Chiffchaff to me, and not like a Willow Warbler. And after looking at the picture again and harder, I still see a Chiffchaff.
Is it possible to get a recording or is it possible that the song comes from a different bird?
Young Chiffchaffs still learning their songs from others and developing it, can sound variable, but the typical phrase is still there. There are rare mixed singers, maybe one of them? Or an drab coloured Iberian Chiffchaff (doesnt strike me as one).
Or is it possible, that many relevant features adding to the jizz of those two similar species are changed in this screenshot? Maybe ...

I hope this doesnt come out as an offense to a new member, but I have narrowed my choice, but I would like to be surprised (and learn) when seeing the original picture(s).

Welcome to birdforum, again!

 

[Butty]

I think that Alex, in his own very polite way! is asking if you could post the original photo (rather than a photo of the photo), and include the whole of the frame, and post more photos if you took any! All these things can help to make an ID possible. Thanks!

 

[Mart54]

Welcome from me, too Matt.
Is it possible to see the original picture (or better more of them?). i was surprised: seeing a Phylloscopus-like bird in the thumbnail with a lovely sound that doesnt sound like a Chiffchaff (from Britain), I expected to see a Willow Warbler in the full picture.
But the bird looks like a Chiffchaff to me, and not like a Willow Warbler. And after looking at the picture again and harder, I still see a Chiffchaff.
Is it possible to get a recording or is it possible that the song comes from a different bird?
Young Chiffchaffs still learning their songs from others and developing it, can sound variable, but the typical phrase is still there. There are rare mixed singers, maybe one of them? Or an drab coloured Iberian Chiffchaff (doesnt strike me as one).
Or is it possible, that many relevant features adding to the jizz of those two similar species are changed in this screenshot? Maybe ...

I hope this doesnt come out as an offense to a new member, but I have narrowed my choice, but I would like to be surprised (and learn) when seeing the original picture(s).

Welcome to birdforum, again!

Hi thanks so much for your very informative answer - I have never seen this bird before .. usually have blue tits, great tits, coal tits and dozens of sparrows. Even had a nuthatch on the feeder one year.

I have downloaded a picture from my camera so will try and add that for clarity as I know it is so hard to tell these birds apart. I am hoping it will be back tomorrow.... unless its pouring with rain so will record it if I can

 

[Mart54]

I think that Alex, in his own very polite way! is asking if you could post the original photo (rather than a photo of the photo), and include the whole of the frame, and post more photos if you took any! All these things can help to make an ID possible. Thanks!

 

[delia todd]

Hi Mart and a warm welcome from me too.

I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I hope to hear about all the birds you see when out and about.

 

[Mart54]

Thanks for your reply - I will post a better photo shortly ... the rest are blurred as it moved so quickly!! I saw it first through the binoculars and it definitely had a pale yellow coloured bib and then paler beneath. Was so pleased to see it even though I didn't know what it was. Yesterday it came right down to the ground but flitted off before I could photograph it!

 

[Mart54]

Hi Mart and a warm welcome from me too.

I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I hope to hear about all the birds you see when out and about.

Thanks for all the replies look forward to seeing everyone's photos

 

[Mart54]

Now on the laptop so will try and upload a better photo as just seen how bad the one is I uploaded! Just got to figure out how to add photo

 

[Mart54]

Welcome from me, too Matt.
Is it possible to see the original picture (or better more of them?). i was surprised: seeing a Phylloscopus-like bird in the thumbnail with a lovely sound that doesnt sound like a Chiffchaff (from Britain), I expected to see a Willow Warbler in the full picture.
But the bird looks like a Chiffchaff to me, and not like a Willow Warbler. And after looking at the picture again and harder, I still see a Chiffchaff.
Is it possible to get a recording or is it possible that the song comes from a different bird?
Young Chiffchaffs still learning their songs from others and developing it, can sound variable, but the typical phrase is still there. There are rare mixed singers, maybe one of them? Or an drab coloured Iberian Chiffchaff (doesnt strike me as one).
Or is it possible, that many relevant features adding to the jizz of those two similar species are changed in this screenshot? Maybe ...

I hope this doesnt come out as an offense to a new member, but I have narrowed my choice, but I would like to be surprised (and learn) when seeing the original picture(s).

Welcome to birdforum, again!

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello again, Mart
thank you for your fast reaction!
The pictures show a Chiffchaff, please note:

• the right Phylloscopus like built of a small rounded warbler with a normal looking tail, bill and so on ... Nothing special with this.
• colouration consists of olive, dark-greenish and yellowish tones. To describe them as drab and dirty would surely come into my mind, but it would be unfair to this bird (I hope thats understandable)
• good head pattern with a broken eye-ring, whitish in the lower half
• an all blackish bill and dark legs (many Willow Warblers have just noticable stronger legs, enhanced by plae colouration. but far from all)
• a short pp

Conclusion? Your Chiffchaff is (nearly) perfect, so it has to be one (and a Willow Warbler can be excluded with confidence, I think).

And the song? Maybe you heard a different bird? I am looking forward to hear the recording, I hope you can get one! As said, there are mixerd singers, maybe it is indeed one of those. Examples are here:

Willow Warblers, 'mixed singers', West Midlands

Willow Warbler - Mixed singer Willow/Chiffchaff (XC237179) :: topic 11366 :: xeno-canto

www.xeno-canto.org

Yes, many mixed singers often look more like Willow Warbler, but as said not your bird, that looks like a Chiffchaff imo to an extent, that I am sure it is indeed one despite you described a strange song.

 

[Mart54]

Hello again, Mart
thank you for your fast reaction!
The pictures show a Chiffchaff, please note:

• the right Phylloscopus like built of a small rounded warbler with a normal looking tail, bill and so on ... Nothing special with this.
• colouration consists of olive, dark-greenish and yellowish tones. To describe them as drab and dirty would surely come into my mind, but it would be unfair to this bird (I hope thats understandable)
• good head pattern with a broken eye-ring, whitish in the lower half
• an all blackish bill and dark legs (many Willow Warblers have just noticable stronger legs, enhanced by plae colouration. but far from all)
• a short pp

Conclusion? Your Chiffchaff is (nearly) perfect, so it has to be one (and a Willow Warbler can be excluded with confidence, I think).

And the song? Maybe you heard a different bird? I am looking forward to hear the recording, I hope you can get one! As said, there are mixerd singers, maybe it is indeed one of those. Examples are here:

Willow Warblers, 'mixed singers', West Midlands

Willow Warbler - Mixed singer Willow/Chiffchaff (XC237179) :: topic 11366 :: xeno-canto

www.xeno-canto.org

Yes, many mixed singers often look more like Willow Warbler, but as said not your bird, that looks like a Chiffchaff imo to an extent, that I am sure it is indeed one despite you described a strange song.

Thank you so much for the ID and explanation as I watched it my first thought was it has no markings! I am hoping it will come back tomorrow. I could have heard another bird as the garden was teeming this morning, think they like the food we provide! So pleased I know what it is now and that there is a new visitor must also learn to use my camera better .....

 

[Kits]

Welcome to Birdforum. I hope you enjoy your visits.