A new bird sighting for me
|
Senior Member
 |
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Hemel Hempstead, Herts
Posts: 2,149
 |
A new bird sighting for me
After my trip to Wendover wood yesterday we drove around to Wilstone reservoir again just hoping to see something new. My last 2 visits there have turned up almost nothing.
Walked up to the hide and a few people in there were wacthing something flying in and out of its nest at the edge of the reservoir, none of them knew what it was and thought i knew, after watching both male and female of this bird going back and forth to the nest with fresh food my 1st instincts was it was a Willow Warbler. But then somebody threw a spanner in the works and said Chiffchaff. Apparently both are very hard to tell apart. At this rate i am going to have to start to record the bird call.
Walked up to the hide and a few people in there were wacthing something flying in and out of its nest at the edge of the reservoir, none of them knew what it was and thought i knew, after watching both male and female of this bird going back and forth to the nest with fresh food my 1st instincts was it was a Willow Warbler. But then somebody threw a spanner in the works and said Chiffchaff. Apparently both are very hard to tell apart. At this rate i am going to have to start to record the bird call.
|
Kit 1 Canon 5D MkIII Canon 100mm-400mm USM IS L Lens Canon EF 75mm-300mm Lens Sigma 70mm 300mm APO DG Macro Lens Canon F1.8 50mm Prime lens |
Kit 2 Modified Canon 500D Canon EFS 18mm 55mm 1:3.5 - 5.6 |
Other Kit View my profile to see my other kit! |
|
My Compact/P&S: Panasonic Lumix DSC LZ7 |
 Senior Member
|
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Shropshire, UK
Posts: 352
|
Having looked on the RSPB site, I would say it is a Chiffchaff.
|
Kit 1 Nikon D60 Nikkor 18-55mm Tamron 300mm Sigma 400mm |
 Senior Member
|
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: x
Posts: 1,050
|
Hard because its wet Fogey, and the light is playing tricks, song is diagnostic a good site to check out calls and songs is Xeno Canto. http://www.xeno-canto.org/ .
Some features that suggest Chiffchaff is short primary projection (length the wings extend over the rump) shorter in Chiffchaff
Dark toes, leg colour is often used as an ID guide, but is very unreliable as both species can vary greatly.
When foraging a Chiffchaff constantly flicks its tail downward, a Willow Warbler less so
Eyestripe (Supercilium) is quite short behind the eye, again longer in a WW.
Overall a Chiffchaff is a darker, browner bird WW is lighter and greener, but again variable , weather , light, age all play a part.
Chiffchaff for me.
Some features that suggest Chiffchaff is short primary projection (length the wings extend over the rump) shorter in Chiffchaff
Dark toes, leg colour is often used as an ID guide, but is very unreliable as both species can vary greatly.
When foraging a Chiffchaff constantly flicks its tail downward, a Willow Warbler less so
Eyestripe (Supercilium) is quite short behind the eye, again longer in a WW.
Overall a Chiffchaff is a darker, browner bird WW is lighter and greener, but again variable , weather , light, age all play a part.
Chiffchaff for me.
|
Senior Member
|
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Hemel Hempstead, Herts
Posts: 2,149
|
Thanks Jeff and Brian.
Its been ID`d as a Chiffchaff by someone on the RSPB forum and somebody else in the Springwatch forum. And now both of you saying Chiffchaff i think i would have to agree
Great watching both mother and father feeding their 2 young.
Its been ID`d as a Chiffchaff by someone on the RSPB forum and somebody else in the Springwatch forum. And now both of you saying Chiffchaff i think i would have to agree
Great watching both mother and father feeding their 2 young.
|
Kit 1 Canon 5D MkIII Canon 100mm-400mm USM IS L Lens Canon EF 75mm-300mm Lens Sigma 70mm 300mm APO DG Macro Lens Canon F1.8 50mm Prime lens |
Kit 2 Modified Canon 500D Canon EFS 18mm 55mm 1:3.5 - 5.6 |
Other Kit View my profile to see my other kit! |
|
My Compact/P&S: Panasonic Lumix DSC LZ7 |
 Community Director
|
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Buckingham, UK
Posts: 3,363
|
Nice catch Mark, little chap looks wet 
|
Kit 1 1DSmkIII & 1DmkIV Canon EF70-200L f/2.8 IS Canon EF100L macro f/2.8 IS Canon EF85L f/1.2 mkII Canon EF24-105L f/4 IS Canon EF300L f/2.8 IS Canon EF17-40L f/4 |
Other Kit View my profile to see my other kit! |
|
Senior Member
|
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Hemel Hempstead, Herts
Posts: 2,149
|
Yes Ken. Both parents were a little wet. The reservoir was a little choppy and they probably got too close to the waters edge when getting their food. I only shown 1 image with it with the youngsters food...
|
Kit 1 Canon 5D MkIII Canon 100mm-400mm USM IS L Lens Canon EF 75mm-300mm Lens Sigma 70mm 300mm APO DG Macro Lens Canon F1.8 50mm Prime lens |
Kit 2 Modified Canon 500D Canon EFS 18mm 55mm 1:3.5 - 5.6 |
Other Kit View my profile to see my other kit! |
|
My Compact/P&S: Panasonic Lumix DSC LZ7 |
 Senior Member
 |
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: West Cork, Ireland
Posts: 7,578
|
I would say chiffchaff for the same reasons Brian did!
xx
xx
|
Kit 1 Nikon D800 Nikkor 50mm f1.4 Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8 Nikkor 105 mm f2.8 macro Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 Sigma 50-500mm F4-6.3 EX DG HSM Sigma 150-500mm F5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM Nikon 70-300mm AF f/4-5.6G Nikon 50mm f1.8 |
Kit 2 Nikon D700 |
Other Kit View my profile to see my other kit! |
|
My Compact/P&S: Fuji finepix bridge |