warbler? willow?

Took this is Dorset along coastal path between Kimmeridge and Chapman's Pool.

Willow Warbler? Or ...?

Cheers

  Mike

  • Looks very much like it to me, but I'm notoriously rubbish at ID's..... either way, it's a beautiful picture
  • Hi-

    yup on the big primary projection and pale legs - :)

    S
  • Hi,

    Well that answers a question I was going to ask...

    Yesterday we did a circular walk from Worth Matravers, taking in the coastal path between Seacombe Cliff and Chapman's Pool. On the coastal path I saw what looked like a Willow Warbler and later returning to the car a Wood Warbler..? I'm getting back to birdwatching after a long absence so I'm a bit rusty but not rusty enough to know Warblers aren't supposed to be here in October. Seems nobody has pointed that out to the Warblers!
  • Hi Robbo, well that's my fault for not spotting the date of the Michael's post.

    This has been bothering me all day as I agree with you, seeing Wood and Willow Warblers in October is highly unlikely. What's nagging at me is the second bird appeared slightly larger with brighter yellow-green upper plumage, it looked like a Wood Warbler. Well so I thought...

    While out walking today I met a birdwatcher from the local area who was very sceptical too. He said without a photo of the second bird, the only sensible explanation is they were both Chiffchaffs, there are quite a few around. He wasn't surprised though that I'd confused the Chiffchaff, Wood and Willow Warblers, need to learn the finer points distinguishing between these three birds... I've recorded both as Chiffchaffs.
  • Hi

    ref warblers in October- this is fairly normal at coastal migration points especially North east and south west-

    I am still regularly seeing Blackcaps, Lesser WTs and Chiffchaffs at the moment and Willow warblers last week-
    I missed a Reed warbler yesterday: They are probably birds from Northern Europe.

    There are still House Martins and Swallows about and I saw 4 swifts last weekend

    S
  • Hi,

    Interesting... I'm having niggling doubts that what I saw was a Chiffchaff, the second bird was larger and distinctly more green and yellow, also it's legs weren't dark. I'll never know for sure either way.

    This week we saw Swallows and Swifts every day on our coastal walks and in different locations from Peveril Point to Kimmeridge. We also saw Whitethroats between Seacombe Cliffs and Chapmans Pool on most days, not too much of a surprise though given in mid-October we just at the end of their time here.
  • Agreed buddy :)

    We have been getting some acredulas through here lately as well:)

    S
  • Although there is regularly discussion and debate around leg colour being an unreliable distinguishing feature in Willow warbler v chiffchaff identification, the more reliable way around is willow warblers can have dark legs (though often with lighter feet), but the other way around, chiffchaffs having light legs are, IMO, very, very, very few and far between. I've never knowingly seen a chiffchaff with light legs and definitely never seen one calling and having light legs. Willow warblers can be slightly larger, but you'd need a keen eye to notice the difference!

    If you can do it- ( and Robbo probably can:) Willow warblers are longer winged ( primary projection) and so their whole back end looks longer: In the same way that LRP looks longer at the back than Ringed Plover

    :)

    S