Well, with Portland seeing a GIGANTIC fall of around 3000 of these little beauties yesterday it means that places like Arne are soon to be filled with the melodic desending calls of Willow Warblers and the constant chatter of the Chiffchaff. It's very easy to tell the difference between these two leaf Warblers if they are happily singing their hearts out, but what if all our new arrivals were suddenly struck down with a sudden case laryngitis?
There are a few tell tale signs like leg colour, but they're not always easy to see and both species can quite often have the same coloured legs. One of the key ways to ID any bird in the field is to look carefully at the bird and pick out certain features that make it unique. Take a look at the picture below of a Willow Warbler and a Chiffchaff I took at Durlston yesterday, and for me it highlights one of the best ways of telling these two birds apart out in the field and when they're not singing.
The bird on the left is the Chiffchaff and the bird on the right is a Willow Warbler. Now look at the length of their wings. Chiffchaffs traditionally have short stubby rounded wings, whilst Willow Warbler have longer, sleeker pointed wings. Once you get your eye in you'll be surprised how easy it can be to tell the two birds apart just from this ID feature alone. Willow Warbler are overall a lot more slender a longer in body length.
Give it a go......there will be pleanty of opportunities to test this theory out over the next seven months and see if you can get your eye in!
Very good Paul,hope you are enjoying your job but think we all miss you.
cheers paul..
Capturing the Light with an original perspective displayed in every Photograph..perhaps
Thanks but how to remember which is which - Chiff Chaff Chubby maybe:-)
Easy pudweena.
The chiffchaff migrates (if they go at all that is, some stay here all year) only to southern europe and northern Africa so it has smaller wings.
The Willow warbler migrates all the way down to southern Africa (thats why they always turn up a bit later than chiffchaffs- they have further to come) so they need the longer wings!
We are getting a few willow warbler reports at Arne now but is predominantly chiff chaffs at the momment. They are all over the place and even I can pick their song up!
Hi Paul, long time no see. That is a good picture very instructive, I wonder how you manage to do that? my chiffchaff generally does not let me get closer than 5m...
Well done pudweena, I'll remember now. Have to hope some migrate up here to Anglesey so I can be clever and point out the difference!
Lot to learn
They were caught for ringing Olivier..:-)
Thanks Rob, that's very informative and of course logical. The problem is when you are over 50 and try retaining all the information about who goes where, when and how far, who stays and who doesn't it does get a bit tricky so sometimes a catchphrase is an easy option though I do appreciate the explanation and try very hard to remember and like to try and learn all the time - eg did you know that Nightjars go off to the Congo? Impressed?:-)
Actually I was recalling one of your interesting bits of info. to a friend recently about the ants looking after the butterflies who give them sweeties in the winter - lovely thing to learn and I've remembered it! Obviously that's a very shortened version.
Hi gaynorsl, good luck!:-)
Oh it that right Pete? I have no idea how they catch them, so maybe I seem to be naive but until I am explained how it works, I can't imagine it! :-)