The weather in Charente, as seemingly everywhere in the world, is behaving rather strangely. We have had lots of unseasonal rain over the last week and the leaden skies of the last three days have been evocative of the UK on a bad weekend. Neverless the birds still go about their business.
There is no sign of the crane migration as yet but large flocks of larks and finches are feeding on the plains and a flock of woodpigeons numbered several hundred this morning. Another very large flock of mid-sized birds was moving south at speed but at such a distance that they were frustratingly unidentifiable even with binoculars. They were possibly starlings and numbered 500+.
A few wheatears were still around Lairiere on Thursday along with black redstarts, meadow pipits, cirl buntings, meadow pipits, white wagtails and a pair of stonechats. A distant male harrier was probably a hen but could have been a late migrating montagues especially as a very late hobby flew by at La Tache yesterday. A few chiffchaffs are still feeding in the bushes and I heard some woodlarks on the plains.
Carl reports a tree sparrow in his garden at Laplaud, a species which I always feel should be more common in these parts but which has eluded me for a couple of years.
Surprisingly, the sun has just tentatively appeared so I think I might venture out!
I saw today in the garden what I thought was a willow warbler, but having just read you post maybe it was a chiffchaff. How do I tell the difference if both are seen here in the Charente? Diane
ReplyDeleteHello Diane
ReplyDeleteThese two 'little brown jobs' are not easy to tell apart except by their song. The chiff is by far the commoner and makes a monotonous chiff-chaff sound which is very distinctive; the willow warbler has a much more musical song with a falling cadence. At this time of the year, however, chiffs usually just make a hoo-eet call although if the sun is shining they might slip back into their chiff-chaffing.
Willow warblers are brighter in colour than chiffs often with a light lemony tinge while chiffs are usually dully brown. One of the best ways to distinguish them though is by leg colour; chiffs are nearly always black and willows much paler.
Having said all this, you are far more likely to be watching a chiff than a willow warbler as, although both are summer visitors, some chiffs remain with us all year and (the more sensible?) willows are already back in the warmth of Africa by now. Even in Spring and summer, chiffs are relatively common and massively outnumber the scarcer willow.
I hope this helps, but a look at a good bird book will make things clearer or go on any of the on-line bird sites where you can also listen to their calls/songs.
Thanks for this. Our birds were quite lemony in colour but if most of them have sensibly taken off to warmer climates they may well have been chiffchaffs. I have not noticed them again, but will spend a bit more time watching today to see if they are around. Will take note of the legs as well. Diane
ReplyDelete