Chiffchaff

[ovenpaa]

We have one of these things in the trees opposite the house, it took me a while to realise what the bird song was as it is not something we hear a lot round here. Now I know it is a Chiffchaff all I need to do is find it, currently it is residing at the top of an Oak tree happily singing away.

[DW58]

Lovely catch - we had a couple in the garden last summer, but no sign this year so far.

[Meaty]

I built some bird boxes last year with my 8 yo son and placed them around the garden and sheds. Last year they were all occupied by various birds but I was quite surprised that the one opposite the kitchen window on the side of the workshop had no birds this year-plenty of interest but no takers!. The nesting material was being moved about inside as you could see it in a different place every day through the entrance hole. Couple of evenings ago the mystery was solved- a colony of bumble bees had moved in Last night a bloody great hornet tried to get in but was seen off by the bumbles.
So far this year the Blackbirds, Dunnits, Thrush and Robin have brought the babies down to feed in the back yard and I had a fledgling Dunnit land on my phone whilst I was sitting out the back with a cup of coffee looking at the forum-dont know who was more surprised it or me.

[Maggot]

Looks just like a garden warbler but with black legs D...or is that a willow warbler...I was useless at sorting out LBJs...

I went on a twitch once It was closer than my usual birding patch at the time), then spent the duration taking the pee out of the rest of them for travelling so far to see a bedraggled little brown job.... :55:

Chiff chaffs have a lovely call, we have a lot of yellow hammers locally and the odd blackcap in the garden. The nightjars are churring nicely up on the common but they are very difficult to see.