Chiffchaffs chiffchaffing

04 Saturday Apr 2026

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Chiffchaff, spring bird song, spring migration

Here’s another bird that seems to be singing its onomatopoeic song from every tree at the moment – there’s even one flexing its vocal muscles in the garden as I write this.

With numbers of over-wintering Chiffchaffs increasing, it’s not always easy to tell which birds are new arrivals, though, from social media and the blogs of places like Portland Bird Observatory, I think a lot of the birds now singing have recently completed their inward migration journeys.

The bird above was one of several confiding birds at RSPB Lodmoor, while the fluffed-up bird below was an obliging local.

Lingering Chiffchaffs

03 Monday Nov 2025

Posted by sconzani in autumn, birds

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autumn migration, bird migration, birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cardiff Bay birding, Chiffchaff

During my most recent circuit of Cardiff Bay, one day last week, I counted at least nine Chiffchaffs, and I’m sure there were probably more.

Most of those Chiffchaffs that intended to migrate should have moved through by now so it’s likely that these remaining birds will linger a while longer, possibly right through the winter, if the weather doesn’t get too cold. It’s lovely to see and hear them still dotting about the trees.

Avian juveniles

02 Tuesday Sep 2025

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Chiffchaff, Collared dove, fledglings, juvenile birds, long-tailed tit, robin, Stonechat, young birds

I feel like we haven’t had enough birds on here lately so let’s take a look at some of this year’s juveniles …

There are quite a lot of young Chiffchaffs flitting around the trees and bushes now, in the throes of making their first migration flights south for the winter, though, with the warming climate, many Chiffchiffs also now over-winter in southern parts of Britain.

This was the first juvenile Collared dove I’d ever seen and it was probably the fact that it was a juvenile that made it much less wary of this photographer’s lens than its parents would’ve been.

Though it hardly seems possible to be more adorable than an adult Long-tailed tit, I think the offspring outdo their parents in the cuteness department.

Likewise young Robins, which are even more endearing and much less feisty than the adult versions. And I do think their juvenile plumage is very attractive too.

This little one was my first juvenile Stonechat of the year, spotted last week at the local country park with an adult male. These birds will also be in the process of moving from their more northerly breeding grounds to warmer winter climes.

Dipping the YBWs

23 Wednesday Oct 2024

Posted by sconzani in autumn, birds

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Chiffchaff, dipping rare birds, Yellow-browed warbler

I sometimes wonder if I give the impression on here that I always find what I go searching for. That is very far from the truth as today’s blog illustrates.

241023 not ybw (1)

This year, there’s been a much larger than usual influx of Yellow-browed warblers to the UK from their breeding grounds in Siberia. The only time I’ve seen one of these was back in 2020 and there have been none locally since then, until this past two weeks, when at least four birds have been sighted within walking distance of my home. Have I seen them? Not even a distant feather! And I’ve been looking four times, for two of the birds in two different locations, for over 30 minutes at a time, standing staring at trees and listening in vain for their distinctive calls. Nada!

241023 not ybw (2)

I ‘celebrated’ my third time dipping (birder-speak for not seeing) these birds with the following tongue-in-cheek post on social media:

My birding day in 3 photographs, which I have entitled ‘Not a Yellow-browed warbler’, ‘Not a Yellow-browed warbler’ & ‘Definitely not a Yellow-browed warbler’.

These are those photos – the birds, in case you’re wondering, are all Chiffchaffs.

241023 not ybw (3)

Young Chiffchaff

12 Monday Aug 2024

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autumn migration, birding, birdwatching, British birds, Chiffchaff, juvenile Chiffchaff, migrating birds

When I first spotted this juvenile bird picking its way through the tall stand of Wild parsnip, I thought it was my first passage Willow warbler of the season, feeding up before heading off on its long migration flights south.

240812 juvenile chiffchaff (1)

However, when my photos showed dark rather than pink legs, I knew this was a young Chiffchaff. It may still be a migrating bird, though Chiffchaffs breed locally so it’s not possible to tell for sure. 240812 juvenile chiffchaff (2)

There’s a Chiffchaff in my tree

22 Wednesday Mar 2023

Posted by sconzani in birds, spring

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Chiffchaff, spring migration

There’s a Chiffchaff in my tree, chiffchaffing happily!

230322 chiffchaff (1)

That was my tweet this morning after I’d spent a joyous 20 minutes standing by the open window, watching this little bird flit about the cherry tree outside my living room, catching tiny insects and singing almost the entire time.

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Although some Chiffchaffs now overwinter in the warmer parts of Britain, most still migrate, and they began arriving back in my area in good number last Friday. After this morning’s home-based Chffichaff encounter, I went for a walk around Cosmeston Lakes Country Park, during which I heard and/or saw at least 23 more Chiffchaffs. Their song will soon become one of the commonplace sounds of spring/summer but, for now, it’s pure magic!

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A Chiffchaff from Siberia

23 Thursday Feb 2023

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cardiff Bay birding, Chiffchaff, Siberian chiffchaff

It’s been three years since I saw a Siberian chiffchaff, though one or two seem to appear in the county almost annually these days, blown off course as they move from their Siberian breeding territories to their usual over-wintering grounds south of the Himalayas. I first spotted this one in early February and thought it a Common chiffchaff but a more expert local birder did tell me then that he thought it had the look of a Sibe about it (the Siberian birds look rather grey and have darker legs). Almost a fortnight passed until that same birder saw the bird again and, more importantly, heard it call, because that is the clincher when it comes to these birds. Though it has been very elusive, I’ve managed two further sightings but have yet to hear that distinguishing call.

230223 siberian chiffchaff

Feasting Chiffchaff

26 Thursday Jan 2023

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Chiffchaff, Chiffchaff fly-catching, over-wintering Chiffchaff

So many flies, so little time …
Although the majority of Chiffchaffs still migrate to warmer southern climes for the winter, increasing numbers can now be seen over-wintering locally. This little beauty was feasting well on the hundreds of tiny gnat-like flies that had emerged in Monday’s sunshine.

230126 chiffchaff

The ju-jitsu bird

29 Tuesday Mar 2022

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Chiffchaff, Chiffchaff call, spring migration

I know everyone thinks the Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) calls its own name ‘chiff chaff, chiff chaff’ or, sometimes, ‘chaff chiff, chaff chiff’. I beg to differ. A lot of the birds I listen to are actually saying ‘did you? did you? you, you, did you?’ and some of them are even in to martial arts, calling ‘ju-jitsu, ju-jitsu, you, ju-jitsu’. Listen closely next time you hear one and let me know what you think they’re saying.

220329 chiffchaff