Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler are very closely related and difficult to tell apart. This is a Chiffchaff, the dark legs are the give away.
Again, Chiffchaffs are not the rarest bird, in fact they are one of our most common summer migrants and we even have a small over-wintering population here in the West Country. However, I was thrilled today when one suddenly arrived on the logs in front of the hide and then as I struggled to train my camera on to it, it paused to drink from the trough. This water source has been in position since last September and it's taken until now for a bird to drink from it, this has been a big surprise to me but at least birds are drinking from it now. I am hoping that as the local birds get more used to it and eventually it will be a big attraction to the resident woodland inhabitants.
There were lots of visitors to the feed today, a pair of Nuthatches being the stars of the show. In addition, a pair of Chaffinches were feeding on the scattered sunflower seed which I have been spreading to try and attract Bramblings but I think that we are now too late in the season for them.
A lovely female Chaffinch in breeding condition.
A male Chaffinch also in breeding plumage.
I have lost count of the hundreds of Nuthatch photos taken from my Caravan hide.
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