Chiffchaff - Barton Pits 28th November 2001

Barton pits has seen something of a small late passage of migrants over the last ten days with a flock of 7 Snow Buntings on 19th when 550 Starlings moved west, 300 Fieldfare arrived with a Great Spotted Woodpecker and four Rock Pipit. A Woodcock arrived 21st and Fieldfare built up to at least 600 with 150 Redwing and 350 Blackbirds. Rock Pipits have been moving west almost daily with up to five littoralis type birds present on Water's Edge where a single Snow Bunting flew west 27th. Highlight of the 28th was the first Richard's Pipit for Barton. It flushed from a field of rank grass and flew off west with thrushes. Adjacent fields have turned up Jack Snipe and 29 Snipe 29th with the local bunting flock increasing to 70 Yellowhammer and 40 Reed Bunting plus 1-2 Corn Bunts.

On the morning of 28th I heard what sounded like a Water Rail, making a series of their quiet conversational chipping calls, from a group of young trees on the Water's edge site. The odd location failed to reveal a Water Rail but instead a Chiffchaff. This was the first Chiff I had seen locally since mid October and with its very odd and persistent call it deserved a further look. Looks however, can be deceptive and this bird looks very uninspiring in fact really it looks very like a nominate Chiff, olive uppers, yellow in the supercilia, buffy wash to the breast sides, belly and breast maybe somewhat pale for a nominate bird and bill with pale base. The call however, is given constantly and it has never as yet uttered anything resembling the hueet of a normal Chiff. The call varys in pitch but is of a similar length, constantly repeated and best described at a chit or chip chet even chiff. The bird is feeding in an area of young trees adjacent to a reedbed and occasionally goes into the edge of the reeds with Blue Tits. It is still present today 29th. Racial identification of wintering Chiffs is difficult but well marked tristis are usually pretty obvious. Many abietenus can be almost identical to nominate birds in plumage but may give a different more tristis like call. So could this be an abietenus or just a nominate bird with a very odd call? photos attached take in sunlight on 28th show the main features of the bird concerned. It seems likely that it arrived with the influx of thrushes and other Scandinavian? birds over the last week as the site is covered daily and no other Chiffs have been seen for six weeks.
Graham Catley

Chiffchaff - Barton Pits 28th November 2001 © Graham Catley

Chiffchaff - Barton Pits 28th November 2001 © Graham Catley

Chiffchaff - Barton Pits 28th November 2001 © Graham Catley

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