Siberian (tristis) Chiffchaff

These picture show the Siberian (tristis) Chiffchaff present December 17th on the Water’s Edge Country Park at Barton. It is in the same area as the possible abietenus bird seen at the end of November and early December. As you can see from the pictures, the overall tone of the birds upperparts, including the rump shown in the preening shot, is grey with a very slight hint of green in the closed secondaries while the underparts are all white. The bill is mostly black with a hint of a very small pale area at the base of the lower mandible and the legs are black. The bird shows a good supercilium. The tone of the upperparts as shown varies due to reflections from the vegetation it frequents but the true colour is always greyish. The call given frequently this morning was a typical chick like cheep or sleet. The bird frequenting the copper beech hedge and the young trees just inside the main entrance gate of the country park. It is the first Siberian Chiffchaff in the Barton-Barrow Haven clay pits since one at Barrow Haven on November 26th 1995.

Graham Catley

Siberian (tristis) Chiffchaff present December 17th on the Water’s Edge Country Park at Barton © Graham Catley

Siberian (tristis) Chiffchaff - Preening © Graham Catley

Siberian (tristis) Chiffchaff present December 17th on the Water’s Edge Country Park at Barton © Graham Catley

Siberian (tristis) Chiffchaff present December 17th on the Water’s Edge Country Park at Barton © Graham Catley

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