Siberian Chiffchaff

On Tuesday (26/11) I paid Boddington Reservoir a shortish visit during a stunning bright and still morning. Not a great deal about. Waterfowl included 12 Goosander (7 drakes, 5 females), 9 Teal (5 drakes, 4 females) and 1-2 Wigeon. The wooded area around Byfield Pool was packed full of birds with stacks of Fieldfare and Redwing as well as several Nuthatch. Between here and the road I had 3-4 very vocal Willow Tit roaving around, a really decent number.

I headed down to Northampton on Thursday (28/11) morning and thought I'd spend a couple of hours at Ecton Sewage Farm to have a look for Bearded Tits with it being another crisp, bright day. After having a look around the site and finding very little, I then headed to the large phragmites reedbed. Here there were lots of foraging passerines about, especially in the reedbed itself with several Wrens and Dunnocks feeding low down in the reeds. 1-2 Cetti's Warbler called and 3 Redpoll sp. went over calling with several Goldfinches. I then heard a very vocal Chiffchaff. Moving round to the north side of the reedbed and another Chiffchaff giving good views. I then heard a call that was not so familiar but I was pretty sure I knew what it was. It can only be described as a Warbler-type call but more reminicant of a single, weak, Bullfinch-type note. It had to be a Siberian Chiffchaff!!

I quickly got my phone out and gained a recording of the bird's call as it came pretty close but still obscured. I then e-mailed it over to Mike Alibone, the county recorder. I had to get some views of the bird. Sadly I only gained brief binocular views in flight and then briefly & distantly in the top of a small bush. Even these views though gave the impression of a rather grey cold looking bird, fitting very well with the call. It then melted into the reedbed and after a good search around, all I could find was another calling standard Chiffchaff and a couple of squealing Water Rails. 

Mike soon got back to me and indeed confirmed the identity as a Siberian Chiffchaff. Great little self find! Hear the recording below:

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