Siberian Chiffchaff
John What are you on? Firstly the Sibe Chiffchaffs are associated with Ladywalk/Warks (yes we all get that theyr'e migrants in the wrong place!)
secondly youv'e not answered my 1st question or second 1.where are you going with your statement? Post 339 & 344 (Are you questioning the ID as you seem to imply youv'e heard a bird giving a collybita call which matched a Siberian plumaged Chiffchaff {your words} that you saw down the river?)
2. What has the Belvide or on Martins site got 2 do with the ladywalk birds
(& for the record i don't believe Steve N even mentioned Sibe Chiffchaff in his Belvide report for the pale chiffchaff?)
Finally if you kept upto date Alans work on BB was great but a lot was focussed on Abientinus which by his own admission is now incorrect going on DNA!!
Take your time on the reply i'm sure you would like to look at the available material on blogs/websites/Birding Frontiers etc
Dave
Dave, I would say they are migrants in the right place, Siberian Chiffchaff regularly winter in Britain and to find an insect rich site even in hard weather is the right place to be. Studying birds from different areas in this country or other countries is a way to build up knowledge of these birds, if you only studied those birds in Warwickshire you would have only a few examples.
Post above Saturday 12/1/13 I was the first person to positively identify on plumage and Bullfinch type call Siberian Chiffchaff and noted a similiar plumaged bird present. I put the news out which enabled experiended birder Paul Hyde to see his first Siberian Chiffchaff in this Country and also bought in photographers to the area yourself and Bob Duckhouse and other birders to see the birds.
Post Sunday 13/1/13 Further up the river behind Wincanton warehouse (which contains Stobart lorries) at SP20480 91436 I watched a Siberian Chiffchaff plumaged bird at close range feeding in low brambles for 1/2 an hour, I could hear a low ''Sweeoo'' note which I assumed came from the Siberian Bird (after contacting Alan Dean, Siberian Chiffchaff can make this note) or may have been an unseen Collibita bird.
Alan Dean's articles have been produced a few years ago and will be up-dated in the future when more details have come through from research in Russia. Martin Garner's up to date recent article show's Siberian Chiffchaff making various calls but Alan Dean said generally these are rare. Steve Nuttall only suggested Eatern Race bird, it was Alan Dean who identified the bird as a Sibe from photo's on Steve's blog. Alan has seen many pictures of Siberian Chiffcaff after serving for 1 year on the BBRC tristis panel and still receiving e-mails from all over on this subject.
On the Thursday 17/1/13 I was again at Ladywalk and met yourself, you said you had been there all day Wednesday and not seen a Siberian Chiffchaff, later in the day you managed to photograph those 2 Siberian Chiffchaff together in Willow over-hanging the river on the opposite side to the Ladywalk track. I then discovered the birds were feeding along the wall which enabled you to get the rest of your photographs that are now on show on the internet. Adam Archer was present also, 2 Siberian Chiffchaff and a common Chiffchaff were present the comon Chiffchaff gave a loud ''huit'' I was the only person to get a vis on it. I heard 1 Siberian which gave a Bullfinch type call. I later went into the reserve
for Bittern and Adam Archer came into the hide and said both sibe's were giving the Bullfinch types call.
I said to a chap in the hide that Dave Hutton was on the track all day yesterday freezing his balls off, he did not see any Siberian Chiffchaff, but all the time the Sibes were yards away feeding on the wall below, but Dave did not know, the chap chuckled to himself.
Regards, John
