A pale stripe over the eye, a dark stripe through the eye, and a pale crescent beneath it…regular readers of our posts will be more than familiar with the ID mantra of today’s familiar species, the Chiffchaff. We reported on the annual arrival of this seasonal visitor back in October, and huge numbers of this Phylloscopus warbler are with us once again for the winter.
A common enough sight now in the gardens, olive groves and orchards around the village, it was no surprise to find them in the varied habitat of the Padul marshlands on our recent visit…what was amazing was the sheer amount of this species that we saw during our day there.
Like many other warblers the Chiffchaff can be secretive and difficult to spot on its summer breeding territories, but they can be far more confiding on their wintering grounds…
Social to the point of almost foraging together in flocks, they’ve occupied the reedbeds, thickets and stands of trees all over the reserve, and largely oblivious to our presence gave fantastic views allowing us to enjoy their subtle beauty to the full.
A typical species of the colder months for us down here in southern Spain…and we’ll be hearing their soft, sweet “hweet…hweet” calls until early spring. If you’d like more information about the birdwatching trips and holidays we run in Andalucia, al the details you need are only a click away, and we’ll be reporting on all our birding news – there’s always plenty going on, whatever the time of year!
