With many of our "A-list" birds leaving back in September it was nice to have some new arrivals on the local patch...checking back through the trip reports it appears I saw the first Chiffchaff of the year on the 13th of the month. Since then this species has been a regular sighting in and around the "backyard", with their "hwit...hwit" calls adding to the background noise of the orchards and olive groves around Lanjaron.

Not the easiest of photographic subjects though...the Chiffchaff is more confident and trusting than many of the local warblers but they are small and constantly on the move as they forage through the foliage of the trees and can be easily overlooked. I was therefore pretty impressed with Kiersten's photograph, it's great to capture one of our seasonal visitors and get an image posted here.The distribution maps in the literature suggest the Chiffchaff may be an all year-round resident in parts of Andalucia but here in the Alpujarras I suspect there's an influx of  wintering birds from further north, choosing the warmer Mediterranean climate for the colder months. Very wise!

Not the most glamorous of species but the Chiffchaff has been a nice seasonal addition to the local mix. It will be interesting to see how long they stay on through the new year...as ever we'll keep news coming in. Watch this space...