I have an enormous soft spot for chiffchaffs. They may have a rather ‘boring’ buff colour. Not the most ‘interesting’ to look at. But I absolutely love them.
If you’re not sure what a chiffchaff is, I’d urge you to listen to a recording of this bird’s call. You may not recognise the song, but I guarantee that you’ll pick it out if you’re lucky enough to be in their presence when next out and about.
Most chiffchaffs visit us in the UK over the warmer months. They’re a true sign of spring. And they’re pretty numerous – around 1.2 million ‘breeding territories’ according to the RSPB. With our warming climate, some chiffchaffs even stay with us in the south and west for winter. But it’s March when their numbers explode in the UK.
I heard my first chiffchaff of 2022 early in the season. It was on Wednesday 23rd February on a walk near town. I wandered through my local meadow in Shipston-on-Stour and along a lane past the sewage works. This section of the walk, unsurprisingly, isn’t the most pleasant part but birds seem to love it. A small strip of brambles and trees line the side of the works and provide a place of refuge for all sorts of avian friends. It was here that I first heard the chiffchaff sing its song this year.
Since then, the chiffchaff influx has well and truly arrived in the local area. I’ve been on a number of walks since and there hasn’t really been a moment where I haven’t heard the chiffchaff’s song. I can’t imagine how many call this part of Warwickshire home, but I feel very lucky that they’ve chosen us after spending their winter months in the balmy climes of southern Europe and northern Africa. I imagine the females will be busy making their small, domed nests soon.
Though easy to hear, this little bird can sometimes be difficult to see. They’re rather small and look like a lot of other warblers. But I got a very good view of one on a recent ramble (featured in the video above!) I decided to extend a local walking route by heading up a bridleway and through some fields. It turned out to be a much longer walk than expected, but the birds and sunshine pushed me through and I made it to the end. The chiffchaffs were belting out their songs from the trees and I was thrilled to get a good glimpse of one through the binoculars. Once your ear picks up the rough direction of the song, it’s much easier to try and locate one. Especially at this time of year when the trees are only just starting to bud.
The chiffchaff is apparently ‘one of the few British birds to call its name’ (RSPB Pocket Guide to British Birds, 2012). It’s certainly a repetitive song, but I have to disagree with anyone who claims it might therefore be ‘boring’ or ‘annoying’. Though its onomatopoeic quality is unquestionable, if you listen closely it doesn’t always say “chiff chaff”. Sometimes it says “chiff chiff’ and “chaff chaff” or even “chaff chiff”. It also sometimes does a really, really loud “chaff” and then later grants the “chiff” a few extra decibels. So you could say it’s incredibly creative with what it’s got – very limited notes but the song can still surprise you!
Ramblings of a (very!) amateur artist 