Target Practice

Spring Things from the Nose. :D

Speckled Wood,

fresh as a daisy!

Chiff-chaff-chaff-chiff-chiff-chaff-chaff

Bullfinch

[2cy?]

Rockit posing

Never too many Wheatear shots

Right? Right.

Ok, time for threatened promised phyllosc nonsense;

Willow Warbler

Note the long primaries lit by the sun - long enough to cross above the uppertail coverts - and very two-tone colouration.

Chiffchaff

Yes, closer and better light angle [and different angle of shot full stop], and yes this looks long-winged for a Chiff, but that's an optical illusion as right primary tips artificially extend 'left' primary length. [Those are never going to cross]. Also far more homogenously coloured and a much dumpier, more compact shape [a very Chiffchaff feature vs longer-looking Willow*].

No, those aren't anything like ideal images, but they are far more demonstrative of what you usually get out there.

Speaking of;

From today!

So which is this? First glance shows a very strong contrast between upper and under part colouration; good 'first thought' for Willow. Those primaries clearly stick out well from the tertials - you can see a lot of flat feather showing there; very good for Willow**. What you can see of the head shows a strongish marking, with a contrasting dark facial surround; also good for Willow. The bill looks quite long, too [again, better for Willow].

Right next to it was this one;

Collecting nest material!

:D

A much better photo, yes [and you may wonder, as I do, why one sp. seems much 'easier' to photo well..?]. This bird is far more evenly coloured, above vs below, with a plain face [though a strong supercilium for a Chiff] and note the lack of long primaries and shorter, 'spikier' bill. Also much less 'bright' looking than usual Willows [though some of those can be very grey, resembling Hippos...]

Be Seeing You...

[[* You see a similar effect between Marsh and Reed Warblers; more a consequence of how they hold themselves than actual structural differences.]]

[[** Chiffchaff primaries usually seem to continue evenly from the tertials above them.]]