Chiffchaff (phylloscopus collybita). (Source: Image by א (Aleph), http://commons.wikimedia.org)

Well, I’m back from my foreign travels (well, Brighton actually) and it seems I’ve been followed !!

With the window open this morning, I awoke to the wonderful sound of the “chiffchaff” (phylloscopus collybita),  a delightful little warbler that spends our winters on”holiday”in the Mediterranean and south west Africa.  This little bird has flown all that way back and found Parkinson’s Park much to its liking, to re-fuel and build its body weight back up to its pre migration weight.  The bird may just be passing through to its breeding grounds further north, or,  it may have hatched from its egg in the Park in previous years, and be a male singing to establish a territory and attract a mate.  Amazing stuff !!

The next one to arrive in a week or so will be the “willow warbler”(phylloscopus trochilus), closely followed by the “blackcap” the king of the singers.  Can’t wait !!!